Iowa BULL Gill Report 12.13.07

By luke_haugland 0

We are still making ice here in Eastern Iowa! The rain/ice storm that swept across the mid-west has improved our ice conditions and made the ice fishing much better.
Today I was joined on the water by fellow staffer Andy Craig, our good friend Trevor, and rookie ice angler Tim Davin. The big gills really showed their faces today!

The fishing conditions have changed greatly from my last report. The last time on this body of water, snow covered a vast majority of the lake. We were limited to fishing a very small portion of deeper water, where the wind had blown off some of the snow, and the ice was thick enough to fish on. Anywhere else with snow, was just too dangerous to fish. However, with the recent rain/ice storm that we received, ice conditions were better. The rain melted all four inches of snow, and perfectly froze up over the past two days. We were able to cover much more water today.

I was the first to arrive at the spot, and I began fishing the same area that I caught fish previously. I didn’t catch much to say the least. Andy brought up a good point, that the fish that were being caught a couple days prior, were possibly in that deeper water, because there wasn’t much snow on top, and the light was allowing them to see better. Well, now, with no snow on the lake, the fish were able to roam wherever they pleased. After a fair amount of drilling, fish were located on a steep break from 5′ to 13-15′ within a couple of feet. These big gills were stacked along the break. I was using a ratso the whole time. Tim was using a diamond jig tipped with Gulp or a wax worm. I don’t think what type of bait was being tipped mattered as much as the presentation. Some of these fish wanted a dead still jig, others wanted to chase three of four feet up, then they smashed it when you stopped. Others only would hit the bait as you kept raising it. We had to keep adapting to hook the fish. It amazes me that fish in a small area have different attitudes, and how the “same group” of fish will vary in how they will chase bait.

I would like to again, remind all ice anglers to practice selective harvest on these big breeders. It doesn’t take long for our small Iowa lakes to get over-fished, especially if you are taking out the big gills. Those fish are the genetics, so try and release the big ones for the future of our fisheries!

It looks like the weather is going to keep us on ice here in Iowa for a while now! I for one am very thankful.
I am off to Des Moines in the early am to try and find some ice walleyes!

Good luck out there guys, stay safe, and we’ll see you on the hardwater.

All fish were released!

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luke_haugland

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  7. Kind of funny- while watching the flasher, at anytime there could be four-five gills on the screen, or none. When there were four or five on the screen, and then they vanished, ten seconds later, a bass would take a swipe at the jigs. It was a surprise to me that these gills were “prey” to the bass. I don’t think I have ever in my life caught a bass, that wouldn’t choke on some of these gills.

  11. Thanks, Luke, for posting!! That was a blast.

    Luke, after you left I got into a hole that was producing some dink 6-7″ gills and then trevor got a pig suspended about 4 ft off the bottom. I started jigging up higher and managed one more big guy that came through suspended at the same depth. We were outta there about 5:15 when they just quit. Good luck this weekend everybody!!

  17. got to go get me some of those, I know where they swim, getting there is an other thing, nice report and pics.

  21. Luke – absolutely awesome fish and report. Thanks for the reminder to let those big ones swim. Winter is a great time for selective harvest, with emphasis on that word “selective” before harvest.

  23. Luke it is great to have you back, Great report! By the way, did Andy tell you that was the biggest Gill he as ever caught? Seems to me he has got one a little bigger (or was that a 15 inch perch )? Nice job guys can’t wait to fish with all of you soon.

    John

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