Yuba Lake Driveby 12-27

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]After leaving Fuzzy and Coldfooter to discuss high level philosophy, on Secret Lake, I drove by Yuba to check on conditions. Air temp was 40 degrees at 1 PM, and my first look at the lake made me think it was open water. Nope. It was just clear ice with no snow on top.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A couple of holes out in the middle held some ducks. Heard a few blasts from up along the north shore somewhere.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Drove down to the water's edge, by the dam. The water level has risen several feet since I last fished open water in November.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There were places where the ice had been pushed a few feet up on shore along the dam. Silly me, I came to fish, if I could, so I took only my auger and stepped out past the edge. The first hole showed the clear ice to be about 3"...enough to hold me, but not thick enough to keep my nether regions from puckering. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I kept going out and drilling. Still good hard 3" ice, but so slick I spun myself around when I tried drilling a hole. I left the auger beside the last hole and went back to my vehicle for the sled and tackle. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sonar showed the first hole offshore to be in 10 feet of water, with no fish marks. The last hole was in 16.5 feet, with no fish marks. I baited up a tandem jig rig and sent it down. Worked it up and down and sideways, and then let it sit. Zippo. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was not brave enough to move out any farther. Less than 50 feet from my last hole there was an open spot in the ice, with a steady stream of bubbles coming up. I didn't think that would mean the ice got thicker if I moved toward it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A few days of hard freeze and the cap will thicken up. Problem is, the forecast is for warmer temps. If there is some snow, before it freezes more, that will help the slick surface. I would like to do some exploring on Yuba, but not with thin ice and slick surface. We know there are lots of trout to be found. I would like to prospect for some perchski's and any other holdover denizens...to be released, of course.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My personal prediction is for another cold snap after the current weather system moves through. That should give us a few weeks of fishable ice on Yuba, and most of the other ponds. If it doesn't chill soon, the perch party will be one for float tubers.[/#0000ff]
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[mateo]

[font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][#0000ff]"Worked it up and down and sideways, and then let it sit."

[#000000]Only the infamous one could figure out how to work a rig sideways through an 8" hole. You are my idol.[/#000000]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]It's all in the wrist, Grasshopper.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When you are standing on thin, slick ice, and it starts cracking and shifting, you too could make your jig move sideways. The problem is that shrill screaming tends to spook the fish.[/#0000ff]
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[fuzzyfisher]

lmao.. yeah tubedude i hate takeing grown men out on the ice and haveing them spook the fish while screeming like little girls and splashing around in a ice hole just down the way from me!! lol
but they stop screeming after they bob down the third time.l0l then i just have to watch that i do go near that hole for a year or two inless theres cat in that lake..hehehe!!

dude on fish?
Ron
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]Glad that was you checkin' it out and not me, TubeDude!! You've got some big cajones to be doin that stuff. I'd love to go out there when I get back in the mood for fat rainbows for the grill. Before then, I wanna hit the Percheries if it gets cold with this major winter storm coming in!
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[mikecromaine]

I REALLY HOPE THAT LAKE GETS GOOD ICE SOON I AM ICHIN TO HIT IT
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Mike, you need to do something about that itch. It is a symptom of "fishing pox". The only cure is plenty of fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I really wanted to be able to fish it a bit more aggressively the other day too. You can be sure I will give it a return match after some low temps. Wanna go along for immoral support?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Seriously, by even going out on that ice by myself, I violated a major safety rule of ice fishing. You (I) should never go out alone. Even on thick ice there are many things that can happen to you that can leave you hurt or disabled...or dead. No matter how experienced or tough you are, you should always "hook up" with someone else. Not only that, if you have somebody else to talk to it keeps you from talking to yourself when the fish are being difficult.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I hope you guys appreciate that I put myself at risk and overlooked my own personal safety, just to be able to post a report. Yeah, right. I just wanted to catch some fish. Dumb but normal for fishermen.[/#0000ff]
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