Slow Night On Bulldog

Forgot the camera, so a Google Images stock photo

4:45-8:30PM Bulldog
Conditions: 18℉, Cloudy some flurries, Light W wind
Depth: 30'

The guy who plowed the Holy Family lot didn't do us ice fishermen any favors by plowing to the East rather than North/South.  Plowing East means the snow is piled up in front of the access.  Hopefully, someone who wants to drive on the lake will change that situation.  I arrived just before a Dad and his kid.  I went to my holes from last night then did two more set to the South.  The Dad set up to the North East of there.  There was nothing going on in those holes, so I ended up in the farthest South holes.  Fish didn't bother with the minnow but occasionally would take the VMC Fly/maggots.  About 5:30 some guys came out and set up just to the North of my farthest North set of holes.  The action was slow so I went out and drilled some holes.  I didn't find anything.  I ended back at the holes I caught fish out of.  Because I didn't whack the ice off the bottom of my heater and ended up tipping it into the bobber hole, which broke my line above the bobber stop.  While reaching over to pull out the heater I also managed to break the line on the VMC Fly/maggots rod.  Then there was the smell of the burning mono.  What a cluster.  At least I didn't lose any lures.  I put the bobber in the minnow bucket and went about getting the VMC Fly re-rigged.  I was interrupted by the bobber hitting the minnow bucket signaling a fish had taken my minnow.   I missed the fish, so I let the minnow go back down.  About a minute later another crappie took the minnow.  I caught it this time.  That was the 3rd minnow fish at that point.  I was unable to thread the line through the Wing-It bobber, so went to a foam bobber.  I would occasionally get a fish, but it was slow.  I gave up at 8:30PM.

11 VMC Fly/maggots
9 Glow Demon/minnow

20 Crappies
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110 Crappies caught so far this ice season
 

Bulldog Again

10" VMC Fly Jig/Maggot

5:00-7:30PM Bulldog
Conditions: 18℉, Cloudy, Light NE Wind
Depth: 30Ft

I found some clips to put on the new power cord for the Vex.  The one that came with the unit when I bought it gave up the ghost.

Then I had to go and get propane for my tank.  I didn't get loaded up until after 4:30PM.  The was a guy out fishing the hole when I got there.  I drilled three sets of holes to his North.  I got one crappie on a minnow in the first set of holes, but it was pretty dead.  Matt Will. came out on his motorbike and set up just to the NE of me.  I started fishing the second set of holes.  A couple of guys came out to the other guys portable.  I was getting a few on a minnow.  The fish didn't want to go for the Glow Demon Spoon tonight as I only caught 2 on it.  Maybe the Impulse Mayfly was more than they wanted.  The other guys packed up and gave me their minnows.  They had gotten 5.   I would occasionally catch one on the minnow or the VMC Fly.  I heard Matt packing up so I went and talked to him.  He had his limit.  I got back in the house and my bobber was down.  It was AWWWWWWWWWN for the next 20 minutes or so.  I doubled my catch for the night and missed about 7 bites as well.  My lantern and headlamp were starting to dim so I called it quits at around 7:30PM.  Fished ranged from 8.5-10.5". 

18 Glow Demon w/minnow
10 VMC Fly w/maggots
2 Glow Demon Spoon w/maggots & Mayfly

More Crappies at Bulldog

4:30-7:30PM Bulldog
Conditions: Mid 20's, Partly Cloudy, NW Windy dying down after dark
Depth: 30 FT

9" Glow Demon/Minnow

What is there to say?  I was the only one out on Bulldog tonight.  I drilled three sets of holes.  I marked fish in the 2nd set and never left. Pulled 20 crappies up on a small Glow Demon spoon with maggots and 14 on the Glow Demon with a minnow.  Did miss nearly as many fish as last night.  Fish ranged from 8" to 10.25".  I ran out of propane for the heater early on.  Fortunately, the wind died down and icing up wasn't too big of a problem.

10"  Demon Spoon/Maggots

34 Crappies

Bulldog Bite

10" VMC Fly/Maggot

4:45-7:15PM Bulldog
Conditions: 35℉, Cloudy, West Wind,
Depth: 29 Ft

With the warm weather, I thought I better get out before the snow and cold later this week.  I decided to hit up Bulldog.  As I was pulling out another car pulled into to the Holy Family lot.  It was two guys that weren't satisfied with the ice thickness on Rock.  They drilled holes farther out than me.  I didn't mark anything in the first three holes I drilled.  The 4th hole was the charm.  I caught about 13 and heard the other guys packing up.   They reported better size than what I was getting and they were using minnows.  He offered me some minnows.  I nearly forgot I had the minnow bucket in the Aerostar.   Fortunately,   I was able to get some before they left.  I got 3 crappies on minnows and missed a couple of bites as well.  I got 17 crappies on the VMC Fly with quite a few misses as well.  I would say about 3 of the fish were keeper size.

20 Crappies

Forgot the Camera (Bulldog)

1:45-2:45PM Bulldog
Conditions: 42℉, Cloudy, Light Rain

I checked out Platte Lake.  A couple of cracks had me concerned, so I decided not to fish there.  I decided not to get minnows and almost didn't go out on Bulldog because the ice was only 3".  I wore my life jacket and trolled on the ice and stopped when I saw some activity in about 22 feet.  I got 3 perch in the first spot.  I got small sunfish and perch in about 30.  The wind came up and it started sprinkling, so I left.

4 Perch
1 Sunfish