trapshooter

Depends if they're locals....

Hey Wayne, We boated a lot of lakers last spring with siwash hooks on our spoons and spinners. So much easier to deal with then trebles for unhooking. We had very few fish pop off with the single hooks and found it to be worth it to switch. We also switched out the trebles on the minnow baits for 2 singles, worked great. Sharp hooks, bury the barb, no slack line and it's going to stay on most of the time. Worth a try, you can always go back if you're not happy. Cheers, ben.

Well done. Good report too.

There's also the sharon dam out in Delaware for panfish. Longpoint (Erie) has a lot of hut operators in the perch grounds. Go see Steve at Lambeth Rod/Tackle for some suggestions and gear you'll need.

There's lots of options for jigging pike through the ice. I like a spoon tipped with just the head of a shiner but a simple jig/minnow also works well. If it's shiny and you can jig it, chances are a pike will at least take a look. It's not rocket science, that's for sure. Deadbait on bottom on a tip-up is key though. Jig near by and in another hole and watch your flag. Sometimes though with jigging less is more. I like a lot of pauses and sometimes just a short jig thrown in. Pike also cruise the entire water column so try on bottom, up 3' and so on until you are just below the ice. You'd be surprised.

That's an impressive Crappie. Congrats!!

Nice year end report dude. Lots of nice fish and good times. That's what it's all about. Cheers, ben

You had an interesting year!! Good to hear you are feeling better again and things with your boat worked out well too. Great pics, thanks for the report.

Sorry to hear that Rick. Best wishes.

Great report and pics. Thanks for taking the time to put that up.

What Andy said.

Good post tjsa. I've noticed a lot of guys say they shy away from backtrolling when it gets rough. In order to keep backtrolling in big waves you definitely need some splash guards and preferably a boat with a splash well. Two working bilges are also a must. There are sunny days when I have to wear full rain gear from the splash effect. I put up with this because there is no better way to structure fish walleye. Point the back of the boat into the wind and kick the engine in and out of reverse as needed. Sometimes when it's really windy I have to leave the engine in reverse in order to keep moving backwards. It's a very controlled way to fish though, esp in rough water as it prevents the boat from being blown all over the place and the lines are always going away from the prop. This has been a good topic though. I hope some people give it a try if they haven't before.

As always, wow! I am starting to hesitate before opening your reports b/c I know it will make me jealous of your ability to completely dominate such an exciting way to fish. Heck, I've never even caught a steelhead on a float set-up but I can imagine how awesome it would be to hook up with such a powerful and fun fish with that long soft rod. Hurry up and write a book so I can learn it too!! You're pictures are always awesome too, well framed and a great variety of poses, holds and angles. Thanks again for the great report. Cheers, ben

at least they're cheaper then a trolling motor.....

Ah, you truly are a wise old master! Seriously though, I couldn't agree more. Tiller and backtrolling for life!

Also, your base layer (i.e. the layer next to your skin) should be a material that wicks moisture away from your body. Look for Marino wool, cool max or polypropylene material. There's also some garments with bamboo fibre, which is supposed to be good for wicking.

These guys all nailed your answer Gerritt. It's all about boat control. You can follow a contour or weedline with great precision or easily keep the boat on one spot-on-spot by punching it in and out of reverse. Of course, you always backtroll into the wind. This is the only method we use while dragging jigs or bottom bouncers at the lodge I work for. We use 18' pro V tillers w/ yammy 90's. Like others mentioned you can slow right down to a crawl if you have to or get a decent trolling speed going. It's a very versatile and very controled way to fish. You'll need wave breakers/splash guards and WORKING BILGES cause when it gets rough you will take on water. Here's a rough day backtrolling on Lac Seul. I've got a question.... Does anyone backtroll with a console boat? I've only done it with a tiller. I'm sure it could be done but it wouldn't be as easy as with the tiller. Vive le tiller!!

I'm personally not a columbia fan. A Gore-tex (or another waterproof breatheable alternative) outter shell jacket with layers underneath is a solid choice. You can layer-up or down depending how cold it is and the Gore-Tex is guaranteed dry. One of the biggest things I look for in an all weather jacket is the quality of the hood and how waterproof the zippers are. Also, as sharper said a downfill jacket under a waterproof layer is a very warm and dry combination.

Great Pics. YOu had a real good year with lots of different spicies caught. Sweet bowfin too!

Nice pics everyone. Here's a quick summary of my year. Spring Laker. 37" pike Walleye. My lovely wife. Grouse opener. Grouse dinner.

I agree. I decided that there is no reason I should fish with lesser quality equipment in the winter then I do in the summer. When I'm jigging walleye on the soft water I like a nice quality graphite jigging stick to feel the sometimes subtle hits. No difference in the winter... sometimes they hit light and I want a sensitive rod. Same goes for reels.... I lost a monster fish last winter because of one of those cheap ice fishing reels I bought with a combo. Cheap drag and low line capacity, I got spooled. Made me think... why do I use good equipment in the summer and 'cheap' ice gear in the winter?? No matter if it's hard or soft water I want the best advantages I can get so I use higher end equipment. No reason your stradic from the summer can't go ice fishing with you. I do double duty (winter and summer) with a few of my reels. Stradic 1000 size is very verstatile. Not too big for winter, not too small for summer. It's a different story for set lines or tip-ups where you don't need the sensitivity and a lesser quality product will still bring the fish in. My .02 cents. Cheers, Ben.

Cheers Pete. Happy holidays to you and everyone at TNB-EA. Ben.

LOL! Terry wins!

Kesagami with Drew for those monster pike and plentiful walleye!

Awesome pictures!! You had a great year. Congrats. Cheers, ben.