Short but good ice season on Oneida Lake

[SNAGGER]

Back in January I had the Flu when there was a week of safe ice, so I made sure when it got safe again I'd make the best of it, Fished Oneida february 9th threw the 12th, 4 straight days, then  took three days off too work, then hit the ice again for 4 more days straight from February 16th threw the 19th.  Fishing was very good, lots of keeper waldo's , smallmouth and tons of some of the biggest perch I've caught in atleast 5 years, had 3 full perch pail days and 2 25 keeper walleye days.and lots of action on every day i fished, its too bad it was so short, but dug the boat out of the snow today, shes ready too roll.

  Didn't take many pictures but took a few.

[Pman]

Great fish and great pictures Snag. Know what you are saying about the perch this season, some are unbelievable.

[reeleyz]

Nice pics Shane. The last 2 and a half weeks have been awesome.

My season on Oneida was actually longer this year than last year. 12/21 - 2/22 this year. Last year it was 1/22 - 3/7 for me. Got robbed of 2 weeks in the middle this year so it's about the same I guess.

[mealworm]

Wow congrats snag u deff made the best of it while it lasted! Those r some hog perch and eyes,love the sunrise and sun set pics also love the pic of the fellow steeler fan

[2muchleft]

Nice pics.  There were some real perch hogs this year.  Hoping we get a real winter next year!

[darkeyez]

Awesome pics., congrats to you guys on some nice fish.

[fish4fun8]

I know you put your time in Shane but you usually find them nice pics and good going!+

[hunts2long]

Glad you had a SAFE season. Always a good day when you get the boat out for the first time. Thanks for sharing....h2l

[Oldtimer]

Nice pictures Snag, thanks.  Many of us knew you were out there but not posting due to the crap of last year.  You will probably need to get the snow off your boat a few more times but the summer is going to be a good one.  Seeing the pictures lets me know your back is better, glad of that...

[step2jimi]

aaand yet another snagger post that makes me question whether or not i know what i'm doing at all on the ice. a few season ago i start my oneida ice career with 3 trips and 3 limits of eyes. last year no keepers, this year....again....no keepers. Then see photos and hear of guys out there slammin the crap out of them. Ill be back next year for ice and ill see you guys in a few months on the boat. Going to fish a tournament or two up there this year good luck with the rest of your trips gents.

[RIVERRAT2]

Awesome pics., congrats to you guys on some nice fish.

2X that thanks for sharing
 
RAT

[choo choo]

Nice pics Snag !

[hinkydo]

Way to hammer them

                 Snagger and his buds

                                                          hinkydo

[bigredonice]

Sick pics snag.   I was hanging with Jerry last night, he was telling how good it was last week.   Awesome!

[bowski76]

Really nice fish, judging from the pics, I guess you're catching the eyes at night, dawn or dusk.

[lowaccord66]

Awesome pics Shane way to make the best of it!

[Chowdaire]

Great pics as always, Snag. Way to take advantage of the short window we had this year.

[SNAGGER]

Really nice fish, judging from the pics, I guess you're catching the eyes at night, dawn or dusk.

  Being only the east end had safe ice and parking was limited, we kept quiet and got there early so we could get a parking spot, most of our eyes came like normal, first hour after sun up..... it took a bit but the bite leaked out and last saturday i never seen a parking mess like that before, not sure who owns the lewis parking lot, but if it is some sort of DEC arrangement, maybe they can can exspand that lot and fill it with stone, so it doesn't get rutted up so bad, that area needs a parking lot like godfrey.. Most days it wasn't bad, just saturday, no trash though, people tried too be respectful, people just want too fish, hope the state can work something out, no one wants too destroy the land, they just want too fish.

[SHUBA]

Nice pictures .I agree season was short BUT a very great one
caught many short eyes witch show a healthy future as well as an abundant
catch of big healthy eyes and lots of hog perch
the way I see it our " DEAD SEA" is looking pretty darn good should be
a great open water season this year lots of big healthy fish to be had

[bart]

Awesome fish and nice pics!

I never had the opportunity to fish Oneida this season... 

[SNAGGER]

Nice pictures .I agree season was short BUT a very great one
caught many short eyes witch show a healthy future as well as an abundant
catch of big healthy eyes and lots of hog perch
the way I see it our " DEAD SEA" is looking pretty darn good should be
a great open water season this year lots of big healthy fish to be had

  I agree SHUBA....yeah the shad had them full early on guys told me, and some shad never did die, we had 14 inch perch pushing 2lbs spitting up live large  shad, never seen that before, most perch had empty bellies or a few tiny gobies in them.. if that lake opens up and it might, the perch bite from a boat should be hot since they got used too eating big meals all winter and with so many perch with nothing in there bellies...lots of 13-14.5 inch eyes, and finally much more 16-17 inch eyes that have been kind of missing the last season, last yrs big 15 inch crop coming into size, looks like a good spring coming.

[d_balm24]

Great job. I only made it up for 1 weekend but caught TONS of shorts and was able to get some limits and nice perch too. Future for Oneida looks GREAT.  LOVE the sunrise pics. Pretty sure I walked passed you when you were taking them. Pretty sure that's me with the smitty sled in the sunrise pic. I yelled over AWESOME view and you said you were trying to get those pretty green hues in your photos. Thanks for sharing

[SNAGGER]

Great job. I only made it up for 1 weekend but caught TONS of shorts and was able to get some limits and nice perch too. Future for Oneida looks GREAT.  LOVE the sunrise pics. Pretty sure I walked passed you when you were taking them. Pretty sure that's me with the smitty sled. I yelled over AWESOME view and you said you were trying to get those pretty green hues in your photos. Thanks for sharing

   Yep I remember thinking, hes headed too the perch grounds.  had a 18 fish flurry after you walked by then I too headed too a different perch grounds..

[SHUBA]

Great job. I only made it up for 1 weekend but caught TONS of shorts and was able to get some limits and nice perch too. Future for Oneida looks GREAT.  LOVE the sunrise pics. Pretty sure I walked passed you when you were taking them. Pretty sure that's me with the smitty sled in the sunrise pic. I yelled over AWESOME view and you said you were trying to get those pretty green hues in your photos. Thanks for sharing

yea and we had a blast buddy will do it a lot more next year and if we learned one thing this year it was
"GO BIG OR GO HOME" now lets look forward to open water slam fest

[SNAGGER]

   I've always fished the opener for last 18 yrs at Sylvan, but I'm thinking I'm gonna try something different and fish the south and west end for the opener, I had fun being stuck at Lewis point this year, I learned alot, I don't fish there very often and learned alot of little micro spots,Never did make it east of the point over by 109, wasn't sure about the ice over there, never got a chance too scout it ahead of the snow, didn't want anyone in my group getting into trouble on machines,,,,,,,, I think I'll continue the learning process and fish way west this May, I'm looking forward too it.

[reeleyz]

I had only ice fished Lewis once when I was about 5 years old. Going there this year was like hitting the "Easy Button". 

I also fished Chaumont for the first time and that was a great trip too.

Some people hate years like this but I think it pushes you to try new stuff, get out of your comfort zone, and learn.

[BigEarl]

Great stuff snagger I made it up once this year and did better than my one humbling trip last year. Tons of shorts a few keepers and nice perch still learning the lake by the pics I have lots to learn lol good stuff.

[SNAGGER]

   I agree Bruce, it was fun trying new areas, much easier then the northshore for sure..... i hit Chaumont once too, but it was one of those days when anything that can go wrong ...did, never got started fishing til 10am, so missed the eye bite but did well on perch.

[bigredonice]

it was one of those days when anything that can go wrong

at least you had the forethought to spud ahead and keep us from going in the drink in the dark.   

[SNAGGER]

     Syracuse just broke the Record with 68 degrees, the all time record for February is 69 degrees, can we do it?, 64 here in Altmar, but with no wind, the snowpack has melted very little yet on Tug hill.