Any luck on Clear Lake

[crowbait]

Icey Tom,

I'm halfway between Clear Lake and Des Moines. My son is Badgercreekfreek, and he and the guys he works with are having the same luck as most of us on Clear Lake. Big Creek is giving up soom nice gills, not alot of them, and Badger is giving up more but not the size of Big Creek. It seems if a person keeps moving you have a chance of picking up a few more than if you just stay in one spot. I'm thinking of coming up to Clear Lake this afternoon if I can get away. I'll stop at the Dome to get the latest info from them.

Be safe out there!!
Crowbait

[CrappieBuster]

Went just off billy's this morning 8:30-1.  Pretty slow only 3 bites.  Managed to pull up a 20 inch walleye though.  Straightened 2 treble hooks and an elbow out on sumpthing big down thaaar,jigging a bigger buckshot. Pretty pissed about that!!!   Fishing in 12 foot of water.

[Old Blue]

Hey Icey Tom,

Haven't been out since Super Bowl Sunday.  Went out to N. Prairie here in Cedar Falls to see if I could catch a few trout.  They've been fished over pretty good.  I brought a pretty nice one up to the edge of the whole and it shook loose.  I'll probably head out there again Saturday am.  There are MILLIONS of 3 inch bluegill and crappie out there.  My vexilar was marking those little bugars off the charts.

[badgercreekfreek]

Not sure if I'm heading up to Clear Lake this Sunday or not.  A few of us in the DSM area are thinking about heading to 3 Mile which is probably the wrong direction from an ICE perspective, but we've heard that they were catching some fish down that way and it's half the drive!

Good luck this weekend up there.  I'll be checking for reports.  If things get HOT, maybe a few of us will head up that way.

[coldfisherman]

Hey Folks! 

The ice on the lake is good! I drove out from the DNR aproach at bayside and the ice was excellent. Not even a wet spot!

We fished between the island and Dodge's point. Hit and miss with the yellows. If your puttin off comin up because of the conditions............ .. get here while it's still good good. The ice talked a lot but plenty of it and good drive on ability. My 2wd was fine.

Saw CROWBAIT and he brought the "CASA GRANDE". Beautiful job on a home made hut Bro!!!! I wanted to stay.   I think he had some sort of satellite homing pidgeon thing in there.
Hope your luck was better than mine, Got lotsa bites but no takers. Good thing I don't make a living as a salesman. lol

It was all worth it just to see the sunset and moon rise. For some reason I keep having these visions of
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!



Beautiful sunset or what???

Peace Man! 8)
CESAR

[crowbait]

Coldfisherman & Waterbug,

Good to see you guys again. For me the bite started at 3:35, caught the first fish that pulled . Ended up with half doz. striipes, missed atleast a doz., was tempted to put on a stinger hook but didn't want to risk getting a small eye and have it suck it down. First eye when that beautiful sunset was going on, 17". After dark caught one more small one. Should have ended up with 4 to 5 eyes, fish were fairly active after dark, just didn't get them hooked. The little lady got her first striper though the ice on a miro light rod. The fish put a great bend in that little rod. Left at 8:30... most active fishing on the ice for me at  Clear Lake this year! 

Crowbait 

[Icey Tom]

Hey guys. Going south tomorrow.  See if I can catch some panfish.  Son-in-law said he's got 10" of good ice on his small local lake near Ankeny.  Hope it holds up when it gets in the 40's.

OldBlue - I'm going to CF in 1&1/2 weeks, but maybe I'll have to sneak down after work and see if I can gets some bites in the early eve, before ice gives out. I've got Wed am off, so may try it then too.  I'll have to see if I can locate that little lake.  Gotta thin those gills out once in a while, ya know....

Coldwater and waterbug - I may get back some time Sunday afternoon or eve.  If it's not too late  I may suddenly take an exit at CL (I'll have my gear with) and take the wife out on the lake for a bit.  I think there is an approach on the East end by one of the boat shops.  I'll see if that's any good and try somewhere on the West end for a change.

Good fishin all, and don't forget to take your lawn chairs with this weekend (you might need some frosty one's too)

later
Tom

[CrappieBuster]

Picked up a few keeper eyes the past few nights on billy's. 8 foot of water.  Still 16-20 inches of ice in the area.  The last permanent shacks are off there in anticipation of a warm one.. 

[Old Blue]

Icey Tom,

The trout bite is still pretty good on North Prairie.  Caught 5" and 17" early this a.m. and lost another.  Couple of other guys nearby limited out (I believe)  Pretty fun stuff to catch trout in about 14-15' of water.  I enjoy it now b/c the trout realize that there is an entire lake at their disposal and are no longer swimming in circles which isn't much of a challenge fishing-wise.  If you plan on giving it a shot, I can get you directions and possibly join you if it works out in my schedule.  Easy to find if I can't make it.

Good fishing,

Old Blue (Jim)

[crowbait]

Hey all you Clear Lake ice slushers,   

What's this weather doing to the ice up there? Has to be a little sloppy now after all this rain. Anyone see anybody out today?

You all be safe up there!!!

Crowbait 

[CrappieBuster]

Went Sat. Morning ice was still good Sat. evening it was looking no-good for full sizes.  Tried going sunday morning got all the way over there and it started raining pretty good decided to ABORT!!!  Need to buy myself a good pair of ice cleats and goloshes before I go next time... Oh yeh and a poncho too....GLOBAL WARMING IS AWESOME!!!

THINK COLD THOUGHTS!!!

[waterbug]

Hey all you Clear Lake ice slushers,   

What's this weather doing to the ice up there? Has to be a little sloppy now after all this rain. Anyone see anybody out today?

You all be safe up there!!!

Crowbait 

Haven't been out since sat.. Took a ride by the lake this morning and didn't see anybody out fishing. Might go back this afternoon and scope it out. I'm like CrappieBuster.....Thin king cold thoughts !!! Never thought I'd say that. I was always a warm weather person until I started ice fishing. Now it seems as if I can't get enough.