2003 was the last year that we tore them up at Mogadore as well.  I have moved towards Columbus now, and don't get to fish all the lakes I grew up on as much as I used to, but I have heard that Moggie hasn't been giving up much in the way of big gills or crappie.  Our biggest crappie through the ice were at Mogadore back in 02 and 03, and these were pushing 17 inches.  Absolute pigs. 

I wonder since most people aren't fishing there this winter due to wingfoot, if in a couple years it will be back like it was.  It seems that there is a lot more pressure at wingfoot.  I don't know this first hand, but there seems to be more than a few posts on various boards.  That seems to equate into a lot more fishing pressure. 

Got this guy out of a farm pond today.  14 and some change...Just to nice of a fish to not show him off.  Looks like the big ones are starting to get active    

I stopped by on my way home and fished a little bit at sundown around fairfield beach.  No fish, but the ice was holding up pretty good.  A little water on top.  Had 5-6 inches of ice where we drilled 2 holes.  Shore ice is starting to look bad.  North shore looked real bad.  I did swing through there also, and there was open water there.

I haven't heard from anyone down that way.  I am still planning on heading that that direction to fish on Saturday.  I will let you know what the plans are.  If you hear about ice conditions at Salt Fork or Piedmont, let me know. 

After every trip, I was sick of having a sore neck from staring down at my vex, camera, etc, for a long period of time.  I went to Target and picked up a cheap tv tray, and had to modify it a hair for my shanty, but it worked great.  It is light, and folds up in the bottom of the shanty.  Since I have plenty of room, this is pretty nice.  Keeps the camera up high, and gives me a place to set bait, lure boxes, etc.  Vex will also fit up there, but I started setting it on a minnow bucket to keep it up a little bit.

I have a wide array of stuff that I have bought over the last 4 or 5 years.  My favorite rod is a Thorne Brothers custom panfish rod and a Pflueger President reel.  2nd is an older frabill rod that has a cut out to feel the blank by the reel seat with a quantum reel.  Also have some HT combos, and gander mountain ice combos.  To be honest, the Thorne Brothers rod feels awesome, but I don't know that it is that necessary.  I would start out with a nice rod for each of you, in the moderate price range, and then a couple cheap back ups.  I also move some of my reels over to ultralight rods in the summer for creek fishing.  I have never had issues with anything freezing up, but I normally fish in a shanty, and keep all my poles inside.

Some of my best purchases are Jet Sleds.  Those things float on the snow, and pull like a dream.  It's nice to get everything out to where you are fishing.

Lures, a cheap way to start is at jammin jigs.  I have bought some of their kits, and they are pretty good.  It gives you something to start with, and then piece in what you like.  I normally set aside $50 or so a year to spend in ice lures, and now have a pretty good array.

I haven't been over that way yet, but am planning a trip next weekend, if all goes well.  I will try to decide when I get over there where to fish.  I am hoping Piedmont, but then Seneca and Salt Fork will be back ups.  I have never felt like the ice was real good at Salt Fork.  I have only fished the backwaters, and never did that good.  A few crappie and gills, that is about it.  I would love to get into some saugeye there.  I've never been to Seneca either, but I would guess that it would be a little more solid.  It doesn't seem to have the flow of water that Salt Fork does.

If those aren't good, then I will probably head to AEP or hit some private stuff around New Concord area.