Punxsatawney Phil Rockport Walk-about

[perchinski]

Wanted to see what last week's heat wave did to our ice, so drove up to RP & Echo around noon.  No surprise Phil says we won't have 6 more weeks of ice fishing.  No one by RP dam where shoreline access looked very sketchy all along that corner.  A few parties out from the big curve a mile south where everyone parks -- looked like trouters, as they were close to shore.  Another 3 guys out from the last toilet pull-out further south.  I planned to walk out & see how they were doing, but once down the hill the shoreline looked weakened from the daylong rays.  Sure enough, when I stepped atop the 2" border it did the spider-crack thing.  I could see how those guys got out, but coming back this aft they may get some wet ankles those last 2-3 steps.   Drove straight across to the Twin Cove campgrounds and walked out to 3 different groups there. Nada for the shallow fishers, but the two folks out in 25-ish getting some 8-9" perch.   LOTS safer access along that eastern shoreline, not a crack to be seen or heard, even by the ramp.  Then drove to Echo, where both the ramp areas and that access by the new state park were scary at best.  Some very low temps these next 2 nights can't hurt those access points, and the ice out on the lake is still 6-7".  Can't go Thursday or Friday, but I'm gonna go to the east side of RP tomorrow and maybe Wednesday.

[cody121ydoc]

Thanks for the great walk-about description.  I was wanting to take my nephew to Rockport this Saturday but I'm not so sure with this ice.

[doggonefishin]

Wanted to see what last week's heat wave did to our ice, so drove up to RP & Echo around noon.  No surprise Phil says we won't have 6 more weeks of ice fishing.  No one by RP dam where shoreline access looked very sketchy all along that corner.  A few parties out from the big curve a mile south where everyone parks -- looked like trouters, as they were close to shore.  Another 3 guys out from the last toilet pull-out further south.  I planned to walk out & see how they were doing, but once down the hill the shoreline looked weakened from the daylong rays.  Sure enough, when I stepped atop the 2" border it did the spider-crack thing.  I could see how those guys got out, but coming back this aft they may get some wet ankles those last 2-3 steps.   Drove straight across to the Twin Cove campgrounds and walked out to 3 different groups there. Nada for the shallow fishers, but the two folks out in 25-ish getting some 8-9" perch.   LOTS safer access along that eastern shoreline, not a crack to be seen or heard, even by the ramp.  Then drove to Echo, where both the ramp areas and that access by the new state park were scary at best.  Some very low temps these next 2 nights can't hurt those access points, and the ice out on the lake is still 6-7".  Can't go Thursday or Friday, but I'm gonna go to the east side of RP tomorrow and maybe Wednesday.

Thanks for reporting.  That sounds encouraging.  I went by last week and it was no bueno, as reported by others.  

One more batch of perch fillets would sure be nice.

[perchinski]

Fished RP today from 10-noon, putting in at Twin Coves.  Ice a consistent 7" with 1" of snow atop.  Even the mud on the walk down was solid.  After not getting bit at 24', worked my way out N and finally found a good school at 35' around 11am.  Fast action, but had to work thru the little ones and lift the bait 1-2' off the bottom to get the 9s & 10s, and those were only every 3 out of 20.  All of 'em wanted eyeballs, not the perch slivers 4' away on my 2nd rod.  Safe access on E side for about half-doz groups and assuming ditto on W side, as there were another half-doz tents over there.  Some others fishing out from the ramp, but not a soul off the dam.

[icerman]

Thank you for the great report.