Lansing Hardwater

[wormdunker]

What a wonderful day to be on the ice. I caught my first limit of gills and a few perch. The only problem is if I would have stepped on the biggest gill maybe could have squashed it to 5 in. Now I know why nobody has been fishing Cregor Park. This was still a good day because I'm still learning to use my graph on ice. The water there is really clear so I could see my jig working and how a little rod motion really effected the jig. I'm going back again tomorrow and try find deeper water and bigger fish.

[Just Steve]

Steve, I'm thinking the Saginaw River will open up. I would be up for a trip.

Sparty, I have a cousin coming up from Georgia next weekend so that would be out.....possibly the weekend after that?

[Amos]

What a wonderful day to be on the ice. I caught my first limit of gills and a few perch. The only problem is if I would have stepped on the biggest gill maybe could have squashed it to 5 in. Now I know why nobody has been fishing Cregor Park. This was still a good day because I'm still learning to use my graph on ice. The water there is really clear so I could see my jig working and how a little rod motion really effected the jig. I'm going back again tomorrow and try find deeper water and bigger fish.

Sounds like you have caught on to this business.  Wish you could have made it out with me.  Caught bluegills to 9+ inches. 

[wormdunker]

Anybody try to get out lately? The pit by my house had open water on the south end this afternoon.

[Fishingixxer]

Give it a few days. Supposed to get real cold. We will have plenty of ice by the weekend.

[JoeLansing]

The weekend is looking good. We should meet up Saturday or Sunday.  If not, I'll be exploring someplace new. Maybe Fox Knoll?
- Joe

[backinmich]

Just checked ice on Alliance and Interstate today. The snow has screwed things up. A lot of slush, some places thin layers of ice with water/slush in between. Some places 3 or 4 inches of decent ice under the slush. Very inconsistent. You can get on, but I just don't like it. I don't think anybody has been fishing either one. What else are you finding?

[Oldreddbeard]

There's folks on muskrat. That little mud puddle always freezes first though because of how shallow it is. And the bite usually sucks there anyways. Talked to a bud who said there's 6 on lake Lansing. I'll be headin out Monday and Tuesday somewhere. Keep posting guys.

[wormdunker]

Went to Cregor Park today somebody drilled hole next to dock looked about 4in. of ice but the lake didn't look good. So I didn't try go out by myself. Checked another pit same thing nobody fishing one end still open water.

[backinmich]

Interstate looked bad yesterday but after last night's 10 degree temp I wanted to see how much it had improved. First 100 yards are half frozen slush on top of maybe 4" of soft ice. Then it's about 5" of decent ice. Half a dozen guys fishing. I caught a 19" channel catfish. First one I'd seen there. They fight hard and it was fun bringing him in on my bluegill rod. With the next warmup that ice near the access is going to get dangerous fast.

[bmyrkle]

Was out on Thornapple near Hastings yesterday morning and early afternoon. Ice was acceptable, but not great.

The bite was steady once we got on the fish, but had to sort through a lot of dinks to get 10 keeper gills.

I figure that might be about it for this year. I hope not, but Accuweather extended forecast doesn't give much reason to be optimistic.

[Amos]

Fished Sunday and Monday at Lake Chemung.  Morning bites were as tough as I found all year. 

[Fishingixxer]

I hit chemung sunday afternoon with my son. We did ok. Had better days and worse. Gill action was speratic but all n all just happy to use my ice gear one more time.

[wormdunker]

I was one of the four idiot on Chemung today that's after driving in a white out on 96. Ice is good

[compli123]

Had the best bite an hour before dark on Chemung last Tuesday, but I waited all day to get it.

[DickTate]

Should be busy there this weekend. If you make the drive and the lot is full, just hang out in the area until somebody leaves. People come and go throughout the day for various reasons.

[Oldreddbeard]

How we doin fellas?!?! The weather is headed our way. Are we gonna have some good ice this year? If so, who's starting where?!?!?!?

[bmyrkle]

Fingers crossed on the weather. I figure we're due for a better fishing winter than we've had the past couple years. Hopefully La Nina will give us the cold without so much snow. Time will tell.

I will be splitting my time this winter between our home in Charlotte and our family farm near Dowagiac, so any and all lakes in between will be on my radar. My regular stops tend to be the easy spots on Thornapple near Hastings, Tamrock near Sunfield, plus Duck Lake occasionally and a couple farm ponds that friends let me on.

Not sure if they will be allowing fishing on Crandell Lake yet (new county park), but if so, I plan to be out there, too, since it's closest to home.

Can't wait to get started!

[wormdunker]

Last year someone posted a Lansing hard water get together. Any plans on it this year?

[Oldreddbeard]

Last year someone posted a Lansing hard water get together. Any plans on it this year?

That was me. The ice conditions didn't exactly abide preferably. Lets see how they co-operate with us this year! Also, as far as Crandell goes. I did some reading up and found it's catch and release only, spring fed, and a generally steep drop off due to its gravel pit features. I wouldn't recommend giving it a shot until much later on in the season (if at all) once (and if) we have a good healthy amount of ice. As far as places i'll be hitting first, more than likely, Interstate, Davis pits, and/or sleepy hollow will be my first checkpoints.

[Oldreddbeard]

Duck and Narrow are also going to be checkpoint for me as well as, Morrison and other west MI areas as my lady lives out that way, But i will make sure to keep all of you up to date with ice conditions and also bites around the 517 area, so long as everyone else chips in! Ya'll know the deal!

[Hardwaterluver]

I travel a lot for work daily from the thumb over to Midland and south and will help inform.

[Oldreddbeard]

Got a nice looking cold snap coming fellas. Not much snow to speak of or heavy winds on the forecast. Great ice making conditions. Fingers crossed. If the temps stay in that high teens to high 20's like the forecast says, we might be looking at an early first ice this year. If we get 2-3 before christmas, I'd be pretty stoked.

[wormdunker]

I just got a small flat bottom to check and chart depths in local pits before ice so it will freeze before I get ready. You guys are welcome!!!!

[Icer for life]

thanks worm, we owe you - appears to me like we might actually have a real winter this year........fingers crossed.

[Oldreddbeard]

Pits will be the last place I'll be checking, if we're talking about the same pit. Super steep drop offs, into deep 30 ft depths, with natural springs stirring up the temps, I'd be very careful. I'll be checking Dell and Park first like I do every year. I always seem to find first ice on Park, 2 years in a row actually. I think it has to do with how weedy and shallow it is there near the shoreline. But always seem to make it safely out to the bowl every time as well, so who knows.

[Oldreddbeard]

Ice is starting to form onthe ponds boys!!! Let's hope the snow doesn't kill it for us like it did last year. Temps are looking great!!!

[wormdunker]

oldredbeard my best pit feeds off the river and they gated it this summer. I've never done well at Park lake I might try Muskrat early use to get nice specks there years ago. But my go to place this winter is a pit half way between where you live and I live maybe closer to me. She's at least 20 ft. deep with springs. Go luck to all this year.

[Oldreddbeard]

Headed out scouting today fellas! Will have some reports later tonight!

[Icer for life]

Look forward to the findings.  I love the single digit lows coming, but looks like the wind is going to be a factor.

Maybe / Maybe not this weekend - fingers crossed.