Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]Shoulda stood in bed, but what the heck. Slipping on glassy new ice, almost getting skunked, numb fingers and all that stuff is all worth it, if you are in good company. That's what I've heard, anyway. I was with a pretty grungy group.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Bassackwards, Bassrods, Out4Trout and CBR were already out fishing around the docks by the time I got to the north marina at Willard. The 4" of glassy new ice looked like water in the the early light. I couldn't help chuckling as I took a picture of the no swimming sign. 12 degrees at the time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We drilled holes and sonared all out along the docks, seeing quite a few fish at mid depth in 12 - 13 feet of water, but only a couple of hits among the group. I worked through my standard variety of offerings without even a nudge. After an hour or so of that stuff, I heard Mantua calling. We all decided to go up there and cover the ice with perch and bluegill. Yeah, right.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The first spot we set up was in about 17 feet of water, and we were hooking weeds. As we decided to look for deeper and weedless water, I hooked my first and only fish of the day...a planter rainbow. Skunk removal at best.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In 20 feet of water, CBR caught the first perch and hailed us to join him. After getting the group set up, BA scored a small perch and about 5 minutes later O4T also iced one. Several minutes later, CBR went bendo on a nice cutt. Measured out about 19 inches. One or two more bites each, all around, and then no more fish. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We tried shallower water, but couldn't find any fish on sonar. Came back out to the original holes and I promptly had a serious whack, on my first drop. Then back to boredom. About 12:30, my rumbling stomach reminded me that I had left my lunch in the car...and I had all the fun I could stand. Temperature had warmed up to about 20 by the time I reached the car.[/#0000ff]
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to bad the fishing wasn't faster. at least you were among friends.
glad to see the hard deck at willard and mantua.
we are headed to scofield tomorrow.
good luck
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If you look in the background of your picture "the Men of Mantua", you will see some people way out across the lake. That was Predator, his Dad, and me. Predator's Dad caught over 30 fish. Me and the scrawney one only caught about 10 fish combined. Go to Cbr's fishin' site, GayPredator's.com. Oops, I mean Freeformfishing.com. You can read read between the lines and figure out what really happen. Predator should be a fiction writer cause he sure can't fish.[]

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[cool]A good photojournalist, that TubeDude is. Good fisherman too, but today wasn't really anybody's day at Willard or Mantua. The Biologist from the DWR that was there told me that we had had the most success out of anybody he'd talked to, and 11 fish is all we caught together.

I wanted to go up to the berry or Scofield today but got out-voted by my warmwater-fish lovin' friends, but it doesn't matter. Still had a great time with great people even if the catchin' was slow. And, the little perch hor-derves(sp?) will be great tonight. Can't wait to chase the perchies at the REAL perch hardwater lake in a week or so!![]
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[cool]Yeah, we saw Predator's truck and shantee over there but you guys sure didn't stick around long. What was it, an hour? Two?
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We were there between 8am-noon. I thought I saw Pat as we were leaving ice skating back to the bank.

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I think you have us with the guys on the south end.
They werent there long.
I drove my car. I left the truck home.
We were there from 8:00 am until 1:00 pm.
We were the other group.
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[cool][#0000ff]Mighta been me. Little guy doing Petty pirhouettes? Left my ice cleats on my work bench...where they would do the most good. At least I didn't get to practice my "triple klutz". [/#0000ff]
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That ice in the Marina looks REALLY slick! It's a good thing that no one slipped and broke any bones! Too bad the fishing was so slow.
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Hey Pat,

Seeing that No swimming/no fishing from docks photo, reminded me of a photo that was taken of me a few weeks ago...

Slayer
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It was great sharing the ice with you Pat. Just a bit too bad about the bite. I found what the fish wanted about 20 minutes before we had to leave and every time the perch schooled through I would pick a fish up. When I left I hooked Geoff up with the rig and showed him how to rig the bait in a way that drove those perch crazy and he picked up some more before he had to leave.

Thanks again for taking that photo for the ice challenge.
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Hey Pat it sure was nice to fish with you on the hard deck.It's to bad the catching wasn't very good. Next Time we leave Geoff at home he has to be the bad lucky charm (just kiddin). Lets hope the ice fishing this year just keeps getting better> I don't think I can stand for many more days like yesterday.
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Pat I was also at Mantua yesterday. I was the guy out towards the middle in a camo coat. The fishing was good out there but the ice wasn't quite 3" thick. I iced over 30 perch with a few going 9 to 10". I saw someone getting the picture of a big cut but I didn't know it was CBR until your report. I had my radio on 7 and 12 but nobody ever ansewred my call.
I talked to 2 BFT guys on the ice. Midge and Waynethewalleyechaser I think.
I was a little worried about the city of Los Anglers all together on the thin ice but it looks like everyone got off safe.
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[cool][#0000ff]Sorry we missed you Dale. We all brought out radios to talk to each other but left them off while we were close enough to talk.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Glad you found some fishies. That is the area I have found them during open water when it gets colder. But, after letting someone use my ice auger, it wasn't cutting so I was stuck with hanging around others who would cut holes for a poor old man.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]As I recall, that lovely little cutt was taken on a previously WELL FROZEN minnow.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Nice fish indeed.[/#0000ff]
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Hey Pat,

Isn't it funny that your first pic of Willard shows the "No fishing from the docs" sign, followed by pics of several anglers fishing on or around the docs?? LOL[cool][angelic][] What are the guys supposed to do when they bring in their boats? Where they gonna doc?[crazy]
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey man, I don't do boating questions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We were joking about not being able to fish in the channel into the marina because we might get run over by boaters. Not this time of year. Har de har.[/#0000ff]
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Ah man, for future reference. When I am on the ice with my power auger I consider it a community auger and if anyone needs a hole they are welcome to use it to drill a hole.

So in the future don't feel bad about coming and grabbing that beast and punching a few holes to put your line in. []
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[cool][#0000ff]I feel da love. Shouldn't be too long until I am "empowered" too. In the meantime, I got my auger back in shape. Now if I could only get ME back in shape. That's too much like work for an old man.[/#0000ff]
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Please post on Friday where you will be fishing each weekend.[] I wouldn't use your power auger but I would gladly have you punch me a hole after the ice gets more than 12" thick.
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