01-10-2007, 02:11 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Got TubeBabe out on the ice for her first '07 trip. Had to work to convince her that she couldn't bring the tube though. She's a trooper but she still grumbled a lot about having to drag her own ice sled. As you will see in the picture, I thought it best to keep a ways ahead of her.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We hit the ice from the "swim beach" area, a half mile past where I usually get down to the water. My personal opinion is that it is easier to launch off the road by the caretaker's home. Much shorter distance to the water and not any steeper. It was a killer coming back in after the warm weather had slushed or melted the snow. My sled weighs a bunch with the 3 horse power auger.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Air temp was about 20, with no W when we went out at 7:30 AM. Had ice in the holes most of the morning, but by 11 or so it was almost shirt sleeve weather. Lots of sun and really comfy. I dosed with sunscreen but still got pink cheeks.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We worked toward the narrows, drilling and dipping in several areas. Saw only a few fish on sonar and had only one light bite in three stops. About two inches of snow on top of 6" of hard ice. The snow was slippery and without cleats I got in some ice skating practice until the snow slushed up a bit later in the morning. The snow will probably be crusty or even gone before the next dump on Thursday.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Stopped to fish the point on the north side of the opening to the narrows about 9. Punched holes from shallow to deep. No fish on sonar until about 50 feet. Quite a few fish in the 55 foot depths, from the bottom to ten feet up. They all had their little mouths firmly shut. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]TubeBabe finally scored the first fish, a 8 inch perch, about 9:15. I iced one about the same size a few minutes later. Then, noticing a few fish coming through off the bottom, I raised my jigs and hooked a nice crappie. I thought it might turn on, but other than a couple of other perch, nothing more from those holes.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]About 11 we headed across the narrows to the south side of the channel. That has been productive for larger perch and we were after perch for some chowder fixins. Again, I "swiss cheesed" an area that has produced in the past. TubeBabe followed me with her trusty ice rod, dipping into each new hole. On the third hole out from the shore she went bendo and iced a nice perch. Game on, I thought. Not so.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]While we munched sandwiches and enjoyed the radiant heat of a low hanging noon sun, we did occasionally coax a bite from the perchies. We managed to collect enough for some chowder in the tropical sunshine. About 2, the fish disappeared from sonar and we started backtracking on our way home. Stopped at the holes off the point and caught another half dozen perch. I iced a second crappie and we started the long laborious trudge back to the car about 3.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Got to "walkie talkie" with Tlspyder13 and DKSRenegade. They were fishin uplake. They both reported perch action, but no crappies. I think the tigers keep the crappies deep in Pineview. DKS reported that in the area he fished, off Cemetery Point, that the deepest water he could find was 25 feet, but that he had pretty fair action on perch all morning. He said he caught his larger ones in the afternoon. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]At least the perch are scattered around the lake. As folks find other good spots that should help take some pressure off the narrows. I am sure that the pressure has been responsible for the decreased bite most anglers have noticed. Everybody is seeing more fish on sonar than on their lines.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We hit the ice from the "swim beach" area, a half mile past where I usually get down to the water. My personal opinion is that it is easier to launch off the road by the caretaker's home. Much shorter distance to the water and not any steeper. It was a killer coming back in after the warm weather had slushed or melted the snow. My sled weighs a bunch with the 3 horse power auger.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Air temp was about 20, with no W when we went out at 7:30 AM. Had ice in the holes most of the morning, but by 11 or so it was almost shirt sleeve weather. Lots of sun and really comfy. I dosed with sunscreen but still got pink cheeks.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We worked toward the narrows, drilling and dipping in several areas. Saw only a few fish on sonar and had only one light bite in three stops. About two inches of snow on top of 6" of hard ice. The snow was slippery and without cleats I got in some ice skating practice until the snow slushed up a bit later in the morning. The snow will probably be crusty or even gone before the next dump on Thursday.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Stopped to fish the point on the north side of the opening to the narrows about 9. Punched holes from shallow to deep. No fish on sonar until about 50 feet. Quite a few fish in the 55 foot depths, from the bottom to ten feet up. They all had their little mouths firmly shut. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]TubeBabe finally scored the first fish, a 8 inch perch, about 9:15. I iced one about the same size a few minutes later. Then, noticing a few fish coming through off the bottom, I raised my jigs and hooked a nice crappie. I thought it might turn on, but other than a couple of other perch, nothing more from those holes.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]About 11 we headed across the narrows to the south side of the channel. That has been productive for larger perch and we were after perch for some chowder fixins. Again, I "swiss cheesed" an area that has produced in the past. TubeBabe followed me with her trusty ice rod, dipping into each new hole. On the third hole out from the shore she went bendo and iced a nice perch. Game on, I thought. Not so.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]While we munched sandwiches and enjoyed the radiant heat of a low hanging noon sun, we did occasionally coax a bite from the perchies. We managed to collect enough for some chowder in the tropical sunshine. About 2, the fish disappeared from sonar and we started backtracking on our way home. Stopped at the holes off the point and caught another half dozen perch. I iced a second crappie and we started the long laborious trudge back to the car about 3.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Got to "walkie talkie" with Tlspyder13 and DKSRenegade. They were fishin uplake. They both reported perch action, but no crappies. I think the tigers keep the crappies deep in Pineview. DKS reported that in the area he fished, off Cemetery Point, that the deepest water he could find was 25 feet, but that he had pretty fair action on perch all morning. He said he caught his larger ones in the afternoon. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]At least the perch are scattered around the lake. As folks find other good spots that should help take some pressure off the narrows. I am sure that the pressure has been responsible for the decreased bite most anglers have noticed. Everybody is seeing more fish on sonar than on their lines.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
] 
]