03-15-2017, 12:00 AM
Thought I'd give Mantua a try this morning. Took my irrigation boots thinking that I would be standing in ankle deep slush but was surprised to find that the slush had frozen overnight. The ice is about 10 inches thick, the lower 4 inches being clear and solid while the upper 6 inches is refrozen slush. Very easy walking. For the time being, and I can't predict how long it will last, the ice appears safe and strong. After drilling the first hole I had no anxiety about falling through.
Fishing was slow. Started in about 8 feet of water out from the boat ramp and progressively worked eastward a couple of blocks to 14 ft of water. Only caught a couple of small bluegill that I returned to the reservoir. They hit my ice jigs right near the bottom. Had a few other very soft bites and that was all. I left at 11:00 a.m. while the ice (slush layer) was still firm but starting to soften. Didn't see anyone else fishing on the reservoir.
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Fishing was slow. Started in about 8 feet of water out from the boat ramp and progressively worked eastward a couple of blocks to 14 ft of water. Only caught a couple of small bluegill that I returned to the reservoir. They hit my ice jigs right near the bottom. Had a few other very soft bites and that was all. I left at 11:00 a.m. while the ice (slush layer) was still firm but starting to soften. Didn't see anyone else fishing on the reservoir.
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