Deer Creek Matinee 2-4-10

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Between wacko weather forecasts and personal schedules TubeBabe and I had to get creative to get in any fishing this week. We hit Deer Creek Tuesday morning, from about 9 'til noon and did okay. So, when the storm forecast for Thursday didn't happen we decided to hit it again. Had to change our Friday schedule to go fishing on Thursday but what the hey. And it had to be in the afternoon...a rare thing for us. We are usually morning anglers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hit the ice at Charleston right about noon...the same time we were leaving on Tuesday. Much different conditions. It has been in the single digit temps in the morning up there, but it was a balmy 24 at noon and warmed to 32 for a while. Shirtsleeves and open iceholes. Yeee hawww![/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not nearly as many people on the ice Thursday afternoon as there were on Tuesday. The wrong weather forecast must have kept some folks home. Hmmmm. First time that has ever happened. It was calm, clear and sunny.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Found an open area out in the "zone", a proper distance from any of the other tanglers already on the ice. Didn't seem to be much activity even though there were some fish on the ice. A couple of guys nearby as we were setting up admitted that the bite had been slow for the past hour. No problem. It was a nice day to be on the ice, even if the silly fish didn't wanna play.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I drilled a half dozen holes with my electric auger and got some interested questions and comments from some of the other tanglers. Got even more when my first drop of the session got hammered as soon as it hit the bottom and I rassled a purty sixteen inch rainbow up onto the ice. I just admitted that I knew where they had "planted" the lake this week. Yeah, right.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It WAS a lot slower for both of us than it had been on Tuesday. There was a group of 6 guys that were set up on the holes we had fished so successfully then, and they eventually all left with limits. But, we had fish come through often enough that we stayed on our original holes and caught enough to keep us awake in the nice warm sunshine.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I don't know what depth we were fishing. I am guessing 10 to 12 feet. I never dropped my sonar transducer in the water so I don't know. We were using several different jigs and tipping them with plain old crawlers. We both caught most of our fish on glow pale perch colored jigs...either "Rinkees" or ultra minnow jigs in 1/16 or 1/8 oz. And, it was rare to get bit on a dead stick rod. Most of our fish came while holding the rod and shivver lifting it off the bottom or just bouncing and wiggling it right next to the bottom. Several times I would go over to a rod that had been sitting motionless for a long time, lift it a bit and jig it a couple of times and WHAM.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The other guys around us all caught fish. Some were also using crawlers. Most were using "Power Putty". They seemed to miss a lot more bites than we did and the bites were a lot more delicate than the ones we got on wiggled jigs. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Quite a few of the fish we got on Tuesday had perch "remnants" in their tummies. But, when I tried perch meat on my pale perch colored jigs I couldn't buy a hit. Hmmmm?[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]We each caught about a dozen rainbows. Several were "footlongs"...with fins still rubbed and ragged from their recent life in the hatchery. Then there were the slightly larger and healthier fat fourteens and fifteens. The limits we kept were mostly sweet sixteens, with one keen eighteen I caught just before we left. The larger ones really bent our sticks and stretched our string. Most of them zinged the drag a few times before crawling up on the ice. Fun fun.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Met a nice father and son team. Only the son was old enough to have a grey beard and the father was pretty well aged. The son was getting him out on the ice for the first time in years and the old boy was really enjoying it. The young/old son came over to chat after watching us catching fish while others were not. I shared a couple of my jigs with him and he showed his gratitude by running over and scooping a nice trout onto the ice for TubeBabe when it came off the hook in the hole. Told him about BFT and he promised to look in on us.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Had a couple of feathery observers out on the ice. A pair of young eagles periodically lifted off the ice and flew around the group of anglers looking for a stray fish someone might have dropped or left unattended. They scored a couple during the afternoon and sat a safe distance away from us on the ice. Eagles always add to an outdoors experience.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We were headed off the ice about 4. It was till toasty warm and we were down to one layer. Good for wimpy anglers. Not so good for the ice at the edges. Even though it tightens back up in the low nighttime temps, the shoreline ice is gettin' iffy. (see pic). There is still a narrow ice bridge that is strong enough for even my "trim" body, but that could change fast with any more warm days. If anybody plans a trip there soon it might be wise to "carry wood"...bring a plank. Probably won't need it to get on in the morning but it could save you some wet legs in the afternoon. The water at the edge is not deep, but no need to get soggy. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The ice on the lake is a thick 10 - 12 inches, with a couple of inches of crusty snow on top. The slush monster is dead...for the present. Frozen into frothy ice. Okay all over, with well grooved trails to follow to the zone.[/#0000ff]
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[toadly]

Great post TD, looked like you an TB had a good day. Had no idea it was that warm by Heber. Wonder if Strawberry is starting to soften? Enjoyed the read, very informative. Fun pictures too.[fishin]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. Glad you liked the report.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Can't vouch for Strawberry. I don't fish it. But I am sure there will be reports over the next few days...even with the new snow.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most recent reports have been more favorable for conditions...dead slush monster...but less productive fishing. Looks like end of ice season slowdown. But, as always, if you can find fish you at least have a chance of catching them[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Strawberry gets colder and stays colder longer than most other ice fishing venues. Typically good ice well into March. But with "global warming" it may be a day or two less. Always pays to read the reports and watch the weather. Once daytime and nighttime temps warm up enough to rot the ice a couple of good blows will break up the cap and clear the lake in a hurry. No danger yet.[/#0000ff]
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[albinotrout]

As usual, great report. Mark and I did skip this week due to the reports. Had to call him and give him a hard time with the blue sky and sun.[:p] Oh well gave me time to work on different things. The ice edges are a little worriesome to me but good news that the rest of the ice is still thick. Now to plan next week.[]
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[JohnnyTheHook]

I always enjoy your posts T'Dude! Whenever I read them I can feel the snow under my boots and the cool air! Being a new icefisherman and new to BFT this year, it's been awesome to read your "reports" and all the information you and the many others offer up.

Now I just need to get my wife to go with me too!

Again thanks and grats on a great time.
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[FishKillr]

Nice report Pat,

Glad to see you two out on the ice. It is also good to have you back on the forum....there was a dry spell there and I didn't know what happened to ya. Its cool to see your ideas on stuff and have a report or two per week again like usual. Thanks Pat,

Shawn M
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks guys. Always good to know that the reports are well received. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We did back out of the fishing scene for a few weeks. We prefer to fish for enjoyment...not endurance. We are not just "fair weather" anglers but when conditions are so bad that you can't even fish effectively all the fun is gone.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I predict that I will be launching my tube SOMEWHERE before the end of this month. It's gettin' to be time for the ice to go bye bye in some of the lower elevation waters. I'll be there to celebrate the departure.[/#0000ff]
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[waljustia]

I always enjoy the eagles of Deer Creek. Once I was up there and noticed one of them up on a telephone pole above the tracks. Someone left him a fish on the ice a ways away from me and he came off that pole way up on the hill and swooped down and took the fish off the ice. Cool scene.
I am guaranteeing open water tube fishing before valentines day.. . We waited long enough, toying around with a small 8" hole in the ice.. Time to get serious again[cool]
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[TubeDude]

"I am guaranteeing open water tube fishing before valentines day.. . We waited long enough, toying around with a small 8" hole in the ice.. Time to get serious again"

[cool][#0000ff]I'm down widdat. Enough wid da drillin' and chillin'. I'm ready fer some kickin' and flickin'.[/#0000ff]
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[teeelow21]

Nice post, thanks tube dude. That's cool you take the old lady I do the same. Going up on saturday, hope we can have some crawl up. trying to get over a rockport crowded scunkfest. [pirate]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Good luck. Saturdays are usually very social events on Deer Creek too. Sometimes best to get away from the crowds and try to find some unmolested fish...before the crowds move in on you when you start catching the fish.[/#0000ff]
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