It's on!
Got a late start today (appx 8-8:30AM). Brutal weather conditions, but furious action!
- PI Bay (parking lots vista 1,2,3) only saw one ice-hut out there today in the morn appx. 9:00AM. Ice looked very solid in spots, but still very sketchy in other spots. Also still a few patches of open water further towards mid-bay. Did'nt feel like being paranoid all day so I passed.
- Horseshoe Pond: no huts or buckets - just did a drive by. Was solid early last wk with about 4"-5" and lots of icemen, so I figure that with the weather we have had since then, It's probably thickened a tad.
- Misery Bay (about 18-20 huts): Settled down here for the day, loaded up the sled and headed out about 100-125 yds. The weather was brutal (25mph wind w/ 30-35 gusts), 15-20 degrees. Thick ice 4"-5", not really black though - still kinda clear and white in spots. Lots of black ice further-in twoards shore though. After getting the hut screwed down and the heater goin, We fished for about 5-6 hours and ended up just shy of 2 limits of large gills and 1 "fat" crappie just a bit over 12". The action was pretty solid all day long and you could afford to be real choosy on the keepers, which was nice as there were many lunkers. Despite fighting with the weather, wind and freeze it was a great day on the ice.
FuNK