Crappie and Pike On Rock Lake

 

7" VMC Fly/Maggot
1st Fish

Almost respectable

4:15-7:00 PM Rock Lake 17'

30-34℉, Mostly Cloudy, 0-3mph SE NW

I arrived at the Rock Lake Access around 3:45 pm. No trucks at the access and nobody on the lake. As I was getting the car unloaded, a truck showed up pulling a wheeler. It was a group of 3 or 4 that were heading out to the one permanent on the lake. Basically, about 50 to 75 yards out, further than where I usually fish. If they didn't show up, I was planning to drill a series of holes, bit South of the permanent and set up when I saw life. As I was making my way out, they passed me up, and so I audibled to fishing in my normal area about 40 yards to the NW of where the Permanent is sitting. I drilled three holes and got set up. There were fish down there immediately, but I didn't get a bite. I figured there was enough light, so I sent down the Aqua-Vu, and I saw a nice crappie and a couple of good-sized sunfish toward the bottom. A guy with a wheeler headed north and was back off the lake well before I quit. I took a picture of the pink sky after sunset. I got a 7" and a 8" crappie on the pink VMC fly and maggies. I got a few bites on the Glow Demon and Minnow, including the pike after dark; the pike made my night. I tried the baitfeeder rod and caught three crappies on that, including the night's big, 10". I think only one other crappie was 9" or bigger. I think I missed about half of my bites, give or take. It's not like the Vex was lit up and there were a few 10-minute stretches when I wasn't marking anything.

9 Crip 

1 Pike 

Sully Scouting with the Aqua-Vu

  

9:00-10:40 AM Sullivan Lake

24-36℉, Cloudy, 8-25mph

I went to the NW Access in Sullivan. It was about 36 degrees out. I had plenty of water in the Fish Trap, but no way to get it out. I wasted some time trying. I then went over to Jaimen's Corner and drilled holes from deeper to shallower.  I then started in the deepest hole with the Aqua-Vu. I didn't see any life, so I jigged the camera a couple of times on the bottom and that called in a decent-sized walleye. I then scoped the rest of the holes with Aqua Vu. I didn't have any confidence in a single walleye sighting, so I kept covering ground and checking holes with Aqua-Vu. I did that until I started getting cold and the wind came up. With the cold front and heavy winds moving in, I called it a day.  I never did open the rod case to fish. I'm amazed, I only saw one fish. I worked the break and weedline, also the break with rubble.

Blown Off Tonight

 

Where the Trap got blown and my walk back

I didn't get skunked, however.

4:45-5:30 PM Rock Lake My Spot 16'

34-38℉, PC to Cloudy some flurries, 5-25mph W

I ate chicken from the corner and watched the Pack lose, so I got out later than I had planned. I drilled 4 sets of holes. Life was down in the first one so I set up camp. I got one crappie in the first set of holes. I decided to check other holes and didn't think about the wind, so I didn't secure the Trap or ensure the cover was as low as possible. I got three crappies in the second set of holes I went to when a gust got hold of the Trap and blew it straight east to the far shoreline. I ended up with the line on the bobber rod getting broken and a nut that holds the left side of the Trap getting lost. I was quite lucky no rods were broken. I did go back and fish for a bit, but gave up pretty quick.

4Crip 

Platte and The Dog With A Sore Back

 

Old Dog Special

w/waxie for the crappie

Only fish that bit on Platte

7:45-9:15AM 8' out from Platte Access

10:50-11:40AM 29' Holy Family Hole The Dog

32℉, Cloudy, 3-6mph SSE

I wrenched my back, putting the Fish Trap into the KIA. Got a cool pic of the sunrise before I set up. Had something good on right away take the cubby, but didn't get a good hook set, and it came off. Had a few perch and sunfish swim through. Got the pike on a Blade Bait, and that was it for action. Visibility wasn't very good.

1 Pike

There was a guy out fishing when I arrived. The ice was 4' and cracking when I drilled holes. Just a bit unnerving. Didn't mark anything so I just started fishing my holes. Marked a few towards the bottom.  Missed a few bites. I'm rusty, bad hooksets. Landed one crip, and it was time to go. My back was sore all morning.

1 Crip 

Christmas Eve Smackdown On Bulldog

21" THE Jig (Wht/Pink)

10" THE Jig (Wht/Pink)

 4:15-7:15PM Bulldog Lake 29' in front of Holy Family 

30-39℉, PC, 3-12mph NW

I was hoping the Bulldog would be free of people seeing as it was  Christmas Eve. I was not disappointed, nobody was there. I was a little surprised there weren't any new holes in the area, and the ones from yesterday were frozen up enough that I couldn't open them with my body weight. I predrilled the holes from last night. Didn't mark anything for the first 10 minutes after putting the minnow down. About 20-minutes in, the first crappie of the night took a minnow. It was then AWWWWWWWWWWWWN for the next hour or so. I stopped putting a minnow down after 4 or so fish because they were aggressive on THE Jig. I was getting bites immediately every time I dropped. I wasted maybe 10-minutes trying to get a fish on the Slab Rap. After about an hour, it slowed down with fish moving in and out. I landed the pike after a good long fight. The last bite of the night was a pike. I didn't take my time, and it broke me off in the hole. Totally my fault. I left them biting. It was so nice fishing in the Legend XL. I had the Vex up on a bucket and would often stand up pull the transducer out of the hole. then sit down and resume fighting the fish.

29 Crips THE Jig

13 Crips Glow Demon

6 Crips VMC Fly

48 Crips

1 Pike THE Jig

1 Pike Glow Demon

2 Pike

Two Thumbs Up for New Trap and Bibs

Didn't get skunked!

Mucho Leg Room

5:15-6:15PM Platte Lake Public Access

15℉, MC, 0-3mph NW

I got 3lb Suffix put on the Genz rod and got my stuff in the Kia and headed over to the Lake Place to pick up the Fish Trap at 4:15PM. Got the Trap loaded and then realized I didn't take the keys with me. Fortunately, I left the car running. I went and got the keys. I got to the access a little before 5PM. I ended up setting up out a little deeper than I would have preferred. The Fish Trap is taller than I am. Fits all of my stuff just fine. I am impressed. I started with my jacket off and can put it back on while standing upright inside the Trap. The only thing I don't care for is far up off the ice I am sitting, neck and shoulder strain may be a thing. I think I'll try putting a third five-gallon bucket in the trap and try propping up the Vex on that. I need to switch over the rod holders.    

The bib's cell phone pocket is convenient. The full leg zipper is nice.  

I caught the one small crappie and had a few more sniffers.