Got out solo today for a few hours on the ice. Had the entire lake to myself. 5" of solid ice under 3" or so of sloppy stuff. The action was much better than I anticipated.
Fished an ultra light setup with 1 lb. test and a small jig tipped with a waxworm or maki plastics. From 10 a.m. til noon the bite was fantastic with over 100 bluegill iced in those 2 hours. After that, the bite got real tough for awhile, but I was determined to get back on a hot bite. When I finally decided to quit staring at the green, yellow, and red lights of the Vexilar at 3 p.m., I had caught an estimated 120 Bluegill, 12 Pumpkinseed, 1 Yellow Perch, 1 Largemouth Bass and 1 fiesty Chain Pickerel that pulled like a freight train. How he didn't cut or break that tiny line on one of its runs is beyond me, but I'll take it.
Wish I had taken photos of the perch and pumpkinseed since I got pics of the Bluegill, Bass, and Pickerel. Here are a few pics from the solo trip.
Two Bluegill in a natural livewell:
One of the better Bluegill:
The only Largemouth, a blast on 1 pound line:
The Chain Pickerel:
