Browns Lake

Made it onto the ice Saturday with 3 kids in tow. I was looking to get them away from video games and the computer, they weren’t disappointed. Ice was 4 1/2 thick, 56 degrees and a bit windy, but not uncomfortable at all. We drilled holes and one by one I got the kids set up. I wasn’t even in the water when the neighbor kid pulls a nice crappie through. His first time ice fishing, and now he is hooked. Caught many gills between 8 and 9 inches and the crappie were up to 11 3/4. My buddy was next to us and pulled up a 13 3/4 inch crappie, wow that was fun. We all had one of those sized crappie in the hole, but as you all know, they can be tricky to get on the ice. The key was to fish only 6 or 7 inches below the ice with waxies, gold colored jigs and little chubbys did most of the damage. The kids had a blast watching the fish come up and bite, the neighbor kid ran home to show his mom both pails of fish, I cleaned 18 gills and 12 crappie. I knew we threw twice that many back, all in 2 1/2 hours. Fish fry was awesome.

Way to go chomps, nothing like seeing a kid, or group of kids getting excited over catching fish!!

Ed

yeah, now if I could just get them excited about cleaning the fish!

Yea, but you might not have much left for the fry pan!!

Ed

PM me if you ever go back, love to go over there with you after the first of the year!

Way to take those kids too!

T

Todd, we will have to wait to see how/if the ice sets back up, I gots to feeling things will be pretty scary till we get some cold weather.

Pete, That’s awesome! If you want, next time you go give me a yell and I’ll come be the camera man.

Wade, (or anybody who knows)do you know if you can fish in the Snyders Bend (Woodbury County) channel by the campground? I know they don’t allow foot traffic out there till the first of the year, but where is that boundary? We caught some dandy perch there this past spring, and by now they have to be even dandier. Would have been a great time to try. I’ll be heading up ‘der Nort for the week between Christmas and New Years, I have that new H2O color on my list, my wife may have just trumped me by asking for a new handheld “family” DVD recorder, maybe both? I’ll let you know here real soon. Pete

well, just dropped just about a grand on saxophone for my son, and that was a deal, I can just about taste that Ifinder H2OC. Wade, I’ll give you a pm next week. Pete

Pete, I’m not sure about Snyders. Just holler if I can help.

I tried the county people who live there, left a message, no on has called me back. Would like to reach a C/O officer, but I can’t seem to locate a number anywhere. Ice will be off soon if this weather keeps up, just like last year.

had a buddy go check out the ice conditions on Browns again. Said he had to get a bit of a running start and leap over the water, but found the ice had survived pretty well. Said he measured 4 to 4 1/2 inches. He went out from the landing. Went to a farm pond yesterday and our group pulled a ton of gills out. We are getting ready for some fish fry’s comming up, so we kept 60 between the 5 of us, all of them were 7 1/2 inches and up, just right for eating, and mighty tastey. I’m having problems finding reliable sources for waxies, so a buddy ordered 500 for $13.00, that’s over 41 dozen! We had his order pretty much used up these past couple weeks so I’m putt’n in another order. I ran across moussies (not sure on spelling), anyone have any luck with these or spikes? Thanks

Pete, it’s looking like another warm winter here, eh? I’m not much of an ice fisherman. I tag along once in a while, that’s about it. But I would guess for you ice anglers this weather has to be a bummer.

Are you planning to fish the Harbor View Tourney at Okoboji?

Hey Chomps you can buy bait from Harlan up at 4seasons bait in Seaney just north of LeMars on old hy60.
Wade are you going up to Harbor View tourny,if so I’ll see you there. Jack

Wade, I and three others are on the fence for the Harbor View Tourney, trouble is that some have commitments that Friday evening, and that is the manditory rules meeting. Myself and a friend might just go up and spend the night in his sleeper clam, hope to get that shored up soon. We will be at the Town House tonight for the game, let me know if you want to swing in for a brew.

Yep, I’ll be at the tourney. See you guys there!