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Well, I needed to replenish the bluegill meat that got eaten over the last few days. I was hoping they were still biting pretty good. Headed down to Mantua this morning in hopes to accomplish this. Well, needless to say, I got it done. The bluegill wouldn't let me take a drink of my hot apple cider for the first hour. Fished for right at three hours. I caught 56 bluegill total and took home a little less than my limit. I thought I had right around the limit, but I wasn't keeping an exact count. I also caught 5 perch, one of which made the trip home with me. I pulled another largemouth through the ice too. This one was about 7 inches long. Tossed her back. And I brought home one of the two trout I caught. I will be having more fish for dinner tonight and tomorrow. I can eat my weight in bluegill, plus my kids love them. Beats buying stuff from the grocery store any day. I would love to make it back there every day this week, but not sure which days I will be back at it again. Quit fishing around 10 am and packed up. Then walked out and talked with some fellow BFT'ers out there who were having decent days.
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The ice was good. At least 5 inches or more. As for the edges, that is where it is a little soft. I walked in off the south dike. I didn't notice how it was around the ramp, however. It wouldn't hurt to throw a 2x10 in with you. The edge where I walked off was only ankle deep for about 3 or 4 feet before the ice. No real big deal, but you never know. Good luck tomorrow. I would love to go back out, but will probably take the day off and head back Thursday and Friday.
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That is the best of what that lake has to offer... Big bluegills and lots of them.
The trout and perch I think may have negative impacts on the gills - if it were up to me I'd stop stocking trout and put no limit on the perch.
They sure taste good. The lake is so weedy that even though that place gets pounded I don't think it matters. That lake is neat. The gills will have good spawns pretty much every year.
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If you go to the south east portion of the lake as was mentioned and you walk toward the knob or point as it may be called watch for a large man eating hole. Yesterday a fellow was not paying attention, you know the rest. I heard the commotion and looked to see him rolling on the ice. Apparently he came out pretty fast. I overheard him tell another it just got his legs wet. Could have been much worse.
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Nice looking gills, what was the average size of them?
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I think you wanted this directed to " myfriends" but as long as I am here, what I have been seeing is gills from 5 to 8". Average is more difficult to answer, I'd have to say on the short end. You just have to pick the size you want to keep and cull all the others.
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I'd be sure Brifish just clicked reply to the last message. I do that all the time (like just NOW) [laugh]
Again bud - nice haul. You got on the school alright. Were you around the same place as last time?
Quitting by 10am, what time did you start? Oh wail - I can do math - you said 3 hours...
what kind of bait rigs? Ice jigs and waxies or worms?
You got me thinking I should use my leftover half day of vacation tomorrow morning!!! Friday sounds like a good option, too.
Just picked up some waxies and spikes from Custom Sports up in Hyde Park. First time up there - he's got a nice supply of fishing gear! LOTS of ice stuff.
One trinket he sold me on - a UV flashlight for charging the glow jigs and plastics.
He also convinced me - if you buy a cheapo standard ice-fishing combo - first thing, rip off the line it came with, and reload with your own choice. What they come with is all twists and twirls.
Thanks for the report. Nice to know what to expect of the ice. Good combo of species there. Not much on the perch still.... to bad. Have to wait for harder water on some of our other lakes.
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Pretty much what r2u2 said. Anywhere from 5-8 inches. If you find them, they will keep you busy.
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They need to throw in 30 or so Tiger Muskies.
That will clean things up a bit.
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Think that would probably help I dunno if I'd put in 30 maybe a dozen would do.
Anyone ever fish Mantua at night for bluegills? Pretty sure they can be great nite biters sometimes - might give it a shot if you can't make it out there during the day!
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[quote r2u2]If you go to the south east portion of the lake as was mentioned and you walk toward the knob or point as it may be called watch for a large man eating hole. Yesterday a fellow was not paying attention, you know the rest. I heard the commotion and looked to see him rolling on the ice. Apparently he came out pretty fast. I overheard him tell another it just got his legs wet. Could have been much worse.[/quote]
Is this man eating hole easy to see? How far off the shore is it?
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The hole he speaks of is about 2/3 of the way from the south road to the "point". It was pretty obvious where he went in when I walked by on my way off the ice. One of the members of the group was still fishing within 10-15' of the hole. Gave me the willies to say the least!
I drilled a few holes on the way out, and each one that I drilled the ice seemed to be around 2" of clear ice with about 2" of white ice with another inch or so of softer recently frozen slush on top of it. On the way back to the truck I plugged a coupld of holes, again just to check things out, and it seemed pretty consistant all the way across. I will probably be keeping off the ice until the weather is consistantly colder.
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I have fished it at night twice. Did not get a dang thing. That lake gets dang cold too. It sits in the bottom of that valley. The cold air settles right in on top of it. Even with your ice tents and heaters we struggled to stay warm. Have fun.
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AFK2fish speaks the truth. We really do need a good refreeze up there. If that hole gets a skim of ice then snow on top it could be bad news for one of us. Unfortunately I did not have my GPS with me that day or anything to leave as a marker. It makes me nervous and I know about where to look. Be careful!
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Well we made it out there just fine this morning. The bite wasn't as hot as it had been the last few times. And I think we were right assuming that spot we saw was the hole. It was a pretty good sized one. One guy was fishing within 10 feet of it. The ice seemed just fine around it. Funny thing is I marked the spot I was fishing on my phone's gps the other day. I would be willing to be that was the spot I was sitting on with my tent. Crazy!
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If you get on the ice along the dam you should be fine but not on the South side where the trees are. Thefriends used what looked like a 2x6 to get on it today and that was after walking though mud, there on the south end. Keep an eye open for spider cracks and open spots, there are fewer where we were today but by the boat ramp there are a lot. Good luck.
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