DEC 15th REPORT

Fished the lasted 2 days with Gillespie. We struggled the first evening, only catch 3 marginal walleyes. We had around 12 to 15 flags, but lots of drops. Targeted shallow sand bars and weedbeds.

Spent the next day fishing pike first. Caught 3 really nice fish and missed 2. We set up on a deep weed edge(for the lake) in around 12 to 14 feet. Switched up and walleye fished in the evening. We caught around 15 to 18 fish(some didn't make the show) both jigging and tip ups. Buckshot rattle spoons with a piece of fathead was the best jigging approach, while the obvious shiners under tip ups worked too. We targeted deep weeds and bars for the 2nd evening.

Food for thought, just because it's "first ice" doesn't always mean the fish are shallow. I went and fished an area where I catch them in November, and there they were.

Ice conditions varied from 2" to 7" depending on lake and depth. Anything close to current areas, inlets, outlets are very "iffy"....found 2" of ice that was 6" 100 yards away....be careful and use caution.

Although snowmobile trails are open, there isn't any snow. It has rained for the last couple, and if the rain was snow, we'd be buried. There isn't any snow in the UP of Michigan, northern MN, or Ontario either.....thanks mother nature.


Good Luck!