Back on Rock After A Week of Cold Weather

6.5" VMC Tubby Jig w/maggies

4:00-7:30PM
Conditions:  Partly sunny turning cloudy, wind out of the SSW diminishing, temps right around freezing.

I got out a little later than I wanted.  The fish weren't out where I had been getting them.  So I drilled a couple of holes to the South in approximately the same depth.  First hole I started getting some sunfish and a crappie, so I drilled a second hole for a minnow and the fish left.  I went to the farthest hole South and they were there.  I pulled up a bunch of sunnies and a few crappies, so I drilled a second hole.  The fish stayed this time and I didn't move from there.  I started getting some crappies on a minnow, then I got a bullhead.  Action slowed by 6PM.  I stayed until 7:30 trying to catch what were probably turned off sunfish.  They would bite occasionally, but I could't hook them.  My biggest crappie of the night was 10 inches on the VMC with maggots.  All fish released.

6.5" VMC w/maggies

9" VMC Tubby Jig w/maggies

Same fish in first picture

10.5" Glow Demon w/minnow

 20 Sunfish
10 Crappies
1 Bullhead

Back At Rock This Morning

9" VMC Tubby Jig w/maggies

7:00-11:00AM
Conditions: Temps 35 going up to 37, cloudy, windy out of the West

Since the temps were above freezing and it's gonna get cold I decided to hit Rock again.  I started in a set of three holes somebody drilled yesterday.  I got one crappie there.  Next I went to the holes I fished out of last night.  I called the fish in with a Rippin' Rap and then but the VMC Jig down and I caught a mixed bag of crappies, but mostly sunfish, most of which were 5-6 inches.  I got maybe 3 that were 7".  I also got 1 perch.

6.5" VMC Jig

4" VMC Jig

Around 9:30 the fish stopped coming in.  I went and drilled some holes along the reed line in about 10 feet.  I got perch in all of them and 1 sunfish.  No sign of bass or Pike.  I brought the camera but didn't use it.  It started snowing and the wind picked up even more than it had been blowing, so I quit at 11AM.  All my fish were on the VMC with maggots.

29 Sunfish
7 Crappies
7 Perch

Ice Fishing in February...

Something I didn't do last year.

20.5" VMC Tubby Jig w/maggies and Gulp Minnow

4:15-9:15PM
Conditions: Temp 33 degrees, mostly cloudy to cloudy, some sleet, windy out of the South

I got out a little later than I would have liked.  I picked up some minnows at Bear Trax and drove out onto the ice.  Someone had been fishing in my area earlier in the day, but was gone by the time I got there.  I drilled a couple holes in 16 feet.  Then drilled holes up by the maidencaine.  I didn't bring the camera with me.  Going shallow was a waste.  At about 5:15PM I went to the deeper holes and spent the rest of my night there.  I caught a crappie first on the VMC Tubby Jig with maggots and Gulp Minnow.

8.5" VMC Tubby Jig

  Then I got the pike.  Then it was crappies coming in pretty consistently on the VMC Jig.  I had a couple of minnows stolen before I got any crappies on them.  It started sleeting around 6:30PM so I put the ION in the truck.  I had a mark come through at about 8 feet.  I thought it was going to be a bullhead, but it was this chub of a sunfish.

Almost 8" VMC Jig

The minnow got hot and I landed the biggest crappie of the night on it.

10.5" Glow Demon w/minnow

I ended up with 10 crappies on the Glow Demon with a minnow and 13 on the VMC with maggies.  Most fish were right about 9 inches with one potato chip.  I may get out before sunrise tomorrow.

23 Crappies
1 Sunfish
1 Pike

No Bass Seen at Rock Today

6.75" VMC Tubby Jig w/maggots and Gulp Minnow

3:15-8:05PM
Conditions: Sunny and warm light winds out of the W, temps 38-27

Today my quest was to find a largemouth.  I failed at that.  I did see one pike on the Aqua View along with some perch and a couple sunfish, one of which I caught.  At about 5:15PM I went out to my sunfish hole and got a few on the VMC Jig.  Eventually some crappies moved in and I got 8 of those;  None went 10".  The crappies were fairly aggressive so I caught most of the fish I marked.  I got 3 on minnows and didn't take any pictures of the crappies.

5 Sunfish
8 Crappies

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

Quality Panfish at Rock Lake???

11" Glow Demon w/minnow

9" Tungsten Jig w/waxie

6" Glow Demon

4:25-7:25PM
Conditions: Sunny, Cooler than yesterday 25-21 degrees, light wind out of the South

I got out a bit later than I wanted thanks to having to take Dad into Pierz.  When I arrived at my spot the fish were there and active.  I kept having the waxies get bit off the Tungsten.  I did catch the one big sunfish.  The Glow Demon with a minnow was what was bringing in a bunch of 8.5" crappies.  I got the one perch.  Then the action slowed by 5:30.  I picked up a few more after dark mostly on the minnows.  I missed a bunch of bites as well.  I got a 12"er and 11", which I kept.  I think I only got 3 nine inchers.

17 Crappies
1 Sunfish
1 Perch

4 Species For My Birthday On Rock

10" Glow Demon w/waxies

23" Tungsten Jig w/waxie 

8" Glow Demon w/waxies

5" Tungsten w/waxies

2:30-6:15PM
Conditions: Partly to mostly sunny, less wind than yesterday out of the West, 31-28

I got out earlier today hoping to use the Aqua View.  There was no fish where I had visibility and not enough visibility where there was fish.  I started where I got my fish yesterday.  There was nothing doing.  I moved a little shallower and there were perch there stealing my waxies.  I did catch one.  At 4 I went back to last nights holes and some sunfish moved in.  Then I got the pike.  Then crappies moved in.  I got 4 that were 10"ers.  Last fish of the night was a sunny.

1st Sunfish on the Tungsten Jig w/waxies

1 Pike
1 Perch
8 Sunfish
13 Crappies

1st Fish of 2016 Rock Lake

5.5" Glow Demon w/wax worms

3:30-6:30PM
Conditions:  Sunny, wind out of the WNW, 32-26 degrees

Yesterday I went and got water for my minnows at Rock Lake and people were running wheelers on the lake, so I knew it was safe.  Today I got out and there was no one in my area but there had been a spear house there recently and somebody had drilled holes I was able to kick in.  I ended up drilling two additional holes.  First 5 fish were sunnies, the biggest was 7.75" out of about 15'.

7.75" Demon w/waxies

Then I got my first of 5 crappies.

9.5" Glow Demon w/waxies

  They were all the same size as the ones I got last year 8.5-9.5".  I ended up with 8 sunnies.  I missed a couple on minnows.

8 Sunfish
5 Crappies