Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]After yesterday's report of open water at the ramp at the south marina I changed my plans. Went there instead of Pineview. Big mistake. It was frozen solid beyond where someone had broken up the 3" ice block. (see pics). I could have carried everything around the point and launched there, but there was still lots of refrozen ice almost all the way out to the point of the channel. It was only 20 degree air temp so I didn't figure it was worth waiting around for it to thaw.

Headed for the north marina. I have busted out through shore ice there before so figured I might have to do the same this morning. Yep. Had to put the tube in on the west side of the dock and then wade along the shore, breaking 1/2" ice and dragging the tube behind me until I got to an open spot where I could launch. Got 'er done.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temp up to 22 degrees at launch. Water temp 35. Heck, it was warmer both ways at Deer Creek yesterday. But the air and water were both 36 when I got off the lake a bit before 2. I could feel the burn.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started off with a bang...and a zing. A 22" wiper that really had some shoulders. 5.2 pounds of string stretchin'...only about 5 minutes after I got launched...still inside the channel. Thought it might be the start of a great day. Nay.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fished a long time before I had my next hit. Missed about 3 pop and drops in a row. Cold, inexperienced fish. Came back inside the channel and tried finessing some of the fish I had seen suspended. Figured they might be crappies. One of them was. It ate my little jig. Onliest one for the day though. Saw lots more than I caughts.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked the heck out of both the inside channel and outside both north and south of the marina entrance. Worked from 10' to 20' deep. Again, saw a lot more fish than I felt. I did snag a few carpkind but managed to longline release them without having to bring them to the tube for surgery.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Was planning to head out about noon but decided to make one more circuit over the breakline of the channel. I had gotten bites on minnows there almost every time through but still had not put a hook in the perpetrator(s). On the way back in for the last time (yeah, right) I had another line popper. After picking up and dropping the bait several times, the fish seemed to have the minnow firmly in it's mouth. My wrist snap met with solid resistance and some animated gyrations. Yeee hawww. A wallie...21" and 3.2# of yummy munchin'.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Had several hits today that felt like catfish but they just never got the hook inside their mouth well enough for a good hookset. A kitty would have made a grand slime. But, I guess I can settle for a triple play.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There was still fairly thick ice guarding the ramp when I came back in. I had to get out near where I launched and tow the tube through the trail I had broken in the ice earlier. It was worth it. [/#0000ff]
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As I started reading this post, I am reading paragraph 1 (thinkin this dude is crazy) paragraph 2 (he must be a lunatic) paragraph 3 (call for a straight jacket).

Then I get to paragraph 4 and the rest of the post. Wow, this dude has had one heck of a day! Awesome fishing!

Then I check out the pictures. All of the fish look so fat and sassy. Background scenery is awesome!

Congrats and thanks for sharing!
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Fantastic day TD, Boy all three are excellent fish. Good Day!
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[cool][#0000ff]Glad you liked the report. I have had a lot of "interesting" trips over the years. As long as I can get both myself and my tube on the water (safely or otherwise) I can usually find some kind of fishing. Sometimes better than others.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You are not the first person to suggest that I am "not fishing with a fully inflated tube". (wacko)[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You might enjoy reading a post from early 2009, when I had to hike back in to fish that area...over several inches of snow and still lots of ice in the marina. [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=476590#p476590"]LINK TO POST[/url][/#0000ff]
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Great looking fish. The "fish gods" must have d on you for your perseverance in getting out there to fish.
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. Not sure about the attitude of the "fish gods". They may have rewarded my perseverence with a few fishies but I think they were also laughing at my foolishness. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here is a picture of my sonar that shows an endless procession of fish beneath my tube. As I often have to say..."I saw a lot more than I caught". If you look very carefully at the little fishy icons you can see that many of them have their middle fins upraised. And I know if I had sound on my sonar I could have heard lots of little fishy giggles.[/#0000ff]
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[]mama trout says you are nuts. I gotta say you have an addiction to where there is no cure.
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[cool][#0000ff]I freely admit that I take on some challenges that others might (prudently) avoid.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At least I don't retire my float tube at the first hint of frost in the fall.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Neener...neener...neener.[/#0000ff]
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TD I have not been in the water since August. This post is killing me. Ron
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[quote idahoron]TD I have not been in the water since August. This post is killing me. Ron[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]I can empathize. I was housebound for about a month...since my last trip to Starvation on 11/5. But it was a combination of bad weather and fighting off a lingering cold. Didn't need to "upgrade" to pneumonia. Glad I waited until I was finally over it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hope you got a good excuse for not fishing and/or reporting. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. No rest for the wicked...and the righteous don't need it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. All work and no play...gives Jack a heart attack.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]3. When you wish upon a star...makes no difference who you are...IT NEVER WORKS.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, congrats on your "celebrity status" in the magazine. Hope you and number 1 son get to do even more and better fishing in 2011.[/#0000ff]
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