Pelican Lake Updates?

[Out4Trout]

[cool] Anybody been to that little gem lately? Is it capped? If so, how thick is the ice and how was the fishin'? Feel free to send a p.m. if you'd rather that the whole board and lurkers don't know about it yet...
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[hookngrinin]

Pelican is mostly capped. Some open water in the middle where the waterfowl are keeping it open. We fished the east side for a couple hours on Monday (Christmas Eve). The lake level is the lowest I have seen it in a long time. The water was very stained/murky. I think this is a result of the increasing carp population in the lake. Catching was very slow. We fished several locations on the east side and only managed a few bluegills and one small largemouth bass. The ice thickness ranged from 5" to 8" and was good and solid. No slush. I'll be trying it again in a different location next week.
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[Out4Trout]

[cool] Thanks for that update. I wonder if having part of the middle open is affecting the water clarity as well? I think I'll make the drive over there sometime mid-late next month.
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[CBR]

[quote Out4Trout][cool] Anybody been to that little gem lately? Is it capped? If so, how thick is the ice and how was the fishin'? Feel free to send a p.m. if you'd rather that the whole board and lurkers don't know about it yet...[/quote]

Geoff, want to go on Sunday? Ring me.
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[lakepowellnut]

I'm heading out there tomorrow. I'll report on our success when we return. Sounds like the ice is plenty thick. Wish us luck!
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[fishnate]

Fished on the 26th off the northwest area. Deepest water we could find was 5.5 feet. Had to move several times to find fresh fish. We caught fish in every hole but only a handful. My son and I managed to catch 17 bluegill (smaller than average) and 5 bass (basic 10-13" variety) over 5 hours. Pretty poor by typical standards. Another couple came out and only stayed about an hour and moved sevaral times trying to find productive (deeper) water and I don't think they caught anything.
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[PACKFAN]

I fished Pelican for the first time on open water this past summer and was really surprised at the amount of carp that were in there and how lousey the fishing was. We have fished Pelican thru the ice for 30+ years and use our under water cameras and had never seen a carp or caught one. I know they sure had the water stirred up this summer when they were spawning. Last winter was the worst ice fishing trip we have ever had there. The wife and I are use to catching one to two hundred fish a day. Last year I think we caught 35 keepers in two days of fishing. We probably won't make a trip down there this winter.[:/]
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[Ryno]

I fished it on Saturday the 22nd and found the bite to be pretty slow (for a first ice bite) to start with, but it picked up by 11AM. I ended up catching 25 gills and no bass. The bigger gills were up to 9-inches, but I only caught a few of those. The water clarity was really poor where I was also, on the eastside in 5.7 ft of water. I switched up baits a bunch during the morning low, but when I started catching more frequently I was using a small Gitzit in chartreuse and Northland Forage Fry in perch color tipped with a small chunk of meal worm.

Hope it helps, Ryno
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[PACKFAN]

Thanks for the info Ryan, like I say I'm not sure if the wife and I will make our annual winter trip down or not. We usually make it down once or twice between mid Jan. to mid Feb. We have a late cow elk hunt starting in mid Jan. for two weeks, so the ice fishing will be put on hold for a bit.[fishin]
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[Out4Trout]

Well, that doesn't sound very encouraging. That's a shame about the carp slowly destroying the fishery. Not sure if it's worth the drive and gas this year like it usually is... I might stick around closer for panfish this year like Utah Lake or Rockport, Echo, Pineview, etc...
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[lavaman]

[quote Out4Trout] I might stick around closer for panfish this year like Utah Lake or Rockport, Echo, Pineview, etc...[/quote]

Or come up to Mantua again. I think Barney forgot about you, so it's safe.
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[Ryno]

Although both elk and bluegill are tasty in their own way, you gotta get the elk and fill the freezer! Good luck Packfan!
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[Out4Trout]

[cool] LMAO, Derek! I might hit Mantua soon, but not sure. It's been a couple of years. My luck at Mantua on the ice isn't that great and at the moment I don't have a GOOD fishfinder that helps me get in between the weedbeds. I usually get right on top of a weedbed and all I catch are a planter bow or two about 8 inches long and maybe a stray perch, [reply][/reply]which is boring. I've found that if you can get right on top of that channel on the SW side, you can rip the heck out of the gils and perch over there.
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