Been ice fishing on the muddy the past few weeks just outside of scenic and have been catching loads of small pike on just tips ups and smelt. Mostly less than 5 lbs. Water was about 6 to 8 ft deep with close to 20 inches of ice.
Started January 22nd till post date
Finally got to ice fish so let’s dive into info.
Long Creek: I finally know how to fish that place. The old river channel runs just past the opening and you want to line up along it for walleye. Pike move into the 14 foot flats at the opening of the bay. Got some fish to boot!
Trenton: annoyingly slow. Talked to peeps who have been doing well, apparently I need to fish a plain hook and minnow on bobber just above bottom. Will try it later and find out.
Skunk Hollow: ice is not good at deep area and is shallow otherwise, so not really an option right now.
Tldr just getting going with ice fishing and more info will come with hopefully good pics.
Kota-ray: not me but people have got some really nice bass there lately and big gills, fishing the flats in the open part on edge of weed bed.
Finally we have open water! Latest winter ice I have yet seen. Anyways went to skunk for pike and was not dissapointed. Lots of post spawn fish actively feeding and we did well. I caught 6 fish, most being about 5 lbs with the biggest at 16. Smelt, minnows, and artificial worked.
Crappie were also there, they are still in pre spawn, will need to look for when they move and see if I can’t target them year round there.
Went out today for was us likely to be my last time out on the ice this spring. Lewis and Clark bay still has 3 ft of ice but the water has turned brown from run off and got no bites after a few hours. A small section of stony creek has opened up so will try there tomorrow.
Went out pike fishing at lewis and clark. Caught 3, 2 at 9lbs and one small male. Fish are in the bay but don’t really become active till towards evening. Link to a video from the day: https://youtu.be/Vezn7H2ehxk
Been having a hard time getting fish lately. They just don’t seem to want to bite. Went out today at Lewis and Clark but caught nothing. Marked and say fish at 14 ft, nothing shallow but they were not hungry. Storm coming in may have turned them off.
A warm day, but ended up wet snowing on me. Missed 2 fish at 14 ft of water
Went out after school on a nice 34 degree day seeking pike at lewis and clark. Managed to get 3 smaller fish in an hour, one was big enough to keep and on cleaning it was full of small minnows, I mean PACKED. Was just inside the opening still at about 15 ft of water. Might need to try shallower water already for the big fish.
Recap of the fishing week. We had some really nice weather lately so I hit the ice twice. We went out Thursday the 17th after school. Picked up 3 nice pike in about an hour right at dark st the opening to lewis and clark. Weather was overcast with a possible rain storm coming that next morning.
Move ahead to saturday, a little colder but not bad, clear blue skies, I try multiple spots. Went out of lewis and Clark about 1/4 of the way out and found 19 ft of water but no fish. Moved back in to the hole and found 22 ft of water and got one Walleye on a tip up with a trip minnow hook. Then moved to pike alley at evening and only managed one small pike with no other bites. Wondering if the clear skies had anything to do with it. Oh well, still a fun day!
Went out ice fishing today, second time this year, with lots of information to update. People have been doing really well at long creek for walleye the last few days. Temps have been warm, near the 40s, and good weather. However we got a big snow storm on Wednesday that brought along much colder temps. We tried for walleye today just outside of long creek bay in 19 fy of water but got nothing.
We then moved to my pike spot at lewis and Clark, depth was about 17 ft. We didn’t get much for a while but right near sunset things picked up fast with 4 pike hotting the ice in quick succession. Fish at 13, 8, and 6 lbs. Then Samantha catches a mpnster, 43 in 21 lb fish that is a ND whopper club size! She got her fish on a bucktail jig with a half smelt. The others came on a rattletrap and the 13 lb on a minnow and tipup. Weather was colder, 15 for a high with shifting weather from cloudy to clear and windier.
