The "In-Between Season" - Report Dec 2nd

[Rich]

Today's original plan had us out on the water at 6 am with a bucket of fish by 11. Of course, mother nature had different ideas.

 

Red Devil finally shoveled himself out at about noon today and made the trek out my way to do some panfishin. We discussed the idea of there being ice in the spot, but figured... nahhh, that's impossible. So we got to our spot to find about 1.5 inches of ice. While this does fill me with wet anticipation for the next few weeks, it kinda left us high and dry today. Our first idea was to toss rocks through the ice to wet a line, which didn't work out so well. We could only find the one rock.. and big snowballs wouldn't penetrate the stuff. Actually, the rock didn't do a very good job either. OK, Plan B.. or was it C? Find an open spot. So we did. We found one little patch by a drainage basin that kept the water free and open for fishin'.

 

We fished that spot for quite some time, and got a few nibbles from who knows what. Never did land anything though.

 

 

 

We decided it was best to move spots and try something else. Next spot was an aerator that a marina has in to keep their dock ice free. It was surrounded by green weeds and pumping hard, lots of open water. I thought it looked perfect, but I guess the fish had different ideas. Nothin' there. Red Devil had brought a bit of steelhead gear along, so we decided our next stop would be a nearby Lake Erie trib which just so happens to have an extended season to Dec 31st.

 

We got there to find very low, very clear water. Red Devil situated himself at a spot and started drifting a maribou jig, while my impatient self decided to walk way downstream, tossing a spinner tipped with a worm. I got quite a ways back when I thought I heard Red Devil yelling. So I made the trek back just a minute too late. Red Devil had just lost a nice 5lb male brown. Had I not been so far away I would have been able to assist in the landing. Dang.

 

Next was my turn. I switched up to bottom bouncing a live worm and soon was into a fish! YES, my trademark, WHITE SUCKER. Better than nothing I guess.

 

 

After that we got into some tiny resident trout about 3 inches long, and 2 more suckers. I moved up river and had a short tussle with a small brown, maybe 2lbs on a worm. Then some guy crowded my spot so I headed back down river.

 

Nothing much to report after that. Red Devil and I headed home at about 5 PM.

 

It was a fun day out for sure, just a bummer to be in that "in between period" where you can't really open water fish, but you can't stand on the ice. Hopefully in a week or two we can start drilling safely.

 

Thanks for the good day Red Devil.. I think I left my snow pants in your van though.

[Greencoachdog]

SUCKER!!!

[Bernie]

I believe Wayne mentioned the other day that Rich needs a new toque. I will second that motion that we take up a collection to purchase him one.

 

By the way Rich, I enjoyed your report!!!!!