Hit our favorite federally managed body of water today. [
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Arrived at 0730 and the temp was 31* departure about 1600 temp 34*.
About 2" of fresh wet snow on the ice...ice showed areas of slush but nothing bad at all easy walking.
There were snowmobiles and ATVs on the ice today...ice thickness since last week possibly an inch more for a total of roughly 6" solid ice with about 2-3" of previous frozen slush then the additonal new 2" of wet snow.
Headed out to 40-45' of water yep the dink Perch are out in force...between both of us probably had 75 easy. Nothing over 7"... Did find some nice slabo Crappie along with smaller keepers and the 3" dinks were also plentiful.
Lures used were Nuclear Ants variety of colors but chaurtruese seems to be the hot color for us anyways. I switched to a small Swedish Pimple with glow strip...them Crappie really liked that...nailed 3 nice size ones in about 7 minutes. Crappie were up probably 5-7' off the bottom...with the Vexilar I dropped down to the fish signals...reel up about 6" to a foot above them then jig above them and would watch the fish come up and every so lightly take the offerings as I just noted a very slight bend in the spring bobber then I'd set the hook...I tried dead sticking it and an occassional Perch but no Crappie...seems the fish wanted some type of almost constant movement of the lure. Jigging worked for us this trip...
So there you have it for our PV venture...had fun and thats what counts. [
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Nice Crappie! I got myself into some three days ago over night. Caught 18 between the two of us all under 10 inches.
Good catch. Nice to see you're getting out. I haven't gotten out much since Thanksgiving, encouraging to see fish caught at Pineview, although you've never had a problem with that.
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If you reveal your secrets to the wind you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees!!
Lack of Knowledge talks, seeking fame and glory,wisdom listens and chooses his own path!!
Now the (internet anglers) choose the path of least resistance, opting to drop a line in water closest to the road, the trail, the campground or parking lot
choosing the easy way & hoping a blind man will guide them to the gold.
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fishn4eyes...duly noted thanks for the comments and advise...[
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Headed out again on Saturday meeting up with two fine Gents...
Arrival temp was 32* at roughly 0715 on departure temp at 1530 was 38*. IMHO could be a tad bit colder...but that's okay...lots of folks on the ice having fun...
Ice conditions were basically the same as yesterday a little more slush but nothing bad at all still easy walking. Edges for the most part are fine... Areas of ice showing signs of slush on the surface but nothing I consider worrisome...yet anyways especially after todays weather.
Did see a couple snowmobiles didn’t seen any ATVs. Still don’t have the weebles to bring our machine out just yet as I’m erring on the side of caution especially with a 2-up and us two ole bitty bags on the chariot…need ice confidence and just because others are out there doesn’t mean hey let’s do it…not just yet is the way I see it.
Lures used:
Nuclear Ants, Shrimpos both chartreuse color, and Swedish Pimple tipped with waxie or Crappie Nibble. Folks without a doubt, at least for us, ‘chartreuse’ is the 'color' flavor of the K2 fish’n arsenal the past 2-days. Verticle presentation has worked for us...for some reason at least for us the horizontal jig presentation just hasn't produced for us. I've attached a photo left to right are Nuclear Ant, Glow Swedish Pimple, then a Shrimpo.
In photo attached left to right Nuclear Ant, Swedish Pimple and Shrimpo...Pimple and Shrimpo produced the slabos...
Crappie were anywhere from 3-5’ off the bottom again like yesterday (Friday) on the Vexilar I’d drop the lure down to the fish signals reel up and jig just enough to bend the spring bobber…when the spring bobber showed a pause it was set the hook…again for me dead sticking didn't produce the Crappie slabos during the daylight hours.
It was a great day on the ice. Weather was perfect, fishing was great plus we were with great forum folks...and much to fishn4eyes comments willing to share information so others could enjoy their time on the PV hard deck...fish are all over PV and if we can help sincere folks...BY GOD WE WILL. [
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Perch same year model and size...Crappie found the slabos and a variety of sizes...had fun in the daylight hours.
Pics attached....[
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[cool][#0000ff]Don't you ever give up? You don't own Pineview so let others enjoy it however they wish to.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]LOOSE BRAINS WRECK TRAINS.[/#0000ff]
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Thanks for the report. I hope to take my kids out tomorrow to the "view". Nice Crappie!
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Hey TubeDude,
Yea I know but not everyone has invested in a Vex and not everyone will fish like we do...just willing to share...trust me when it comes to PV and fish'n for our most favorite...YES LOOSE LIPS...will possibly create a slaughter...but hey when it comes to the hard deck and willing to share with others who are fishaholocis like we are and 'invest' in the equipment and/or just want the one or two trips...I'll share...doesn't mean everyone will put fish on the deck...but it does give them hope...kinda like all YOUR GREAT REPORTS...AS YOU ARE DA-MAN when it comes to UTAH FISH'N...[
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey, sweetie, my comments were not directed toward you gals. You do a fine job of providing basic information without divulging too much. I was taking a poke at "4-eyes". He and I have a little "history". After one of my tubing reports he more or less accused me of destroying the crappie population because after my report a lot of boats started catching and killing all the small crappies.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I felt so badly I went into crappie rehab. Didn't help much though. I still have the addiction. The 12 cast program didn't work.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Look forward to joining ya on the water/ice soon.[/#0000ff]
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What were ou tipping them with?
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[quote rcturbos]What were ou tipping them with?[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]I don't think you meant to reply to my post. You need to click on the post you want to ask about.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, since I have fished Pineview a bit and have caught my share of both perch and crappies I will chip in...a bit. I always take worms. Sometimes plain old crawler is all you need. But I usually use perch pieces too. I never use waxworms or mealies but lots of folks couldn't do without them. Ditto for perch eyeballs. They work for some but I do better with my "doctored" perch meat...salted with some crawdad scent on the bait sized strips.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I personally feel that finding the fish is the first big requirement. Next is presenting your jigs at the right level with the right action...for that day. It can change from day to day...or hour to hour.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Perch hit better on or near the bottom, but will come up a ways when they are active. Crappies will look up to bite something above them, but will seldom tip down to chase something below them. Always better to fish in the same depth or slightly above where the crappies are showing on the sonar.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That being said, crappies sometimes get right down and grub aquatic invertebrates out of the bottom. I have caught them on heavy 1/4 oz. jigs laying on the bottom in 55 feet of water. But usually something smaller and lighter...above the bottom...will score more slabs.[/#0000ff]
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Thanks for posting your reports Kim and not being offended by that negative reply.
Those are some good looking crappie. When you said you were vertical jigging, do you mean the jig is hanging vertical, compared to the normal horizontal presentation?
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I'll +1 that for sure.
I think these are great posts. And I thank you K2 crew for sharing such good information. Though you aren't giving away your exact GPS points - it's good to know the depths they're holding, the colors, and action that get you a bite. Well done!
Do you ever get a Musky messing with ya?
I think I'll really have to see one of them Vexlar's in action to fully understand how you read them.
I know there's a Perch Party being planned for the 29th (by some 'other forum'). Maybe that'll be my first ice venture there. (that or Newton)
[cool][#0000ff]Almost everybody who fishes Piney a lot has stories of a small perch getting "very heavy" on the way to the top...and then suddenly having nothing on the other end of the line after a couple of chugs. Been that, done there...or whatever.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There have also been a surprising number of folks who have actually iced tigers on small jigs...as well as the larger lures some anglers actually fish for the big toothy guys. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am attaching a pic of a 34" tiger I caught on the bottom in 55 feet of water while fishing for perch around the first of December a couple of years ago...fishing from my tube. You can see the small green jig down inside its mouth...and the 6# line I was using (Excalibur)...without wire.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I know of one tiger...42"...that was pulled to the hole on 4# mono and a tiny size 10 jig and waxworm. Someone with a lip gripper hauled it up out of the hole. The guy who caught it reportedly screamed like a little girl for 10 minutes.[/#0000ff]
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Yep lure hangs verticle...the lure eye is on the top of the lure not the side of the lure head.
I know some folks don't care for Vexs that's fine as we all have our equipment of choice...but I'm here to tell you we put more fish on the deck with them then without them...it's all a matter of what you like and most of all learning how to use the equipment you have.
We tipped the lures with waxie...did use Perch eyes on Friday but would only catch Perch...didn't use any Perch eyes on Saturday...Waxie and the chromaglow I believe Crappie nibbles got the Crappies...something else of note as least I noted it...when I had a Waxie on after pulling up 2-3 fish with the same Waxie...I'd drop the same waxie down and would see on the Vex fish coming up and sniffing at the offerings...but wouldn't commit and head back down...I decided to reel up and put on fresh Waxies drop the lure down...and fish commited to the fresh waxie more so than the one used a couple of times...maybe TubeDude can explain this...I'm thinking it has to do with possibly the scent or something...again we're IMHO still novices on the hard deck.
Hey TubeDude...Sorry about my reply I only saw today you had replied to whatever its name is. Yep we'd really like to have a trip with you we have so much to learn and would love to see what and how you always do to bring fish home...[
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I fished PV on Saturday with two of my son-in-laws. I had just caught a perch when Scotty told me a huge musky had just smacked the transducer on my finder. He said it knocked it from one side of the hole to the other. The fish then came back around and swam very, very slowly under the holes we had drilled there.
I know the water magnifies the way they look, but I would have guessed the fish was 44" or so. The fish was huge!
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[cool][#0000ff]About using FRESH bait...[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a lot of "triggers" that contribute to getting fish to bite, or to bite more aggressively. When fish are active, and the visibility is good, they will often move in quickly from several feet away to chomp a tipped jig...no matter how fresh the bait. But, when they are slow and neutral or inactive, it often takes the very best fresh bait to get them to "yawn". They move in slowly and inspect the bait closely...giving it the "sniff test". And they munch only if it smells good enough to eat. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Probably the biggest appeal to fish, when it comes to larvae like waxies, mealworms and spikes, is the natural insect odor that escapes when they are impaled on a hook. The longer the larvae are on the hook...and the more they have been abused by fishies...the less of that attractive flavor exudes out into the water. Makes sense to keep a fresh bait on. Sure, it costs more to keep adding fresh bait. But, did you come to catch fish or save money?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a lot of seasoned iceaholics that simply plan to go through a ton of bait on any given trip. I know of some that use two or more fresh waxies or spikes after every fish...or even after a couple of hard bites that did not produce fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I gotta chuckle when you are so adamant about the use of vertical presentations. I have gone in the complete opposite direction. I only make and use jigs that hang horizontally...and I usually manage to do quite well with them...especially on Pineview.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Diff'rent strokes (jigs) for diff'rent folks.[/#0000ff]
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TD,
Thanks for the additional bait info...I was kinda think'n the same thing and we always stimulate the economy and hit the deck with plenty.
Maybe it's just us...again hard deck novices...but with horizonal jigs I just haven't seen them produce...not saying they won't...I've tried but maybe one small Perch and I worked the jig the same exact way I worked the vertical presentation jig...to prove my theory...I fished the horizontal for over an hour with one Perch...switched to the vertical presentation and it produced...I'm going to test the theory again...provided Mother Nature allows for it...I'll letcha know...maybe I'm not holding my
right with the horizontal jigs...who knows...[
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Great report, I found similar success at browning(?) point. About forty feet of water saturday morning. All my crappie were caught on verticle presentation with spikes, my lure of choice was a forage minnow in yellow glow colors. Ended up with a limit of crappie to take home. A few dinks, some 8" class, 12 over 12" and 3 over 14". I don't use a vexilar but my humminbird was absolutly vital. I worked on the same fish for up to 5 minutes lots of times to finally get it to committ. One person in my group caught an absolutely obese perch that was 12 inches. Lots of small crappie quite fishing because I didn't want to kill them. Found lots of small perch to 9"
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[cool][#0000ff]Not disagreeing with you. Just pointing out that my experience has been different. And ultimately that is what we all have to rely upon...our successful experiences. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have little patience with someone who "holds forth" about their lures, their baits or their style of fishing being the ONLY way to fish...a particular water or for a particular species. In most cases these EX-SPURTS were with someone on some occasion when they were shown how to catch some fish...and succeeded. From that day forward their method is the only thing to use...month in and month out...regardless of the changes in conditions. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of the "seasoned" anglers I know and respect echo the same sentiments...that it is more important to fish whatever you fish...WITH CONFIDENCE...rather than with any particular lure or bait. If you fish with positive expectation you are more likely to be ready for every bite and to be more efficient in hook setting. Those who just "drown bait"...or "chuck and chance it"...are usually looking elsewhere or not ready for any fishy opportunities when they come along. At the end of the day they complain about poor fishing...when it was the poor fisherman who missed a lot of fish by not being ready for them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]So, in a nutshell, whatever works for you is EXACTLY the right thing to use.[/#0000ff]
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