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Posted

A brisk north wind was blowing, -14C with a windchill of -21C. As we loaded the truck and hit the road, we all knew this was to be a chilly one. The drive was nearly silent, which was OK by me. Once at the lake, we dragged our butts out onto the ice to a spot that has produced in the past. The auger fired up after a couple of pulls and with a few holes drilled we were in the game. Keeping the wind in our backs, the day started off just fine, in some respects, the first true cold day this year. So on we fished with hope clearly trumping sense.

 

The line guides were icing, the holes icing over, the Vex was whirring and after 1 hour it was obvious that the fish weren't biting. These are the days that might make one question their sanity, but that would first require us to have some functioning senses to begin with, which we didn't have much of. :lol: So on we fished with hope still ahead but steadily losing ground to sense.

 

I was dressed for the cold, and can generally handle it fine. Buddy is saying something but with the wind blowing and 2 layers of hat, it is just mumbling. Don't feel like turning my face into the wind to hear him, so I nod in agreement without ever hearing what was said. Yeah, yeah, whatever dood. :blahblah1: Hope is still there but sense is clearly gaining.

 

Just when the toes started feeling the first hints of the cold, a fish appears on the flasher. Zooms to the lure, and zooms away again. Hmmmmpf. 10 minutes later, another line then a tug, hookset and fish on. A little fella but still a fish, which now prevented us from using "not biting" as an excuse to return to our senses and head back to sanity. So on we fished with even more hope and even less sense.

 

After another 2 hours, none of us were willing to admit that it was not shaping to be an easy day yet all of us were thinking the same thing, did we waste our time and fuel driving here? Any day fishing is worthwhile in my books, and we have been spoiled with the weather so far. So on we fished with hope hanging by a thread. :unsure:

 

Just about the time when sense moved ahead of hope, another green line appears on the flasher, changing to orange then red. As it approaches the lure, the anticipation causes any feeling of cold to vanish entirely and then... a solid strike yangs the rod tip down. Sweep the set, and the game changes from ho-hum to excitement. Hope meter way up now. Sense losing fast as the red line thickened up towards zero.

 

"got one?"

"yep"

"a good one?"

"not too bad"

 

And in a minute or two, a decent laker is flopping around on the snow. Flash freeze!! Gotta be quick with the camera in that wind... but this fella ensured that the trip was not a waste of time.

 

Hope won!! :)

Laker_Feb11_2012.jpg

Posted

When I saw the title of this post, I thought it was going to be another Leafs thread :P

Instead, got to have a great little read, and, see a photo of a beauty laker!!! Nicely done :thumbsup_anim:

Posted

Nice report ... that was poetry - cause I got the picture even before I saw the photo ... and now I am decided ... I am heading north tomorrow for openers :)

Posted

Just brilliant! :thumbsup_anim:

 

Hope is all I ever have when I'm on the ice...It's easier to explain to others (non ice-guys) who try to make sense of sitting on a bucket in -20C staring at a hole.LOL

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