
Minus 25 Celsius leaving home and it only got colder as we headed north. The drive to our destination was filled with good conversation of tactics and our hopes of other potential trips this season along with a handful of shooting stars to the northwest. Just as the sun began to show itself we reached the lake, we loaded up our sleds and headed out to a predetermined spot. Along the way about thirty feet from ice access a pop up shelter was set up already and as we passed, a quick conversation was sparked and we saw the ice was 8 inches thick, on we went.
A few holes drilled, and I had a lure down the first one, as my fishing buds set up the shelter. It was a beautiful morning with minimal wind, we were all ecstatic to be back on the ice. In the five minutes it took them to set up the Eskimo FF9416 and punch the hole set up, I had marked 3 cruisers on my Humminbird Ice55 and missed two very subtle bites. With the line icing up quickly I headed straight for the shelter where I was shocked with what we were about to discover.

Tom ended up getting the first good strike followed by a solid hookup and the first fight was on. The trout below was ripping all over the place and I quickly reeled in my two lines to get them out of the way and get by the hole to help land it. After an impressive fight, the trout made it to the hole and I scooped it out, it was a nice 18 inch brown, his first ever. We took a few pictures and sent it back to fight another day, keeping our excitement to a minimal as to not spook the area.

As the sun crept along over head, it seemed the action was slowing and the intervals of cruisers swimming by were further apart. The outside temperature had risen about 5 degrees but this cold snap seemed to be slowing the activity. Some time around lunch Dave drilled a few holes shallow and deep while I chipped out our already drilled holes. After two holes drilled in the shallows I could hear Tom screaming "Fish On!!!" over the sound of the auger full bore. I hustled back to the shelter and as I unzipped the door the fish snapped off the line with his lucky lure.
Earlier when he was fishing outside we had seen a big brown trout come up check our lures and artificial baits and head off in disgust it was easily the biggest trout I have seen in person. The way Tom described his lost fish, we figured it was the visitor from before, all estimating over 25 inches. Tom was totally crushed. With the clarity of the water you can stand over the hole and just watch for the strike and that he did, there was no mystery of what was down below, he saw it!!

Last fish of the day went to Tom, a nice Rainbow under the size limit for this lake and it put up one heck of a fight. The trip was a total success in all of our opinions even though the numbers caught were low and one member of the team skunked. It was our first time fishing that body of water and in talking to others we did as well or better than the fifteen or so people out.
Glad your patience got you a big catch despite the lack of optimal fishing conditions. Personally, I wouldn’t mind waiting for hours if I can reel in a rainbow trout as big as Tom did. Anyway, I think it sounds like a fun adventure. I wish I was there to experience it as well.
ReplyDeleteRyan Gruenholz