Met up with a number of fellow BFTers this morning, and hit the ice at Mantua. Great morning to get out - lunar eclipse to start us off - good firm slippery ice - barely any wind until mid-day, THEN it started kicking up.
Themz boyz had already gotten into some nice bluegill by the time we arrived. Few slimers came to play here and there. Couple small perch - then we hit into some bass - so a full on grandslam for that pond! (well, unless there’s any cutthroats left).
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Was pretty quiet for me - but finally broke the skunk and got to pulling up some fish. Ended up with the biggest trout and biggest bass of the day (16" each). Some of them trout put up a good fight! And that bass had very serious ideas about NOT going up that whole - in fact after he landed on the ice, and spit the hook - he tried to tail-wiggle back down the hole! Just barely managed to grab a lip as he was dissapearing downward! Snag-O!
Great meeting some new anglers, and getting out on the ice, first time for some even. Nice to get the gear together - so now it’s ALL ready for next time!!!
That’s a nice chunky bass. That’s cool that you got into some under the ice. It’s almost tempting enough to get me out there. I haven’t caught a bass since Halloween and I’m missing the little buggers.
Wow, that really makes me miss living in Cache Valley. Bet that bass was a blast! I could always tell when I had a bass on versus a trout before seeing them. Always a good fight.
Always fun getting out and fishing with you. Had a blast. Definitely not as hot as it was the beginning of the season last year, but none the less, we all caught fish.
A good day out - nice bunch of folks. Likewise Ben - you always seem to find em pretty good! Look forward to more ventures this season. Can always count on you to be out early early! Awful tempted to hit it again today . . .
Would like to find some of them perch I’m hearing about.
I wonder if the fish will pickup now that they’ve been under the cap for a week or so - get a chance to acclimatize, find where they want to school up - now we just gotta figure out where that is!
The trout seemed to be moving through. They’d come in - we’d all get bites - and they’d move on, it’d get quiet. Todd’s Vex was great - he’d just call out when they were moving in…
Found this trout’s tummy CHOCK full of bitty perch. She’d been eating pretty good! Think I’ll try dipping more perch-patterns - some bucktails, and TD’s wobblers.
But they did seem to be taking the small patterns - even the big bass!
I hear ya Karl. Those bass do run a different way. He had a mind set on not pointing up that hole. Or sticking around once he did! Bashed my knee on the ice pretty good dropping down to grab him. But it was worth it!
SO where’d you go?
Its was great to get out with you and Josh and Ben as well as the othe guys! We have talked about it for some time.
The fishing was great and was suprise to see the crowds had got the “word” so early. Think I will have to get out again Sunday. My other planns were cancelled due to my son inlaw needing to stay home.
Hope to see you and the others when I get there.
Great report and pics. Mind if I “snag” a couple of the pics to file for inclusion in my upcoming writeup on Utah Ice Fishing? I hope to include pics from a number of BFTers…on all the popular Utah iceholes (careful)…and anybody who contributes is eligibubble for a free copy.
Dude - for you? Twood be honored to share. Basically already made 'em public fodder by posting… just hope you don’t mind me reposting your maps once in a whiles.
I shrunk 'em in half for posting - if you want original size.
Hell - I know all you’d go and do is up and share 'em all over the place! [:p] (so have at it).
maybe we can get more shots later! add to the pile, so to speak.
So making any northward treks in your ice-scouting adventures? Just watch out for rock-chuckers right?!
You are correct. Anything posted on a public forum is considered public domain…etc. But as a matter of courtesy I still ask permission.
No problems with the maps. Anything I post I consider to be “out there”…and I don’t mind if you pass them along for later inquiries. Saves me the trouble.
As for as the picture content I am looking for…not so much interested in dead fish pics…unless they show a good mix or fish with special size, shape or coloration. Also like pics of nice fish posed with the anglers and showing some background. Looking for good depictions of the surroundings and the overall character of the water/ice. Actually, there are usually plenty of “characters” in your groups.
It was a blast, thanks for a good time guys! It was my first time ice fishing, but it wont be my last. Now I just gotta find me a cheap auger. You know it was pretty interesting. Coyote had the skunk on him for the first while we were there, then he went and pawned it off on me! I caught 4 or 5 gills and a trout pretty quick, then about the time Coyote started catching, I stopped. He kind of got the hot hand there for a while! I just wish I could have seen that jaw jacker nail something.
Yea, I have been looking at those. Just got to wait til Friday (payday) then I should be able to pick one up. Of course, with the prices of the used ones, I might just pick up a new one. I have seen them for as low as $35. Hopefully there still are some.
That’s what I was kind of wondering. That’s why I was thinking it might be worth the extra $10-$15 to just buy a new one. Aside from a sharp blade, you cant really go too far wrong with the hand augers can you?
Brand new a Strikemaster Mora is $50. That isn’t a bad deal. New blades are about $25 or more, depending on where you get them. I would just buy a new one. The Mora is the one you were using Saturday.
Probably wanna go with a 6 or 7". 8" can be tuff with a hand-auger when it gets thick.
Hey Ben - where were you saying to get cheap blades?
I like Toadly’s Electric Power auger! Suweet!
Did you make it out again Todd? Missed your message, sorry. Next week (or Tuesday/Thursday afternoon???)
It’s funny - I didn’t wanna say, but often happens. Ben and some others often leave early - around 10am. THEN after they are gone I start catching fish! Maybe it’s a concentration/distraction thing. Switching up baits seemed to help. I can see why little perch patterns are gonna work!
Thanks for the advice, I will probably do that (thanks again to Coyote for lending me the auger.) That one sure seemed to work pretty well, Seeing as it ends up being the same price, might as well just get the whole new set, right? Now lets just hope the wife sees that logic as well. It was great meeting all you guys by the way! Thanks for letting us hang out and share the ice with you!
Good to know, thanks for the heads up. I will try to find a 7’, but it seems that the 8’ ones are the easiest to find, so I might have to do some searching. What size is yours?
That’s what I was kind of wondering. That’s why I was thinking it might be worth the extra $10-$15 to just buy a new one. Aside from a sharp blade, you cant really go too far wrong with the hand augers can you?
There is a lot more to an auger than the sharpness of the blade. The blades have to be ground at EXACTLY the right angle…and screwed tightly to the base for the right fit. If the points and angle are even a tiny bit off you will only make slush and not cut ice. That is a big problem with buying a used auger. You don’t know whether some dimbulb has put the blades on wrong, sharpened them wrong or banged the auger on ice to mess up the angle.
**Better to buy a good new one (Mora is fine). My motto is always “BETTER TO SPEND A FEW BUCKS MORE THAN YOU WANTED…THAN TO SPEND NOT QUITE ENOUGH.” **
Great report and pics. Mind if I “snag” a couple of the pics to file for inclusion in my upcoming writeup on Utah Ice Fishing? I hope to include pics from a number of BFTers…on all the popular Utah iceholes (careful)…and anybody who contributes is eligibubble for a free copy.