Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Ice Fishing 2011 - 2012

According to the stick, the females of all species are full of eggs. There should be plenty of new forage when the water warms and all those eggs get fertilized.

Have pinned down two spots in Bremer Pond where there is a very large NP living. Lots of long runs, fighting, and bite offs this year. The trick is to hook them with my 4 lb line in a spot where their nasty teeth aren't rubbing on the line, and keeping them out of the structure piles. I am still working on it.

February and early march here in the shallow backwaters we slam them, tons of fun and good to eat out of the still very cold water.

Have you tried fluorocarbon fishing line?

Yes I have. It is the challenge of the light line I like. I could go to heavy line and a quick strike rig and get one of those NP for a picture, but it would not be the same.

What about a light weight braided (say 10#) 6"-10" leader then your 4# line?

That could be worth a try. Certain instances I have seen the NP teeth go through braid too. We are going to get a blizzard here tomorrow and off and on over the weekend. I think it will be a while before I get back out.

Real Ice-Fishing Men will fish right through a wussie Blizzard.

If you've got the shanty, then the blizzard shouldn't matter. It's when you are sitting on a bucket that it gets interesting!

Bring enough food, drink and fuel, get in there before it hits and leave after it's over with. Fish bite best before a storm anyway!

You guys are nuts!

In my younger days yes. Now as Sunil says, I am a wussie. Got to agree that the fish would be biting. Probably have to go outside the shack just to get a bait on.

stick, you're not a wussie! The Blizzard is the subject wussie.

Now, Dwight is a bit of a wussie.

Sort of like messin' with the Sasquatch.

Are you coming to PB-V?

You better start working out...

I'll take that as a 'yes!'

Mike and the stick were ice fishing yesterday. These are the keepers:


They also caught the usual LMB that were released and a surprise SMB (5"). The SMB is assumed to be from last fall's stocking. If so it has been growing even in the winter as the stockers were all 3.5 inches or less.

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How about a Hamm's to go with the fish ?

Hamm's beer has become the stick's "day beer" (Sunil terminology).

Hamm's, first brewed in Minnesota in 1865, is America's classic beer. Hamm's is brewed using the purest water and the choicest barley malt, grain and hops. The beer that is "Born in the Land of Sky Blue Waters" is available in select states and is now brewed by MillerCoors.

More Information

Nutritional Information:
4.70 percent alcohol by volume. 144 calories per 12-ounce serving.

Classic Dwight! I rediscovered Hamm's about 3 years ago.

I would like to add to Dwight's analysis....

It's GOOD and tastes like Beer should. Not some watered down "keep the little woman happy" kind of beer.Nor is it brewed for playing volleyball at the beach.You can see that it is brewed with the outdoorsman in mind, hence the similarity of the pictures with the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Real men are not afraid to crack open an ice cold Hamm's.

Excellent news on the SMB find...escaped predation to this point let's hope he packs on the weight and gets to 12" ASAP!

Suspended ice fishing efforts for the year. I don't know the totals on fish removed and eaten, but no 40"+ NP. Had one of those big ones on several times this season, but fished tighter to Dwight's structure units, so they either bit me off or tangled. Next year.

Dwight, Thanks for all the fun!!!

Fun job well done! I kept track of the fish you kept based on your email and photo reports. GSf:9, YP:28, BG:36, BCP:79.

A valiant effort on culling the Black Crappie!

I feel the jab.

A "cull" refers to a specimen that has been removed due to an imperfection. This is much the same as banishing a twerp from a group of more normal humans.

A valiant effort at reducing fish biomass providing increased headroom for the WE and SMB stocked in the fall.