Panfish Fest On A Warm Day

12.5" Glow Demon w/minnow

4:15-8:30PM
Conditions: Cloudy turning clear from North to South, light SW wind, Temps 38-33 degrees

I decided to go fishing after watching Major League Fishing.  I parked at my spot in the lot and was pleasantly surprised that pulling my stuff out wasn't that difficult with the new snow.  People are driving on the lake with some pretty big vehicles.  The most people as I have seen out this year.  Nobody in my spot.  I had to go farther to the North to get into a bunch of suspended sunfish.

7" VMC Tubby Jig w/maggies & Gulp Minnow

I ended up getting 12 sunfish.  The one in the pictures was the biggest.  The crappies weren't real active, but I managed to get 7 with the 12.5 incher on the minnow making my night.

8.75" Glow Demon w/Waxie and Gulp Minnow

5.5" Glow Demon

12 Sunfish

7 Crappies
All fish released.

Rock Lake On the Slow Side

11" Glow Demon w/minnow

3:30-7:30PM
Conditions: Cloudy, wind out of the SSW, temps in the low 20's

I brought out the Aqua View tonight.  Visibility wasn't that great with the snow cover and overcast condition.  I did see 2 small pike and a bunch sunnies.  I had problems with keeping the camera pointing where I wanted it.  I did catch the only crappie I saw.

9" VMC Jig w/Gulp Minnow and maggies

Not long after that it got to dark to see.  The fish weren't real active tonight.  I only got 4 crappies.  I also got a perch, sunfish, and the bullhead.  I missed more fish than I caught

7.75" Glow Demon w/Gulp Minnow and waxie

7.5" VMC Jig w/Gulp Minnow and Maggies

4 Crappies
1 Sunfish
1 Perch
1 Bullhead

Fished Rock With My New ION

Thumbs Up on my new auger

3:00-7:00PM
Conditions: Mostly sunny, light SE wind,  temps from the low teens up to about 20 degrees

Today was the maiden voyage for my ION Auger, my new to me Polaroid Dual Screen Waterproof Camera and the "Selfie Stick" my brother gave me for Christmas.  Impressed with the Auger, not so much with the camera or ice thickness.  But I'm not gonna complain about the camera as I got it cheap.  The ice thickness was only about 14 inches and I won't drive the Expedition out until it is more like 20".

With the Polaroid and selfie stick without flash

Same fish with old camera and flash 

  I think I will bring both camera's with me for as long as the Power Shot still works.  I'll keep the Polaroid mounted on the selfie stick.

The sunfish were active today.  I got a couple 7 inchers and this 8" that broke my line, but I managed to grab it before it got away.

8" VMC Jig w/Gulp Minnow and Maggies

9.5" VMC Jig w/same

I got the crappie before I broke the jig off.  I wasn't going to retie as it was prime time.  I put some smaller minnows on the Glow Demon and got a few crappies on that and a Glow Demon with a waxie and Gulp Minnow;  None over 9.75".  Also I got this bullhead that came through suspended about half way up in 15 feet.

10" or so. Glow Demon w/Gulp and waxie

1 Bullhead
12 Sunfish
9 Crappies

Got Me A Slab at Rock

13" Glow Demon w/minnow

3:30-7:30PM
Conditions: Overcast, Windy out of the WNW, temps in the mid to low 20's.

The fish weren't real cooperative tonight.  They were behaving kind of strange and biting really light (Probably mostly sunfish is my guess).  I had fish down there most of the time.  I should have drilled a couple more sets of holes.  

I had a northern break off a Glow Demon on my bobber rod at the hole about a half hour in to the night.  Then I got a sunfish about 20 minutes later.  Finally after 5PM, I got some (5 x 9") crappies on the VMC Jig.  Then there was a long time between bites.  Around 7PM I got one (9") on the bobber rod and then I got the big one on the bobber rod.  I got one last 9 incher on the bobber rod about 7:15PM.

1 Pike
1 Sunfish
8 Crappies

Back at It On Rock

10.5" VMC Tungsten Jig w/maggots, Gulp Minnow

3:30-6:45PM
Conditions: Overcast, no wind, around 30 degrees

Got out a little earlier today.  I started at the holes I drilled yesterday.  Nothing was going on.  I left the house and tried in my original spot and got a small sunny on the VMC Jig and then nothing, so I went back to the house.  I started getting some crappies including the 10.5" on the VMC Jig.  Eventually I switched over to the Glow Demon and got a couple sunnies including a 7".  Only got about 3 crappies on a minnow tonight and probably a pike that I lost just below the hole.  At 6:00 I began running out of propane in my heater.  I tried the old holes for a bit and got one 9" crappie.  I went back to the house and got a couple more crappies and missed that pike.  I didn't want to get cold so I left.  A lot of 9" crappies tonight.

1 Pike???
3 Sunfish
17 Crappies

More Bullheads at Rock & Crappies/Sunfish

12.5" Glow Demon w/minnow

9.5" VMC Tungsten w/Gulp Minnow and waxie

8" VMC Tungsten w/Gulp Minnow and waxie 

3:45-7:35PM
Conditions: Overcast, Some light snow after 5:30, light wind out of the SE, temps near 30

I dinged around to much and got out about a half hour later than I wanted too.  I did find a replacement measuring board at Bear Trax.  Unfortunately you can't see the numbers;  I'll have to take a black permanent marker to it.  On my first minnow drop I had a really good fish on but it got off half way.  Probably a pike or bass.  Then there was nothing.  Note to self, always lead with a spoon or Rapala

At 4:15 I went and drilled a hole a little to the North of where I had been fishing.  I put down a #4 Rippin Rap and immediately fish came to it but wouldn't hit.  So I put down my new VMC Tungsten Jig (glow) with a Gulp Minnow with a waxie and immediately brought up a 9" crappie.  I got two more, then drilled another hole and got my stuff.  They were on the minnow immediately.  I missed the first couple bites but then I started catching them.  Then I got two bullheads in a row on the minnow.  Then I started getting some small sunfish on the VMC jig.  I got two 10 inch crappies on the minnow and one on the VMC that I kept and an 8" sunny which I didn't keep.  Eventually the fish got finicky.  I went and checked my other holes but nothing was there.  I went back and got a couple more 9 inchers.  I stopped fishing after my last 9 incher at 7:35PM

2 Bullheads
5 Sunfish
13 Crappies
and a bunch of missed fish

Bullhead at Rock Lake

9.5" Glow Demon w/Gulp Minnow and Powerbait Waxie

9" Glow Demon w/Waxie

5.5" Glow Demon w/waxie

3:45-7:50PM
Conditions: Overcast, wind out of the South at 10 diminishing to 5mph, Mid 20's

I got out later than I wanted to thanks to me sleeping in and Bear Trax was closed so I was down to my last few waxies.  Nothing was down there at first, but by 4:30 I got a couple of crappies on the Tungsten Jig w/ waxies.  The crappies didn't really want minnows tonight;  I only got a couple on those and missed about 6-8 bites.  Once I switched to the Glow Demon I got 4 small sunfish and several crappies until I ran out of wax worms.  I put a Gulp Minnow and Powerbait Wax Worm on the Glow Demon.  I got several bites but couldn't hook them, the wanted a total deadstick.  I then got the bullhead for my last fish of the night.  Sure didn't feel like a crappie or sunfish coming up.  I did get two 10" crappies, which I kept.

9 Crappies
4 Sunfish
1 Bullhead