Brrrrrrrr

Hi Folks, Cold out on the hard water recently.  Guiding pike this week.  The pike lake I have been fishing has almost 2 feet of ice with lots of snow packed on top.  A little easier going on foot as the previous snow fall has thawed and re-frozen.  Need to pay attention to false ice now with all of the snow pack.  I would use caution with driving a snow machine or truck on the ice with forming false ice and water on top of the ice that is below the snow pack.  Awful cold yesterday with a swirling wind that created snow funnels on the lake.  We really had to anchor down the shanty.  We located pike and yellow perch yesterday in 12' of water over a huge weed bed.  We jigged for perch with fire tiger Hali jigs tipped with maggots.  We caught northern pike on tip-ups that were baited with live yellow perch, live golden shiners, and dead golden shiners.  The pike fishing has been very consistent.  Should have plenty of ice for awhile as winter does not appear to be releasing its grip.  Have Fun, Willy

lots of snow

Hi Folks, Been mixing up the ice fishing trips lately pursuing trout as well as northern pike.  The snow storm from last Thursday has been a game changer.  Getting around on the ice is now a challenge.  Thigh deep snow out there and snow shoes would be helpful.  Lots of water under the snow and on top of the ice so good high and dry boots are necessary.  On the pike lake I have been fishing there is almost two feet of black ice.  Where I have been trout and smelt fishing I have found anywhere from 16" to 20" of good black ice.  Lots of effort setting tip-ups especially if you want to spread them out.  Been jig fishing smelt really successfully with Hali jigs tipped with maggots.  A very subtle bite and I have been locating the smelt in 20' to 30' of water.  Smelt make great bait for trout but I have not been very successful on the trout end.  Seems all of my tip-ups get mauled by large yellow perch.  Pike fishing has been a bit more consistent with small northerns coming to dead golden shiners on the tip-ups.  We did catch a 2lb bullhead yesterday on a dead bait rigged on a tip-up.  That was a first for me as I have never seen a bullhead caught ice fishing.  Jigging for perch has been pretty decent with numerous small perch being caught and the occasional large fish.  Most of the perch and pike I have been locating over weed beds in anywhere from 10' to 20' of water.  Well, rain today and then some colder weather so the getting around the ice could be messy today but then firm back up.  Have fun on the hard water, Willy