(01-20-2024, 08:57 PM)Jig-fisher Wrote: Having driven by Echo the last 2 weekends,  I knew the south end of the lake has had ice. I decided to give it a try. Arrived around 730, 22 degrees. Others had been out at least the day before. I used my spud bar as I went out, but really wasn't meeded. There was 4-5 inches clear ice under a couple of inches of snow. Not a huge fan of that part of the lake but sometimes the rainbow fishing can be OK.

1st line in at around 8. 23ft of water. Knowing the bows like to suspend, put a jig tipped with a piece of chub about 1/2 way down. Put the pole on a bucket and started getting my 2nd pole ready. I heard my 1st pole slam against the side of the bucket then the fish tried to pull the bucket over. I got the pole in hand and I could tell it was very nice. Took drag a couple of times and then just came unbuttoned. Bummer. Then nothing for over an hour. No marks, no bites.

At 910 I got bit again and this one stuck.  18 1/2 bow, very nice and fought like a champ.



Then proceeded to catch 4 more in the next 35 minutes. One 12 inch and 3 cookie cutter 16 inch bows. I kept 2 of the larger ones to add to the 1st fish on the ice. Then it went cold again. Nothing for over an hour.  Again no marks coming through at all. Then a little after 11 another mark and bite, a good 18 incher to finish the morning.

Overall OK morning. Every mark that came through ended up biting pretty aggressively. I did not miss a fish. Although I did miss 2 initial bites, but when I dropped the jig back down after the swing and miss, they both readily took it again.



A big portion of the reservoir just capped this week. Very unsafe ice around the state park/boat ramp. There were a few people that came after I did, but did not venture out as far as I did. There were several groups and tents down by the dam. 28 degrees when I left at 1130.

(01-20-2024, 09:02 PM)Cowboypirate Wrote: I can report a walleye catch by the dam and a few perch from some friends. But nothing crazy hot. They did say good 5 inches near the dam by sketchy the more in you go. Still some open water around grass creek area.

(01-20-2024, 08:57 PM)Jig-fisher Wrote: Having driven by Echo the last 2 weekends,  I knew the south end of the lake has had ice. I decided to give it a try. Arrived around 730, 22 degrees. Others had been out at least the day before. I used my spud bar as I went out, but really wasn't meeded. There was 4-5 inches clear ice under a couple of inches of snow. Not a huge fan of that part of the lake but sometimes the rainbow fishing can be OK.

1st line in at around 8. 23ft of water. Knowing the bows like to suspend, put a jig tipped with a piece of chub about 1/2 way down. Put the pole on a bucket and started getting my 2nd pole ready. I heard my 1st pole slam against the side of the bucket then the fish tried to pull the bucket over. I got the pole in hand and I could tell it was very nice. Took drag a couple of times and then just came unbuttoned. Bummer. Then nothing for over an hour. No marks, no bites.

At 910 I got bit again and this one stuck.  18 1/2 bow, very nice and fought like a champ.



Then proceeded to catch 4 more in the next 35 minutes. One 12 inch and 3 cookie cutter 16 inch bows. I kept 2 of the larger ones to add to the 1st fish on the ice. Then it went cold again. Nothing for over an hour.  Again no marks coming through at all. Then a little after 11 another mark and bite, a good 18 incher to finish the morning.

Overall OK morning. Every mark that came through ended up biting pretty aggressively. I did not miss a fish. Although I did miss 2 initial bites, but when I dropped the jig back down after the swing and miss, they both readily took it again.



A big portion of the reservoir just capped this week. Very unsafe ice around the state park/boat ramp. There were a few people that came after I did, but did not venture out as far as I did. There were several groups and tents down by the dam. 28 degrees when I left at 1130.