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I'm not 100% sure on legality of ice fishing Lake Ames, so I am just going to file this report in the general discussion area. There are a lot of No Swimming / No Boating / No Ice Skating signs, but I was not the first to ice fish since the last snow. A Rockaway Twp DPW truck happened to come through while I was unloading and they stopped to chat w/ me a while about ice fishing, so all seems well.Access: Parking area is plowed and there is room for 3-4 vehiclesIce: Tons of it! 12-14" everywhere I cut a hole. About 4" of snow and ice crust on top.Fish: I put in about an hour after cutting my holes. No flags on tip ups that were baited with medium shiners. 1 keeper Redfin Pickerel jigging with a gold Kastmaster & wax worm.
Thanks for the pointers fishgalore. I'll try setting my tip ups a bit higher in the water next time.It's not supposed to be a blizzard, but snow is supposed to be headed in tomorrow... and I am planning on going out again. What kinds of fish had you caught there in the past? I am happiest when I find perch or crappies, but the fight from a 4 lb LMB would certainly put a smile on my face as well.
That fish is a chain pickerel....red fins rarely get over a foot long and have different markings
Since it's legit to ice fish there, maybe a moderator could rename this thread "Lake Ames / Morris" and move it to the condition reports forum?
Got back to Lake Ames. Parking is fine. Ice is fine. There is still 12" or more all the way to shore. Open water right by the dam though.Fishing was good. 3 pickerel (16", 14.5", 15"), 1 largemouth (little guy, 8"), 1 perch (big lady, 12") and 13 bluegill, landed jigging in about 3 hours.The ice season continues!
gold kastmaster?
Its a chain pickerel....if it was a Redfin...it would probably be a state record...they rarely get that big. See NJ records...http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/recfish-fresh.htm