todays report, got to lake at first light with buddy Jeff,  someone already claimed all of the 2nd dock, so we fished the first dock, lake was glass and for about an hr bite was good, we landed 8-9 crappies with 4 keepers, 3 were between 11-11.75", real fatties. then with one suddeen gust of wind from the East the switch was thrown, not another bite in 3 hrs, guy on other dock had 9 keepers all in the first hr from secret dock slip, he never moved for almost the 3 hrs we were there, after switch thrown, he managed only 1 bite, 1 short fish after that time,fun for the first while but temps got cold with weird winds and even the graphs were void of fish. all ours caught on plastics, bite was good when they hit, needed hemos to remove every 1/8 oz jig from the fish.

me and Tin Guppy, Steve and Quackpot at least that's all I recognized were down there this morning, I wasn't there 5 minutes and got a short 14" saugeye, then it was terribly slow after that, I had 3-4 gills and a short crappie, Rusty had at least a dozen gills, a baby bass and 7-8 crappies but only 1 or 2 would have kept.   Didn't mark much fish and the ones we did, were not very interested. Locals all said, " should have been here yesterday"  LOL  Steve, Bobby?? howd you guys end up?

Salmonid

Results?? I was down all weekend with the flu.... pretty sure Id rather been sitting on a bucket freezing my butt off catching a few fish vs huddled up under a blanket with chills all weekend.....

Salmonid

ok folks, what are the times and whats the buy in? , I may fish but not get in the tourney, I'm saving for one of those big ole fancy new Helix 9 with the new Mega Chirp side and down imaging.. Depends on how me and buddy feel that morning, LOL but were down there sunday at first light for sure!!

Salmonid

one of my warm water electronics sponsors sent me this release he just got, I certainly love the Helix 7 I have on the boat!! Pretty sure the 7" model was MSRP of $599, but don't quote me on that...LOL
Salmonid
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For anglers who prefer a flasher view, the ICE HELIX 7's Digital Flasher mode is wickedly fast, showing jig and fish returns in real-time, and without the latency found in some digital flasher products. The algorithms found in "Jigging Mode" allow even better jig and fish returns, along with further customization via a Sensitivity control. Anglers can choose from three digital flasher/graph color palettes, depending on where they're fishing.

 While the digital flasher offers a traditional view of what's below, anglers are spending more time fishing in sonar graph mode, which offers several key advantages, as Minnesota ice fishing guide Brian "Bro" Brosdahl points out.

 "I'm a flasher guy, but I'm using the sonar graph mode more often. Instead of just seeing lines and bottom in digital flasher mode, you see the reality of what's below - the size of fish schools and their movement, insect life emerging out of the bottom, etc. In digital flasher mode, a fish moving into the cone is identified by the signal strength color and width changing; in the sonar graph mode, you actually see the fish appear from off screen and into the cone. Plus, you can watch your jigging in real time and study how fish respond. This allows me instant modification of my jigging cadence to catch more fish."

 Whether used in the larger, re-designed portable case or via RAM mount on your ATV, UTV, snow-machine - or in the truck cab like Brosdahl - the Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 sets a new standard for functionality, giving you more features and real-world performance to meet and exceed the harsh conditions of hardwater fishing.

 Call the ICE HELIX 7 a multi-dimensional fishfinder - not only great for the ice, but removed from its carrying case, perfect for a bass boat bow unit or as the primary unit on smaller watercraft, like today's fishing kayaks.

 "What I like about the ICE HELIX 7 is the versatility of it. I can put it in the truck, on the snowmobile, ATV, and you can 'bird's eye' view your way to spots via pre-determined trails. And in the bag it also goes anywhere you need it to go. Add the portable transducer accessory and you can carry into rental boats, your buddy's boat, take it to Canada, what-have-you. Plus, it has the ability to read map data collected from any other HELIX model through AutoChart Live. Just take your Zero Line card from your other HELIX unit, pop it into the ICE HELIX 7, and it's game on," says Brosdahl.

 Indeed, the new Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 SONAR GPS merges modern mapping with refined digital sonar to stand as the most advanced, biggest and brightest ice fishing combo-unit ice fishing has ever seen.
 
 
 
 
 





Ice HELIX 7 bag
SPECIFICATIONS
• DualBeam PLUS Sonar w/SwitchFire - 200kHz / 20-degrees; 83kHz / 60-degrees
• Depth range: 1500 feet
• Power: 4000 W (Peak-to-Peak); 500 W (RMS)
• High-Speed LCD Flasher
• Internal Precision GPS
• 2500 Waypoints; 45 routes; 50/20,000 Tracks and Points
• Built-in Humminbird UniMap
• Micro SD Card Slot/Upgradeable Software
• Humminbird LakeMaster, LakeMaster PLUS, and  Zero Lines SD card compatibility
• Navionics® +, Navionics® Gold, HotMaps™ and HotMaps™ Premium compatibility
• Includes XI 9 20 Ice Transducer and Float (8 ft. cable length)
• Includes Ice Shuttle & Bag
• Includes 12 VDC 9AH AGM battery and charger
• Optional RAM Mounting: RAM-202-24-202U or RAM-202-24-B-202U; handlebar kit: RAM-231ZU, RAM-408-75-1U or RAM-408-112-15U
• Note: Vehicle RAM mounting requires optional Humminbird AD ICE ONE 12V Cigarette Plug Power Cable (pt. # 760021-1)
• Optional XPT 9 20 T Portable Suction-Cup Transducer Kit (pt. # 710161-1) converts ICE HELIX 7 for portable, open-water use

 For more information, please visit www.humminbird.com. 
 
 

fished today with Pondfin@ic and his daughter Alaina,  got there at or before sunup and already a dozen guys out... anyways we did well on gills, 34 of em, half would have kept maybe, we released them all. No crappies or perch from any of the dozen or so groups we talked to early. all in the first 2 hrs then the switch was thrown, I talked to everyone who all had a similar story,  all on spikes or waxies,  really crowded as we left around 10 am, over 60 folks I estimated on upper end. so we left and headed to a private pond, I did get 2 bass on minnows, 3.5 and a 3 lber, loved that!!   Looks like tomorrow may be the last day of the early season.  Im hitting 3 spots near Dayton tomorrow early afternoon, will bounce around till I get to good ice and hit it hard till dark. be safe folks, .

Salmonid

Ive had a LX 6 for about 3 plus years, love it!!!! Id get the 7 if you can, same unit just a bigger screen and this years model is slightly smaller and I believe ( don't quote me on that) that it will now fit into a 5 gallon bucket, old one was a 1/4" too big. Reeds Sporting goods VIP pricing is by far the best deal youll find on the web, low price guarantee, reliable seller, quick ship and free shipping!!


Salmonid