On the ice with Fox

Monday Kevin Fox and myself ventured on to Deer Creek.  Having heard it was "hot".  We got on the water a little late, trying to locate meal worms was like trying to find .223 ammo, non-existent.  We made our way on to the ice and started with our first camp seen 2 schools of fish swim through and nothing.  Guess what happened next, nothing.  All day we moved cut holes and dropped everything we had and nothing not even a bite.  We did get a little sun but that was sparing.  We will return and find them, trust me.  I will have the 4 wheeler and move large distances to find them next time.  Good side we ran into an old player and friend Steve Nielsen he was with son.  They stayed for about a half hour and went to Jordanelle wish we had followed him.

Mt. Timpanogas in it 's grandeur!

Wishing to see fish...anything!

Berry on ice

Saturday Craig, myself, Parker and his mission companion hit Strawberry.  We left early to get there for the morning bite but Aaron "Elder" Blotter is a cali boy and was not quite prepared to spend the day on the ice and Craig forgot his showdown.  We went back to Craig's place for boots and his flasher.  We got on the ice around 9am a little late but not to bad.  Craig had one on the ice in about 15 minutes after we got set up. We took the 4 wheeler for it's maiden voyage and it did okay for about 5 minutes into the hunt for the camp.  I noticed the dash went dead and then it wouldn't get up to speed.  We found our camp spot at least we made it that after I turned off the wheeler and it would not start again!?!?  I thought the battery went dead.  More on this later.
Fishing is what we went for and fishing we did.  As I said earlier Craig had one iced in a few minutes the flasher makes a world of difference.  He caught 8 before I put one on the deck, in fact everyone caught one before I did.  Even Elder Blotter caught his very first fish ever before I got my first up.

Oh well it was a beautiful sunny day and no wind.  We had 8 holes cut and fishing in each Craig kept hauling in fish until about 1 pm he was the steady catcher.  Then I started to get hits, and more hits.  In fact I caught 8 in about 35 minutes it was a blast!  In all we decked out over 50 fish that day with everyone contributing to the haul.  All the fish were cutthroat and in the 18-20" range so they had to go back.  Craig did catch a nice fatty of 21.5 inches but still no keeper.

The Wheeler I went to the camp next to us they had a couple 4 wheelers with them and asked for a jump thinking still it was the battery.  He asked if I needed right then I said no just when you get around to it we were going to be fishing for a while, I didn't know he meant 2:30 pm, it was 10 am.  Parker started getting antsy and went to the truck to see if we had jumper cables in it he couldn't find them.  But that is when it got hot for me.  The guy came over and we attempted to work on the CanAm and figured out it wasn't the battery and something else what we didn't know.  So I asked if would be so kind as to tow it back the truck for us, he did of course.  It was a blessing because if he hadn't we would still be up there pushing it through the snow.  Got everything loaded and headed for home.  Called Adam on the way home and he met us at the shop to look it over.  He said it has to be a fuse issue, I felt about 2" tall for not thinking of that.  We got into the fuse box and sure enough a blown fuse we pulled a new one out and placed it in the slot and ZAP it blew immediately.  Adam fiddled with it and couldn't keep it from blowing fuses, he called a friend to figure out it could be.  I knew I had some anxious boys in the truck and need to head for home so I left it with him to figure it out.  Still waiting on results.

CanAm in background

We had a blast even though the small set back happened with the CanAm.  That is why I always like to make maiden voyages with just me and close to home.

Fishin' with Shifty

Thursday I went fishing with a long time friend.  It is amazing how easily you can fall back into stories and catch up with true friends.  Lane "Shifty" Shurtliff and I grew up together in the neighborhood.  We went through school together and did many things together.  Fishing however was never one of them.  We got back in touch of course through FB and he is an avid fisher and wanted to learn more about Ice fishing.  So we got together and made a trip to Strawberry and went to CC East.  It was a slow day of fishing but a great day of reminiscing and recalling stories of our youth.  We did manage to put a few on the ice but no keepers.  The time spent was great, it was a Bluebird day on the Berry and walking on water is always exciting.

We spent most of the day trying to figure them out but never could really get into them.  Shifty and I shared family stories and ideas all day.  The few that we did coax to bite were decent and one bow surfaced.  I had a bruiser online up to the hole and it was a bow but then it broke the hook.

Bit the hook in half it did. there is supposed to be a  gold hook coming out of it.

I got a couple to surface.

Shifty tending lines

Strawberry Marina

New Years day, ringing in the new year walking on water is always great, even better when spent with good friends.  Mac, Gary and myself along with 2 of their friends went to the Berry and fished most of the day.  After stopping at the Hub and picking up some supplies we headed up the canyon.  We arrived got our equipment and headed out on the ice, we went into the bay west of the marina and set up in about 30' of water.

Cut holes and started fishing.  Mac and Gary had their finders working and immediately started to catch fish.  All of them were in 20" range with good girth.

Around 10:30 it shut off completely!  We tried all sorts of combos but nothing was bringing them in the bite again was very subtle.

I finally got one to take my offerings and landed a nice Bow, the only one of the day.  Then I get a couple other cutts with beautiful colors and Mac and Gary got a couple more.






Alex finally landed one as well so we only had one other not to deck any fish.  We stayed on til early afternoon and then broke camp and headed for home.  It was Bluebird day on the ice!

Till next time keep smilin'

2" of ice!

Parker and I went to Rockport last weekend and when we got there we seen a couple guys on the ice.  We drove over to the marina and ran into the ranger and he said the marina and over around the dam had just capped off, but back by the campground it thicker.  We drove back to where we seen the other group, got out loaded up the equipment and ventured to the lake.  We started out on the ice and the fella on the ice hollers hey I wouldn't walk so close together its only about 2" thick.  Parker and i looked at each other and paused and he waited for me to get out a ways before venturing any further.  He came out but kept his distance, I started to cut the first hole to find it only took me 4 turns to cut through.  When I broke through the ice sheet waved under my feet and I thought I was going under!  Weirdest feeling I've ever had on the ice.  We cut 3 more holes and kept them apart a fair distance.  We were both pretty apprehensive about being out there but we settled in and started getting bites, super light and couldn't get them to hook up.  I ventured out further and cut another hole, dropped down a jig and got a hit but again missed it.  Watching the other holes I seen my one pole get a big hit I ran, well shuffled, over to it and brought in a 16" bow.  The only one we could deck that day.  It was a brisk cold morning and we stayed until noon and then took off and got lunch at the Drug store in Kamas.









Till next time keep smilin'