IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Iowa => Ice Fishing Iowa => Topic started by: hole-a-holic on Dec 07, 2009, 09:52 PM
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is there anyone from here going to the winterfest derby?
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its my plan again this year if everything works out
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have you fish it the past years?
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yes,i cant say u catch alot aleast not last year maybe diff this year just a good time had by all
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I'll go if I remember to put in the PTO request. Has the date been announced?
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i think it is jan 25th you can see just google winterfest council bluffs ice fishing and there will be a web page for it
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Jan 31
http://www.winterfestderby.com/ (http://www.winterfestderby.com/)
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I should be there again this year. Tom when are you heading south?
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I should be there again this year. Tom when are you heading south?
It looks like it will be February or so IF we do it. As appealing as a place in the Ozarks sounds, I havn't much as far as jobs in that region for myself. While there are few places better suited for guys like us to be unemployed in, I just can't see myself quitting a perfectly good job with no solid offer or prospects in hand.
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just got report this morning that some fish were being caught from Manawa. They were catching a few good sized drum (okay it's drum but still fish!) and also a report of a 20" wiper near tin can dike area. Ice thickness ranged from 3-6" inches depending on snow cover I'm guessing. Walleye fishing could be good from Manawa this winter if you can locate them. I talked to DNR officer in November and they ran tagging/shocking surveys this fall and noted a healthy population of walleyes over 18" with many up to 23". Two 27" fish were tagged as well. There are some good fish in the lake but it has been hit/miss in locating them in winter. Hope to hear more reports soon.
also of note: DNR stocked 1500 trout into Saganush pond in Council Bluffs back in late October and I'm sure quite a few remain to be caught through ice. Next stocking should be sometime in January (with another possible 1500 trout).
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I plan on fishing the ice fishing derby even if you do not catch any fish they give away a ton of prizes.
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Here is a Council Bluffs baitshop and their fishing report for Manawa and DeSoto Bend. I just can't figure out how to make it a legitimate link. They hae been in business locally for at least 35yrs.
http://www.woodssportinggoods.com/fishing_report.html
Ken.....
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http://www.woodssportinggoods.com/fishing_report.html (http://www.woodssportinggoods.com/fishing_report.html)
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I called Woods today to get a first hand report on the ice and fishing. Was told that the ice is good, no measurement tho. He said that fishing is mostly slower with not so many crappie and cats as earlier. I will be in town to watch the Nebraska Bowl game at the casino tomorrow, so I am gonna try to get some ice time before hand.
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TomHusker:
I went to Mile Hill Lake (just outside of Glenwood of Hwy 34) yesterday afternoon (from 3:00-5:00pm) and caught about 30 fish. Nothing giant but gills were about 6-7" and a few bass with one up to 14". Fish weren't huge but action was consistent and fun to catch!
I used lime glow ratso tail on Marmooska jig. Sometimes I tipped it with waxworm, sometimes didn't need it. If you are looking for some fish to catch and maybe also get out of the wind, Mile Hill might be a good place to go.
send me IMO if interested in fishing it today. I will be busy this morning until about 12:00pm, but could go out this afternoon.
I'll check for it when I get back around 10:00am this morning
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The ice fishing derby is run pretty well but you can't catch any fish. There is so many people and the lake is only seven foot deep. I caught fifty blue gills the day before and 0 the day of the tourney. They have some decent prizes though. I won a watch last year. The DNR are up your butt there to and they are not a friendly bunch. If you go try by the beach. This is where the deepest water is and there are several brush piles buried there. Catfish bite really well through the ice there. Make sure and stop by Wood's bait shop and buy your bait from Vicki, she's great and can always tell you the hot spots.
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I think its a lot of luck but I do think the fish get spooked hearing holes being drilled through the ice especially right when the contest starts. Manawa does have some nice crappie if you can find them. I wish they had a category for the most yellow bass award as that would be one of the best times to thin some of those trash fish out.
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You're definitely right about the yellow bass. They need to have a yellow bass catching contest several times a year. Time to kill off manaswamp and dredge it out.
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TomHusker:
I went to Mile Hill Lake (just outside of Glenwood of Hwy 34) yesterday afternoon (from 3:00-5:00pm) and caught about 30 fish. Nothing giant but gills were about 6-7" and a few bass with one up to 14". Fish weren't huge but action was consistent and fun to catch!
I used lime glow ratso tail on Marmooska jig. Sometimes I tipped it with waxworm, sometimes didn't need it. If you are looking for some fish to catch and maybe also get out of the wind, Mile Hill might be a good place to go.
send me IMO if interested in fishing it today. I will be busy this morning until about 12:00pm, but could go out this afternoon.
I'll check for it when I get back around 10:00am this morning
Was thinking about hitting Mile Hill next week once or twice. I have 9 days off that was supposed to be used for a trip north, but funds are short due to ATV repairs. Probably Tuesday, afternoon sometime. How is that road leading into it? I have four wheel drive, but my buddy doesn't.
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Tom:
road going into Mile Hill was good on 30th. Plowed all the way down. Ice was about 10-13" thick but like other places so much snow had trapped some of that rain and there was some water on ice under the snow. Easy to get to though and there are some decent fish in there (gills and crappies). Pony Creek which is west and north of Glenwood has some nice crappies too--but a bigger body of water and also has a lot of small yellow bass.
Another good spot to try near Glenwood would be Fulsom Lake right off of I-29 to west of Glenwood. Right near the rest stop there on northbound lane. You'd have to park in the reststop area and walk over, but it's not too far a walk. There were a few people fishing it this fall and catching some nice crappies and bass.
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Went to Mile Hill today and experienced the first skunk of the season. I have yet to catch a fish on the body of water, don't know why I continue to try. There was 11" of ice.
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Tom:
where did you try on Mile Hill? I was there this past Sunday with my son and we caught about 15-20 fish over on south side along that steep bank. We fished from about 2:00-4:00pm. We were in about 22ft of water with stumps/brush on bottom. One nice crappie and bluegill with the rest of the fish being on smaller side 6-7" gills with one 13" bass. We had fun just catching some fish. Using the vexilar we saw fish come through about 15ft down fairly consistently. Used lime glow ratsos on Marmooksa jigs tipped with waxworms. I also caught several fish on a red wedgie tail on marmooska jig with no live bait--I rub a squeezed waxworm on the plastic bait to give it scent. We just kept the bait in a constant small bouncing motion and that seemed for most part to keep them biting. I saw a gold van with Page County license plates parked up on top Sunday. Wasn't you was it? We had to park at top and walk in down the hill as I didn't want to take chance of getting stuck!
send me Personal message and we'll have to hook up and try some areas I know around Glenwood that have some decent fish!