Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Fishing 2013

Excellent, stargazer. Thanks for sharing!

Got out for a little while late this afternoon.....nothing special, but it sure felt good....first iced fish in two years.

Nice pile of gills! Never iced fish but sounds like a blast.

Sprkplug scores again! Man, you're a fishing machine!

I'm impressed with this fish on several levels. When I grew up, we were told that yellow perch weren't a viable option in SE Nebraska. We were also told that they wouldn't grow big around here.

Well, this fish blows those notions "out of the water", so to speak. Keep up the good work, TJ.

Well done...and I don't see a single GSF trait. Different pond?

Good point. What's the scoop? Will we be seeing ice fishing pictures of BG X RES hybrids?

Anything will grow big over time, as long as it's not crowded and well fed! YP are very active in cold water. It's one of few fish species that keeps me busy during the winter months. I can see them doing very well in Nebraska.

Sprkplug, how thick was the ice?

No GSF genes here...these fish came from pond #6, which is ummanaged and unfed. I wanted to hit the HBG pond, but the shallow water diffusers have about 1/3 of it open, and my nerve is not what it used to be!

That's why I was fishing the big pond...you can't tell it from the photo, but I'm fishing from a Jonboat that always sets on the shore of #6...I shoved it out on the ice as a safety platform. In essence, my lack of confidence in the ice dictated my location.

The BG x RES hybrids come primarily from pond #3, I'll see if I can hit it today.

I had about 2" right offshore, with an inch of that being good ice, and the rest junk. Out in deeper water, I had an inch of junk on top of 2.5" of good clear ice...probably could've walked it, but I fish alone so I stayed in the jonboat....may be braver today.

Tony please post some BRES photos as soon as the ice allows...I bet they are beautiful in clear cold water. If you go out in the john boat don't forget to tie off to someone on the shore or you'll be stuck out there - albeit dry. Who has the guts to step on surrounding ice that just gave way to the boat? Not me. They'd have to ferry food and water to me until the Spring thaw.

TJ, I did the same thing and used an ice spud to propel the boat along on the surface of the ice while standing in the stern. Worked great and I was catching fish when nobody else could get out on the ice. I was roughly 500 feet from shore to get to the good spot.

TJ, I will make an effort to catch a few BG x RES and post some photos. I tried for some today, but couldn't reach the spot I intended to fish, that being deep water about 50' off the dam.

Yeah, I learned that rope thing a few years ago myself....kinda sticks with a fellow after you experience it once. I tied off to a tree both days this weekend. And Scott's right about propelling the boat, except I no longer stand up and push off with my spud...... it works great until you get up a good head of steam and hit some snow on the ice...that's like slamming on the disc brakes for a jonboat,and you fly over the bench seat and crash into the bottom of the boat, damaging a lot of equipment....some of it anatomical in nature.

(That's why I couldn't reach the hybrid spot...too much snow on the thin ice.)

Well, these aren't very big, and they're not the prettiest fish in the world, but it was sure fun to tangle with some Iowa 'gills.

I had the privilege of using a new ice fishing bucket system. All those pockets, bells, whistles....

Anyway, both fish ran around 8 3/4 inches.

Aahhhh........I love it when my stress level melts quicker than the ice.....

Did you borrow those from me?

No, if I did they would have been much bigger!

These were two of the four I got next to that one tree in about two minutes. My one and only "flurry".

Are you showing us a new flossing technique?

Twice a day every day!

Condello and I had a good day, lots of BG up to 9.5" and a few decent BC. Beautiful day, light winds, not a cloud in the sky and mid 30s and fished with a bunch of great guys on brand new water.

I was bummed all day for missing out this morning, but feel good you guys got on to some fish.

And love the hat Bruce!

Picture of my Daughter and I ice fishing earlier this year!
She is a trooper!

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/12090_4555339114102_2110662473_n.jpg

Nice fish guys!!

I am headed to Wyoming fishing this weekend, ought to be fun!!

Bruce, give me more details on that bucket....looks sweet.

Scott and Tony, for very thin ice, my brothers and I have an old flat bottom we used to each grab one side of to displace our weight and then scurry out to our ice fishing spots and then hop in to fish...2 inches of ice no problem for us with that technique, but its been a few years for it...

I havent been near puter for a few days, but now finally have my first ice fishing report. GREAT FISH this year so far! Except TJ you get an F for not posting any pics with your last fishing report update...as far as this post is concerned no photos and it simply didnt happen, you were dreaming....