02-18-2006, 02:05 AM
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Polokid and I went to BL to scope out the ice cap and possibly do a little ice fishing if the conditions were right. We pulled in the plowed pullout just below the Sweetwater Trailer Park and packed our gear into my ice hut sled. We also unloaded a snowmobile to haul our stuff down to the shoreline.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]While we were packing our gear, BearLakeFishGuy pulled up and we chatted with him for a little while. Also, another guy pulled in to go ice fishing with his two kids. They'd been out the day before so they gave us an ice condition update.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]We hit the ice and drilled a hole. 3-1/2". Not great but good enough to walk on pulling my hut. We went as far as a crack in the ice, drilling holes to verify ice thickness which was consistent at 3 to 3-1/2". We stepped over the crack, drilled a hole. 2"! We're out of here![/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]We stepped back over and decided to fish where we were. 43 ft of water. We fished there for about 2 hours with no bites and very few fish coming through so we decide to head up to Gus Rich Point. We took the snowmobile along the shoreline as far as the marina and hit the ice there. [/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Now, with all the freezing and break up of the ice there were lots of areas where the ice had broke and piled up on itself from the wind. We had to pay particular attention to these areas because of the differing ice thicknesses. We drill holes out as far a we dared go. When it hit anything less that 3", we headed another direction.[/size][/black][/font]
[center][inline BL3.JPG][/center] [center][/center]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Some times we'd hit areas with several layers of ice. We worked our way out until we couldn't go any further out to deeper water. Again, 4" to 2". Far enough! 2" is not my idea of good ice! [/size][/black][/font]
[center][inline BL2.JPG][/center]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]We set up our stuff and began to fish. We ended up with 3 very nice cutts and a couple more missed bites.[/size][/black][/font]
[center][inline BL1.JPG][/center] [center]
[/center] [center][/center] [left][font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Here's some of the fish we caught:[/size][/black][/font][/left] [left][/left] [center][inline BL4.JPG][/center] [center]Rob's first cutt[/center] [center]
[/center] [center][/center] [center][inline BL5.JPG][/center] [center]Rob on the edge of a thick to thin ice break. Where he's knelling it's 4" and where the fish and hole are, its 2".[/center] [center]
[/center] [center][/center] [center][inline bl6.JPG][/center] [center]Rob's second cutt[/center] [center]
[/center] [center][/center] [center][/center] [left][font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]In my opinion, the ice is marginal. We never dared go out to where we really wanted to fish and had to settle for what was available. The ice is not consistent but if you take your time, drill lots of test holes, its fishable.[/size][/black][/font][/left]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]While we were packing our gear, BearLakeFishGuy pulled up and we chatted with him for a little while. Also, another guy pulled in to go ice fishing with his two kids. They'd been out the day before so they gave us an ice condition update.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3][/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]We hit the ice and drilled a hole. 3-1/2". Not great but good enough to walk on pulling my hut. We went as far as a crack in the ice, drilling holes to verify ice thickness which was consistent at 3 to 3-1/2". We stepped over the crack, drilled a hole. 2"! We're out of here![/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3][/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]We stepped back over and decided to fish where we were. 43 ft of water. We fished there for about 2 hours with no bites and very few fish coming through so we decide to head up to Gus Rich Point. We took the snowmobile along the shoreline as far as the marina and hit the ice there. [/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Now, with all the freezing and break up of the ice there were lots of areas where the ice had broke and piled up on itself from the wind. We had to pay particular attention to these areas because of the differing ice thicknesses. We drill holes out as far a we dared go. When it hit anything less that 3", we headed another direction.[/size][/black][/font]
[center][inline BL3.JPG][/center] [center][/center]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Some times we'd hit areas with several layers of ice. We worked our way out until we couldn't go any further out to deeper water. Again, 4" to 2". Far enough! 2" is not my idea of good ice! [/size][/black][/font]
[center][inline BL2.JPG][/center]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]We set up our stuff and began to fish. We ended up with 3 very nice cutts and a couple more missed bites.[/size][/black][/font]
[center][inline BL1.JPG][/center] [center]
[/center] [center][/center] [left][font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Here's some of the fish we caught:[/size][/black][/font][/left] [left][/left] [center][inline BL4.JPG][/center] [center]Rob's first cutt[/center] [center]
[/center] [center][/center] [center][inline BL5.JPG][/center] [center]Rob on the edge of a thick to thin ice break. Where he's knelling it's 4" and where the fish and hole are, its 2".[/center] [center]
[/center] [center][/center] [center][inline bl6.JPG][/center] [center]Rob's second cutt[/center] [center]
[/center] [center][/center] [center][/center] [left][font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]In my opinion, the ice is marginal. We never dared go out to where we really wanted to fish and had to settle for what was available. The ice is not consistent but if you take your time, drill lots of test holes, its fishable.[/size][/black][/font][/left]
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