Last day on S Ibay

[shawner]

     Was out yesterday on the south end of Irondequoit Bay with about 50 other people. crappieEATER was there with his gang and jmiskey was out too. Great day on jack perch, a 13 + was my best and the big white perch showed up for an added enjoyment. Had drag goin', 2 poles at once bobbin' away drinking a High Life and feeling like I was living one. Hadn't gotten into the jacks as much as that all season, last year my last day was on The Cranbo for jacks and I was slammin' 'em that day too. Next day the ice was gone.
     After a strange morning similar to MXFISHER's the other day at Cranbo without all the details for reading sake,yeah right, Ibay came around for me. I tried to push my luck a little first thing to get at some jacks and went north of the point on the thinner ice. No sooner did I put out two tipups for perch, the sun was warming up the ice  enough to get the ice poppin' and cracking, only 3-3 1/2". I walked back to the sled and every step was getting a crack, I been spooked before but not like this where I knew I had to bail to thicker ice quick or I was in for a real soaker.The ice was spider webbing under me at the sled! Literally scooped up the tipups and sled and double timed it to the refreeze ice line where everyone else was lined up. I'm sure someone got a chuckle out of seeing that. Lookit' this cowboy, heh heh heh.
    Lost two jigging poles down the drink tending flags at two different times and an hour later got them both back at the same time bringing in a jack and both poles had fish on! That made 3 fish on one deal! Plus, I couldn't believe I got both poles back, what are the odds? I've never lost one down the hole before in over 30 years and lost two. I saw the second go down headed back to the sled from a flag. The first I wondered if it went down or the guy next to me grabbed it for a minute. What a weird deal, I'm sitting there after another flag and can't believe it so I'm looking around the inside of the sled and notice the bubbler for the bait buckets gone. What the hell? Man' I know I turned it off, or did I? Damn, did that big dude take it? Is this a bad dream? What am I a new guy? Again, I can't believe it! The guy next to me was over by the sled  when I turned around from a flag and was a little jerky fumbling with his hands inside his bibs and after we talked a little he moved off looking for better action. I've been just a little grumpy lately with life's stresses and before I go looking for him, I talk myself into looking for the bubbler. Hate thieves and liars, both one in the same in my opinion. Retraced my steps back to the thin ice and could see my holes stil,l and nothing, the ice is flat and smooth. Walked to where I talked to the first guy I saw and nothing. Went back to the sled and tore it apart, nothing! Son of a -----. I ain't havin' it, I don't care how big that dude is, I go looking for him and find him and get into it with him. An older guy comes over to try and mediate, but I'm not having him either although I can appreciate what he was trying to do. Told big Ed, if he didn't take it and it showed up some how, I'd be big enough to apologize and shake his hand like a man, but if he did take it and thought he was going to bum rush me,he should be big enough and he had 'till I walked of the ice to give it back. Didn't care it was only 12 bucks for it.I hadn't fished the poles back in yet so I'm thinking maybe he did snag the first one, who knows I don't know this guy from Adam. It was the point of loosing all that stuff and feeling like a shmuck, and maybe loosing it to a friendly thief. No way man! I stewed for about 20 minutes or so and thought about leaving. That's what I get for playing hookey from work for the last chance at the ice. I created some bad karma and was paying for it I thought. I still had a couple rods and had them in, debating if I should go to work when the jacks showed up. After a dozen or so I was content with my loses, and almost getting in a fight, and looking like an ass to some I'm sure. Crazy! Then the poles come back with 2 more fish on, oh man is this --it fun! Where's that big dude? Probably iced 75 fish or more with better than half in the 9-12 range and a bunch of slob whites. Gave the best ones to crappieEATER who witnessed all of it but the dance off the thin ice. Never got the bubbler back, guess I'll never really know on that one.
       Thirty plus years of it and I still haven't seen or done it all, even on the spot I've done it on for at least half those years. Had one interesting last day, like MX, and another great last day like last year and a few before. Love ice fishing!!!

       See you all next season, nice to meet all of the fellow IS members I met this year! For such a strange season with the weather the way it was it was a lot of fun!  Good luck to everyone on the water!

[hali-man]

Great story, Shawner!
At least you got into the fish and somehow got your rods back.
A $12 aerator isn't worth a fight, but I know how you felt.

[JeffreyKrow]

Great story, way to hold your composier. Still waiting for a day of perch that good.
                                                                                                      JK

[beaglehunter]

Shauner,

Best story I read all year....more excitement in 1 day than I've seen all year.

[MXFISHER656]

Shawner,
Sounds like you had a crazy day, hey at least you got out and got into the decent fish. Hali's right $12 bubbler isn't worth a fight, rest assured your a better man for not dropping his a@# for over a bubbler. If he's a thief karma will come around a take care of it. Thats crazy catching 3 fish and 2 poles at once!! Sounds like fun. I got lucky this week and was able to get out twice after work (boss has been I a good mood and he let me leave early). Got into the pike good one day. Glad to her you stayed dry, I hate when the ice gets like that..talking to ya and cracking, I would have been sprinting out of there.

It was cool to meet you, next year when we have better ice will have to meet up agian, and hopefully meet gambell as well.


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