No Ice Fishing This Winter



Last January I learned a tough lesson about ice. If blanketed with the rigth kind of snow, it can be open even on calm water and sub-zero temperature.

I took one step too many into an open hole covered and completely hidden by about three inches of thick snow. In an instant I had raked the sharp edge of the ice over my shin which came to a high impact stop just below the kneecap.

Now, eight months later, I have learned I need knee replacement. The damage from the fall, now healed, aggravated and accelerated arthritis that was already at work.

In advance of surgery I need to do physical therapy and lose a lot of weight. Venturing out back on the ice this winter would be more than foolish.

I will miss the fishing, but I would miss being able to walk at all should I endure another fall.

When I get well and back on snow covered ice, it will always be with a metal probe.

Beware the Fearless Musky Hunters

Diane and I catch our fair share of big fish by chasing the little ones. Instead of flogging the water for hours with huge musky baits, we have caught several over the past ten years while perch fishing. Despite the fact that we use light tackle, six pound line, and tiny jigs, the number of hook ups we have had with muskies has been very good.

The musky usually grabs the perch near the boat in about ten feet of water. We have fought them up to five minutes without actually having them hooked. Diane had one peel off a hundred yards of line this summer. To stop the run I tried to reach in and tighten the drag on her reel. Bad idea. I lost her fish...a fact she has been slow to forgive.

Occasionally, we actually get lucky and the hook in the perch catches in the side of the musky's mouth. We don't always boat them, but below are a couple we caught and released a while back.

Catch of the Day

Gotta start somewhere.  Here's Diane with a nice smallmouth bass caught summer 2012.

Not to be outdone, Art got one almost as big.

Mid-summer, Emily caught this largemouth on her first cast.