Friday the 13'th @ Weirdchester (pics added).

[Trooper Bri]

I'll get the ice conditions out of the way 1'st this time.

The rain and then 2 days of cold actually solidified the 2" of loose crap on top from Tuesday, and also filled and re-froze all the auger holes. I measured 10" of ice out from the spillway where i measured 11" earlier in the week, and all the holes we drilled today. The edges are starting to open up here and there, especially the northern edges where the sun hits most. The shore between the spillway and boat launch opened a little more, but getting on still isn't a problem.

Fished with my friend Mitch and we wanted pike, so even though i HATE the SW cove, we fished it since there's some shallow areas i had hoped the pike had moved into. I was wrong.
In 7 hours, Mitch managed one measly pickerel, and my lone flag managed to bump up my PB pike to around 33". That just may graduate me out of the Pike Tard category! It was caught in 7ft of water using a big dead bait sitting on the bottom. Food, beer, and plenty of conversation kept us occupied all day. Everyone else out there was having a slow day too, so we didn't feel too bad.



Now onto the weirding... Around noon some guy came out to fish, and he was loudly and everlastingly talking to himself. Whooping, hollering, swearing, we could hear him from across the ice. He literally didn't go a minute without talking in 3.5 hours. Most of it we couldn't hear (thankfully), but some of it was just too funny.

The other oddfellow out there was dressed in some sort of white furry hat/helmet with white horns, and matching boots. He was ice fishing, but also doing some sort of medicine dance (hopefully it was an ice dance).



If spanker can fish Tuesday, i'll take one more ride up there, otherwise i'll very likely consider it a successful season and put the gear away. I didn't get skunked at all, and caught a decent pike. 2 out of my 3 goals were achieved.
 

[hrdwtr24]

Nice Bri... atleast you are still out there! can't wait for pic's......Bob..

[mongosmash]

 i'm glad that i'm not the only one who runs into weird people. damion and i were in maine ten years ago and we ran into this fellow from ct. who claimed that this was his country. while he was drinking and standing in our fire, yes i did say in our fire. the next day he was shooting at somthing across the lake at somewhere afternoon time. after that we thought we were going to be next. but shortly after that he packed up his camper a

[mongosmash]

i'm glad that i'm not the only one who runs into weird people. damion and i were in maine ten years ago and we ran into this fellow from ct. who claimed that this was his country. while he was drinking and standing in our fire, yes i did say in our fire. the next day he was shooting at somthing across the lake at somewhere afternoon time. after that we thought we were going to be next. but shortly after that he packed up his camper a

AND LEFT. we were very happy after that.

[jebra]

I'll get the ice conditions out of the way 1'st this time.

Trooper ---as usual you give the best ice reports!  Glad you got two nice pike! I hope to get out on the ice this weekend myself.

[Trooper Bri]

I only bagged one pike today, wish it was two. But i'm not complaining.
Only took one pic, but it was of the shoreline in the cove. Anywhere from 2 to 5ft of open water.



Just don't fiddle around near the spillway if anyone is headed up there this weekend, and you aren't familiar with the lake. The current will undercut that ice farther out than you think. We've seen the ice go from 6 or 7, down to 2 inches in a matter of 50ft.

Also said i would drill some holes on Highland on the way out, but fished later than i expected to and didn't have time. I pulled in the lot for a peek, and there was 1/2 dozen guys fishing 1'st bay. The ice there also looks like it got the same treatment as Winchester, and the launch area is still locked up tight. No idea how thick it is in that area, but i'm GUESSING 8 or 9 inches.

More pics to come, including Chief Crazy Ice. 

[spanky1]

Congratulations my friend. You have EARNED that fish 100 times over with the number of trips you've made to that place. Looks like getting rid of me was the good luck charm for you buddy! 

Even though I talked to you today, I have to admit I wasn't thinking a lot about being on the ice today. Between looking at this out my window...


and the competition, I had my mind on other things. You've put in the time Bri, you deserve that fish BIG time!

Congrats again,
Frank

 

[FondoFishin]

I'm pretty sure I've heard that same guy (the one who talks to himself) on bantam before. just SHOUTING for hours. Definitely a strange guy, but he has Rush stickers all over his truck, so that earns him some points, lol. Congrats on that pike, a 33" out of the SW cove is quite the accomplishment if you ask me. You'd think they would be loading up in there this time of year but it just isn't so, last year was the same deal.

[Trooper Bri]

Thanks Fondo! You're definitely on my short list of people i'd like to ice fish for pike with. This is my 1'st year for really targeting pike, so i have room for improvement and education.

We actually did talk to the guy for a minute when we were walking off. Curiosity was killing the cat. He comes off quite normal up close. There was a truck in the lot, just don't remember if there were Rush stickers on it or not. 

[miket.]

nice going bri, nice to see you got out.thats a pretty nice report too!!! thanks. i will head to highland tomarrow.

[bigbry068]

I remember a report a year or 2 ago about a guy out that way, swearing and yelling to himself all day . The guy with the horns may have been a goatboy...

[Trooper Bri]

The guy with the horns was one of 6 people not arrested at the Phish concert last week! 

I thought the pics would get posted tonight. Oh well. Stay tuned...

[saxmatt]

Nice pike! I'll bring the video camera next time I fish there in case the weirdos show up 

[Trooper Bri]

I've been to that place probably 30 times now Matt, and don't remember seeing either one. Chief Crazy Ice i would definitely remember seeing.
It's also officially my ice-out trip, and will also be the most memorable one. 

[northwestslayer]

Nice trip Trooper. Thats a nice way to leave off up there. Oh and that was me dancing. Sorry it happens when I have that "good" coffee in the morning....

[Trooper Bri]

LOL. I don't know if it's coffee or what, but the Chief is definitely smoking on something in that pic.

[northwestslayer]

I would love to say i was out that day. But everything looks good and I'm getting my chunk of ice left tomorrow. And I'm going to try winchester again on monday.

[miket.]

good lick northwestslayer, i gave highland a try yesterday.