Pool 8 Ice Fishing Report 12/18/10

This day would actually be a day that thought went into. Sometimes over thinking isn’t all that good!

For a couple days now the bean cap has been in motion thinking…..where what? Where what? You get the point Friday night comes along and the skull still was not sure of what to do but the truck was loaded and ready to travel from Sparta…… 5 bells, eyes open before the alarm and my body transferring appendages have me headed for the coffee pot. Folgers, Black Silk that is….eat a spoon it will

Wheels are still spinning and then it clicks Head to the far end of the pool from home and work your way back. That was the over thinking part

The area the truck was headed for is hit and miss. The words were always in the back of the mind…..”you probably won’t be there long and headed for plan B”. Being a little on the late side, it was a surprise to find no one on the ice. WOW…does the bite suck that bad around here Still a walk with confidence over 8fow was made and a series of holes were drilled with the Lazer Mag in a horse shoe pattern. After a quick walk about with the Showdown Troller 2 areas marked fish huggin’ bottom. I might mention this area is known to hold the most tastiest of all panfish (not knockin’ Gills)……Perch

Quick note for you Showdown users as I’m sure each Showdown model operates the same…..I’m in 9-18fow setting the SENS button at 3-4, It helps to see targets just off bottom staying on the light side with your sensitivity. You will of course need to adjust from there to see your jig or contrast change of the bottom

The Otter was set up and a dead stick sportin’ a Chart Glow Glitter Mini Mert with a dancing minnow was lower below the Vertical sonar unit. Before even settling down or rod out of my hand the weapon was hammered. An 8” orange fin showed himself and a smile came across the face after a quick release the next drop was a 9incher and the following was a 10 inch barbed sided fish. Do I see a fish fry in the making

The dead stick produced a few more at 7 to be released but keeping things interesting. Wanting to drop a slender spoon the dead stick was set and not bothered 6 feet below the ice. The Troller would show an intruder get close but never commit itself from coming to far off the sand bottom. OK….time to drop the SPOON under the MarCum LX-5

Another quick note for dropping Slender Spoons. When worked properly they will jet off to the side out of your cone angle. Knowing how much line you can release to free fall the spoon then, stopping the drop while watching for the spoon to show up on the flasher just making it swing into view 2 foot off bottom, bang!!!!!

The shallow water started attracting foot traffic. The words rang out “this is where we were yesterday”. And I don’t doubt it but, the more people hangin’ around the tighter the lips became on the orange finned belly rubbers.

With 15 average Pool 8 perch in the bucket, it was just shy of the Clark’s Christmas Eve traditional deep fried fish fry with hush puppies. A move had to be made!!

The walk was 60 some yards and landed me in 17fow with the same technique working…. using a slender spoon tipped with a minnow head dropping out of the cone angle (wounded minnow dropping) then stopping within 2 foot of bottom, flasher lights up and…bang. In short order enough was enough. The fish fry was had and the last cup of coffee was being sipped while taking some pictures and kicking back to soak it all in. The adventure started a couple days ago all worked up….need to catch fish, need to catch fish Plan A with an adjustment well, it paid off making a bang up journey in the book and, there was way to much thinking that went into it

No 13inch Plus footballs but, a mess of 9’s and 10’s with a few 8’s that needed an operation thrown in will be a tad more than suffice. I love cold fish in the morning!

With the vast areas Pool 8 has to offer for backwater Ice fishing, without a doubt I’m sure there were some better quality fish being caught on this day, but….I was happy with the out come.

Really wanted to beat up on some gills tomorrow…I’m putting up a Christmas Tree instead …sorry honey, I mean Putting Up A Christmas Tree

Good luck fishing Iceheads, Thanks for the bump board Blue