Decided to head up to Pineview for a “first ice of year” fishing trip with Tracy “Edjukateer”.  We were on the ice about 9:30 a.m. and this is what the lake looked like from the boat ramp.

There were a half dozen or so people fishing in and around the boat docks, but no body anywhere else.  We walked that direction and talked with one guy who had been on the lake for some time.  He had drilled a lot of holes and said the ice was a good 5 inches thick.  Lots of fish showing on his fish finder but none taking any bait.  We decided maybe we should fish in shallower water and so we went down the bank and toward the shore.

Fished there for awhile, no bites.  Moved out, no bites.  Moved to the other side of the docks, no bites.  We decided to try one more place.  Just out from a point of land to the South of the docks.  The ice was crystal clear.  Looking down into the water below our feet you could see the brush and moss growing on everything.  There were places where you had nothing to reference how thick the ice was.  No bubbles frozen in down at the bottom of the ice.  Nothing on top except smooth slick ice on top.  It looked like you were going to step right off into 10 feet deep of water.  The very weirdest thing I think I have ever experienced.

We drilled a “test hole” to see how thick the ice was.  Still a good 4 inches, but that did not change the strange feelings we both had about being on that ice.  We slid ourselves out a few more steps and then the ice cracked around us like it was going to drop us into the drink!  We both took quick deep breaths so that when our heads went under we would have some breath in us in order to swim to the surface.  But we did not break through.  Instead we decided to drill a couple of holes right there and do some fishing.  A solid 4 inches of crystal clear thick ice was under us.  The safest ice God makes.

I lost a blade on my ice auger when I drilled my hole and we had to put on new blades.  We fished for maybe another 15 minutes and the sounds the lake was making caused us both quite a bit of anxiety.  I said out loud, “Keep convincing yourself that these sounds are those of ice being made”.  The lake moaned and growned and popped and crackled and some of the cracking went clear across the lake like cracking thunder…..We decide to go somewhere else and not on that lake either.  We headed for Causey Dam.

Knowing the fishing reports for Causey were for slow fishing.  It could not be slower than that at Pineview and we also knew that the ice on Causey was close to 10 inches thick.  Just right for driving “your” truck onto safely.  Notice I said “your truck”, not mine.

We got there around 1 p.m. and scooted down the bank with the bare essentials.   An ice auger, our buckets, bait and a drink or two.  We used some holes that other folks had drilled earlier.  We quickly found the water to be about 20 feet deep below us and that should do for trout.

Dropping the lines down we used small pieces of fresh shrimp for bait and we waited for a bite.  A long time coming but finally my pole started showing signs of a water inhabitant trying to get my bait off the hook.  I set it and it pulled really hard.  A nice fish was on.  It took awhile to get him in and onto the ice, but it was the first every Tiger Trout I had ever caught.

What a beautiful fish.  Notice the hat is off and my bibs are zipped down.  It was a very nice, warm winter day.  Too much for all the warm clothes.

It wasn’t long before Edjukateer changed up his bait and put on a “fairly fresh” minnow and dropped it down.  BAM!  He had a nice bite but missed the fish.  Dropping down again and in short order another bite.  This one softer, but still the indicator that a fish was very interested in his minnow.  BAM!  Fish on!  And another Tiger Trout came to the ice.  Good job Edjuakteer!

We stayed a couple more hours but did not have another bite.  We left the lake about 3:30 and headed home.  A great day to be out fishing!

Bears Butt

Dec. 2011