Still Fishin'

[rufus]

I love to ice fish and I am missing it somewhat, but I do not own a 21 foot Triton to sit in the garage and look pretty all winter if the water is open (especially since there is no bass season in Indiana ). I work for a school so it was a very nice christmas break. The boat has been out at least 5 times in the last week and a half. I had an unfortunate bout with the wonderful lower intestinal flu that lasted 4 days, but I could not let that stop me from getting out on the lake. Last Thursday (Dec.29th) I got out after work for about an hour and a half, but only one walleye was put in the boat and one other was lost. Friday I got out about 11am and made a 45 minute trip to Shipshewana Lake, but only got about 25 minutes of fishing in before the illness hit me and I had to run to the local BP . I purchased a few pills and headed to a small lake called Emma Lake. I was able to last an hour here and was able to put 3 keepers and one short in the boat before I had to quickly pull out and once again visit a close gas station . I thought it may be better to get closer to home so I hit the Golden chain for about an hour and a half where I never got a bite (very unusual for this chain with a blade bait in the winter). Saturday was way too nice, but I felt terrible so I called my father-in-law so he could be the captain of the boat and I would just sit in back and attempt to fish. He was hungry so we went after bluegills on Lake James, but after seeing a huge school of crappies we changed our plan. We were able to fill the livewell with them after taking about an hour of figuring out what they wanted. They were all caught sight fishing with small white flies, it was a blast. My six year old son went and he was able to catch his largest crappie yet at 12 inches. They were grouped up in some dock posts in 7 feet of water along with the absolute largest school of bass I have ever seen in Indiana. The bass were just under the crappie and I am not kidding when I say there were at least 200 of them and over half were keepers with several pushing 6 pounds. We went back out again after the crappies yesterday but mixed it up by catching a few bass, they were just too tempting laying under those crappies. I was unfortunatley too ill to have our little quarter nickle tourneys, but the way the weather looks I should have a more interesting report by next weekend. God Bless and Good Fishing everyone!

[djkimmel]

5 yard inadvertent penalty for reminding us Michiganders once again that you don't have a closed season!!!

I was going to give the 15-yarder, but I have sympathy for your flu problems seeing how I'm still not full recovered from this weirdness that started the day before Thanksgiving.

I'm jealous too!

[Duke]

I'm jealous too!

Uh... duh. (sorry Dan)

Hopefully, you're feeling better now. I also have gotten out on the water some and its been awesome; the experience, not the bite; the bite has sucked. I go back to school Friday and then my fun is over. I'll be stuck to weekends if weather permitting. Its exciting to hear fish stories this time of year though!

[canvsbk]

You guys can keep that flu stuff to yourselves...sorry about your luck, hope all is better now.
I miss the ice fishing more than I probably should, there's still time though.
I've heard walleyes @ Berrien, perch @ Diamond and walleyes @ Maggies.
You fellas enjoy yourselves while the rest of us slave away like indentured servants...
Keep those reports coming!!