02-01-2013, 03:34 PM
Fished Little Dell on Monday Jan. 21st (M.L.K. Holiday) 2013 in a groupd of 5. Arrived around 1030 to 11 am. Parked at gate and and pulled sled down to the ice. Roadway is snow covered and laborious to tread upon.
[Notice! Significant hike with road closed in winter - next trip I'll only take bucket pole, lures and a small lunch with me.]
Descent from the parking lot to the ice layer was later measured at just over 1000 vertical feet! Remember you have to haul all of your crap out (uphill) at the end of the day. Heart patients or infirm please beware! Roadway very uneven and tough walking unless you have kids to help with the work and you go slow and enjoy the scenery as you CLIMB (or descend... as the case may be)!
Met a fisherman coming back on our walk down to the ice. He said he caught some fish 50 to 100 ft. off the shore line at about 50 to 60 feet deep. (Don't recall what he used for a lure.)
Read your procalamations as always before you go. Artificial lures only. You cannot keep the 'cuts' and must immediately release them.
Ice is 6 to 8 inches thick and we had similar success using chartruse (sp?) paddle-bug, catching 20-ish 'cuts' all a 'keepable' size if not for the proclamation and then hauled all the gear back. Took us 45 min. to walk out with several rest stops in between.
Fish finder was a great tool in helping us to anticipate a strike and set the hook as fish hit extremly soft and will often catch you unaware.
Have fun and remember your shelter and/or sunscreen! I got in a fair amount of trouble for bringing home my little fisherman with quite a sunburn on his face. He was wearing a belaclava thankfully so only partial forehead, eyes and nose took the brunt of the sun rays that day. Learned my lesson (again). [cool]
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[Notice! Significant hike with road closed in winter - next trip I'll only take bucket pole, lures and a small lunch with me.]
Descent from the parking lot to the ice layer was later measured at just over 1000 vertical feet! Remember you have to haul all of your crap out (uphill) at the end of the day. Heart patients or infirm please beware! Roadway very uneven and tough walking unless you have kids to help with the work and you go slow and enjoy the scenery as you CLIMB (or descend... as the case may be)!
Met a fisherman coming back on our walk down to the ice. He said he caught some fish 50 to 100 ft. off the shore line at about 50 to 60 feet deep. (Don't recall what he used for a lure.)
Read your procalamations as always before you go. Artificial lures only. You cannot keep the 'cuts' and must immediately release them.
Ice is 6 to 8 inches thick and we had similar success using chartruse (sp?) paddle-bug, catching 20-ish 'cuts' all a 'keepable' size if not for the proclamation and then hauled all the gear back. Took us 45 min. to walk out with several rest stops in between.
Fish finder was a great tool in helping us to anticipate a strike and set the hook as fish hit extremly soft and will often catch you unaware.
Have fun and remember your shelter and/or sunscreen! I got in a fair amount of trouble for bringing home my little fisherman with quite a sunburn on his face. He was wearing a belaclava thankfully so only partial forehead, eyes and nose took the brunt of the sun rays that day. Learned my lesson (again). [cool]
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