Hi Folks, It has been nice getting on the ice once again. Weird winter with mild temperatures and not a lot of snow. I found 3” to 4” of solid black ice over the weekend. Only suitable for foot travel. All safety gear should be worn and used currently. I would not recommend venturing onto ice you are not familiar with. At the very least go with a friend and employ the buddy system. We have had a few cold nights and days so the ice should continue to thicken. Had a nice day catching some large yellow perch and largemouth bass. Lost a good northern pike that straightened a swivel. The pike ate a 10” perch set under a tip up. All of the perch were caught on a drop off in 12’ of water. Located the bass in shallower water over old weed beds. The fish appeared suspended over the weeds at I set the shiners on tip ups just 4’ under the ice while the depth was was 5-7’. The perch liked a fire tiger Hali Jig tipped with maggots worked aggressively two turns off the bottom. Trout season opens this weekend but I’m not confident of ice conditions until I check personally. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy
