12-22-2019, 06:33 AM
We drove over here to Grand Junction to visit my middle son, his wife and three sweet daughters aged 4-10. Daniel, Keira, the 10 tear old, and I went up on Grand Mesa to do some ice fishing this morning. There are literally hundreds of small lakes there. We did some exploring and after a couple of inquiries we decided to go to Island Lake. We found the road was packed and groomed for snowmobiles and figured the Rubicon was up to it. No problem until Daniel pulled a little off the beaten track. The powder was slightly too deep for his 35" tires. Out came the winch and after a lot of back and forth with all four wheels spinning (he has electric lockers front and rear) we eventually got back on the strait and narrow. It was an adventure. By the time we drove back to the highway where everybody else was parked (duh) it was a little after noon. Several of the early-morning groups were just coming up the trail and we pumped them for information. One pair told us where they had killed them out to the west of the island. We quickly got our ourselves out onto the lake. The island is sort of a double-humper covered with the same conifers that dominate the mesa. We found their holes and happily settled in to fish.
We also had good fishing. We caught at least 30. The lake appears to have rainbows, brooks, lakers, splake, and browns. One gent had told us that he caught several good browns clear down by the dam, but we only caught the other four species. All 10-14" but fat and scrappy. I hadn't brought any of my tackle but we did get over to Sportsman's Warehouse before they closed last night and got some ice-fishing staples. Daniel has plenty of tackle, of course, and I started out with what he had on my loaner rod. It was a very small sand-colored tube jig. Tipped with a waxworm it started catching right away. We made sure Keira got the first fish and many others. She kept count so we wouldn't go over our limits. Eventually that tube got ripped to pieces and then I just used the plain jig with a waxy which also produced. Later I replaced it with a green Atomic Teaser which worked very well. I tipped it with waxworms, spikes and Trout Nibbles and they all worked. I also switched to a glow white #10 Ratso which was just as good as the others when tipped with a waxworm or spike.
My son and granddaughter said it was the best ice-fishing day they had ever had. When it started getting cold we packed up our 11 fish and headed home.
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We also had good fishing. We caught at least 30. The lake appears to have rainbows, brooks, lakers, splake, and browns. One gent had told us that he caught several good browns clear down by the dam, but we only caught the other four species. All 10-14" but fat and scrappy. I hadn't brought any of my tackle but we did get over to Sportsman's Warehouse before they closed last night and got some ice-fishing staples. Daniel has plenty of tackle, of course, and I started out with what he had on my loaner rod. It was a very small sand-colored tube jig. Tipped with a waxworm it started catching right away. We made sure Keira got the first fish and many others. She kept count so we wouldn't go over our limits. Eventually that tube got ripped to pieces and then I just used the plain jig with a waxy which also produced. Later I replaced it with a green Atomic Teaser which worked very well. I tipped it with waxworms, spikes and Trout Nibbles and they all worked. I also switched to a glow white #10 Ratso which was just as good as the others when tipped with a waxworm or spike.
My son and granddaughter said it was the best ice-fishing day they had ever had. When it started getting cold we packed up our 11 fish and headed home.
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The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
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