Last Try!

Decided to try my luck one more time on Sunday the 25th. With a south wind I decided to try the south end. Funny thing I couldn’t find an access that was launchable.
Cove Bay is a glassed over, Isle Bay is pretty much the same. Headed north up the east side and ice was piled up two feet high. Hmmm….
Headed back toward the west side and stopped by Father Hennipen and it was open but being by myself I don’t think launching without waders was possible. You can see the sand bar out about 100 feet and I don’t think there was enough water to float the boat any closer then that. Back on the road.
Got back on 169 headed north and took the Lakeview to see if any of the resorts where open, but no luck. Stopped at the casino landing and a previous visitor had thrown a basketball sized rock out to check the ice depth. It hadn’t even cracked.
Finally got to Garrison and to my surprise and amazement there was +/- a dozen rigs parked in the lot. Whooo-hooo!
Not really sure of my ability to with stand the wind and the waves casting, I opted to try a few trolling runs and wait for the wind to drop a little.
Around Pike point south about a mile, U-turned and head north and then out on the North side of the reef. Couple of guys casting out there and one other boat trolling. No flashes.
Buzzed back to toward the condo’s and then zig-zagged from 8 to 20 fow south back to the point.
The wind was finally letting down so I started casting the normals- Dogs, Big Bucktails, 10″ Reef Hawg. It didn’t take long to figure out my hands weren’t going to take the cold and water spray. It’s one thing to hook a 50+” fish and another to have the rod jerked out of your hands.
I tried a powered drift. Cast out a floating swim bait and then run the trolling motor and then pull the bait, let it float up, then pull again, repeat. Lazy mans jerk bait. Ha Ha…but it works.
About 10 minutes into the first run, just as I went to let the bait float up, BANG!!!
After a short but amazingly strong battle the fat 42″ fish rolled up next to the boat. Not a trophy but good enough for #81.
At sunset I rolled it up and headed for the landing. Fishing alone in the dark is asking for disaster.
On shore I talked to one of the Lindy boys who said he’d seen a few but hadn’t got a hook set. Another said they’de fished all day without so much as a hot follow.
Water temps were between 35 and 38, full moon. The time is now. Temps are suppose to drop and I can see Ice fishing in the next couple of weeks. All depends on the wind.
Pic is from the landing just before I left. If you look real close you can see the guys still out on the reef.