Our moderator demanded a fishing report
Jeff and I took a drive on Thursday looking for good ice. Our first stop was Holland Lake near Stanton. There were tracks going out a ways and some one had cut holes but the open water on the other side of the lake kept us on shore.
Next we checked Derby and Nevins. Both were iced over and had some tracks going out but Derby had some funky looking ice. We tucked Nevins away as a maybe if we couldn't find anything better.
Dickerson had some open water, Clifford was froze over and had some tracks with a shanty in the narrows but looked iffy for my big butt. We passed until next week.
We drove back into the Langston State Game Area to West Lake, one that had 5" two weeks ago. We found 5"-6" and decided to give it a try. We marked fish on a steep drop in 18-26 fow and were able to catch a bunch of small blue gills and perch and one 3" bass. We did manage 4 keeper perch. Jeff was using spikes on a teardrop and I had a smelt stick and spikes.
Last stop was at my nieces cottage on Tacoma Lake. The shore ice was maybe 2" but they didn't pull the dock so we found maybe 3 1/2" farther out. Looked like solid ice, too. Jeff walked out 50' or so and cut a few holes and I was almost ready to join him when the ice cracked, Jeff did an about face and looked like something from a cartoon, spinning his wheels trying to get traction. When I stopped laughing he explained that he saw the ice drop and water slashed out of the hole, more than enough to get him to head towards the safety of the dock.
That's our story. Hopefully there will be many more to follow.
*My version of Jeffs retreat may be slightly exaggerated .
