No Ice, No Problem!

This is my first report on IDO so Hello, and here we go!

Well, the ice season is off to a horrible start here in Eastern Iowa. So far I’ve managed to get out 2 times on our family farm pond. It was better than nothing but it’s a new pond with very few catch able fish in it. I couldn’t comprehend loosing 4 inches of perfect, clear ice. It happened though. It’s all gone. I started cruising the forums to see how far I would have to go to get to hard water. Depression quickly started to set in. Spirit Lake or Minnesota……hmmmm. What to do? Sunday rolled around and the extended forecast continued to disappoint me. Highs in the mid to upper 30’s. Those temps won’t make good ice on a lake. Sunday night I was crawling out of my skin. I had to go fishing. I decided to take Monday off and try the open water again. I dropped the oldest off at school for the day. Got back home and loaded the boat up. I grabbed a couple Diet Coke cans and my coffee mug. I put my Ice Armor bibs on then my Ice Kings. A front was expected today with 20-mile north winds. What was I thinking? Insanity is the only explanation for such actions. I pulled out of the drive at 7:15 and took a nice drive south to Lake MacBride.

I got to the lake and found an empty parking lot and a wide open lake. Not even a hint of sheet ice around the edges. Kind of upsetting and yet nice, I wouldn’t be breaking any ice with the boat today. I backed the boat in and made my way to a deep tree to try my luck at the crappie before the wind came up. I was using a mix of Custom Jigs & Spins Diamond Jigs tipped with Atoms plastic and some tungsten jigs as the wind came up. I was marking fish but they were very negative. I managed to get 4 nice 10 to 11 inch crappies in my first hour. I didn’t like what I was seeing on my Marcum LX-5. No LX-7 for me this year…..I have too many bills to pay. I always like using a flasher in the front of the boat. I like seeing real time images. I wouldn’t be seeing the mood of the fish with a regular depth finder.

I decided to try some rocks that I marked fish on this fall. I dropped down to some waiting marks with no reaction. I decided to move slowly along the break. I was in about 14 feet of water at this time. I was fishing between 2 saddles. This was the first drop off from 8 feet. When I came over the next drop off 18 feet, the screen came to life. Suspended fish at the 14 foot mark to the bottom. I recognized something different about these marks. They were large red marks with green flutters around them….WIPERS. Oh, how I love the wiper. I brought a rod rigged with a 1/4oz ball jig head that I make myself. I hand dip them with a clear coat and fleck. I have dubbed them the “Disco Ball Jig”. I tip the jigs with plastic but I’m going to withhold this information. It took me a lot of work this fall to find what really turns these guys on. It is a plastic…..no live bait. I dropped down to the bottom and lifted the jig up about 2 feet and held it. WHACK!!!! Fish on! Mega fat wipers made my line jump with crushing hit after hit. It was a blast.

I’m hopeful for ice as much as the next guy….but I’ll take what the lord gives me. I’d rather catch these amazing fish through the ice but they got my mind off of ice fishing for one day. Might have to try again this week since the weather looks warm. The ice has to come some day right?