[cool][#0000ff]Headed east with Bassrods this morning for some bluegillin' on Pelican. It was minus 13 as we sailed by Strawberry and began hitting patches of fog. Lots of fog before Roosevelt and all the way to Pelican. A balmy 12 degrees above zero when we parked the truck, but dropped a few degrees after we hit the ice.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Followed the tracks about 200 yards straight out from the off highway parking on the east side and stopped at some evidence of previous fishin' and catchin'...waxworm sawdust and frozen blood. Although we drilled several holes in the area we caught most of our fish from the first holes we each drilled.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I caught a bluegill on the first drop and Bassrods was right behind me with two more in quick succession. We discovered that the bluegills were cruising at about middepth in the 10 feet of water and we did not have to drop far to get good hard hits.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We both got a grundle of bluegills...mostly on crawlers and waxworms. I also tried some "processed" carp nuggets and caught several nice gills on that stuff. We also caught fish on several different sizes and colors of jigs. However, I caught the most on my glow pale perch jigs...flat rinkees and dropper flies. Also caught a few small bass (up to 14") on them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Bassrods scored the largest bass of the day, with a feisty 16 incher that probably weighed about 2 pounds...released of course.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We were the first ones on the ice but were joined by a couple of other groups...one of which started racing by us at close range, ferrying others from the vehicles out to the ice. That slowed the fishing, and with the ongoing cold foggy weather and no desire to spend the rest of the day there, we packed up at noon and boogied. Temperature was way up to 18. But, no beachwear for the ride home.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have fished in colder conditions...warmer too. But, it was good to renew old acquaintance with one of my favorite fishin' holes. Sounded like most other folks on the ice were catching fish too, and a group from Colorado reported having caught a 4 pound largemouth the day before.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I'd also like to say that it was great fishing with Bassrods again. I'd like to...but that is always an exercise in ear strain. Probably to him too. You can always tell a couple of old fools...but you can't tell them much.[/#0000ff]
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Hey, looks like you catch them on the same jigs that I use out there. I will tell you where I get mine if you need any more sometime.[
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Nice job TD[
] Sounds like you guys had fun! Doesn't surprise me that Bassrods can pull a bass out like that even through the ice.
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Did the Gills have those yellow parasites in them?
I heard on this forum that Pelican is known for having a lot of fish effected by those parasites, and that kept me from fishing out there.
Looked like you had fun slaying those gills today.
I like those little jigs you made, they look really effective.
You should consult with a major lure company and sell some of those ideas. Cuz I would buy them if I could.
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[quote kentofnsl]Hey, looks like you catch them on the same jigs that I use out there. I will tell you where I get mine if you need any more sometime.[
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[#0000ff]I probably will need more, but I know a guy who makes them. Maybe we get them from the same guy.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]I don't sell what I make, but I do have special "bartering" and fishing buddy arrangements. Might be able to fix you up with a "starter kit" if you wanna visit the tackletorium sometime. I am always happy to teach others how to make the stuff. It's easy once you have invested the time and the bucks that I have. Ha![/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]GOOD NEWS on the parasites (yellow grubs). I have fished Pelican Lake for several decades and I have always been turned off by the little yellow grub beasties myself. Not as much as some people, but bad enough. Of the 20 fish I brought home on this trip, only about 3 fish had grubs. Two only had single grubs...in the spines of the dorsal fin...where they are usually removed during the filleting process. Only one fish had a significant number of the little goodies (see pics). You can easily see and remove them with the point of a knife...but I just discarded the two fillets from that fish. All others were clean.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I remember trips in the past when virtually every bluegill was crawlin' with the critters. There are cycles, depending upon the activity of the intermediate "hosts", water quality, fish health, etc. The fish I kept today were all healthy and most were less than 10 inches. The worst cases seem to be in the larger fish and often in big males. Just my observation.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I know a lot of us count on being able to bring home some fish for the table, and that we prefer not to get any "bonus protein". But, the sheer numbers and size of the Pelican Lake bluegills makes them worth the drive...hard water or soft. Great place to get your confidence up if you smell skunk a lot.[/#0000ff]
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[quote bubba_burt]Nice job TD[
] Sounds like you guys had fun! Doesn't surprise me that Bassrods can pull a bass out like that even through the ice.[/quote]
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[#0000ff]Bassrods knows his stuff on basses. He rigged and jigged especially for bass on the rod he got it on. Lost another nice one at the hole. Inexperienced fish. Didn't know how to hang on. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Pelican has always been one of the best places to catch largemouth through the ice. I have lost count of the bass I have caught there over the years. Used to just jig a plain 1/8 oz. silver Kastmaster, with no bait, and caught some pretty bodacious basses. Now I gear up all fancy and make custom lures and special baits...and don't catch any more than I used to. But, I did catch (and release) 5 today.[/#0000ff]
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I seen you release all five of your bass, Even if I did have to hold a gun to your head[
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TD you sure got a lot of fish to day and it was lots of fun fishing with you again, but next time let me catch more then one gill...
All fish that we caught today was released,(some in the water and some in the pan)...
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Great job up at pelican. Did you stop by starvation and check the ice conditions on the way back.
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Way to go guys. A couple of buddies and I were out there recently and did very well also. That is truly a rewarding fishery.
Thanks for the great reports and pictures as always.
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[quote jekern1015]Great job up at pelican. Did you stop by starvation and check the ice conditions on the way back.[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]We took a good luck at what we could see of Starvation on the way back, but did not go down on the ice. Looks like it has capped again, after losing a lot of ice last week. But, the temps have not been low enough to build a lot more thick ice. It was 18 degrees when we went by in the morning and 36 degrees in early afternoon. I would think that some of the new ice is still pretty thin...especially around the shoreline.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There were several vehicles parked at the bridge and a few drillers out on the ice at the mouth of the little arm to the north of the bridge. That has been a good producing area for both perch and walleyes the last two weeks. It is an "adventure" to get down the steep sloping banks, to reach the ice, but could be worth the effort.[/#0000ff]
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Nice report Pat, the wife and I are headed down Friday to spend a couple days fishing the lake. Looks like the temps are a little warmer this year than it has been the last couple years we went, usually -8 to -10 when we got to the lake at day light and 10 to 12 above mid afternoon. I also noticed not much snow on the ice this year, makes for easier sled pulling, last couple years it was about a foot or better. We went to Pineview Sat. and caught a few crappie and some perch, visited Porcupine yesterday for the Kokes and also picked up a few for the pan, but they olnly ran about 10 inches. [fishin]
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[cool][#0000ff]Good to hear you have been getting on the ice...and catching fish. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is only a little snow on top of the ice. Makes for easier walking...except for the melted and refrozen area between the parking and the ice on the east side. Really don't need cleats, but need to watch your step for a few yards.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Ice was over a foot deep.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck to you guys. Hope the weather stays decent for you.[/#0000ff]
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Sounds like a fun trip, I want to make it out there one of these years and play with the bass and big gills. Those are some might fine looking hardware you have there, but than again I have a small stash of some of the dudes specials and they do catch fish.
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[cool][#0000ff]If you don't make it for the hard deck action, you need to join up the tubin' floatilla we will be getting together sometime in June. Once you experience those big feisty bluegills and bucketmouths you will never be the same for the wimpy local stuff.[/#0000ff]
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]Are these grubs a health hazard to humans, I have never seen one in a fish from there in the few times that I fished it?[/#000000][/font]
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[quote line_dangler][font "Times New Roman"][#000000]Are these grubs a health hazard to humans, I have never seen one in a fish from there in the few times that I fished it?[/#000000][/font][/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]As with most parasites found in cold blooded fishes, the yellow grubs are not hazardous to humans...even if ingested raw. Even less so when cooked. Just more protein.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The main downer is the appearance and the natural reluctance of people to eat anything that is "tainted". [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As I mentioned in a previous post on this issue, the parasites seem to be far less prevalent than in other years. The few fish in which I found them seldom had more than one or two easily visible/removable grubs. Only one fish had a multiple number of grubs in each fillet. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In past years it was not uncommon to take home a few big bluegills and to find grubs crawling on the outside of the fish when you got ready to fillet them. They abandon the host when the host dies. Yuck. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Many of the grubs locate at the base of the tail and at the point where the dorsal and anal fins connect to the fish. You can easily see them when you first catch the fish and you can elect whether or not you want to keep the fish. Not seeing any when you catch them does not mean there won't be any just under the skin of the fish, but it is a good quick check you can perform.[/#0000ff]
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[cool]That's nothing. Beggin4bass and I went down there two years ago (to the day - MLK Day) and it was -27 when we got there and didn't warm above 0 the whole day. Glad we had a shelter and heater, but it was still a bit cold in there... Good thing the fishing was great!
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[cool]Nice report! I love that lake. I think I'll be heading over there before the end of the (ice) season. Haven't been there in two years, and that is two years TOO long. Glad you guys wooped up on them.
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We were there the same weekend I guess my temp gage in my truck was wrong, coming from northern Wis. and ice fishing in Ontario Canada for Lake Trout in Jan. with out a shelter and heat and riding Snow mobiles to and from our fishing spots I do know what fishing in the cold is all about.[:p]
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