Pool 8 Ice Fishing Christmas Break

Friday Christmas Eve. The temp was hovering in the mid to high 20’s and a soft snow fell to the ground all day long. The wind was nonexistent in the morning and kickin’ up to 5mph from the North around noon. The Barometer was spiking all day but there was a consistent drop starting around 11AM.
Mikehd and I were beating feet across the ice at 7:20AM heading for an area we hoped to be holding suspended crappies in 20-35fow. Soon we were joined by another 2 friends, Larry, then Dave happened along after working the morning.
By 10AM we had 40 some holes drilled between the 4 of us looking for the feeding specks. The water column was loaded with shad cruising through anywhere from 2ft of bottom too 14 feet below the ice. Nice gills (educated guess) showed themselves rubbin’ tight to bottom while the Crappies came through just above the shad at 8-12 feet below the snow covered ice. With most the morning spent trying to figure out a bite, only one paper mouth pushing 11inches found it’s way topside for myself, Mike had only 1 at this point also……the call was made to pick em up and bug out!!!!

After pulling the gear a good hundred yards or better busting new trail it was a relief to hit our destination. Huffin’ n puffin’ with steam rolling off our noodles we all hoped that the work was going to pay off with some Bull Gills. My StrikeMaster was melting ice starting in 8fow water making a line heading out to 25fow. Dave was working even deeper only to find balls of shad again.
Then the words rang out from Larry, fish on Then it was Mike’s turn then mine. Dave soon moved out of the abyss and set up with us in 10-14fow. The spot holds some wood laying on a sandy bench before dropping off into 25-35fow. With enough current to sweep a small jig out of the LX-5 cone angle I drilled a hole 2 foot down stream and was able to watch my jig without a problem.
Persistence and 60 some holes later landed us on a good school of orange fins with some bonus gills taking the same offerings. Changing up now and then kept the critters below from getting conditioned while watching the same thing bounce in front of there faces. With two rods kept at the ready, one armed with a #12 Frog Gill Pill sportin’ a waxie and, the other rod dropping a #6 Fire Tiger Demon Jigging Spoon with a minnow head dancing from its lips off the treble hook, it was game on and the fish were coming topside. Having the bait just off bottom using the zoom feature kept the hooks in the strike zone. 6-8inch ringers were being pitched back with 9’s, 10’s and a few pushing 11 were adding up for each of us
The walk off after the snow and warming was a booger to say the least but, everyone had some fish making the efforts of the day rewarding.

Day 2 of Christmas break had me walking on the ice solo with clear skys and still warm temps. This is another area that holds deep water and once again there were high hopes of finding Specks on the feed. The hand held GPS was turned on and the walk of about a ½ mile was in the making. On arrival at a favorite waypoint, once again the Lazer Mag Express was lit up and holes were being punched in a line from 8fow heading out into 30fow.
The Showdown Ice Troller was grabbed and the transducer was being dropped in each hole looking for high flyers. Bingo in 17-20fow….high flyers. The first fish to come top side after smacking the Fire Tiger Demon Jigging Spoon with a minnow head was an 8inch gill, what a surprise. The next drop resulted in a dandy Paper Mouth, the targeted species. After several other drops only to draw sniffers it was time for a change. A #12 Froggie Diamond jig was next in line. Heading down the hole the LX-5 lit up at 12 feet and other speck was to be had. Sitting along a ledge with plenty of targets it was then time to button up the Otter and get to work. I wish I could say the crappies stayed on the chew but instead the specks were coming farther a fewer between the gills. I’m not above catching good circular swimming finned Blue Ears though

Keeping baits 12feet below the ice enticed gills bumping the 8 inch mark. Dropping baits down into what looked like a Christmas tree on the MarCum below only produced stolen baits and watch fobs. The key for keepers was stay high and as soon as a mark showed up underneath, a few twitches and raising the offering ticked off the hungry gills and they would charge up at such a speed slack was thrown into the line. Let them come in and sniff it or just a twitch only resulted in a fish swimming away or smaller 7inchers.
The three best producing jigs on this day were the Diamond jig mentioned above, the #12 Frog Gill Pill, and a 1/16oz Silver/Red Slender Spoon all tipped with waxies.
Finding a couple hot baits on any day will help keep the fish from getting familiar with one particular offering. Keep em guessing, keep em coming top side
15 Blue Ears are now calling Sparta home along with 4 good paper mouths Day 2 was much easier than day one of vacation but hey, that is why we call it fishing.

Good luck fishing Iceheads