Panfish Frenzy...1/28/12

Got out to a local lake Saturday morning with My buddies, Chris, and Adam. We got out early and got set up on a mid lake flat with a break to shallow water near. Right away we started snapping fish but they were all smaller than we were looking for. After about a half hour Chris and I took out some aggression on the lake with our augers and found fish up shallower in about 23'.







Chris kept drilling some more and I found a hole and hunkered down. Right away I found more bluegills but again small fish. After about ten minutes Chris started checking the fresh holes and was marking fish. within minutes he shouted over for me to open my shack door. He was holding a gill that was about 7-8" and said he was marking more. He went to grab Adam and his Otter while I hopped around a bit more. I finally set up about 10 feet behind them in my scout and went to work. First fish out of the hole was a decent 10" crappie. For the next two hours it was non stop action.  Chris got on the board right away as well with a nice little bass that put up a good fight.
Between 12 and 1 we did encounter a Lull it was as they just werent hungry anymore.

Now onto some other fun stuff, Ive been busy in the rod shop building some pretty cool fun rods one of which was a Red, White, and Blue rod that I built for a former classmate.  This rod was alot of fun to build just for the fact that it was something different from the solid Blues, and Blacks that I normally get requests for lol.

I also did some testing on a Prototype blank that I hope to make available next winter as a Production rod. I was able to test it out on the ice saturday and liked how it felt. I look forward to getting more time with it and working out all the kinks!

Until later, Tight lines. Looks like we have a warm up coming and everyone needs to slow down and be safe out there!

Perch!

12" Cutting Board.

Well Friday marked what will most likely be my last day on the ice for the next week or so.
I had received yet another "hot" tip on a perch and walleye bite on a local lake. So I gave my brother Joe a call and asked if he was in? Now due to the High temps and winds the last few days he was skeptical to the ice conditions and a first hesitated, which I understand, but after a little chatting back and fourth he went for it.

Now I was skeptical as well so on the way to drop zoey off at her grandparents, we decided to make a detour to the lake we planned on hitting. When we got to the landing there was a few wheelers and even a small truck parked on the lake.  We got out and walked to an open hole and checked the thickness, 7-8 inches, Good to go.

I dropped Zoey off and headed to get bait and wait for Joe, About 15 minutes later we were at the landing getting ready to head out. We set up on the deeper side of a break starting at about 10 foot and dumping down into an inside turn that was 18 foot. Right away we marked fish. I dropped down my bobber rig and then went for the jigging rod. First drop, about 30 seconds of jigging and I hooked a perch. Sweet! So we had fish in our holes, and were having fun talking. Joe and I both ended up catching fish on the new Lindy Bug, and Lindy toad, I cant say enough about how nice the new Lindy jigs are! If your in the bait shop and are buying jigs pick up an assortment of them. I have not used any other jig on my rods this year!

From the time we got to the lake til about 3 hours later the action was pretty much non stop, but about 3:30 the bite just stopped.....Nothing. We waited till about 4:00 Jumping from hole to hole trying but came up empty and decided to head out. 

So look for reports in the next week or so from the rod shop but Hopefully I can find an hour or so to sneak out!

Tight lines,

EK

Today was Humbling to say the least, I hit a local lake that Is a no fail lake, I only wanted to be out for a few hours. On my way to the lake I drove by an area that has been great for pig gills for me in the past and noticed there was no one around, Only trouble is its a long, long, walk to the spot, I figured eh, what the heck, why not. I get to the landing look around there is a few people out, suns coming over the horizon and just a crisp cold feeling in the air. I grab my gear and Head out.

By the time I got to my spot I look at the GPS an notice it was a 1.4 mile walk lol. One way......For me thats saying dedication. Take a minute to breathe, get to work punching holes. I set up on a weed bed that was about 100 yards in wither direction and drilled about 40 holes. Checked every hole......NOTHING......By the time I had checked all my holes and fished a few I had already killed an hour.

I moved about 150 yards to the shoreline and start drilling out some areas of the seeds that had holes in them. This time I ended up with one gill that came in at 6 1/2", and 4 10-11 inch crappies...I packed up and headed back up the lake.

Finally Got back to the other end and decided to check a rock pile out. The pile measures about 20 foot by 10 foot and starts at 5 feet deep going down to 10 feet on either side. 25 holes later I get out the vex. Found em......sort of.......Gills but not the gills I was after. Either way when I did find them

they were aggressive.

The last thing I wanna talk about is gear, Today And yesterday (waiting for the video to finish getting edited before adding an entry) I used a couple graphite rods, normally Im a Powernoodle, See the bite type of guy. But the graphite rods are amazing! Lindy bug's and Toad's, New this year, Have been Lights out in the green black color for me, I havent been to a lake yet that they didnt catch fish. Also yesterday I tried out a slender spoon (another thing I have had Limited success with in the past) and that was awesome as well
so I guess you could say that this guy has some new tricks, the sensitivity of the new graphite rods is nothing short of amazing compared to years past, so get on out there and get your hands on one!

Tight lines guys!

Part 2 of 12/24 and 12/26 report

Onto part two! I had been chatting back and fourth with Travis Kratcha on facebook all fall trying to set up an Ice outing with him. We finally connected on 12/26. We hit a local lake that is supposed to have some big crappies in it. We set it up the night before and agreed to meet at the landing of said lake at 11:00, Oops I think I got there at 11:15 or so and headed out onto the Ice. Made it out about 100 yards to where Travis was fishing and chatted a bit with him.

He had drilled a few holes and nailed some gills right off the bat, Nothing huge but some decent "eaters", I flipped on the vex and went hopping around, every hole had fish, all bluegills. I got down to it and was catching fish as well. I looked over my shoulder and Travis shouted that he had a crappie, This got me excited, My neighbor has a couple crappies from this lake hanging on the wall of his house...About five minutes later he stated that he couldnt believe that was a rogue crappie. I moved to a new hole and marked a fish suspended off bottom, dropped down, Bam! 11 incher! I laughed and said, it wasnt alone......Or so we thought, that was the only two crappies caught all day, nothing but gills, for me the rest of the day but Travis hooked into a small walleye later in the day.....

I look forward to more adventures with Mr. Kratcha! It was a fun day on the lake getting to know him a little bit.

Tight lines!

12/23 and 12/26 Last trips of 2011

Thursday morning a few buddies and I decided to hit some new water, we got to the lake and headed out on foot, We were on a rice county lake looking for anything that would bite. I had gotten a lead on a good spot from a buddy who's parents live on the lake. After checking the ice a few times because it was so clear you couldnt tell the thickness, we started setting up. I had drilled a circle of holes and was checking them when I called my buddy Chris over to look at a return that was showing up on my vex. Within seconds of him walking over his Otter caught the wind and took off across the lake by itself. Chris and Another buddies dad took off after it while Adam and myself stayed behind to make sure we didnt lose anything else to the wind.

After that whole thing was over we decided to get around the point and out of the wind, Wise decision......We set up and fished a grid of about 30 holes the rest of the day. Chris and I hole hopped catching mediocre perch (6-9" ers), While Adam and his dad stayed in Chris's Otter.

We hung out and BS'ed till lunch when Adam and Chris grilled brats on the ice...then fished some more. I hung out till about 3 pm and headed out while they stayed and checked out the night bite....