Conditions on the bay...01/04/09

Sounds like the conditions are perfect right now on the bay. My brother Kenneth and I were out Thursday and the ice really didn't have much snow on it. Mainly in drifts at that time. Probably had something to do with the gale force winds that day!!! Should have stayed home and watched the Red Wings...Anyway, we were out with our friends Brian and Kelli Long. Kenneth and I caught nothing but throwbacks. We were in 38 feet of water. Brian and Kelli were in 32 feet of water and caught 2 keepers. Captain Jim McDonald and his brother John were a little further south of us. They came up for our traditional New Years Eve get-together. I'm not positive (memory) , but I think all they caught were throwbacks too. I had to leave Friday for Iron Mountain to go to my wife's son's wedding rehearsal and then wedding last night. Still feeling the effects of the reception at this time!!! Getting too old for this stuff I guess. Jim had left for home before I got back today so I just called him to see how the weekend went. He said the ice is just about perfect right now with just a little snow on top. Like 2 or 3 inches. He and his brother caught 8 keepers yesterday morning. Enough for a good mid-day fish fry! Then another 3 keepers plus a Burbot yesterday evening. Jim said he thought about giving me the Burbot because he knows I love them, but he ate it instead (thanks Jim!). All in all, it sounds like the ice is in great shape right now and a few fish are biting as well...