first time out this season

[no1son]

Not a skunk ... not quite.
Good ice running about 5 inches.
New lake, too, never caught a fish on this one before.

I was only out a couple of hours, because I pulled a real newby and forgot to top off the charge on my flasher and ran out of juice about halfway through the trip. The ice was hard and crystal clear and so slick you coulda ice skated on it. I was able to find an edge of an 8-11' break but the fish weren't all that apparent - a grand total of 4 bites that yielded 2 dink perch and 1 baby pike. That was just the cutest little bugger - couldn't have been a foot long. I called it before it really got into the Witching Hour. I don't like fishing blind.

Well, I got a bit of a feel for that water now. Next time when I remember to carry enough juice I expect to do a more extensive hunt.

As I was coming off there was a city squad car waiting for me on the city park bikepath right on the shoreline. Some concerned local citizens saw me on the ice and to do so they had to look right past the sign that said KEEP OFF UNSAFE ICE. So they did their civic duty and called the cops. We had a nice friendly little chat with the officer taking some notes on how I had tricked out my bucket and I was on my way. Fact is the Park Board doesn't take those signs down sometimes not even in summer.

This was in the heart of the Metro; so once you get out of the heat island, you should be able to find quite a bit more walkable ice. I wouldn't have dare this lake last Thursday, but today it was far enough along to give it a shot.

Time of the year again to play St Peter and walk on water.

[jepik]

sounds like you had good time anyway..it dont look good for us in n.ill. for at least 2 wks..winterized the boat too soon..a boat just went by the house..walleye fisherman..may have to dig the boat back out..

[no1son]

There are waters here in the Metro that I really want to get on that won't be ready until well in January, others are pretty much good to go now. I will be trying again tomorrow. It was good to see the lines on the flasher coming together again for as long as that lasted anyway.

[purplelab]

Send some of that cold weather to Pennsylvania no1son! Been in the 40's just about every other day. Next week their calling for highs in the 20's so at least another solid 2 weeks or longer til ice on.

[Crappie 1]

Was 13 this morning, and 13 now. Supposed to be cold for a while now. Maybe get on the ice this weekend? Hoping so..

[no1son]

It's been in the 40's and 50's around here a bit in the last weed, too. They are actually predicting rain as a possibility over the next couple of days. Better you should ask Michigan the way it sounds. It's been exceptionally dry and warm around here this autumn and so far this winter. So far we have had just about the warmest winter season on record. (and one of the driest). They are talking about -30 and -40s in Alaska right now, which should be coming our way in the next couple of weeks, but no body is sure that all of the cold will actually get here. There is a complete lack of snow cover which actually warms us up a bit absolute, but will allow frost to go deeper into the ground. Albedo... that means the snow reflects more sun energy than the open ground does, and that may be a difference in air temperatures of as much as 10 degrees. That sorta looks like we are a bit north of winter right now as strange as that may sound, but increases the chances of septic tank and deep water pipe freeze up should we get real cold before we get a good snow cover.

Lake and river water levels around here are way down. Deeper structures are now shallower, complicating holding patterns for fish a bit as they also move down the grade.