The best way to sum up the activity around Rochester is spotty. Health issues keep me from doing much on the ice anymore, but I get out at least three times a week and walk out on the various ponds and puddles speaking with the people who are fishing and checking on the bite. I will take a rod when I walk and usually somepone will punch a hole to fish while I kabitz. Some areas, like the Gamehaven reservoir, are tossing out some dandy sunfish right now with a solid daytime bite and the fish being nearer the dam end.Waxies and teardrops/ratsos/ratfinkies. The CountryClub pits still yeild, but the bite is on and off with the later afternoon period and early evening doing best for fish size.Waxies and jigs/minnows. I am not a big fan of Chesterwoods because the sunfish and bass are loaded with the black parasites and flukes…even the crappies are prone to this problem. But if you want to C/R fish, this would probably be the most consistant bite with activity levels coming and going most of the day, peaking early and late. Jigs with waxies and minnows. The Zumbro is, well, being the Zumbro. Some people catch fish and others don’t while fishing just feet apart using the same bait in the same depth of water with a consistant bottom structure. Go figure. They are on the ice with the machines and a few are going on with vehicles ( idiots!). Rule of thumb that I live by: Do Not Trust Zumbro Ice. Period. I walked a group out two weeks ago and put them on a favorite winter spot and they caught craps and perch. Not many though, and these guys were all very skilled at ice fishing…just not familiar with the lake.Jigs again with waxies and minnows. Foster is getting some attention for the ice conditions. We’ve seen one go through already and that is about the norm for there by this time of winter. A quarry just to the north of the pit is active and will blast on a fairly regular schedule. This concussion in the water fractures the ice into much smaller units than what mother nature does. When a fresh break is steeped on with enough weight, it can give way. For some reason ( blasting?) the ice at Fosters tends to crack in a straight up and down way, not angular like you find on other puddles.Just be careful andd avoid the smaller cracks. The pond gives up it’s rainbow trout all day and the brookies are prone to early morning, late afternoon, or very dark, cloudy days. Jig again with minnows being the best bet for bait for most people…I prefer a small kastmaster/w an orange stripe jigged with a half a piece of the Berkley Gulp product (looks like a huge waxie and comes in jars) in either the white or orange color. Note: the brookies are suckers for anything with orange, especially on a gold lure! The low water and lack of moisture has really tossed a wrench in the winter fishing machine in this area. 
Fishing will improve as the ice season inches toward the end of Feb, but it is a slow march for those who are of little patience.
January 17, 2004 at 1:52 pm
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Thats all part of fishing I guess. It does get us to experiment and change lures, colors, bait etc. alot which is good. It also helps keep the fishing industry manufactors/sellers in business which is good too. I really appreciate the info part about the way the ice cracks [a dangerous way] at Foster Arends as I had no way of knowing that myself. That bit of info can save alot of people lives if they remember and beware of that. Any idea why it cracks that dangerios way? It can be a great fishery, close to where I live [NW area] close to Hooked On Fishing for bait and tackle, which all makes it so handy to fish. And knowing what to look for and stay away from makes it safer for us to fish also. Have you had a chance yet to try any of the Glow Devil spoons on Foster? They make some good colors for other species and was wondering how they would work for trout. Thanks again for the info. Thanks, Bill 
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