1/14/14--DANGEROUS!!--DON'T

[slabslayer]

Went out this morning with steelneyes for a brief period this morning.  Fishing wasn't that great and the ice (if you can call it that) was worse!  We caught some gills, a handful of decent fish, mostly dinks.  Threw everything back.  Had to plank on and spud an indirect route to our holes, the ice was rotting away and spud went thru on 1 or 2 hits in some places.  Ice was gone 2-3' from shore since yesterday's rain.  Ice was melting as we were fishing: our boots, shanties and ropes were melting into the already crappy ice.  The GOOD areas had 1-2" of clear ice with a crap 1" on top.  DANGEROUS!  We were afraid by the time we left we might not get into our trucks dry.  All fish came on waxies, jigged VERY lightly or deadsticked.  Neither of us would've tried it if we were alone, or if we didn't have a long safety rope.  WAIT A COUPLE DAYS, should be good by the weekend!  Here's a pic of one of our better gills, probably 8"+/-.

[icebucketjohn]

Thanks SS for the Ice Condition update.  Looks like we'll be waiting forthe next cold front... maybe this weekend.  Time go over all your gear, equipment & tackle.... repair, replace, etc.

[steelneyes]

Yeah, what he said    Thankfully we managed to talk a guy who said he'd never been on the ice before out of going.  If we had any sense we'd have talked each other out of being out there too.  Water was bobbing in the holes 50' away from where we were walking.  It was hard to enjoy oneself when we spent most of the time concerned with keeping far away enough to keep the weight spread but close enough to toss a line if needed.  Nice fishing with you SS and even nicer to be out with another person who always plans their next move carefully in a potentially bad situation.   I'll personally be waiting until the weekend to go anywhere. 

[Luvztaphish]

  Next time you go out onto Ice like that take alone a bar of soap .

[snowcone]

WOW    I think you guys bumped your head getting out of the truck,  hahah   I have been looking at the lakes and they look SCARY   im just glad everything worked out ok and ya got fish.....PUCKER POWER 

[slabslayer]

Yeah, what he said    Thankfully we managed to talk a guy who said he'd never been on the ice before out of going.  If we had any sense we'd have talked each other out of being out there too.  Water was bobbing in the holes 50' away from where we were walking.  It was hard to enjoy oneself when we spent most of the time concerned with keeping far away enough to keep the weight spread but close enough to toss a line if needed.  Nice fishing with you SS and even nicer to be out with another person who always plans their next move carefully in a potentially bad situation.   I'll personally be waiting until the weekend to go anywhere. 

Same here!  Nice fishing with you too!  Important to have a partner who doesn't run off the ice when it's iffy, or just walk around like its 12" thick. Thanks again for coming out this morning. We'll have to get together when the safe ice returns!

[snicker]

Drove by c-5 at 4pm today on my way home from old state park. was 6 shantys and 2 bucket men. Does anyone have a ice thickness to report cause im headed there tommrow. Was 5-6 at old state park but very slow bite.

[trapperjon]

had 31/2 yesterday, this morning it was 4" in the cove, went just past little island and only had 3"... BUT water was much clearer and the crappie were bigger.

[slabslayer]

Glad to hear!  Looking at going Monday, just not sure where yet!