Not Too Shabby

Well, here is the report from the last few days of fishing. Friday evening was some of the best ice fishing that I have ever seen. I hit the ice at 5:00 and started catching fish immediately on a blue and chartreuse #9 jigging Rap with no bait. I could only fish until about 7:00 because of a party that I had to go to. However, in that short time I managed to catch 10 nice walleyes, and they were still biting full force when I left. There was a time right before dark that I couldn’t get my Rap back down fast enough. The fish were just there waiting for it. The fish ranged from 17 inches at the smallest, to 28 inches at the other end of the spectrum with most being right around the slot size of 23 inches. All of these fish were caught on that blue and chartreuse rapala. Of course, my tip-ups rigged with a 6 inch sucker, a 14# fluorocarbon leader, number 8 single hook, and a single tiny split shot just sat there and watched the action and never did a thing (as always). All of these fish were caught in 19 FOW in the upper reaches of the bay.

After having a day like that, I went back to that same spot Sunday evening with my dad and grandpa. And believe it or not, we got a three man skunk! I marked only one fish the entire time that we were there. I probably should have caught him but I was talking instead of paying attention to my fish finder. By the time I realized there was a fish there he had already looked at my bait and decided he didn’t want it.

I also got out tonight for a couple of hours after my class. I didn’t want to go back to that same spot after a 3 man skunk the day before, so I set up out on the mud flats instead. I ended up catching three walleyes that were 21, 25, and 28 inches, all on that same #9 blue and chartreuse Rap with no bait. My tip-ups just laid there once again. I have not caught a walleye on a tip-up this year. I just don't know how people do it!