First time out with the new Humminbird Ice 55

[tjsa]

Got to the spot, drilled holes, got all set up. Buds set line goes down about 20 min. in, but nothing there. I am getting used to this new flasher(it is different from my buds FL 18) and I teased up a fish, but it got the minnow. A bit later my set line goes down, get there, feel a bit of weight, then nothing. Pull it up, no minnow. Reset with new minnow and wait for possible hit again. Nothing. Go back to my hole with the flasher, and jig for another 20 min. at least.

 

Had to snap a pic of it in use.

 

 

Not too long after this pic was taken, SOLID red just under my 1/8th orange jig head with a 2.5" minnow appears, and.................CHOMP!!!!!!!!

 

This is a decent fish, brought it up a good half way up from 23 ft., buds ran over and removed the transducer, then..........it stopped. DEAD!!

 

Then a big line peel off, a little bit of head shaking, but not too bad(also using a new HT rod and reel I bought from CTC a month and a bit ago, first fish I have hooked on this setup, so I don't know how fish feel with it).

 

Then, it stays down, and I reach into my hip pocket and hand my camera to my bud. He says, I take it this is a sign that its a good one.

UHHHH......YUP!!!!!!!!!

 

Slowly work it back up, with a couple more line peels, shorter distance though, and its right under the hole head shaking like crazy.

 

Finally get its head into the hole, and...................awwwww crap............its a GATOR.....................but, it is a REALLY nice gator, just wasn't what I was targeting. My other bud gets my tape measure and OFC tourney logo out of my gear, and proceeds to try to help me land this fish, and it was having none of it. Slid back down the hole, then gets stuck on the bottom of the hole. I peel off my fleece, roll up my sleeves almost to my armpit, and get the line free of the ice. Fish still had attitude, could not get a good grip on it, but finally, got my grip on its gill plate, and here she(or he) is.

 

My PB pike, and the first fish I hooked and landed using my new flasher, on a new ice fishing rod.

 

 

It calmed down just enough for a quick pic with the tourney logo and tape measure, then tried to give me a bit of a face wash on release.

 

 

 

Oh, and we moved from the original spot, cause we really weren't catching anything, lots of fish looking but no hitters. My bud had caught one keeper at the original spot, then proceeded to finish his limit at the new spot. Got into a hot hole for a bit. Not big fish, but keepers. My other bud managed to get 3 keepers, and I managed to land 2 keepers. We all missed hooksets on fish, with minnows lost, or fish lost bringing them up, but the day was absolutely fabulous weather wise.

 

My two keepers, one 13.5", and the biggest of the day at 17.5"

 

 

Guess what's for breakfast?????????????

[irishfield]

Nice Tom !! Great to see you out and about and having fun in the GWN !!

[tjsa]

Wayne, you are still awake, and you can see.................I just read the other reports............guess you have spare glasses, :lol: :lol:

[irishfield]

I only need them for distance Tom!

[tjsa]

I am the opposite, I need them for close-up.

[limeyangler]

Great stuff Tom.....that Hummingbird looks the biz!

 

Congrats on the PB...but damn you for remembering your team logo....lol.

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

Great report tjsa.....congrats on your PB...nice looking Pike for sure!!

[Terry]

nice outing

 

glad you like the flasher

I always had trouble with reading them and I am happy with regular fishfinders

 

maybe it's because of my misspent youth and those flashing lights, I keep thinking I'm having a flashback...LOL

anyway, looks like a nice unit

[danbouck]

 

Great Pike!

[tjsa]

Great stuff Tom.....that Hummingbird looks the biz!

 

Congrats on the PB...but damn you for remembering your team logo....lol.

 

:devil:

[tjsa]

 

Great Pike!

 

 

Tryin' to do my bit for our team Dan.

You have mail by the way.

Edited March 7, 2010 by tjsa

[Leecher]

That's a real nice gator Tom Congrats on your PB

Jacques

[tjsa]

Thanks Jacques, it was fun and a bit of an ordeal landing that fish. Still can't believe I didn't lose it or get broken off, which is the usual outcome for me over the years.

[Roy]

Beauty pike Thom and a yummy breakfast for sure. Thanks for the report and fine pics!

[Joey]

Great report Tom. I learned a thing or two about my Humminbird 565 yesterday too. I never really used fishfinders for fishing and did quite well without them, but Paul bought me the 565 and even after reading the manual it wasn't working to my advantage.

 

Thankfully Lloyd gave me a few tips yesterday and I finally get it.

 

Glad yours was of some help too.

 

Joey

[tjsa]

Beauty pike Thom and a yummy breakfast for sure. Thanks for the report and fine pics!

 

UURP!!, I think that says it all :D

[tjsa]

Joey, I read the manual, all 41 pages, left it at home and just went and used it. Worked out OK for the most part. Now that I have some "real world" experience with it, I can now go back to the manual and see if I did things correctly, and what features on this unit will work better for me in the future.