This past weekend I had a REALLY important guide trip. On Sunday my family and I decided we would try some of my favorite lakes in the Hackensack, MN area for big Bluegill. When we left home at 5:30AM in was only –7, not bad for the last weekend in January. When we arrived at the first lake it was –20. To my surprise –20 without any wind actually felt warm compared to the trips I have been running to the windy state of South Dakota this year.
With the cold temps, moving around and fishing outside was not going to work very well. So, I drove the truck to an old waypoint I had hoping the gills would be staged there similar to other years. I cut the first hole and dropped down the LX-5 and there they were! That was very fortunate to say the least. I set up the Otter and turned on the heat and within a minute my wife had the first nice gill on the ice.
Before I could get set up, my daughter managed to step in the hole and there she sat with her boot underwater and water above her knee. So, while I attended to the wet clothes Lisa and my daughter Jadyn, with wet leg, just continued to pull in the big gills.
We were set up in 18 feet of water just outside a huge weed bed. Fish use the deep area to stage in between feeding in the weeds. This is one of those perfect bluegill spots and it seems to produce fish every winter. Deep water outside a shallow weed bed is one of the first places I look for nice gills when we get to this mid winter period.
We were using #10 Mini Mert’s again in both Purple and Purple Pink tipped with a wax worm. When I was handing out rods I gave Lisa the same rod/reel/hook that James was using when we filmed the 2nd episode for IDO outdoors in SD. Once again, that same Purple/Pink #10 Mini Mert produced the most and biggest gills. It wasn’t long before I was forced to change to the same set-up to get the fish to go. Even though I made the change to the exact Mini Mert Lisa was using, my fish were smaller and fewer in numbers as you can see.
It was great to get to spend a day with my family. Winter is a busy time for guiding for me but as I said earlier, this was the most important guide trip of the winter. We had almost 2ft of ice so getting around was nice. There is a little snow in the area, so we could actually bank the sides of the house. Best of all we were able to keep a nice bunch of gills to eat and released another 30-40 that would have been in that 7-8.5 inch range. Lots of fun!!
Great report Scott, some nice gills. You can see the maytag dryer working on drying the liner and socks in the background of picture #1.
Scott, nice to see you were catching good fish on probably your most important guide this winter. It’s nice getting out with family, I’m lucky that my wife likes to ice fish also.
Great report!
Ed
Great report!
You got to love getting into good panfish action with the family.
Uuummmm, Scott? I’d like my jig back… please.
That little bugger is a great color. So was the blood red. I have decided that the next time Koonce sends me “one of everything” I’m going to strangle him… lol
huh ? what ? me?
I have top meet up with the painter today and I’ll get him to make a signature James Holst Purple/Pink Mini Mert. As good as he can paint the bars on the tigers I may even be able to have him copy your signature and put in on the lil guy.
Great Report Scott !! I am just making arrangements with my two daughters to fish on Saturday. I hope I have as good of luck as you !!
Thanks for the report Scott!
My uncle has his summer lake home on a local lake in that area. GREAT bluegill action!!!!
If they can get the constitution on a grain of rice you should be able to get my name and the web address to this site no problem… lol
Nice!!!
Nice report Scott.
Some dandy looking bluegills.
Boog
Nice bunch of gills Scott. Got the little one started nice and early i see. Nice!!
Nice Report!
Thanks for the report Scott…
Great report Scott. Nice looking gils. There is nothing like sitting in a warm portable on a cold day with your family
ing the gils. Good work.
John
Congrats on the most important trip of the year!!!!
Nice fish!!!! 
Yep, Doug we had clothes strung out across the poles at the top of the house
. My daughter had to spend the first two hours hopping from chair to chair while her clothes dried. Just another day on the ice with the family….I have learned to be prepared for anything 
James, the good news is eventually my wife ended up losing that Mini Mert. I told her I was out of Purple/Pink so what does she pick out next…That dark red one you started with in SD and lost. She was back in action in no time and just kept outfishing me
Yep Scott, dandy report with your best clients ever !! Those are some dandy gills as well. I assume your shack has spare socks, boots and stuff like that in the side locker?
Thanks for the report Scott. Those are some nice gills and even better memories for your family
Great report Scott! Your report reminds us all to get the family out too!!
18fow,big bulls,family,yeah I’d say you nailed it! Nice report.
Great Report Scott..
Really great report!! No trip better than a trip with the family. Can’t wait to get the little guy out next year. Wife says it will be too early but I think not
. Got him practicing with one of those handheld bass fishing games 
. LOL