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I posted earlier on another thread about checking ice thickness at Mantua. Just as it got dark and I was leaving, I changed my mind and decided to stay and fish. I stayed till 10 PM and fished in about 8 to 9 feet of water out from the boat ramp. I caught one 12 inch trout on the jaw jacker. It hit a manic glow jig topped with a wax worm. I got a few more bites but they were soft and I missed them. The glow jig seemed to work better than the pink/white jig. The trout we're cruising slowly just a couple feet below the ice. I kept seeing them on my fishfinder. The perch were scarce and the bite was very soft. I saw a couple on my underwater camera.
I would say the ice is ready. I had 4-5 inches everywhere I checked. There are a couple inches of slush and about 8-10" of powder on top of that.
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Thanks for the update.
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Cowboy Up!
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A few pics from last night on Mantua.
As you can see I used the old "Stick your hand down the hole" method to check ice thickness.
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Thank you for the update. I will be up there in a couple days.
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Can you tell me about your cute little fishfinder?
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Thanks so much for the update!! May have to sneak out of work friday.[cool]
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I've had that fish finder for many years. It is an old Hummingbird Pirahna1. They don't make them anymore as far as I know. I think I paid about $100 for it new back in the day. It runs on 8 AA batteries that I have to change twice a season. I primarily use it for locating fish in the water column and determining water depth. It doesn't have great target separation like a flasher but I'll leave it running with the fish alarm turned up so I can see how deep they are cruising.
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Thanks. I am still seeing no benefit from the one I bought (simiolar quality, different model) and I'm trying to learn. I think I have seen those on Ebay before, and it does look like a tidy little unit.
About all I get is depth, plus the occasional "beep" indicating fish moving through on mine, but I still don't get how to APPLY that knowledge. I can't yet point to a day where I wasn't catching fish, but, with the help of my trusty fishfinder overcame the obstacles.
And, for sure my little mount-it-inside-an-old-toolbox set up is much clunkier than what you have. Looks neat.
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Have you tried using a flasher instead? They are pretty simple to use and give you great info about where the fish are. You can actually watch the fish approach your lure and know when to be ready to set the hook.
I have borrowed a flasher before and now I am looking to pick one up this season myself.
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Perch generally aren't active after dark. That's a big reason why you didn't have any takers.
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I have never seen a flasher that costs less than my car. (You think I'm kidding?) That's about my fishing budget for the year. [blush]
But, I'd love to learn about them, too.
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[quote MichiganAngler]Perch generally aren't active after dark. That's a big reason why you didn't have any takers.[/quote]
And, agreed. Even the bluegill USUALLY shut down just after the sun does on Mantua. I've had a couple times they were biting in the dark, but those were bitey days to begin with, with motivated fish and easy pickings. perch have never bitten for me in the dark, anywhere, except JUST before sun-up.
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I knew perch are primarily active during the day but trying to convince my brain of that when I am on the ice is another matter. No matter how late it is, I get the overwhelming urge to drop a line down "just to check."
I saw a couple Perch move through on my AquaVu early in the evening but they did bed down somewhere away from my camera and more importantly, my lure.
I may try to hook up with them for an early breakfast appointment this weekend.
Thanks for the tips!
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On my way to Mantua! Hope you have big hands man. Thanks for the report. Gonna fish west side. I'll post of I do any good.
Matt
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Matt or anyone else, I'm heading to Mantua tomorrow. How was the ice?
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I was wondering about that too. On the 15th it was barely 4 inches but it's been pretty cold up there since then.
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I too would like to know as I have tomorrow off and would like to fish instead of goose hunt.
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Not my favorite conditions. Maybe 4" of ice 3" of slush topped w/ft of snow. Fished the west side parking lot. 7am to 2pm. 6 bows all small.
Stepped in a previously drill hole in the early morning and had a minor heart attack. Fun day, was hoping for a little better quality trout. Fished 5,8 FOW. Jaw Jacker skunked.
Most fisherman reported slow action out a little deeper.
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] they bite best from first light till around noon.