Thursday, December 22, 2005

Fishing Report

Well, the fishing is getting a little better. This past weekend my partner in crime, Rick Dicus, and I took to the ice. It was pretty slow on Saturday and Sunday, I could only manage small fish, Rick picked up a nice bluegill and a 16 inch walleye on Angler's Bay.
Yesterday, Dec. 21st, I started out slowly, in fact I got skunked on Smith's Bay on Boji, I moved to Big Spirit about noon and the fun started. I fished some waypoints on Angler's Bay, and caught 3 of the biggest gills I have ever seen and numerous smaller gills. I also got some perch, in fact I kept 5, the biggest was about 10 inches the others about 8 inches.
The ice on Smith's Bay was about 11 inches. The ice on Angler's is about 8 inches.
Merry Christmas to one and all and maybe we will see you on the ice.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Ice'n Boji Land

Well, this past weekend through Monday, Rick Dicus and I went on a search for good ice and keeper fish in Boji Land, both were hard to find. Saturday we went to Silver Lake west of Ayrshire, IA, it was so windy we came back to Spirit Lake and fished the boat ramp pond at Templar Park. Between the 2 of use we caught about 50 small bluegills and a few small crappies no keepers. Sunday we made the run back to Silver, the ice was about 5 inches thick and very slushy on top. Two guys walked across from the east boat ramp to where we were just west of the dam, so the ice was thick enough to hold them all the way across in that area. I wouldn't have tried it. Anyway, we both caught a couple of 10 inch perch and a walleye about the same length. As you can see pretty slow for an entire afternoon. Monday, we started at the Miller's Bay canals where there is ample ice, just small gills and an occasional small crappie, moved to the bay on the grade at Big Spirit, 4 inches of iffy ice and small, small perch. I did catch one that was about 7 inches.
There are reports of some keeper perch on Anglers Bay, but the ice is not good enough for my taste. I have heard reports of several anglers going through the ice around the lakes area. No drownings.
Be careful out there. The long cold snap has given some a false sense of security. It snowed about 8 inches on top of that first ice, that snow has insulated the ice well, as a consequence the lakes aren't making ice very fast.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

New Ice Report

Just found out this morning that there is about 3 inches of ice in Millers Bay canals. I don't know how the fishing will be in there this winter, they were dredging it out last summer. I don't know if there will be enough weeds to hold gills and crappie. I will report.
I believe there will be enough ice this weekend for Anglers Bay on Big Spirit and the foot bridge bay on the grade at Big Spirit.
It is -12 this morning in Spirit Lake, IA.

Monday, December 05, 2005

The Ice Is Back

Well, we finally have ice at the Iowa Great Lakes. I took a drive around the area yesterday and talked to one hardy soul at the Templar Park boat ramp inlet, he said that where he was fishing it was about an inch and a half thick. I stepped back off the ice. All appears to be frozen except the main basin on West Okoboji. The problem is there is about 4-5 inches of snow on top of the ice that is insulating it and hampering making ice. The surface is slushy. Most of the smaller water froze last Tuesday night.
I have not been fishing, but I have been hunting. Phil King his brother Paul and I have had a couple of really nice goose shoots, getting our limit of 6 the last time out as well as three bonus Drake Mallards. We got into them last week the day before the storm that shut down South Dakota. The mallards where northern ducks, big with bright orange feet any yellow bills. We had our geese by 10:30 A.M.. We then spent about 2 hours just calling geese to our decoys, man is that a sight, at one time we had about 75-80 birds landing in the decoys they were all around us. Quite a sight.
I talked to Rick Dicus, EXPERIENCE THE OUTDOORS RADIO, and Harlan Herbst at 4 Seasons Bait and Tackle, Seney, IA. Rick as you know was my Trap Attack partner 2 years ago and he is fired up to get on the ice, as am I. Harlan has all your ice fishing needs at his shop.
Anyway that is what is going on up here. I am hunkered down waiting for safe ice. It is -8 F this morning in Spirit Lake, IA. Later