02-10-2010, 02:07 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Met fellow BFTer Toadly at the narrows about midday today. 19 degrees, light breeze and a few wispy snowflakes as we drilled our first holes. The good news is that the slush monster has chilled out...at least for now. About a foot of packed snow on top of frozen slush. Heavy slogging for a fat old man but better than semi swimming.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A few light bites along the northerly side of the channel. Drilled and dipped in water from 35 to 50 feet. Saw lots of marks on sonar but they all had their little mouths closed and the middle ray of their fins upraised.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Slogged across to an old favorite venue on the south side. Fortunately the sun had broken through and the wind had died. Actually quite nice when we got our first holes drilled and began fishing. Also got pretty quick responses to our first drops...quick but little. DinkORama. Lots of biters on the small stuff we sent down for the finicky fishies. Perch meat or crawlers. Both got bit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We both saw lots of fish coming through on sonar, from bottom to above mid depth in 40 feet. Some larger targets too...hopefully crappies. But, once again reeling up to the blips only produced exercise for our reeling hands. Nary a bite anywhere over about 2 feet from the bottom.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I finally broke out some of my "holy jigs"...glow metal flashers with a short wire and a glow "rinkee" jig. Figured if the larger fish were full of easy targets it might take something bigger and fancier to get their attention. First drop scored my biggest perch of the day...almost 11". Got a couple of other semi keepers on it through the afternoon but the little ones kept finding ways to get the larger hook in their little mouths too. Creative little buggers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Todd and I both caught a grundle of dinksters, but very few that put any bend on our sticks. Still, it was good meeting new BFTer on the water (ice) and sharing some old memories of places we both knew. I'm guessing this will not be our last "hook up".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I gotta say that hill going back up at the narrows gets steeper and longer every year. It was great going down. I just let the sled run ahead of me, guiding it down the well worn rut with my new utility rope. Coming back up that hill my heart stopped a couple of times. Had to take it out and stomp it back into action so I could reach the top. WHEW.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A few light bites along the northerly side of the channel. Drilled and dipped in water from 35 to 50 feet. Saw lots of marks on sonar but they all had their little mouths closed and the middle ray of their fins upraised.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Slogged across to an old favorite venue on the south side. Fortunately the sun had broken through and the wind had died. Actually quite nice when we got our first holes drilled and began fishing. Also got pretty quick responses to our first drops...quick but little. DinkORama. Lots of biters on the small stuff we sent down for the finicky fishies. Perch meat or crawlers. Both got bit.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We both saw lots of fish coming through on sonar, from bottom to above mid depth in 40 feet. Some larger targets too...hopefully crappies. But, once again reeling up to the blips only produced exercise for our reeling hands. Nary a bite anywhere over about 2 feet from the bottom.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I finally broke out some of my "holy jigs"...glow metal flashers with a short wire and a glow "rinkee" jig. Figured if the larger fish were full of easy targets it might take something bigger and fancier to get their attention. First drop scored my biggest perch of the day...almost 11". Got a couple of other semi keepers on it through the afternoon but the little ones kept finding ways to get the larger hook in their little mouths too. Creative little buggers.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Todd and I both caught a grundle of dinksters, but very few that put any bend on our sticks. Still, it was good meeting new BFTer on the water (ice) and sharing some old memories of places we both knew. I'm guessing this will not be our last "hook up".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I gotta say that hill going back up at the narrows gets steeper and longer every year. It was great going down. I just let the sled run ahead of me, guiding it down the well worn rut with my new utility rope. Coming back up that hill my heart stopped a couple of times. Had to take it out and stomp it back into action so I could reach the top. WHEW.[/#0000ff]
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