02-25-2006, 02:26 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Probably not much need to post this. I guess we were on Candid Camera all day. Hope you got my best side. Actually, I don't think I have one.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I think I was the designated driller this morning. First a couple of young men show up that thought they were going to get to fish off the PWC ramp in open water. They only got to toss a few Ocean's augers (rocks) out there and decided it was not feasible. They meekly asked TubeBabe and I how thick the ice was and if there were any holes from yesterday that were still open. One of them was about to pee down both legs he was so scared being out on the ice for the first time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeDude to the rescue. Drilled them a couple of holes off the ramp, where the trout action has been good and got them set up to fish for troutskis. Hope they did well. We left them an extra ice scoop to keep the holes cleaned out and they left it on our car when they left before we did.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We started in 50 feet of water and were seeing fish both near the bottom and about 18 feet. TubeBabe scored the first three fish. First a trout, then a perch, then another trout. I figured to give her a head start.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Another gentleman (I think) came over to ask if we had a tool he could use to change the blades on his hand auger. After he got them changed he proceded to make ice shavings a few feet away from us. The auger just wasn't "cutting it". When he asked how much I would charge to drill a couple of holes for him, I invited him over to where we were fishing and drilled a couple in the same zone TubeBabe had been getting her fish. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I had only a couple of bumps, in between drilling duty. When the fish went away on the sonar screen, I packed up and headed across the lake. Pretty stout hike for an old fat guy. I looked at the bank contours and tried to estimate where there might be a hump or breakline. I drilled one hole, dropped down and wham. Nice perch. Same on the next four drops. I yelled at TubeBabe to join me. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I Swiss cheesed the area and we stayed in that spot from about 9:30 AM to almost 4 PM. Almost constant action. Depth was from 25 feet to 38 feet. There was some structure on the bottom but TubeBabe only lost one rig and I got free from the two snags I had.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The past two trips to Rock Cliffs were slow by comparison. We had to fish in over 50 feet of water and the bite was slow and soft, on small stuff. Tough duty. Not today. Those fish were hammering our larger jigging spoons and bait bugs. I started using my 1/4 oz. fire tiger "perch urchin" and a piece of perch meat. Some of the strikes were vicious. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When the bite on heavier stuff slowed down, I brought out my new "tiger jig", a fire tiger pattern bait bug. I caught most of my fish on that, with perch meat. Forget wax worms today. All I caught on waxies were a couple of chubs, a rainbow and some small perch. The bigger perch and trout wanted perch meat, lit up on the fire tiger jig.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fishing in shallower water, the small perch could be released and dive to the bottom okay. No air bladder problems. I only kept about 30 to 35 of the 100 or so perch I caught, and TubeBabe probably kept another 25 or so. She probably caught the largest perch, at a little over 12".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I lost a big rainbow, about 4 pounds, as I tried to slide it up on the ice. I also lost one brown before it got its head in the hole, and another while I was trying to get the lip gripper into its clamped jaws.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I did land three brown...chubs...all about 12". Those uglies ate those tiger jigs just like the trout and perch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Ice conditions: 3" of snow over 4" of frozen slush over 8" of solid ice. It is going to be warm the next few days, but that ice ain't goin' south too soon. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The guys fishing nearer the ramps were catching lots of trout by dropping down about 15 to 20 feet, over deeper water. The trout went through constantly on the sonar.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I think I was the designated driller this morning. First a couple of young men show up that thought they were going to get to fish off the PWC ramp in open water. They only got to toss a few Ocean's augers (rocks) out there and decided it was not feasible. They meekly asked TubeBabe and I how thick the ice was and if there were any holes from yesterday that were still open. One of them was about to pee down both legs he was so scared being out on the ice for the first time.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]TubeDude to the rescue. Drilled them a couple of holes off the ramp, where the trout action has been good and got them set up to fish for troutskis. Hope they did well. We left them an extra ice scoop to keep the holes cleaned out and they left it on our car when they left before we did.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We started in 50 feet of water and were seeing fish both near the bottom and about 18 feet. TubeBabe scored the first three fish. First a trout, then a perch, then another trout. I figured to give her a head start.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Another gentleman (I think) came over to ask if we had a tool he could use to change the blades on his hand auger. After he got them changed he proceded to make ice shavings a few feet away from us. The auger just wasn't "cutting it". When he asked how much I would charge to drill a couple of holes for him, I invited him over to where we were fishing and drilled a couple in the same zone TubeBabe had been getting her fish. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I had only a couple of bumps, in between drilling duty. When the fish went away on the sonar screen, I packed up and headed across the lake. Pretty stout hike for an old fat guy. I looked at the bank contours and tried to estimate where there might be a hump or breakline. I drilled one hole, dropped down and wham. Nice perch. Same on the next four drops. I yelled at TubeBabe to join me. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I Swiss cheesed the area and we stayed in that spot from about 9:30 AM to almost 4 PM. Almost constant action. Depth was from 25 feet to 38 feet. There was some structure on the bottom but TubeBabe only lost one rig and I got free from the two snags I had.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The past two trips to Rock Cliffs were slow by comparison. We had to fish in over 50 feet of water and the bite was slow and soft, on small stuff. Tough duty. Not today. Those fish were hammering our larger jigging spoons and bait bugs. I started using my 1/4 oz. fire tiger "perch urchin" and a piece of perch meat. Some of the strikes were vicious. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]When the bite on heavier stuff slowed down, I brought out my new "tiger jig", a fire tiger pattern bait bug. I caught most of my fish on that, with perch meat. Forget wax worms today. All I caught on waxies were a couple of chubs, a rainbow and some small perch. The bigger perch and trout wanted perch meat, lit up on the fire tiger jig.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Fishing in shallower water, the small perch could be released and dive to the bottom okay. No air bladder problems. I only kept about 30 to 35 of the 100 or so perch I caught, and TubeBabe probably kept another 25 or so. She probably caught the largest perch, at a little over 12".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I lost a big rainbow, about 4 pounds, as I tried to slide it up on the ice. I also lost one brown before it got its head in the hole, and another while I was trying to get the lip gripper into its clamped jaws.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I did land three brown...chubs...all about 12". Those uglies ate those tiger jigs just like the trout and perch.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Ice conditions: 3" of snow over 4" of frozen slush over 8" of solid ice. It is going to be warm the next few days, but that ice ain't goin' south too soon. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The guys fishing nearer the ramps were catching lots of trout by dropping down about 15 to 20 feet, over deeper water. The trout went through constantly on the sonar.[/#0000ff]
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