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'

Chicken Creek East

Went with Parker and Mac to CC East.  It was a cold morning and day on the ice.  We trudged our tents and augers out to about 10-15' of water and cut quite a few holes.  We fished until early afternoon and only managed one on the ice it was a nice 21" cutt that Mac caught in the only hole that was having any action.  We tried all types of baits, lures and set ups.  Parker actually watched a school of 6 or so swim up to his bait nose it and swim away.  That is the cool thing about ice fishing, you see all the way to the bottom in your tent.  He was shocked he actually watched it happen and quickly brought in his lines and tried something else.  The trip off the ice wasn't nearly as easy as getting to the lake, it took us 45 minutes to work our equipment back to the truck.  Post holing up to our knees the entire way.  Everyone around us got the same action and were cutting holes all day long trying to find the right spot.  Sorry no pics today left the camera in the truck :(

Elmer fuddin' and walking on water

This weekend has been a lot of fun.  The boys and I got out for some fun stuff.  We went bunny blasting on Saturday with Joe and seen a number of cotton tails and jack rabbits.  They were fairly safe with us shooting at them LOL.  We went out west and walked quite a bit.  We finished it off with lunch @ Chubby's.

Parker and I went to Scofield on Friday and cut a couple holes.  The ice was 4-6 inches thick so it didn't take to long to cut holes.  The power auger is down and out for a while until I can figure out what is wrong with it.  Anyhow when we arrived it was a balmy -11 and didn't warm up a bunch.  We caught a couple and missed a couple.  It was a Bluebird day on the water and can't wait to get back on the ice for another go around.  We will most likely hit Strawberry a couple times over break and maybe Rockport.  til next time keep smilin'