McBride Report-Fished 1/15

We set out by the main ramp late in the afternoon yesterday. Gianni and Rugbystar were already set when Jake and I got there around 4:30. Action was slow to non-existent. There were quite a few other shacks in the area, so I’m not sure if they were into fish or not, but in general a slow day. Rugby had gotten into some small gills.

Jake and I stuck it out until 8:30, we were the second to last group to pack it up as the bitter cold prompted us to decide a bar with some hot food and cold beer was a better option. Earlier, before he left, Gianni quickly buzzed us a few holes that showed active fish; apparently active, but not hungry!

On the way to Solon, I stopped at the ramp on the north shore of the north arm and drilled some holes just to gauge ice depth. I drilled about 6 holes from shore to about 200 yards out, all were showing at least 8″ of ice in that area. No sonar, so I am unsure if there was anything down there. This is just across from the sailboat pen. There was no evidence of other fisherman. Wonder if that is a good or bad sign?

My son wants to fish today. We will either try that “new” area @ the Mac or head over to PC.

Regards,

Joe Jiacinto

Hey Joe, it was good to just get out. Hopefully next time it will be above zero instead of below. That and a dull auger blade made movement pretty restricted. How did the new shack work? I didn’t get a chance to ask you. We caught 15-20 small gills, 2 decent ones, 3 Crappie and Doug had a sumo on but broke it off near the hole. I didn’t get a good look at it but he said it wasn’t a gill or crappie, so guessing a nice bass or maybe Walleye. It had is pole bent double and was peeling drag. Good to get the heart pumping anyway. We’ll have to dial it in again, this weekend looks like much more tolerable temps.

I’m kinda surprised you picked up the crappies as shallow as you guys were. How much water were you in, maybe 12ft?

If the weather follows the forecast (fat chance) there’s a slim possibility I’ll go out tonight for a while after I put the kids to bed. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Yep 12 feet, we were sitting right on a brush pile, where there is brush there is fish. Also picked the Crappie up after the sun went down so guessing they either moved in shallower for the evening and/or decided to do the nocturnal bite thing they are known for.

I fished along the south shore of the north arm this afternoon, and along the west shore of the “short arm” connecting the north and south arms. The ice has doubled in thickness since I was out Saturday–where there was 5-6″ of ice Saturday, there was about a foot tonight. There was at least 3″ of ice everywhere I looked below the power lines, and a lot of holes have been drilled there, but I didn’t mark any fish, so I kept moving.

On a brush pile in 25′ of water, I got a bunch of small bluegills (is there any other kind besides small ones in Macbride?), and four decent crappies. I started fishing there about 3:30, and the bite was good until about five, when everything shut down. As for the power line area, it was very good my first three winters in IC, but I had no luck at all there last winter. There was no one out there today, which may mean there are no fish there–I sure didn’t find any.

The fishtrap will be living in my truck; thinking maybe of heading over to PC one afternoon sometime this week, maybe take a long lunch hour or 1/2 day. It is my mission to find those yellow perch. I’ll have room for someone, if interested. Drop me a PM or call me. I will be out this weekend as well. One trip with my son, another solo or with the “CR Icemen”

Anyone fish or know much about those backwaters of the Cedar off of Blairs Ferry? I saw a shack back in there on Sunday on my way to PC and remember seeing some guys back in there last year. There’s a similar set up near Vinton. Anyone willing to share some inside info?

‘Rug:

That spot wbere you guys were set up was not too far from where Gianni and I caught some small ‘gills Saturday a week ago in the slush during the brief warm spell.

Gianni:

I’ll be bugging you tomorrow to see how you did, if you got out there.

Regards,

Joe Jiacinto

Lousy, don’t bother bugging.

Got there at 7, one other shack/truck. Hit some well known public areas, some sleepers, some out of the way places, some middle-of-nowhere. No fish biting on any of them.