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Planning on trying the Gorge through the ice this year. I have fished for Macs at Bear Lake through the ice and absolutely love it. I will have a few days in a row available this winter and want to try the Gorge for an opportunity on some big boys. I feel fairly comfortable fishing with sonar in the fall jigging and trolling but have never tried it through the ice up there. Does anyone have some good input on places they stack up a little in the winter. I don't have a power auger so drilling a ton of holes gets a little tiring any help would be greatly appreciated. I will have a GPS and a basic fish finder.
Thanks,
tightline
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]When you're ready to go, PM me and I'll go if I can work it out. The chance at good macks is all I need to get fired up! I've got most of what a guy needs to ice fish.[cool][/size][/font]
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It's a deal. I will watch for when it ices up and get my sled ready.
tightline
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seems to me that the problem with the gorge is you have to fish where the ice is. Some years it doesnt even freeze enough to safely ice fish.
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Yeah it is a little like Bear Lake. You have to jump at the chance when it is there and fish it all you can because you may not get that chance again for a few years. I have my fingers crossed. Is there anyone out there that has gone for Macs through the ice over there. I'm sure someone reading the forum has been successful at it. Don't worry I promise to let all lakers go. I have great respect for the monsters of the deep. I am sure there are plenty around older than me.
tightline
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]I ice fished the Gorge last year. Fished Buckboard and Lucerne Bay. Caught fish up to about 5 lbs but nothing good. At Lucerne, the big attraction was a ridgeline that runs lengthwise. You can't miss it. You'll see guys piled along it. We just drilled holes and kept checking the depth to fish the downhill side if it. I had some really good marks but again no good fish. Nothing like that oriental guy who caught those nice macks on Doug Miller last year.[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Buckboard was pretty good. We went out from the marina, found the channel and fished along it. There was plenty of ice last year but with these warm trends we're seeing now, I'll be surprised if it does freeze. If it does, I'll go.[/size][/font]
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Skeeter has a nice pic of a fifteen pounder he got through the ice at the gorge. Maybee we can get him to post it up.
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If you have room for another fisherman (I can certainly drive with my Suburban) with a two-man ice shelter, I would also love to go. I would also enjoy trying to catch a few at Bear Lake. The largest laker I have caught was less than 15" long, and I would like to catch one at least a couple inches longer.
Kent
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[size 2]Stop it! You guys are starting to bum me out with all this ice fishing talk!! I've fished the Gorge all winter before by boat and done well. In fact, those big macs come shallow in late winter and you can catch them trolling big lures just under the surface. But I'd rather be in a boat than perched over a hole in the ice. Am I missing something??[/size]
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I think it is the fact that some of don't have boats or if they do it is limited to small self powered craft such as myself. I own 5 boats, 2 canoes, 2 pontoons, 1 float tube. All of which I don't feel too comfortable bobbing out in the middle of a huge body of water such as Bear Lake or the Gorge in sub freezing tempuratures paranoid that some wind might come in. It is also a good time to get a number of guys out on the ice together and cook up a good meal and chat while fishing which is a little harder to do from a boat.
Speaking of that should we work up some kind of prize for the longest fish at the Dutch Oven on ice deal? I think I could round up a dutch oven or small stove.
tightline
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[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 2]Hey Tight Lines, and all,[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 2]I'll throw in a free dinner for the longest fish caught before the big dinner bell rings at the "Dinner on Ice". [sly][/size][/font][/size]
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Old Coot
Sounds like a good time to me. Let me know if you need help on the cooking. I would be happy to contribute a little food in exchange for all the info I have pulled from the members. I do a mean dutch oven Turkey! Let me know if that fits into your plans. Don't mind cooking so long as I don't have to haul that big dutch oven 1/2 mile.
tight line
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