Awesome Day!

[BowSlayer101]

yesterday i had the chance to head up north early in the morning for lakers, for what looks to be my last ice trip. We got there early and the preferable launch was busted, we could've made it on but probably wouldn't be able to make it off later. So we went and hit another launch, no one on the ice, slushy as heck but we just had to go. Watching every step as we went, we finally passed the broken up ice and got onto the safe ice. We decided to leave the auger at home and just take a couple buckets and find some holes, well it was tough but we did find a couple holes, 75 feet, blank screen for 3 hours then something hits, seems like a whitie, tension on the line, i reel up, then it just stops and i can't gain on it, like a brick or something, then he starts peeling and bam, off, just like that! I was pissed but what can you do, hit another area of the bay, 1 foot of slush made it really hard and annoying to walk but we got to the preferred location. Transducer in the hole, we mark no fish, after some running from hole to hole i find a red mark, bingo! Grab the gold williams spoon and a medium heavy rod, a few fast rips up and the rod bends to the hole, drag starts screaming and excitement gaining, got him up a few feet then off, no clue how, it was a big laker thats for sure. Then a set lien goes off and the bait caster falls in the hole, luckily i run up just in time to grab the rod and land a nice laker, not too big but certainly above average, unhook him and down he goes. After that we landed around 20 lakers each, multiple double headers, nothing like I've ever seen before. Released the bigger ones since we had fish at home already and kept some of the smaller ones. We had some weird bites that would hit up, peel drag and come of, no matter how hard we set the hook, i even tried setting it twice, still come off every dang time, i have a feeling our rods were too soft and line to stretch, will try braid in the open water season on for sure. We kept a couple small fish each, released the bigger ones, the ones that were coming off seemed very big, above 8 pounds for sure, they would just stand there like a log and we wouldn't be able to gain ANY line on them, i tried horsing one in but he ripped the line, no clues what these fish were, i have a feeling there were a couple whities and big lakers involved and one ling for sure, its funny you can tell right away when you have a ling on. Here are some pics of the day, the rod with the yellow tip is a medium/heavy, you can see the ned in that rod, then the would just come off. Lots of seagulls on the ice that would circle around us and try to steal our minnows, lol.[/url[/url[/url[/url[/url[/url[/url[/url[/url[/url

[moxie]

Can't beat that action. Nicely done.

[BowSlayer101]

thank you!

[Maverick]

Nice fish, must have taken a while to dry out after that trip though.

[BowSlayer101]

thanks man! ya boots are still wet, haha, next year I'm getting baffin titans.......

[BillM]

1ft of slush, I would have turned around and went home, lol.

[BowSlayer101]

1ft of slush, I would have turned around and went home, lol.

lol, was seriously considering that after walking around 2 km's, with soaking wet boots but that would've been the "smart thing to do" haha.

[wormdunker]

Nice pix, Thanx. The smaller lakers are definitely the tastier ones.

[Joeytier]

Awesome action! Sounds like a healthy fishery

[BowSlayer101]

thanks guys, ya thats the reason i kept the small ones and released the big ones, they just don't compare in taste, let the bigger ones spawn. Definitely a good fishery.

[Terry]

Nice way to end the icefishing season.

[BowSlayer101]

thanks, not sure if its ended yet for me lol, might head out for whities on friday up north still.

[Terry]

now you're just teasing us the first line said "for what looks to be my last ice trip."

 

I'm not ready for icefishing to be over either

[BowSlayer101]

haha, ya everyones complaining that they want open water, i just want ice!

[SirCranksalot]

thanks, not sure if its ended yet for me lol, might head out for whities on friday up north still.

 

Geez, man, be careful out there!! I enjoy reading your reports and I don't want this to be your last one!! . The ice can weaken very quickly at this time of year. If you don't know what 'candle ice' is, google it. Also, all that slush came from the melting of the top of the ice so the thickness id then reduced. the water will drain away, then the sun and mild temps will eat away some more of the top layer.

 

BTW, I understand there is an alternate access foer 'the spot' quite close by that avoids the 'twin bubblers" . let me know if you're interested.

[misfish]

I,ll take first ice over last ice.

 

Nice to see you were able to post a late ice report.

[BowSlayer101]

thanks guys, ya that slush is the ice melting, not my first year ice fishing, haha. There is still a lot of black ice and a few inches of white, the problem is the launch, if i do get out ounce more it will be to my whitie lake up north.

[wormdunker]

Now you are just peeing me off! LOL! I have no choice but to wait for soft water.