Author Topic: conditions in the hills (Read 2171 times)

icefishingallday · « **on:** Mar 01, 2013, 09:03 AM »

im coming home for spring break was wondering how the ice is i have heard the temps have been pretty warm over there

jbuss79 · « **Reply #1 on:** Mar 01, 2013, 10:20 AM »

Stuff east of and closer to Rapid is deteriorating fast. The Hills are still holding up but it won't be too long before they're sketchy. I've heard Orman is all but done. I've heard Angostura is about done too. Personally I'm sticking to the Hills.

appleye · « **Reply #2 on:** Mar 01, 2013, 03:27 PM »

Keyhole on the west side still has 20" of ice and has snow on top. Fishing has been very good all winter. Check out the Keyhole report on the WY side if your wanting to get on the ice.

icefishingallday · « **Reply #3 on:** Mar 02, 2013, 01:37 PM »

hows deerfield and stockade? they still fishable?

jbuss79 · « **Reply #4 on:** Mar 03, 2013, 10:19 PM »

Anybody out this weekend with the warm weather? I'm wanting to go Monday. Is it worth a shot? Sylvan, Roubaix, or Horsetheif are places I'd like to hit yet this season. Hoping the edges are still good so I can get on.

icefishingallday · « **Reply #5 on:** Mar 04, 2013, 03:32 AM »

i was at deerfield yesterday and caught a few it was slow but ice was good

appleye · « **Reply #6 on:** Mar 04, 2013, 03:42 PM »

Any idea how the ice is at Pactola? Hoping to make a trip Tues of Wens. Thanks

KingCat · « **Reply #7 on:** Mar 04, 2013, 03:50 PM »

deerfield ice is still pretty good, plenty of trucks all over the ice. perch are suspended and biting.

jbuss79 · « **Reply #8 on:** Mar 04, 2013, 11:29 PM »

Went to Horsetheif today. Tough fishing. It was as cold and nasty as I've been in all season and I was pretty much miserable by the end. I got 5 nice Rainbow within the first 20 minutes I was there. For the next 2 hours I caught 1 small rainbow. The ice was good. Clear ice from 10"-12" thick except for where I first got on which was pretty thin for about 5 feet. I broke a rod today but managed not to break any bones when I got dumped flat on my back. First time I fell so far this season. Wind got ahold of me and my feet went right out from underneath. Gonna call today a draw.

bababooey · « **Reply #9 on:** Mar 05, 2013, 12:47 PM »

Quote from: KingCat on Mar 04, 2013, 03:50 PM

deerfield ice is still pretty good, plenty of trucks all over the ice. perch are suspended and biting.

They are suspended and biting, but most aren't worth catching. I am amazed at how many slobs think it is ok to pull a perch out of 30 fow or more, and when its too small they put it back down the hole. I went to some areas yesterday, and found over 30 perch that were 5-7 inches floating at the top of the holes. If you are going to fish deep water perch, KEEP THE FISH YOU CATCH!! If you don't want to keep the smaller fish, GO SHALLOWER! Yes, its fun catching a lot of fish like that, but at what cost? Killing 100 of them so you can take home 15 9 inchers? And for gods sake, don't try "fizzing" them either, all that does it let them swim away far enough so they don't die in front of you.

Sorry for the rant, but I was so disgusted seeing the dead perch all over the place. I also saw some guys fishing an area, load up and leave the lake, and then come back a couple hours later and fish the same spot again. I'm sure they were just filling their freezer. I did call GFP and let them know what I saw.

KingCat · « **Reply #10 on:** Mar 05, 2013, 01:52 PM »

i hear you babybooey, there are certainly some issues with wanton waste and the perch on deerfield. fish that don't swim, regardless of size, end up in my bucket. as much as you can try to fish in depths that won't blow out the air sacs, it happens, especially with newbie anglers, or people who just want to catch fish. but, yes, keep them, and don't double dip.

fishm_n · « **Reply #11 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 01:24 AM »

I might finally hit Pactola this Monday, any body going to be out there?? I cant wait to test the new fish finder!!!

I am tempted to pull an all nighter. What are the fire restrictions on ice??

icefishingallday · « **Reply #12 on:** Mar 07, 2013, 09:31 AM »

jbuss i went to robiaux on monday night and didnt have a single bite or anything the ice was alright it didnt really look like to many people have been fishing it if you hit it up let me kno how you do.

appleye · « **Reply #13 on:** Mar 07, 2013, 12:30 PM »

Fished Pactola Wensday. Ice was in good shape. We fished 5 hours and landed 15 lakers in 80'. Deep rods nothing. Fish wanted the jig moving. Biggest was 23". Ice was a solid 12".

jbuss79 · « **Reply #14 on:** Mar 11, 2013, 11:36 PM »

Fished Horsetheif yesterday. Brought my limit home but I had to really work for them. Ice was alright, starting to open along the rocks on the East end. A few spots of 8" with most areas about 10". Hit Roubaix today. Managed 2 keepers and about 4 other Rainbow I threw back. Also caught a half-dozen Brookie with all of them being about 4-6". Ice there was a different story. Solid all the way around with snow on top. Ice was easy 20". In both cases the fish were all in less than 10 FOW. Never marked a single fish in two days in water over 10'. Waxies and red maggots were getting it done o.k. but the two fellas down the way on Roubaix today were lights out with chunks of night crawler. They limited out in less than 2 hours.

End of the ice season for me is tomorrow. Going out with my Dad and spending my birthday on the ice. Hoping to finish strong. It's been an awesome season but with 60's and 70's in the forecast I'm ready to pack it in for the season. Fly-rod comes out Wednesday and I'll be making the change over to open water until Thanksgiving.

fishm_n · « **Reply #15 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 12:36 AM »

The wind dishartend me and i did not make it to Pactola today. Next week!!

jbuss79 · « **Reply #16 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 11:17 PM »

Sylvan was a bust. Fished it from 9:30-noon with not a single bite. Threw out about everything I could think of. Marked a lot of fish but no takers. Ice was good at about 16-18" all the way across. Just a note: Only way to get to Sylvan right now is by coming through Hill City and up Highway 87. Highway 89 out of Custer is closed as is Needles Highway. All was not lost though. We stopped at Legion and in under 2 hours I caught 6 nice Rainbow. Brought home 3 eaters. Ice there was 8" for the most part with the edges thinning fast. It was a good day. Good luck to all of you holding on for a few more days/weeks. Be safe. See you all over on MyFishFinder!

Jynx · « **Reply #17 on:** Mar 16, 2013, 06:46 PM »

so, after this warm week, anyone know what sheridan or pactola ice looks like, and how big a plank you may need to get onto the ice?

Tannerl4949 · « **Reply #18 on:** Mar 17, 2013, 07:39 PM »

Do any of the lakes in the hills around hillcity have any walleye or good perch? I've been to deerfeild and caught the perch and trout there but didnt go to any other lakes.

tehwarrior50 · « **Reply #19 on:** Mar 28, 2013, 02:33 PM »

Thinking about going out in the next three days... where in the hills is safe now?

fishfeind · « **Reply #20 on:** Mar 28, 2013, 07:57 PM »

I was on sheridan last friday at the south launch icve was 4" and going fast and I dont mean the edges it was coming up in big chunks. I would think deerfield would still have good ice though.

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Author Topic: conditions in the hills (Read 2171 times)