Good times at Rockport

[MWScott72]

To clarify, it’s always a good time on the ice, but the last few trips at RP, the jumbos have basically eluded me.  Not so yesterday!  Arrived and got set up to fish at about 3:30 and fished until 6:30.  The bite was pretty consistent except for the last 15 minutes or so.  Weather was beautiful with partly cloudy skies and a light breeze until about 5pm, then overcast set in and the wind picked up to a steady 10-12 mph.  Had me wishing I’d brought my tent to set up, but the weight savings was worth it.  I ended up icing over 20 nice perch in those 3 hours.  3 were at or over 11” with the largest being 11.5”.  The remainder were in that 9.5-10.5” range with a few smaller ones kept.  Better yet, the ratio of keepers to dinks was pretty even.  Best lure was a silver Hali with a red spot and a glow bead on the hook.  Bait was wax worms.  I didn’t want to mess with perch eyes since they were biting well enough on the waxies.  I did bait up hooks with a couple eyes though and they worked fine as well.  My last two trips have been in 21 and 29 FOW with mostly dinks.  Yesterday was 36 FOW and fish were always below me until they shut off at 6:15.

Slush was manageable with some areas even hard enough to support me (180 lbs dripping wet).  Going in the AM would be awesome as I’m sure it would be froze up more and easier dragging a sled.

[Piscophilic]

Thanks for a great report and the picture looks like a great meal or 2 in the works. I see a few dinks in the with the keepers. Are those for bait for another outing?

[Jmorfish]

Nice job Mike....You may have hit the last decent day to get out there...but if we can get a couple nites of really cold weather yet, this month, who knows? I'd sure 'force' myself to make another trip...I don't mind holding off on my boat or canoe for a while yet...
Great looking perch...

[MWScott72]

Thanks for a great report and the picture looks like a great meal or 2 in the works. I see a few dinks in the with the keepers. Are those for bait for another outing?

A couple were for bait and a couple of the others wouldn’t swim back down, so came home.  It’s interesting that the smaller fish don’t seem to have too much issue with pressure, but the bigger jumbos come up with their swim bladder in their mouths with no chance of going back down if a person were to throw them back.

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Thanks for a great report and the picture looks like a great meal or 2 in the works. I see a few dinks in the with the keepers. Are those for bait for another outing?

A couple were for bait and a couple of the others wouldn’t swim back down, so came home.  It’s interesting that the smaller fish don’t seem to have too much issue with pressure, but the bigger jumbos come up with their swim bladder in their mouths with no chance of going back down if a person were to throw them back.

[wiperhunter2]

Congrats on a nice haul.

[icerman]

Thanks for the report. Hoping to hit it in the morning. I was concerned regarding the slush and edges.

[copple2]

Big perch! Congrats

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for the report.  Hoping to hit it in the morning.  I was concerned regarding the slush and edges.

How did you end up doing? How were the edges? I'm concerned with the recent warm temps.

[2knots]

Thanks for the report.  Hoping to hit it in the morning.  I was concerned regarding the slush and edges.

How did you end up doing? How were the edges? I'm concerned with the recent warm temps.

Posted this am on FB

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for the report.  Hoping to hit it in the morning.  I was concerned regarding the slush and edges.

How did you end up doing? How were the edges? I'm concerned with the recent warm temps.

Posted this am on FB

Thanks Alan, I had a feeling that was going to happen, it will likely be like that at almost every lake now, except for the highest ones.

[a_bow_nut]

.most of Deer Creek had standing water on it yesterday.

[icerman]

Thanks for the report.  Hoping to hit it in the morning.  I was concerned regarding the slush and edges.

How did you end up doing? How were the edges? I'm concerned with the recent warm temps.

Edges were great in the morning.  No real slush to speak of though the snow definitely was softening in the sun as the day progressed.  Catching was awesome!  30'-34' FOW and I was on perch immediately.  Brought home about 13 big perch, caught many more 6"-7"ers that I threw back, only a few real dinks.  The larger fish would come through occasionally.  As the morning progressed, I did drill another 3 holes about 5 yards apart, and would rotate holes when the bite would slow down.  Ice is still quite thick, but is getting gray.

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for the report.  Hoping to hit it in the morning.  I was concerned regarding the slush and edges.

How did you end up doing? How were the edges? I'm concerned with the recent warm temps.

Edges were great in the morning.  No real slush to speak of though the snow definitely was softening in the sun as the day progressed.  Catching was awesome!  30'-34' FOW and I was on perch immediately.  Brought home about 13 big perch, caught many more 6"-7"ers that I threw back, only a few real dinks.  The larger fish would come through occasionally.  As the morning progressed, I did drill another 3 holes about 5 yards apart, and would rotate holes when the bite would slow down.  Ice is still quite thick, but is getting gray.

Was this two days ago, was it as slushy as the pic above? Thanks for the report, glad you did well.

[droptine69]

Hell of a good job Mike!!

[icerman]

Thanks for the report.  Hoping to hit it in the morning.  I was concerned regarding the slush and edges.

How did you end up doing? How were the edges? I'm concerned with the recent warm temps.

Edges were great in the morning.  No real slush to speak of though the snow definitely was softening in the sun as the day progressed.  Catching was awesome!  30'-34' FOW and I was on perch immediately.  Brought home about 13 big perch, caught many more 6"-7"ers that I threw back, only a few real dinks.  The larger fish would come through occasionally.  As the morning progressed, I did drill another 3 holes about 5 yards apart, and would rotate holes when the bite would slow down.  Ice is still quite thick, but is getting gray.

Was this two days ago, was it as slushy as the pic above? Thanks for the report, glad you did well.

I went Sat. morning.  No real slush, later in the afternoon there was a little water.  2 weeks prior, slush was terrible.