Spent the weekend on the ice.
Saturday I was at a new to me lake and I will not be returning. The fishing was okay, but the lake was crazy for activity. Skidoos everywhere, traveling in packs at hypersonic speeds and pushing out decibels like F1 cars. Vehicles and kids and dogs and noise are not why I go fishing.
Went back to my local pond yesterday. The heavy snowfall has led to floodwater on top of the ice making getting around a pain in the ass. There is about 10 inches of dense snow, on top of about an inch and a half or so of water, on top of about 18 inches of ice. I set up on the area I cleared last trip, as it was frozen all the way through with no standing water, and there I spent the day.
One old fella fished for a few hours and left, and later a couple with their two dogs showed up. Everybody was cool, even the dogs were quiet, though the one that they said was part wolf(and very much looked it) was messing with me a bit. Like I said to the owners, nice thing about winter is I have on enough layers to protect me from the worst of a bite. What I didn't mention was that if that thing had bitten me, it would have sprouted a fixed blade from his neck very quickly. Luckily it wasn't needed. I shared some of my stash and we shot the shit for a bit.
I landed somewhere between 15 and 20 pike, none big(55-60cm average), and was bitten off a couple times. One of the bite-offs had some weight to it, which was encouraging, since I haven't seen much for size yet at this lake though I know there are big ones in there. The couple were fishing deeper than I was (about 35 fow) and were getting into some small perch as well as pike. I may have to go a little deeper next time. I don't like going deeper than 30 feet though if I'm C'n'R-ing since barotrauma becomes an issue at that depth.
It was a very enjoyable day.
A blizzard is supposed to blow in today, followed by a couple cold days, but I should be back on the ice in decent temps by Thursday or Friday. Life is good.
Saturday I was at a new to me lake and I will not be returning. The fishing was okay, but the lake was crazy for activity. Skidoos everywhere, traveling in packs at hypersonic speeds and pushing out decibels like F1 cars. Vehicles and kids and dogs and noise are not why I go fishing.
Went back to my local pond yesterday. The heavy snowfall has led to floodwater on top of the ice making getting around a pain in the ass. There is about 10 inches of dense snow, on top of about an inch and a half or so of water, on top of about 18 inches of ice. I set up on the area I cleared last trip, as it was frozen all the way through with no standing water, and there I spent the day.
One old fella fished for a few hours and left, and later a couple with their two dogs showed up. Everybody was cool, even the dogs were quiet, though the one that they said was part wolf(and very much looked it) was messing with me a bit. Like I said to the owners, nice thing about winter is I have on enough layers to protect me from the worst of a bite. What I didn't mention was that if that thing had bitten me, it would have sprouted a fixed blade from his neck very quickly. Luckily it wasn't needed. I shared some of my stash and we shot the shit for a bit.
I landed somewhere between 15 and 20 pike, none big(55-60cm average), and was bitten off a couple times. One of the bite-offs had some weight to it, which was encouraging, since I haven't seen much for size yet at this lake though I know there are big ones in there. The couple were fishing deeper than I was (about 35 fow) and were getting into some small perch as well as pike. I may have to go a little deeper next time. I don't like going deeper than 30 feet though if I'm C'n'R-ing since barotrauma becomes an issue at that depth.
It was a very enjoyable day.
A blizzard is supposed to blow in today, followed by a couple cold days, but I should be back on the ice in decent temps by Thursday or Friday. Life is good.