Fishible Ice in Michigan

[davetclown]

Its been a long time since I have seen fishable ice in south east michigan, But it is here, we have pockets of fishable ice.

now this dose not mean that the ice is safe, I found that the fishable ice is spotty, any where from a crust to about 4 inches.

Ice depends greatly on your lakes configuration, so pack you spuds and ropes and items of safty before venturing out.

Here is my first pre christmas ice bass in nearly a decade. tho it falls 4 inches shy of being table fair it sure is a great pleasure to see.
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/14650/cat/713"][/url]

tho the bite was slow with a hight presure system over head keeping the boromiter gage stuck on top, I did manage to get dinner for one, A real treat sine last years ice was poor at best, and I had not been able to get out on the water all summer.

these are my personal favorite table fair.
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/14651/cat/713"][/url]

Again, it is a pleasure to be able to put out an ice fishing report...
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[davetclown]

I got out again today, I managed to pull in a dozen small gills, just bairly keepers. but gills just the same. [cool]

the weather was pleasent, if the wind chills were down to zero like the weather man said I didnt notice it.

the bite was real slow, it took me all day to get a dozen gills to bring home.
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[davetclown]

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[davetclown]

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[idahopanfish]

[crazy]So whats the pictures about? Typewritter broke?[crazy]
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[davetclown]

the type puncher was broke, I could barly hold my eyes open when I posted this,

it is a bass from two days ago caught on a slammer style tipup.

last fish caught before christmas.
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[davetclown]

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just incase you ever wondered what In ice fishing hole looks like at 12.00 am christmas morning, well this is it.

and no, I did not get a single bite all night. [:p]
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[idahopanfish]

Thanks, I wondered what was going on. My slammer hasn't worked, yet and I still haven't made it out to long after dark, It scaaaaares me[shocked], but I do want to.
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[davetclown]

cool, do you have a photo of yours?

I have found there are two different settings to use depending on the species you are targeting, yep you have to choose one or the other.

there is a setting for pike, and a setting for all other species.

the setting for pike is what you see above, I dont use the slamming wond, I set my drag to a moderate slip tention on the drag. Then I lower my line to my prefered depth, when the pike hits, it grabs and runs just like any other tipup only my rod bends over.

for other species, especialy walleye steelhead and lakers you want to use the wond. the wond is an intracate part of the slammer opperation. What happens there is when the line gets tugged, the rod kicks up and sets the hook and thus tention is maintained keeping your eyes hooked.

trying to target eyes and pike on the same rig dosnt work, seting the wond to slam on pike only jerks the bait out of the pikes mouth befor they get a chance to get it in their mouth.

It took me a cople weeks to figure out why I kept getting slams and no fish, then one day it dawned on me that the pike dont change their hitting pratices just because I changed my rigging apprattus. Last year that same rig above brought in 30 pike. Still looking forward to a wopper hookup..

I was out today, brought in half dozen gills for supper, there was a pike looking at my slammer bait, I could tell cuz he was bobbing my rod up and down and swimming hard trying to get away.

I might have gotten somthing on my slammer today had I stayed a little longer, but the wind was blowing streight out of the north and every one else had pulled up stakes. Tomarow is another day.

I was out yesterday, I did not get a bite all day yesterday.
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[idahopanfish]

This is the one I bought
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This is one I am trying this yearfor perch etc.

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I am hoping this one above I can get it to work
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[davetclown]

dosnt look like they put a finish on your store bought one, or is it a clear finish on a peice of ash or maple?.

I dont see why your pvc one wouldnt work, but it looks like it needs a bungee cord to yank the wond out of the way of the hole after the hit.

Just be sure to use small minnows if that is allowed in your state. if your not allowed live minnow but are allowed preserved minnow, hook them the best you can around the dorcel fin to make them sit streight in the water.
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[davetclown]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/14721/cat/713"][/url]
Scored me another 15 incher and a dinner today.
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/14722/cat/713"][/url]
This is my crappie perch rig.
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/14723/cat/713"][/url]
this is my gill crappie perch rig.
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[davetclown]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/14724/cat/713"][/url]

another day, another bass.

ya, this guy went back in to the drink.

only two more days left of bass season in Michigan..
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[davetclown]

Northern Pike
1/11/11
40.5 inches

Ice fishing is not just a hobby, it is a passion.

When you hear the stories about the ones that got away, some have thier doubts "understandably because you hear so many"

It only takes one landed to start validating all the "exagurated" stories.

So today I am going to share a story about one that did not get away.

I arived at my fishing spot shortly after 10 am,

It was like most any other ice fishing day, things were slow at best with little sighn of the bite improving any time soon

I sat jigging for gills for it must have been hours, an impending snow storm was just starting to set in. I turned the weather band on the radio checking to see if there were any updates that I should be aware of, the only change was the forcasted amount, from 4 inches of snow to 5 inches of snow.

satified there was nothing alarming that would require my attention weather wise I changed back to my regular clasic rock station.


a couple more hours passed and still I had yet to land a single gill. It was about then when another angler came up on me, even tho I could have sat there the rest of the day by my self I would have been content. but I have to admit, I was ready for a little company.


as it turned out my guest didnt have a hole drilling device, I was happy to get up off my duff and cut him a new hole, and while I was at it I drilled me a new one too.


Together as we spread the manure on pretty thick for at least another hours befor we got our first bite. and then it happend we got a small turn on. I was catching a few medium gills, not quite big enough for dinner yet to big to put on my tipup. For ya see, I was fresh out of shiners and tomarow would be the earliest I would be seeing any more.


My hopes was to get a gill large enough but not quite so large that it would keep setting off my tip-up.


about the time the gills started hitting, my nephew found his way out on the ice.


You might have thougt the manure awas going on a little thick but by the time he cut himself a hole right where I pointed we were having a grand o'l time. The bigger gills started hitting pretty good, and finaly I was starting to see gills getting close to the class I wanted to use on my tip-up. I caught and released a half dozen not getting one the size I wanted I looked at it and said to my comrads on the ice, any bait is better than no bait at all.


I cut me a new hole about 20 feet away so as not to interupt our gill fishing. Then I hooked the gill just behing the dorcel fin and placed him in the water. With my tip up in hand and reaching down to set it in place, the flag goes off, and I thought to my slef I will have to just reset the flag and make due untill I can catch a smaller one.


I turned around to get my gaft from the back of my quad and on the radio I could hear the song playing, "now your messing with a SOB" Glancing back I saw the flag was up again, I forgot about the gaft and figured that I was going to just have to take the gill off and get me a smaller one.


I picked up the tip up, and started pulling in the line, then I felt something, and I thought to my self, "Oh no, he got in to the weeds" so I gave a good yank to break him free and then the spool when screaming and the line wizzed right on down the hole.


With my gloves on, I grabed the line and allowed him to run and I started to pull him in just as soon as he was finished, I managed to get in a good 20 feet of line before he made his second run, and I could not hold the line and thats when I screamed its a big one.


My nephew with some what disbelief looked on as I managed to get a grip again and pulled in a good 30 feet of line before the next run, Harder, faster than the prevoius runs, I said to my nephew grab my gaft.


He went running after the gaft, and I managed to get another grip on the line, this time pulling in a good hundred feet. My nephews buddy sall the line pilling up under my feet he picked it up and pulled it back so it would not knot up on me if the fish took off again, and sure enough it did, two more times before we ever got out first glimps, then it was a cople more short runs before he got tired out and we got him near the hole as we played tug a war. finaly we see his head and my nephew hands me the gaft and I was able to catch him in the mouth when he opened his mouth, and pulling him up though a hole that he just barly fit.


The unsual part of this story is, that this was about the time when I normaly ended up with blood gushing all over the snow from pike gashes in my fingers...


needless to say, we lost some valuable gill fishing time, and bouy was I happy to have a couple ice fishing buddies with me this day cuz I would have never got him out on my own with out thier valued assistance.


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[left]First Pike of the year.
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[davetclown]

sunday I went out, and all I got for my efforts for a whole day of fishing was one jumbo perch, Monday I went out and for the whole day I got 4 small gills.
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/14809/cat/745"][/url]
I dont get fish every day, some times I have to work real hard for them, I have yet to bring in one crappie this ice season.

Today I went out at 8am and fished till dark-30. at 10 am I caught a perch, I emediatly put it on my tipup, and I did not get another bite all day, that was untill about 3pm when I got a nibble, then a little more nibble, then a little more nibble then a little more nibble then nothing for about 15 minutes. and I waited patiently, then finaly I got an all out bite... lol

I ran over and set the hook [:p] then the fun began, in and out and in and out and in and out over and over again for a good half hour, yep I got ahold of me another big one.

of corse as par for the corse, I left my gaft at home. [angelic] this meant sticking my hand in to the fishes mouth to get him in.. Just incase you dont already know, it is a pike, 36 inches and 13 pounds. Half hour later I pulled in a half dozen gills.
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[davetclown]

[center][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/15064/cat/745"][/url]
[center]Pike #3

27 inch, weight just under 2lbs.
caught on an ultra light crappie rig using 4 lb test line.
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[davetclown]

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[font "Verdana"][size 2]Black Crappie[/size][/font]
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[font "Verdana"][size 2]caught 3-4 2011
a quick pair just before quittin time last night.[/size][/font]
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[idahopanfish]

Good job Dave!
Hard water fishing has slowed down for me here in Idaho, need to drive to far for good ice and the selection is poor, so since we have bought a 12' starcraft I have bee working on it to be ready for a good day when the wind will be lighter. Might be waitin for a while, yet, but more time to tinker[cool]

Like seeing the pike and crappie.
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[davetclown]

[center][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/15069/cat/745"][/url]

[left]hit the ice again today, we are playing day by day now as to weather we will be fishing tomarow. Any day can be our last day.
today was like most every other day this winter, the action is slow, but the sun felt nice, dispite the wormth sun our holes were freezing over.

I managed a half dozen small gills, and a fairly respectible crappie and a couple small pike.

I had with me today a long time fishing bud, he has been having a hard time amounting enough fish for dinner for one let alone dinner for two.

today I broke down and spent much of my fishing time bestowing some much unwanted fishing experience on him. I was beginning to feal bad cuz he kept going home fishless for most of the season this year.

he arived an hour or so after I did, once he arived, I Made him go catch bait for his tipup. I had him set his tipup with one of my pre-selected pike holes.

he no sooner stood up and turned around and I yelled at him to go back to his tipup. yep the flag was up. I went over there and watched him and showed him some of my tips.

after a short time we pulled in the line only for me to find out he had his line wound up backwards, his bail on his tipup was non functional and his flag was bent out of wack.

I showed him where all his mistakes were and set his tipup the way it should be and showed him how to use his tipup even with a nonfunctional bail.

With in a half hour his flag was up again, This time he was left alone to do as I had instructed him, and sure nuff here he come with a 25 inch pike, His first of the year. all excited he was ready to go catch some more bait, I just happend to hook in to a nice peice of bait and handed it to him to put on his tipup.

He went and reset his tipup, and bouy was he a happy camper. he down at our gill area where he after a half hour of jigging managed to pull one in. then he ties in to a pike on his gill rod. and sure nuff, snap, goes the line. And before he was able to start tying on his next jig his flag went up again...

as he headed over I reminded him to remember what I told him. I could not fallow cuz I just hooked in to a small pike on my two pound test line. as he was doing exactly what he was susposed to do, I battled mine, pulling it up out of the hole tail first... lol

I no sooner released the little 18 inch hammer handle and looked over at my bud to see him coming back with a bigger and fatter pike than the first. After hitting it with a tape he qualified in at 28 inches..

I said to him, your all done, you hit your limmit for the day.

happy as a lark he says to me, I feal almost worthy of fishing next to you... lets do this again tomarow. :O)

Did I mention I caught a 14 inch Crappie.. yep we had a lot of company on the lake today, every one wanted to see what all the comotion was about. [cool]
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[davetclown]

[center][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/15091/cat/745"][/url]
[center]3-8 2011
[center]28 inch Northern Pike


[left]this complets my hat trick,

Again it all started with a mousie.

today them pike kept me moving, 17 total in all for the day. I got a much needed workout.

in the photo above both those pike hit at exactly the same time. leaving me to wonder wich one I should go after first. Fortunatly I went for the big one. Another angler grabbed my other line. The pike kept me hopping all day.

Of the 17 caught, I only kept the fat 28 incher.