RFRG 1/28 Icefishing w/Muskie Matt

End of January and we're finally starting to get some ice, by this time of year we usually have a good 18 inches of ice or more, not so this year, more in the range of 10 to 14 and not all of that is good clear ice. In some areas 3/4 of our ice cover is frozen slush. Something to remember is the general rule of thumb that frozen slush holds about half the weight of clear ice. Something to keep in mind...

Been a good night bite going on for the walleye, I'm finding them in different locations than previous years but it's been a weird year from the start. Small shiners seem to be the ticket this winter, from the ER Chain, N Twin, to LVD those small shiners have been the most successful bait by far. If you're using little treble hooks and getting a lot of "hit n drops" try changing to No.6 short shank single hooks, no wire leader, 3-4ft of 6-8lb mono will work fine for leader material. One instance this past week we had a tip-up with a tiny treble hook and the bait was dropped everytime on this rig while the single hook rigs caught fish... go figure, eh?

Last weeks warmer weather was a pleasure to fish but the arctic cold has returned (-6 this morning) making some kind of shelter to fish out of a must. Windchill temps have been dangerously low, some shelter and heat make for a much more pleasant experience whether waiting for flags or jigging for panfish.

Have fun out there, watch the ice, stay warm, catch fish!
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