Got out for a bit today

[bucketmouth]

Got out with WallyBoss on Crappie Bay.  Fishing sucked hard.  Fish were stacked as usual but had lock jaw (as usual?)... We tried everything from microplastics to 1/16oz buckshots tipped with redworms.  We each lost a pike on shiners on the set lines as well.  I think I'm heading west of Ottawa tomorrow if anyone is interested.

There's 5-6" of white ice out there, but it skinnies up if you go past the point.

My sonar setup worked well except that the scupper hole kayak transducer floats cockeyed in the water so I had to use my scoop to make it sit vertical.



Walleye Bay is NOWHERE near ready... gonna take a week of colder temps if you want to get out there at all.  Looked wet.

[Woodsman]

At least you got out. I was out today checking out the local ice. Nothing safe around here.
Lots of places frozen over but not even close enough to bother checking out thickness. Still waiting & hoping.

[tip-uptwo]

Slow but steady   Thanks for the report Don, may sneak back out one morning this week if I get some free time.

Will be ontop of them walleyes soon  

[C P]

Hey at least you got out!  8)

[matt_aid]

Sweet!!! good to hear the Season has started back in Ottawa!!!



How do you like your new sonar???

[bucketmouth]

I like the flasher mode on it Matt.  I didn't notice any interference with WB's FL18 which is good 'cause I obviously don't have interference rejection on this HBird.  I'll be using it tomorrow west of Ottawa on a deeper, rocky lake so we'll see how it performs when the column isn't stacked with fish like on CBay. 

[matt_aid]

a pretty cool machine! your sonar is quite versatile!

i was looking for a new sonar this year, as i left my FL8 at petrie last year...

anyways i ended up picking up the VX1 pro,  getting it shipped from Marcum.


Any problems with the "cold" temps and the screen??? 

Good luck tomorrow out there tomorrow!!

[viciouscircle]

Awesome Don!

You caught fish too.....

Looks like the cold season is starting to warm up if ya know wht i mean.


PS...attach some lead fishing sinkers to your transducer...keeps it upright...thats what i did.

[bucketmouth]

Any problems with the "cold" temps and the screen??? 

Haven't had it out in anything colder than today's -4 or so... I'll let you know later in the season.  I heard handwarmers take care of any lagging response time... I've also heard the response time lag is a myth.  So time will tell.

Don

[viciouscircle]

I dont know about your unit Don, by mine is fine....it was -26 yesterday and the day before when i got on the ice. The day before yesterday with the windchill it was hovering around -45C. As you can see from the pics in my post we had no shelter. This was the coldest ive ever had it exposed to...WORKED LIKE A DREAM.....NO LAG! and its still working.

[Rich]

I was out on Crappie Bay Sunday and it was very slow, I caught about 15 Crappie in the morning but all under 10" most around 6". I think it has finally been beaten to death  . Walleye bay will be ready Saturday if not today, it froze over last Saturday night and with this deep freeze should be good to go very soon. I drove by this morning on my way to work and it looked pretty good 

[bucketmouth]

Quick update on Walleye Bay.

Dec 14th


Dec 17th


She's tightened up all the way out now.  Lots of people creeping out on it today and it looked solid.  I didn't have my spud with me to get an accurate thickness.  It's a pretty safe bet that what was already frozen in the first pic is so much better today after the cold snap (and 3 more days of wicked sub-z's).