Cambridge area report.

Got out on the ice near Cambridge yesterday. Trip started out following a few squad cars and three buses up HWY 65 from Ham lake. As we got to Cambridge the parade was still three buses and 20 or more squad cars, fire trucks and more with signs along side the rods and people waves for these guys returning home from service. Pretty cool to see this.

Well finely got to my lake. Small little lake NE of Cambridge. Maybe 3″ of snow on the lake. Good solid 15″s of ice. Didnt feel to worried about driving the truck out but still stuck to where others have driven.

Had to do some moving around to find the pan fish. Shallow water found me a few gils but they where spread out. Mid depths found the small perch. Wasnt until getting out into the deeper water 30′ or deeper that the suspended panfish where found. Pretty easy to see on the marcum sitting down at the 20 to 25′ range.

Started out with a diamond jig and euro larve and didnt get much reaction from them. Switched over to a Ratso and the crappies started moving up out of the schools. Got to love playing cat and mouse with the crappies. If they where coming in slow I would only get a bump on the ratso. It was when one turned and came flying in that bait was going to get swallowed. This meant keeping on the move was key to staying on fresh fish.

Had seen bigger crappies out of this lake before. Plenty of 7 to 9″ers this afternoon. Finely got one on the ice that looked like diner so just left it next to the hole. I like to do this to help keep track of which holes the fish are coming out of. While sitting at the next hole over maybe 10′ away I thought I heard one of the locals dogs sneaking up behind me. Turned around to fined a huge eagle staring me down with fresh fish dripping off his beak. From 10′ away that bird had a stare that could go right threw a person. Got the feeling I was fishing his lake.

The action was pretty good during the afternoon. For some reason on this lake the fish mood changes about he time the sun hits the tree tops. Lots more looker at this point that active feeders so it was time to hit the road. Still a nice snowy afternoon to spend some time outside.

Plenty of others out on this little lake on sunday. Anyone else get out in the area over the weekend?

That Eagle landing that close must have been really cool! (and he must have been darn hungry to do that!)…RR

You get a good idea of how big those birds are that close up. When he spread his wings to take off that wing span must of been 6′ or bigger.

Talked to my neighbor and he said that bird did the same thing to him on Saturday. After it stole my fish it was over hoping around one of the tip ups out there. Got a feeling that bird knows what going on.

I was on rush Friday and sunday. Friday was good catching fish all morning until about 1pm then the bite slowed. Both minnows and waxes were catching crappies sunfish and perch. Sunday it slowed way down. Fish were there but tough to get them to bite. Dead sick got nothing. Only way I could get them to bite was a slender spoon with at least a couple waxies on it. I should have tried shallower with the snow but I didn’t

Biggill and I were on a lake near Cambridge Sunday.

Did you still find little snow on the ice on Rush. Guess up in Aitkin there is lots of snow and slush on the ice. Not sure how far north that starts.

There isn’t much snow on West rush and no slush that I have seen. I heard East rush the ice isn’t nearly as thick with flooding and slush earlier this month, but that is hearsay. I’ll be out there tomorrow.

Still a good crappie bite going for us this afternoon. Active fish 10′ down over 35′ of water. The larger schools of panfish where hanging much deeper but most where sunnies and smaller crappies. Much bigger fish holding well above them. Keeping on the move hole hoping was key to staying on fresh fish. Active jigging plastics like ratso’s was key to finding bigger pies.

Didnt keep any fish today but could of had a nice limit of 10 to 12″ pies. No photos either as the phone froze up pretty fast today while outside hole hoping. Should be back at it on saturday with the summer like temps coming back.

Right now anything above zero is summer like.

Back at the same thing again today before the cold sets in. The bite was even better today but the size was off some. Might of just been time of day as I fished the late morning early part of the afternoon. Thinking I packed up about the time the bigger fish where moving in. Did keep a limit of 10″ pies for a little fish dinner tonight.