Evening On Long (Last Second Switch)

10" Glow Demon Spoon/Maki Polli

4:15-6:00PM 33-34' LOng Lake

27-28℉, Cloudy, 10-15mph NW

I was kind of sluggish about getting out due to the wind. I was going to hit Rock, but when I saw no one was fishing Long tonight I turned the truck around at South Platte Lake Drive. When I got to the access on Long there was a truck parked. It was three guys with two rods, a depth finder, and an auger. I went right out to my spot and marked fish, but didn't catch anything and the fish disappeared. I found fish just a little deeper and caught 4 of them. I missed 5 or 6 bites on the Fly. The final fish of the night was the 10" on the Glow Demon Spoon. I caught both bites on the minnow.

4 Crips

 

Ice Fishing (smh)

4:00-5:15PM 34' Long Lake

30℉, PC, 0-3mph E

There were 5 or 6 trucks at the access and they were all at the hole.  I drilled three sets of holes and marked fish in the third set. I caught the one fish of the night there on the VMC Fly. I also missed 5 or 6 bites on the Fly. Didn't set the hook on the minnow, but had a couple fish play with the minnow. I didn't feel like pulling teeth so I pulled the plug early.

1 Crip

 

Forgot The Rods, Snow Sucks, Vikes Lost

 Didn't take any pic's again

4:45-6:00PM 35' about 35' north of my spot

28℉, Cloudy snow, 3-10mph W

Vikes lost to the Bucs because Bailey forgot how to kick. The Refs didn't help either bailing the Bucs out several times. I was pretty salty with how the game turned out. I didn't give the Vikes much of a chance because the Bucs were coming off their bye week. The Vikes actually outplayed TB and deserved to win. Oh well. The Vikes may be able to get in at 8-8, but next week vs. the Bears isn't going to be a gimme.

I went to Bear Trax to pick up more minnows. I took my stuff out of the SUV and then realized I forgot to grab my rod bag. So I called dad to have him bring the rods up. I then walked out to the deep hole. There was a house set up in my spot, so I went about 35' to the North drilled two sets of holes then walked back to meet Dad. He was driving up just as I got to the road. I then walked back. Didn't mark anything where I was sitting. Checked the holes that were a little farther North and there was something there so I quickly moved. Caught 3 on the VMC Fly/maggot and 1 on the Bear Trax Demon/minnow. I think I missed 3 fish on the Demon and 2 on the Fly. Just not many opportunities tonight. There was a lot of junk in the water tonight and I wasn't getting bit so I called it a night early. The snow made getting back to the SUV a PIA. I didn't have any traction and lost one of my ice spikes along the way. I carried the auger and minnows separately from the Fish Trap. I still struggled to pull the Trap, ridiculous. 

4 Crip

4 Crips

Lots of Missed Bites Again Tonight

 No Pic's taken

4:30-6:30PM 33' Same Place as last night.

29℉, Cloudy, 3-4mph W

There was a guy set up in the deep hole. I went straight to yesterday's holes. I think I missed the first 3 bites. fish were on the minnow tonight. They ran on the small side tonight. Kept 4 released 5. Probably missed 12 bites.  I talked to the other guy as he was packing up. He said he lost quite a few halfway up. He had the same AA Jacket as me. Used to have a place on the lake, now lives up in Brainerd. I think I caught one more after he left.

9 Crips 

Missing Bites On Long

7" Tubby Jig/Maggie (Glow)

4:30-6:30PM Long Lake
25℉, Cloudy light snow, 3-8mph SE

I got a later start than I wanted to and then there was a permanent sitting on the spot I fished yesterday.  I eenie meenie minny mo'ed to the area where the house village has been set up in years past rather than going backto Pete's spot.  I didn't mark anything in the four sets of holes I drilled.  I set down the Glow Demon/minnow first.  And fished a pink/white crappie jig with maggie.  Nothing showed up, so I sent down the pink uv Rippin Rap.  That called something in. It bit and I missed it.  Wasted way to much time in this initial set. I think I missed one more bit.  I went through at least 4 more sets of holes working my way West.  I missed at least one bite in all but one set of holes. Didn't get a bite on the minnow/Demon. I came to realize that the pink/white crappie jig didn't glow, so I took that off replacing it with the glow VMC Tubby Jig/maggots.  I missed my first couple of bites before finally connecting with a fish.  I missed two more bites and caught one more around the same size. The interference wasn't as bad and fish were occasionally coming in but I was bored and getting cold so I gave up.   Think I'm going to give Rock Lake a shot tomorrow to see if I can find something there.

Two Crappie On Long Tonight

10" Glow Demon/minnow

4:45-6:00PM Long Lake
20℉, Partly Cloudy, 0-4 NW

When I arrived at the access there was nobody on the lake.  I went to a spot about 100 yards North of where I fished with Pete.  There were numerous holes drilled in this area.  I drilled 3 sets of holes.  On my way back to the original set I noticed that an old hole looked freshly frozen over.  I stuck the Ion on it and immediately broke through.  I went on to find at least 10 such holes.  They must have left shortly before I arrived.  Suspended fish showed up in multiple holes including the first set I drilled, so that is where I put my minnow down.  Wouldn't you know it the fish disappeared when I put my VMC Fly/Jamei/Maggie down.  I was just about to move when the 10" came and took the Demon/minnow.  I had a few fish pick at the minnow and sniff at the Fly.  It got dark and stuff started coming up off the bottom. I switched to a different set of holes.  I caught 1 small 5.5" crappie on the Demon Minnow.  Had a few other sniffers.  The interference got thick and I was bored, so I packed up at 6PM.  Maybe it's a day bite? the water was 36'-38'.

Long Lake With Pete

8" VMC Fly/Jamei/Wax

4:00-6:00PM Long Lake P30'
20-18℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-6mph NW

Headed to Long Lake with Pete on Don's recommendation.  There were two port's along the western edge of the hole.  Pete took us just little ways south of the southernmost house.  We talked to that guy and he said he got one small pike.  He drilled about 10 holes in a circle 4-5" of ice.  He lost a good fish right away.  Pete caught the first crappie at about 4:45PM.  I had my line get tangled up on my spring bobber.  Had to break it off. Lost the No-Knot Snap on the ice.  The other guy left and the farther North guy came to see if we had a phone.  I forgot mine and Pete didn't have service.  I had a good mark move in while we were talking with the guy.  He left.  I got a couple 8-inchers on the VMC Fly/Jamei/Wax Worm.  Pete ended up keeping 5 and releasing 1.

2 Crip
6 Crip Pete

Long Shot, Not Much Happening

10" VMC Fly/maggot

5:30-6:40 Long Lake
Conditions: 15-10℉, Partly Cloudy, Light NW Wind
Depth: 32' fish marked about 1/2 way up.

I slept way in today.  I didn't get headed out until right around 5PM.  Word on Long is that the fishing hasn't been any good.  There was only 1 house on the lake.  I went to the area where houses had been.  I drilled single holes.  I spotted fish in a couple of them, but they quickly swam off.  Eventually I did a few more holes.  Nothing.  I spotted a fish in one of my first four holes, so I put in a second hole and did one more set.  I caught the fish in the first of those two sets.  I also missed one other fish that came through.  I don't know if I will go back or not.

1 Crappie

Good Night on Long

9" on T.H.E. Jig and a waxie

2:30-5:30PM
30 degrees breezy out of the SW and cloudy

The fish were finicky at first but turned on for about half an hour from 4:15 to 4:45.  I caught about equal numbers on T.H.E. Jig and waxie and a Glow Demon with a minnow.  I think I drilled 6 sets of holes in a line from east to west.  I didn't mark anything in the two most east holes.  I caught the most fish in the 4th hole.  I did try hole hopping outside of the Fish Trap, but the wind made that uncomfortable.  The fish were either under 8 inches or between 9 and 10 with one exception.  There were 6 or 7 other groups out fishing.  I was to the South of the permanent fish shack.  I did have to turn the heater on around 4:00.  The fish were caught between 22' to 26' in about 31' of water.

17 Crappies.

Long Again

8.5" on T.H.E. Jig and a waxie

2:30-6:30PM
Colder today 21 degrees, Windy out of the North, cloudy, it snowed for a bit

I drilled 4 sets of holes on a line from East to West and started approximately where I ended last night at the eastern most holes.  I couldn't see where any of yesterday's holes were.  I got 4 quick fish on the Demon and a minnow.  The fish were smaller than what I got yesterday.  After the first 4 the crappies got fussy.  I finally got T.H.E. Jig and a Waxie down and got 3 on that.  I wish I had drilled more holes when I first started because when I went to drill again I couldn't get the throttle to work, so I couldn't drill any more holes.  I ended up getting two more after dark on the Demon and a minnow.  The fish just weren't as aggressive as yesterday and I marked far less of them.

9 Crappies 7-9.25"

Long Lake

11.25" on T.H.E. Jig and Waxies

2:45-5:45PM
33 degrees Light rain and sleet Windy out of the N NW
20-25' over 31' of water

A little better size than Bulldog.  Got several in the 9.5" range and the 11.25" which was the biggest.  The rain and wind made hole hopping difficult.  I caught my first 14 on T.H.E. Jig's with waxies and the last 7 on a Glow Demon with a minnow.

21 Crappies