Fishing Forum

I was wondering if you can ice fish this little pond or is it closed for the winter? Any info would be great.

Rabid Fisher
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I know you can't fish it from any type of floating device, i.e. boat, float tube, raft, wooden plank, etc. Therefore, I sincerely doubt that you can ice fish it. Sorry!
Check the proclamation and see what's up.
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I tried to look it up in the proc. but i didn't see it listed. I was thinking that it was on private property. Don't know if this has any affect on the regulations.

any help would be great

Rabid Fisher
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There's nothing in the proclamation, and no sign posted regarding ice fishing.
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I live close to this pond and run my dogs there all winter. I've seen people on the ice every winter. Not sure how they have done. I do know that the ice get pretty thin in some spots, so Id be careful. Most people I've seen stay close to the dam side. Hope this helps.
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[cool][#0000ff]No swimming, boating or float tubes, but you can drill and chill when the ice cap is thick enough. I went through the ice there one winter when I got impatient and did not exercise proper caution.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is really a grabbag of fish in there. Largemouth, crappies, walleye and some bodacious bluegills. Best fishing is soon after the ice caps the lake. Best times are early and late.[/#0000ff]
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Tube Dude, how long ago were those pictures taken? It seems that the pond went down hill ever since they rebuilt the dam. Has anybody else noticed this?
Thanks for the info.
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[cool][#0000ff]The pics are "vintage". I have not had the chance to fish it for many years, while I lived out of Utah. However, I have had reports within the last couple of years that were at least encouraging. There are still at least bass and 'gills in there, and they can be caught by those who learn how to fish them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Holmes Creek was never easy, and it is not full of fish. Since it is a private water I do not think it is planted and maintained as a fishery. So the fish must be self sustaining.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I would like the chance to fish it again, using electronics, just to see how far off my guesstimates were for depth, contour, etc. Didn't have no GPS or sonar in the olden days. I'm surprised I ever caught any fish at all.[/#0000ff]
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thanks for the info guys, it looks like you had some fun there Tubedude. I gave it a shot last night with my girl friend. The ice was 5 in. think to 4. in think we drilled a lot of holes. My girl friend finally caught one. A large mouth bass 14 in. Then i caught a nice 19 in. walley, then i caught to my surprize a white bass 11 in. That's all we caught. fished for about an hour or more, very slow. You also have to walk through 4 in. of slush to get out onto the ice.

Also I cut open the guts to see what the fish have been eating. Noticed what looked like a ton of coiled worms all over the guts. The walley had the most. Don't know what they are. They were really small. when uncoiled they were about an in. long and brown in color. Very skiny to. All most like a needles. Is the fish still safe to eat?

Thanks again for info.

Rabid Fisher
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[cool][#0000ff]Glad you found a few. Too bad about the worms. Sounds like possibly some kind of filaria...intestinal worms. They typically enter the fish through some process from the surrounding water. That's why they are not species specific.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of those things are easily removed in the cleaning process and are usually not harmful to people, even if ingested. [/#0000ff][#0000ff]They would be killed during the cooking process, but even eating them uncooked would only kill and digest them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]They do not look as bad as some of the flesh grubs, like those commonly found in the fish from Pelican Lake. Those are so thick in some bluegills over there that it is not worth the time and trouble to remove them all with the point of a knife. I know some guys that toss the fish with the worms in them as soon as they see them during the filleting process.[/#0000ff]
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A white bass? You sure it wasn't a crappie? I fish there all the time and haven't seen or caught any whites. I hope someone didn't put them in there.
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Hey Dallan, you wanna go shoot up some ducks on saturday and go fish in the afternoon?
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I too have my doubts about a white bass being caught from Holmes Creek Res. I would have to guess Crappie also.

I could be wrong though, it wouldn't be the first time.
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I am sure it was a white bass, that's why i was so surprised. And i'm sure it was not a crappie, I caught 2 crappie out of pineview last saturday. You could say it looked just like a 11 in wiper. I also went back the next day to holmes creek, the ice was melting still 4 in. thick but had water and slush on the ice. Only caught 1 bluegill, about 6 in. long. The tail of the bluegill was chomped on by a walley, kind a cool to see.

I will call you moby and let you know how my shoulder is doing, i'm still a gimp [pirate]

Rabid Fisher
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I am never quite able to comprehend the narrow mindedness that bucket biologists exhibit. White bass in in Holmes Creek. Unbelievable.....

What's next? Where does it end? [mad][mad][mad][mad][mad][mad][mad][mad][mad]
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you better call me rabid, or i'll put da hurt on you! WUSS!
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