This weeks Podcast!! Ice Fishing Part 2

Cold Wet Christmas Walleyes

Cold Wet Christmas Walleyes

It was 19 degrees as I pulled into the dark parking lot. Chunsum (aka JcCrappies) and I geared up in the dark anxious to start fishing below a dam to fight some small winter walleyes. I said it was cold very cold right? I brought minnows but I decided not to go into the freezing bucket after them. We used crawlers and drift rigs.

With our body temps slowly dropping, we shot the shit the way most anglers do. You know what I'm saying? Here is an example. I come home from fishing father’s day all day long with Darkstar (another DA member) and my beautiful wife asks me what we talked about all day. I said nuthin really. She said “all day long and you cannot remember what you talked about?” This is because Fisherman usually don’t talk about anything serious. Most guys go out fishing to shut off everything and relax. So the conversions are about cartoons, sex, sports, women, fishing, women, cartoons, fishing, food, fishing, music, and fishing.

In about an hour and a half I managed to score 3 walleyes. That was not as many as I wanted and they were not giants, but in the middle of December I take what the fish gods give me.

Both of us were now totally freezing. When you are wading in very cold water your toes are always the first to go followed by finger tips. We decide to get out of the water. I proceed first and as soon as I am on the shore ice forms on my legs. Chunsum is taking a little too long. I look back and he is stumbling. He take a step wobbles, another wiggles, another he tips, one more and Ka-Splash-Ka-Spoosh!!!!! WOAH Holy CRAP! Not only does he fall but if this was a judged event he would have gotten a perfect 10!! He fell backwards in slow motion; both arms stretched as if he just accepted his fate and let the river take him. Oh my god I am still chuckling right now. It was like a wading NESTEA PLUNGE! His outside jacket and gloves were soaked but underneath he was quite dry. The stiff winter wind quickly made him a jacket of ice. Of course this ended his day. Even his head got soaked but his Beardheadacted like a force field and kept his hair dry.

I went to one more location solo and managed to scrape up two more eyes, two white bass, and a dink smallie. Not a terrible day. Well not for me! BLahahaha (sorry buddy)

Caught some fish and had a good laugh. Of course I have just jinxed myself for teasing my friend. I am now destined to fall the next time out.

PS. For those of you who stumble on to my blog, we would love to have you visit DupageAngler.com It is for everyone the only requirement is you have to be a good person. See you there.

This Week's Podcast Basic Ice Fishing

Basic Ice Fishing with DuPageAngler.com

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What if our ice season shrinks?

What if our Ice Season Shrinks?

Its December 16^th and there is no sign of ice and gone maybe the years of early ice on Thanksgiving weekend. That used to be the sign it was going to be a great winter. What now? A Dupage Angler member dedfisher put it best, “we may no longer be part of the ice belt with northern Wisconsin reporting only 2-4 inches of ice” What if? What if our ice season shrinks? I say keep fishing. Keep trying new areas and techniques until you can have regular success all year long, ice or no ice!  So we are face with a dilemma, evolve or watch fishing on TV. Those in the Midwest who search, experiment, lake hop, switch species and put their time in will be among the first to enter uncertain winters with the angling knowledge to be the leaders of a possible ice-less age. If winters come back strong, your time is still well spent and the new knowledge you have obtained will make you a better fisherman.

Today Ted Yates(Soonerbass)  & I were out at O’Dark thirty and dressed for war! We had our Beardheads, multiple layers, hand warmer, gloves, hell I even had extra rain gear and shoes in case it really got nasty. We fished four ponds today for crappie. Now our target is crappie but the rigs we use almost always catch bass and gills as well. We went pond to pond fishing hard in a very tough bite. We had hook ups with minnows, crawlers, red-worms, ice-jigs/wax worms, tube jigs, mini mites, and crappie thunders. As you can read by this list we kept switching presentations until we got a bite. When the bite stopped we switched again. When the shallow biters stopped we went deep. When the lake stopped we move and moved again. I believe what we did today shows a micro version of what it will take to be successful in an ice-less winter.  Adapt, adapt, adapt, have a plan A, B, and C, be patient and persistent, and above all have fun.

Illinois Wisconsin Fishing: urban angler

Illinois Wisconsin Fishing: urban angler: Travel sure has a way of getting to me. It likes to grab a hold and shake me around a bit. It tries to persuade  me every time to fall for t...

December Crappie Video

Two Days of December Crappie Bonanza

Two Days of December Crappie Bonanza

With no ice in sight, it is time for serious anglers to get the layers on and hit the water. I called Chunsum Choi (JC1Crappies) and Ted Yates (Soonerbass) both DuPage Angler.com members. We decided to hit crappies because the river bite has been slower and honestly it sounded warmer then wading. We met in the dark not expecting more then a couple of fish each.

The three of us wanted to increase our odds so we tied double rigs. This rig was floats with two offerings under it. This is a favorite presentation of DuPage Angler Brim Reaper that he uses for bluegill and seemed the right choice for cold winter bites. We just had to beef up the offerings. Chunsum used Gulp Minnows and Crabby Squirts, Ted tube jigs and Lake Fork Shads, I used two tube jigs.  The rigs are set 2-4 down and just need an occasional twitch to trigger a bite. Ted had discovered a rock pile way the heck out there and our yellow spotted foes were on the far side of said pile. So weighted foam floats were used once more to get the distance needed to reach the target areas.

The bite started slow but lucky for us it just got better and better. The outside air had a definite chill and layers were in order. The mornings are frigid so when the sun popped out at moments it was more then welcome. I suggest this time a year with wind, rain, snow, mud, and wet conditions around, it is smart to bring extra clothes like gloves, socks, and hand warmers. Wearing your snow boots will ensure good traction and keep feet warm and dry. One weapon we had was BeardHeads! These hat beard combos kept our heads warm and the wind out. They also provided laughs and added more personality to the smack talk among us anglers.

The double rigs were knocking the crappies dead, when Soonerbass scores not one but three beautiful white crappies! White crappie can be found in our area but are not in numbers or size and are a prize when fishing speckle villains.

As the day goes we catch a few bass, and Ted Soonerbass, show off white crappie pants, catches two at once!!!! Bastard! LOL!

The day ends so well that we decide to come back the next day. We are greeted by colder temps wind and rain. UGH well, we are here so might as well make some casts. The crappie didn't watch the weather cast because they were still in the mood to fill up for the upcoming freezing weather. The bite was great again and at times we would catch them on every cast. We caught dozens on this two day catch fest and released every fish to fight another day.

We missed some big bass as well. Including a 4-5 pound I fought with 2lb line all the way to shore only to loose the big mouth jerk right at my feet.

The crappies in this lake always relate to the wind and the bite turns on and off with wind conditions. Once the wind died and the rain picked up the bite stopped like someone controlled it by a light switch. That’s when we realized that we were wet, hungry, and cold. Funny how catching fish helps you not notice certain things like hunger. We shook hands, smiled, and each went on our way. On the way home Chunsum sends me a text that his shoulders are sore and as I type this my neck and shoulders are also sore from making a million long casts. He says we can chalk this up to sports injuries for the 40+!

When you look outside and the weather sucks, instead of hanging it up or waiting for ice get your butt off the couch and get back out there. Dress in layers, be prepared to change presentations on the fly, invite some friends, bullshit, laugh, and if your lucky maybe you too will have a crappie bonanza!

Pre-Ice December Panfish

Pre-Ice December Panfish
By Robert Mayer (DA Member BrimReaper)



Met up with Pondboy and Redhook yesterday, for some December angling at local ponds. Temps in the 60's and sunny, who could ask for more?

I'd caught fish in each of the first eleven months of the year, so I was looking for December fish. Didn't have to wait long, as I caught a mixed bag of crappies and gills at the first pond. PB and RH were connecting as well --- we were using live bait --- we came well stocked, with minnows, waxies, spikes and worms. 

The second pond was disappointing. It had previously been closed to public fishing, and PB was anxious to try it now that it's open to the public. Each of us only caught a sunfish or two, but maybe it will produce in the future. The third pond was a PB favorite and we all caught fish. PB and I picked out the same spots we had done well at last month, just a few feet a part from each other; and history repeated itself. He was casting out and catching crappies with minnows, and I was targeting the gills closer to shore with an ice jig and Gulp 1" minnow..

RH called it a day, as PB and I headed for a pond in a subdivision that had a prominent sign posted "Private Property.... No Trespassing.... Written Permission Required... " Blah, Blah, Blah. Not to worry, PB says he has written permission. And yes, its even written in stone! Literally! In hieroglyphics!!   I didn't have any luck, but PB showed why's he's a Master Angler, reeling in 2 really nice bass.

Two kids stopped by, asking whether we lived there. I figured their parents sent them out to stall us while they called the cops, but PB explained to them about his permission slips, and his history at the pond, and all was well. One even brought out a rod and reel, and PB baited their hook as we got out of Dodge.

No luck at the final hole we tried, but all in all, it was a great December day for fishing.

Largemouth Master Angler Award

This morning I received the In-Fisherman Master Angler Award for Large-mouth Bass for Region 1 for 2012!!