Home Forums Fishing Freshwater 2022/2023 Hardwater started

Love my 550 fan !

We did okay, at least the ice was pretty good from this cold spell after the warm weather we've been having. Gill, some Crappie and some pretty good sized Perch came up through the ice. But it only lasted a couple days, got warm again. Made it out this past Monday and by the time we came in, the ice was like walking on a trampoline and I was hoping I wouldn't be field testing my flotation suit! I managed enough fish for a nice fish fry (working on pictures) but it looks like the ice fishing "season" is over around here for now, 40° and rain takes care of ice pretty fast.

Just let my 550 fan RMK go. Super sled, the guy is very happy with it.

Osky

Been pretty dry for me here in southern Wi but I was able to get this pike yesterday and made some tacos.

Right on Mate !

Pretty good day on the ice for Doug, Joe & I.

3 limits of crappie (30) & some bonus perch.

Good size too !

How thick is the ice Paul?

About 2' +, Richard.

I got out on Sunday with my buddy. We were targeting cisco in an 80' basin where we occasionally pick up a walleye. We both caught a bunch of cisco and he got a 22" walleye, while I lost a really nice walleye in the 26-28 inch range at the hole after bringinghim up from around75' down. What a heart breaker.

Bummer Scott, but a good day, on the cisco !

Season is over here... this winter has been freakishly warm. Local ice was all completely gone by the end of last week, and it has been in the 50s every day since Friday. ☹️

Last Saturday we had some Wisconsin surf n turf for dinner. Grilled up some venison back straps and a nice Northern we puled up through the ice in the Sturgeon Bay, WI area (sorry, no pictures, was too busy eatin!). No more ice here in NE IL, as zcm82 said, been warm, windy and rainy.

Got after them again, Saturday.

Joe & I only, so limit was 20. Way slower than last week, 20 took 4 hours.

Largest crappie was 13.5".

2 Bonus perch & 1 walleye.

I about got blowed off of Clark canyon resivoir in my otter lodge.

Only caught one burbot.

I saw a bunch of “ bugs” in the water.

A person next to my house caught 4 rainbows during the day.

He said 17 swam by

He claims the more you jig/ flash/ colors the more the fish scurry away.

6 pound test, plain hook, 1/4 a night crawler, no weight, no swivel.

Just leave it be.

I better bring a book to read if I go again.

Just think how small your tackle box could become?

Sunday was supposed to be the calmer of the 2 days over the past weekend. I determined that was a lie, but went out on my local lake anyway.

Gusts of 30+ made it rough to set up my hub, but the sunshine and 40⁰F temps made it more bearable. I didn't find any walleye or crappie, but did get a couple pike, including a PB that I failed to get pictures of before I released it.

I did get a fun picture of a pike staring at my underwater camera and another colorful pic of a smaller pike that got a mouthful of Rippin'Rap.

Yeah, it was windy !!!

About 3 hours in, I was ruing the decision to not put the sleigh tent up !!

In my defense, I figured we'd be done in 2 hours, like last weekend !

Joe, Doug & I headed out on Eagle lake, on Saturday, & we got 12 walleye (3 person limit);



Joe & I got 20 crappie (2 person limit), 3 walleye & a perch, on Sunday;



Tempura battered crappie;

Walleye and pike season ended last Wednesday, but my buddy and I hate to let go of a good thing, so we were out again today, chasing cisco. They're considered bait/forage fish by the state and trash by many fishermen, but we have a blast fishing for them, and they're not bad eating, being in the whitefish family.

Today I was trying out my first self-built custom rod, and I was happy to catch a bunch of fish on it. It handled the fish well, and it was fun to catch fish on the equivalent to a successful hunt with a gun or ammo you built yourself.

The short winter fishing season is winding down, but I think another trip or 2 can still be had, then it's time for the long rods.

Always fun catching fish on stuff you make. Even the small ones. Looks like the weather is holding out to still have ice for ya. No ice in my neck of the woods it was warmer last month for us. Just starting to get the gear ready for opening day of trout then to Muskie.

What region are you in SL?

I've never really targeted muskie, but I guess I should. There's plenty of opportunity around me for catching them.

We might get 1 more weekend on the ice, which is good, because I need to get some Sta-bil in the tank of my snowmobile and get it sloshed around before putting it away for the year.

I was hoping to do that today, but the wind is even worse today than it was yesterday. Hopefully I can get out next weekend and run the machine around a bit and maybe see if I can find the small population of crappie that inhabit this lake. That would put the icing on the 2022/2023 ice season.