Well, doesn’t happen too often, but I got out for the second day in a row for some early ice action. Unlike Mike W’s and I trip to Mille Lacs yesterday, the fish actually showed up this time.
A buddy of mine and I loaded up and headed out for some early ice panfish and Northern fishing. We got out to the lake about noon or so and set up to fish into the night. We drilled about a dozen holes and set up a couple tip-ups to get our 2 lines in as we hole hopped in search of some nice pannies. The first line dropped signaled a bad omen for the day as not more than 15 seconds of getting my spoon down did I jig in a 12″ bass. But, the day did go better than I expected at that point. With a disgusted face, I dropped that fish back in the hole and went after the better fish. I was not to be disappointed and soon after pulled in a 7″ sunny. The rest of the day went about as well. Hole hopping around, we weeded through the small sunnies to pull in a dozen or so keepers.
We were interupted a few times through all the action in order to chase a flag on the tip-ups. The northern were definately in feeding mode as not only did we pull a few in on the flags, but my buddy was bitten off twice using a hook and a crappie minnow.
After we had our fill of sunfish action, we decided to settle in for the crappie bite. We closed up the house and tucked in the heated compartment with the marcum LX5 actively marking fish. There were quite a few other anglers out on the ice… but after talking with a few of them, it seems like the crappies just weren’t interested in anything that was thrown at them. By the time we close shop at about 8pm, we were the only anglers left on the ice. Most others pulled in and left by 6:30 
. By 7:30, we were seeing the most activity on the flashers. But, to our dismay, we couldn’t buy a fish out of them holes.
All in all it was a good day. We had a nice haul of decent sunnies and a couple token Pike to boot! Key to the day on the sunnies Ants tipped with a Crappie minnow, but 2-1 the Frostee Jigging Spoon tipped with a couple Euro-Larva out fished the rest. Pike were caught using a single hook hooked right behind the dorsal fin of a shiner.
ICE CONDITIONS: The ice on this lake made me pretty nervous. The lake had 3-4 inches of good solid clear ice… BUT, there was a layer of 3-4 inches of SLUSH ice. This slush ice was only recently froze from the snow that dropped down. We had a few “close calls” where the top layer of slush ice gave out from underneath us to drop us down to that 3 inches of solid ice. I have never personally fell through ice… but I do know what the initial feeling is… and the “oh crap” thought that races through your mind as your feet start to fall through. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!!! The ice is not in great condition! Be careful walking through cloudy ice… you cannot always tell what is beneath you or how thick it is. There were some 4 wheelers and snomobiles out there today… but those people were braver than I… that ice was VERY questionable to be driving those machines out there yet.
Unfortunately, left the camera at home… so no pics on todays adventure. Will have to remember to bring it next time and show off to all those that were stuck at home having to watch the Vikings! 
