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Another bug or what? I typed a lengthy report (lengthy for me anyway) and thought I posted it and now it is gone![:/]
I will try again.
Ktrout, wiperslayer1 and I made the long drive to Fish Lake yesterday. Parked on the south end and found a safe place to get on the ice. Hiked over to the east side and set up shop in water from 75 to 100' deep (ice was 15" and solid). Dropped to the bottom in search of some macks. Very few macks found today. Ira caught about a 4 pounder, I lost what felt like a good fish on the bottom and Kory and I both caught two small macks or they might have been splake. They were a different shade from the typical splake and the tail was more forked than the common splake, but I have a tough time distinguishing a few of the small fish as to whether or not they are macks or splake.
Splake were extremely plentiful today. I figure we caught at least 175 of them, and Kory caught at least 100 by himself. For awhile he was fishing in 75' of water and catching them down less than 10 feet just as fast as he could get his lines in the water. We caught around 15 to 20 rainbows.
The weather was beautiful for at the most 1 1/2 hours and then the wind came up. It blew so hard out of the south that at one point I looked over and the wind was scooting my 1/2-full sled across the ice. My foam kneeling pad flew up into the air and I just waved good bye to it. I figure it got back home before I did. Had it been 20 degrees colder it would have been unbearable.
At the end of the day we got to practice our long-jump skills. We first slid our sleds across the open gap in the ice and water to the bank. I then got a running start and jumped across. After the other two saw that I didn't drown they did the same.
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[#0000ff][cool]Sounds like fun. Not sure I would have enjoyed either the wind or the sliding long jump. But, when you have a good day fishing that makes up for a lot of other things.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Pictures?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Can't explain the lost post. Maybe it will turn up on somebody else's post to give them a better day of fishing.[/#0000ff]
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It looked like Ktrout set up a photographers studio out on the ice, so he should have some pictures to post. I took one picture of a splake or mack that I might post later.
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So will this be the end of the ice season for ya Kent? Nice report.
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[font "Times New Roman"]Hi Kent, thanks for driving and for showing me the ropes with mack fishing. It was great fishing with you and Ira. [/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]The fishing was outstanding for smaller fish, well smaller compared to some of the big macks in that lake. The splake were hitting all kinds of jigs and I even caught quite a few on a 5inch tube jig. The only way I could stop the splake from attacking was to switch to a 7 inch 4.5 oz tube jig. Never did get any big mack bites/hook ups, at least that I know of. [/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]I did set up picture central but the wind got the better of me for most of the day. My camera tripod didn’t like the 40+ MPH winds. I have attached the pictures that came out. It seemed like there was a lot of color variability in the splake we caught, and you can see some of the differences in the attached pictures. [/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]Ice fishing is probably over for the season on Fish Lake, especially with all of that wind. I bet you could still get on and off if you had a long plank to walk across. [/font]
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LOL, good report Kent, I had to laugh about the two younger guys letting you take the long jump first[:/]. Glad to hear you guys caught a bunch of fish, too bad that big one you needed to win the contest did not come out to play[frown]. Were there many folks out there fishing besides you three?
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It looks like my Saturdays will be busy for awhile, so unless someone tempts me (I am extremely easily tempted) with taking a day off from work and hitting Huntington Reservoir I may be through ice fishing for the season.
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We were the only ones fishing the south end of the lake, and as far as I could see up north there weren't any others out on the ice.
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Kent was the only one with a life jacket and he was the lightest of the group so we had to let him try first[:p].
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[quote Ktrout]Kent was the only one with a life jacket and he was the lightest of the group so we had to let him try first[:p].[/quote]
Here I thought losing all of that weight was going to make me more healthy, and now I learn all it has done is qualify me to be the ice tester![crazy]
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Sounds like a fun last trip(?) Kent. Too bad you lost that big one down low. Coulda been the kicker for the contest. How readily can those splake be caught from a boat trolling? I usually take a trip down in august for a scouting trip for deer if i draw the tag. I might pull my boat down and make a trip out of it.
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Way to go Kent. I wondered if another trip was possible down there. I passed that lake on the way to Powell. May have to hit it on a trip that way when the ice goes. Those splake remind me of a really colored up laker Curt caught at Flaming Gorge.
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Ive done really well trolling there in the summer Brody. I am sure that the Splakes would come out and play.
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I've thought about a camping trip down there next winter - are there any campgrounds open that time of year? Do folks ever camp on the ice, or is it just too cold?
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I have seen people camp out next to the day use area about 2 blocks north of The Fish Lake Lodge. They have a heated restroom that they keep open and they don't seem to mind if people camp out in the parking lot. Be aware that it can get extremely windy at Fish Lake anytime and of course it can be bitter cold.
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great report and pictures. thanks for sharing. [cool]
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