# A day of firsts



## Popeye (Jan 24, 2008)

Yup, today ( 1/23/08 ) was a day with many firsts for me. It was the first time I ever fished Pistake Lake and the older gentleman that was launching at the same time as me, confirmed my opinion of where to start (almost to the house). It was the first day using my new electronics. VX-1 flasher worked great, I doubt I would have caught anything without it. VS 250 camera system worked real good. Guess I'll need one of those tripod things to aim and hold the camera at a set depth (pretty hard to do when jigging). 

Today was also the first time I caught any crappie through the ice, I got 4. The biggest (below) was just a tad over 6.5". 







And today was the first time I ever caught a Walleye. It was 8". 







All fish were returned to the waters from which they came. 

I would call today a sucessful day as I found where the Feb 16 derby is going to be and I wasn't skunked.


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## alumacraftjoe (Jan 24, 2008)

Nice job! Wish I was out catching fish or at least fishing for that matter!


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## Jim (Jan 24, 2008)

Good job man! Nice crappie ad tiny walleye!


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## little anth (Jan 24, 2008)

sweet job i like the walleye it looks sweet


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## Popeye (Jan 24, 2008)

No size limit on the Crapies on that lake and Walleye have a Minumum 14" and protected slot from 18" - 24". I try not to keep Crappie under 9" as that is a pretty common size limit for them critters.


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## Waterwings (Jan 24, 2008)

NIce catch!  

Like I said in another post, you're hard core fishing in the winter, and as I also stated before.............I'm staying inside where it's warm!


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## Popeye (Jan 24, 2008)

I'm thinking about getting a Clam Fish Trap guide flip over ice fishing shelter. The advantage is there would be more fisable area as it actually has no floor, the disadvantage is there is more cubic feet of space to warm up and I would definately need a heater instead of my lantern to warm that up. Plus with mine now I have a solid wood floor which will insulate me from the ice a little more. I just feel pretty cramped in mine now. And when you come up here to ice fish I think with us and the electronics and fishing poles we wouldn't have room to do anything but drink the beer.


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## BassAddict (Jan 24, 2008)

If theres enough space to move your arm to your mouth youll be fine lol


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## mtnman (Jan 25, 2008)

If your drinking beer Ill be there! and by the way nice fish! walleye have to be 15" here. but 8" is a good start. i have never ice fished and never will. im to chicken, so you are a hell of a lot more dedicated to fishing than I am! Is that a little pink jig you caught the walleye on and how deep of water were ya fishin?


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## Popeye (Jan 25, 2008)

Yup, I caught all the fish on that pink jig. I think it is called a Whip'R Stopper (or something like that). I think that is a 1/32 size also. I was fishing about 6"-12" off the bottom in 18 FOW. Watching them on the flasher was pretty cool. I was using a MarCum VX-1 flasher system and you could "see" the bottom get thicker and then all of a sudden something would separate from the bottom and slowly rise to my jig and my spring bobber would appear "heavy" when they hit. Without that flasher I bet I would have missed every fish.


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## Captain Ahab (Jan 25, 2008)

Great stuff there Mr. Flukehead! Looks like you got your equipment working fine and now you can find the monsters. 

Least year someone pulled an 8lb 9oz LM bass through the ice at my "home" lake - he kept it and it is mounted at the local tackle shop.

I really wish he returned that bass sa I am sure it was one of teh largest in that lake

I like how you returned all your fish smaller Crappie would not produce much meat and woudl really be bony!

Now you can catch them next year


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## Nickk (Jan 25, 2008)

well done!

I've caught tons of fish on a pink jig, I tie one with a white chenille body and pink and white marabou tail. I've caught bass, northern, and of course crappie on them but never walleye! Sweet!


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## Leibs16 (Jan 25, 2008)

Dave,
The only reason I had that bass mounted was cause I knew it would piss you off.
Ethan


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## mr.fish (Jan 25, 2008)

Finally, some ice fishing reports. Nice job flounderhead. I figured after this weeks weather pattern, I would see a ice report from somewhere.


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## Popeye (Jan 25, 2008)

If the weather will cooperate I'll be heading out Monday morning as well. Werking nites this weekend so I'll go right after werk Monday. Rain showers are forcast for Monday but I hope they hold off until afternoon.


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## jkbirocz (Jan 25, 2008)

Good luck, and nice catches. I have only ice fished twice, and we only caught big channel cats. I would love to ice fish if the fish around me were safe to eat, otherwise I see no point in freezing my nads off for fish that don't fight. My friend I was fishing with sweared that fish loved when Kiss played on the radio....incredibly we both hooked up when they were on :shock: Unfortunately I was disgusted since I hate Kiss....but a fish is a fish.


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