Late winter fishing report--actual fish involved

[TimJ]

Since Dave didn't have any fish involved in his report I thought I had better put up a couple photos even if they weren't too big. As an added bonus no rods were broken.

Had a great time last Saturday fishing a small local lake with a few family members. It was 40 and lightly rained at times but it wasn't too bad of weather for February. My niece, her husband and their 3 year old boy were out there. That little bugger is a tough little kid and seems to enjoy icefishing. I was worried he'd get cold and wet out there but until late in the afternoon he was going non stop.

We caught a few fish big enough to eat, added to the ones from the week before we had a nice little fry on Sunday...but the day was more about having fun.

My great nephew(my gosh that makes me feel old saying that) liked to run to the tip ups I set out in hopes of a big bass. No big ones but they were pretty fish.

I helped him reel up this big Bluegill that he posed nicely with. I should have looked up at the camera but there were fish on the flasher.

It seems like only yesterday that his mother was sitting on my lap watching me clean crappies. Where does the time go...and how am I still so young a quarter of a century after this photo. HA

Sadly that was likely the last icefishing for this winter. Temps have stayed in the 40s, most of the snow has melted, a lot of water has flowed onto the ice and the forecast has mostly 50s and possibly 60s in there. Saw some Canadas yesterday and have heard there are Snows just a short ways to the south. I think spring is making a very early entry. I hope the lakes open up quickly but I have a feeling March will be colder.

Tim

 

[Huntindave McCann]

Saw some Canadas yesterday and have heard there are Snows just a short ways to the south.

Tim,
Last weekend the sky was thick with Canada geese all day. They did not seem to be moving thru, just hanging out in the area. Smart move with the "fish on ice photo". With nothing in the picture for scale, I'm guessing the crappies are running 14 inches, the bluegill a solid 10 and the perch must be about 15 inches. Great mess of fish!

 

[Mark W]

Is there anything better than ice fishing? Especially in weather like you mention where you can be out with family and friends and not stuck in a ice house.

The annual Travis Bruce International ice fishing tourney is set for this Saturday. I don't know if we will be able to pull it off as it is going to be in the 60's this weekend and the ice is already changing to that scary and dangerous gray color. Money fish have been tagged, fishing spots plowed and the banquet hall awaits. Could be year 2 in a row where we skip the ice fishing and go straight to the bar. Last year we played "go fish" to determine the winner of coveted trophy.


How bad is the ice Tim? Anyone driving on it around you?

Mark W

 

[tod osier]

That looks great! I haven't been out other than to plow for a couple weeks (but I was hunting real regular up 'til then). I'm in full on hibernation mode and retail therapy mode waiting until spring!!!!

 

[Carl]

Nice mess of fish!
I sure do miss ice fishing.
Growing up in northeast PA, most Saturdays and Sunday were spent on the ice from New Years to the end of February, some years even into mid-March.

 

[TimJ]

Dave you may be right about why I took the photo of them on the ice...but I'm not going to admit it. This is a lake that goes down if the year is dry at all so it's a boom and bust lake. Right now a boom is starting and it is so full of crappies I felt it was best to keep some even if they aren't the largest... but yeah they were probably 14", I'll go with that. hahaha

Mark
If you could wear shorts and flip flops out ice fishing I think that would be true to Travis' memory...yeah he's still alive but I think he'd appreciate it being a memorial outing.
The ice is probably fine out on the lakes but near shore it was getting sketchy looking on Saturday. We had some heavy wet snow on the ground. It melted fast and was running in at the access points. The lake I was on is small so most people walk out or use 4wheelers. The week before someone drove on it. There was a good 16".

Tod
I've been looking longingly at my garden this week. Starting to plan where everything is going to go. I'm going to try to cut back and hopefully actually produce more. It feels strange doing this planning in February.
I think this winter had more sub zero days and +40 days than I can ever remember in the same winter.

Carl
Back in the 90s my dad and I did a LOT of ice fishing. Usually started about mid Dec(can remember one year starting right after thanksgiving) and went until ice out, normally the first week of March. I'm sure most winters we fished at least parts of 40 days. It was a blast and we got to know several lakes very well. There is nothing like letting go 3/4lb bluegills while people around us couldn't get a bite. I sure miss those days. This year I went 4 times.

Tim

 

[Dwight Harley]

Great pics and story. Thanks for posting. When I lived in SD I remember one trip on some kind of rotten ice on a backwater of the Missouri in early March when it was sunny and 45F. We pulled big bluegills up through the holes one after the other.