Great day of fishing

[SALMONEMIA]

Hit winni today with another IS member. Snow had just got going as we were walking out. Target fish was wp but also went for bows too but struck out on that.  Was eager to use ion after new blades were installed. Sadly I made a rookie move and accidentally mounted blades the wrong way the auger just spun. Learned from that mistake.
We Set up over a 35 ft basin to jig and set 2 traps in the shallows near bubblers using smelt. Flags popped in no time before we had a chance jig. Even managed a double flag situation.  Shallows produced 3 nice lakers and a huge 18 inch fallfish. Wp were def around but came through in small groups as apposed to a big aggressive school. We picked them off one by one.  It was slow but steady. The wp were not as aggressive as ive seen them in the past.  The marks were huge and they seemed interested in the jigs but would approach very slowly and cautiously.  The bites were very subtle not what im used to.  So soft in fact that i felt nothing on the rod had to use visual cues by using a spring bobber and 2lb test to really tell they were there. All but 1 wp for me came on 2lb test one on 4lb test.  No Lakers taken on jigs today not even a chaser.  It was all wp. Later a big mark came through up high and a cloud of bait. Hoped for a bow but as soon as it hit and run i could tell it was a salmon.  Took me for a ride on light tackle but got him to hole and popped the jig out back he went. Guessing it was 20 easily. Best fish of the day was a very nice laker in the shallows that Scott caught on a jack trap with a smelt. Nice golden color and thick too. Conditions were great IMO. Storm front some wind but not very cold. Eventually snow turned to drizzle. We had the entire place to ourselves which was a bonus. Nice quiet day on the lake.  Walking was rough we logged about 5.5 to 6 miles today. Definitely got our workout today.  Here are  a few pics.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Nice job Wayne!

[SHaRPS]

Awesome Wayne. Sounds similar to the bite i had a few weeks ago on winni. You had to convince them to bite and the simplest details made a difference on getting a bite or not. I learned something though so that was the bonus. Nice work.

[PoolGuy]

Nice job...

[meatandmetal]

Very nice perch. I had the same problem last year figuring out how the blades should go on after I took them off to sharpen them. Remember I had you send me pictures of your blades attached. Just make sure you don't tighten those blades down too hard. I had both of mine break last year on the first hole. Luckily PG & CD were there to let me use their augers.

[SALMONEMIA]

Very nice perch. I had the same problem last year figuring out how the blades should go on after I took them off to sharpen them. Remember I had you send me pictures of your blades attached. Just make sure you don't tighten those blades down too hard. I had both of mine break last year on the first hole. Luckily PG & CD were there to let me use their augers.

thanks Denny will do. Picture idea is good I thought of it but didn't think I would forget how they went, I was wrong. Next time a photo is needed for sure.

[DConICE]

Glad you were rewarded with a decent day of fishing after putting in 5 - 6 miles on foot to get to your spot - congrats.

[SALMONEMIA]

Glad you were rewarded with a decent day of fishing after putting in 5 - 6 miles on foot to get to your spot - congrats.

that was round trip including running back and forth to tip up flags . heck of a workout especially after the snow. good times

[meatandmetal]

thanks Denny will do. Picture idea is good I thought of it but didn't think I would forget how they went, I was wrong. Next time a photo is needed for sure.

Wayne wait till you get to be my age you will take a picture of everything before you take it apart it has saved me a few times.

[Coffin Dodger]

Wayne wait till you get to be my age you will take a picture of everything before you take it apart it has saved me a few times.

Oh, I know that feeling! 
Especially when you say (to yourself) I got this.....but you don't!
Wayne, not being much of a smartphone photographer myself, in a situation like that.....I'll take a sharpie and put corresponding marks, identifiers where and how I want pieces to go together on the pieces themselves. Removes all doubt.
Congrats on your day and your walk. I'm going to take a nap, just thinking about it.   

[800stealth]

Great report, sounds like an awesome day even with hoofing it hard, sometimes pain pays back for the better.
X3 on taking pictures, my scan tool takes picture and video... before I tear a car down for something major I take a pics or a video of the harness and connector locations, saves some headaches when you've got 3 cars sitting there without motors and it's time to reassemble.

[Roccus]

In the future. When changing blades, if you don't change them one at a time and have the other to look at, you can look at the ones you remove, there will be a water stain and rust mark on the old blade to indicate the position it should be installed in.
I have to aggrree that the one big advantage of the cell phone is the ability to take pictures, as a mechanic of almost 50 years, the pictures I take are alot more telling than my old school scribble used to be.

[SALMONEMIA]

In the future. When changing blades, if you don't change them one at a time and have the other to look at, you can look at the ones you remove, there will be a water stain and rust mark on the old blade to indicate the position it should be installed in.
I have to aggrree that the one big advantage of the cell phone is the ability to take pictures, as a mechanic of almost 50 years, the pictures I take are alot more telling than my old school scribble used to be.

It was a male pride thing i looked at it closely and thought i can do this ill remember.  I made sure the sharp edge was in the same direction as previous ones.  Thought it was a piece of cake. Until i tried it. Turns out i mounted them in the correct direction but upside down so the blades were not able to shave the ice. I will learn from this. And take pics next time.

[Roccus]

It was a male pride thing i looked at it closely and thought i can do this ill remember.  I made sure the sharp edge was in the same direction as previous ones.  Thought it was a piece of cake. Until i tried it. Turns out i mounted them in the correct direction but upside down so the blades were not able to shave the ice. I will learn from this. And take pics next time.

You are not the first one to do it, you won't be the last.

[TheCrittaC]

You are not the first one to do it, you won't be the last.

Yup, it happens with any auger. I've put the blade on my chipper-style Strikemaster on the wrong side of the drill and wondered why it cut way worse after sharpening it...

[Roccus]

Some of those whites are so  wide they look like crappie. .

[SHaRPS]

Some of those whites are so  wide they look like crappie. .

Agreed!

I want to give them one more shot this year, as well as lakers. Just need to find a weekend. First weekend available for me looks like the weekend of March 16th.