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Took a little drive up to Porcupine this morning to check the ice conditions. From the shore to about 20 feet out, there is only about 3/4" of ice, and from there to as far as I could throw a softball sized rock, it is only 1 1/2". Stay away for at least a few more days unless you like swimming in 32 degree water! There is a large open patch of water in the middle of the reservoir, the upper end still has a cap on it, but it is very thin as well. The temp was only 20 at 9:00AM, so a few more days of this cold weather and the ice should be fishable again.
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TKB, Thanks for the info. If you just happen to drive back up on thurs. post the conditions please. I was up there friday morning and did'nt dare get on the ice. Last night I ate my last morsel of smoke salmon. I have the misfortune to be addicted to smoked kokes and I'm starting to get a little jittery.
1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 gallon water. Soak a dozen split salmon for 6 or 8 hours rinse and let dry. smoke over an apple wood fire for 8 to 10 hours. I am drooling all over my keyboard.
fdg
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Hey FD, thanks for the recipe. What kind of bait/tackle do you use up at Porcupine? I've never caught kokes through the ice, so I was betting on small Kastmasters/Sweedish pimples with ice flies and mealies and waxies. Any suggestions?
Unfortunately I don't think I'll be back up tomorrow. I caught a lucky break on Tuesday with some extra time. I didn't let the time go to waste though, I made a detour out to Locomotive Springs and caught a cubic arse load of trout. They were all just planters, but they were fun to catch.
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I use a gold or silver swedish pimple attractor, with a pink ratfinkee and a wax worm about 8" below. In the past I put a swedish pimple with a treble hook and wax worms on the bottom and the ratfinkee about 8" above and caught two at a time, however they get tangled up too often and you waste time getting untangled. I also keep two extra poles ready so that If I have a tangle or break the line I drop that pole and use the extra ones. You don't want to waste any time when there are fish under you.
You want to fish in deep water 70' to 90', the only time you will catch anything is when the schools come through, between schools it's pretty dead. A fish finder is almost a must because the schools come through at varying depths, 25 to 45 feet. When a school is there you can catch 10 fish in 6 to 8 minutes if you're fast, and lucky. The bites are fairly light and they bite once, then you jig and hit them on the next bite. Most of the fish I catch in porupine are kokes with only the occasional green slimer.
fdg
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Thanks a bunch for the info. I was prepared to fish relatively shallow (<40 feet), but it sounds like if I did I would have had a serious excess of thumb twiddling. I look forward to the next chance I get to head on out. The lake should be safe real soon now with all this extra cold weather. Once again thanks for the info. Good luck next time you head out.
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What size is the Ratfinkee you are using? Does Sportsmens sell them? Thanks for your help, WH2
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I don't remember off hand what size I have been buying, but they are mid sized to smaller, Sportsman and Anglers Inn both sell them. I have used Pink, Orange, & Red. The wax worm seems to be important, the first trip up I was using small pcs of night crawler or meal worms. I only got 2 or 3 bites. Using the wax worms I caught more than a dozen on each of the next two trips.
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