Pondboy's DuPage Guide Service Has Great Time Ice fishing

 I received a message from an old high school friend John M (DuPage Angler Member) and he let me know that his nephew, an avid fisherman had never been ice fishing before.

I called DA Member Dark Star (Jason) to give me a hand. My shelter will only hold two cold anglers at one time. His Frabillshelter and ice fishing skills would be a big help.

This ice fishing season has been sort of hit or miss and only a few honey holes have been regular producers. We picked a lake we call Star Trek because this lake has been a constant producer the whole season despite temps or time of day. My client John wanted crappies but I had to be honest with him that that they had been inconstant, but the lake I would bring him to had some beautiful gills.

DS and I arrived on the lake at O’dark thirty and started searching for fish after digging out his vehicle from a snow drift, which sucked, because I snapped my shovel digging him out.

Our first area in the middle of the lake, we were counting on being loaded with fish, was a blank wasteland so we drilled and parked on a sharp break that went from 4 FT to 10 FT very quickly. Both of our fish finders lit up like Christmas trees so the choice was an easy one.

Our clients arrived, got stuck in the snow as well, and then we started at it. My client’s nephew fished with me and John with DS. The young kid really seemed to like fishing with the Fish TV. Well lets face it, TV fishing is just pretty damn cool! The catching started fast and furious and I could not even set a rod up for myself the first hour as the young gun pulled fish in on almost every drop.

AuroraLures Magic Maggies caught quite a few gills and bass! A couple came on dead stick rods, and the rest jigs, waxies and spikes. The red spikes out produced their natural counter parts two to one. This winter, the red spikes have been working better everywhere we go.

The frigid morning started cold in the teens, but as soon as the sun rose it warmed up nicely and we now had perfect conditions. Layers and gloves came off and everyone was fishing in comfort. Thank God man, Finally no sub-zero crap to fight with!

The bite slowed but the fish would constantly come through about every ten minutes or so. As a matter of fact, anytime I would mention moving a few more would be caught and it became a running joke. DS and I switched partners because our techniques are very different. I was in a ShappellS3000 with a nice floor coupled with a Lowrance 4x color elite along with the Fish TV. Dark Star was in a brand new Frabbill with nice bucket seats coupled with a flasher color video combo.

John and I traded stories and threw the bullshit around about high school and common friends it was a GREAT time!

If you want to learn to ice fish and have a similar experience to this one please contact Pondboy’s DuPage Fishing Guide Service. I would love to hang out and fish with you! You can fish and create an AnglingAdventure of your own!!about high schoolaab have been regular producers. We pick a lake we c

The Attack of The Freeze Beast and the Slush monster

I like many of you got the flu, But I and missed a weekend of ice fishing. I was ticked. Monday night after work I decided I was going. My wife told me I was still pale and should not do it. Well she was right by the time I carried my auger down the hill to the pond and drilled, I was spent. So I went home and died on the couch.

Tuesday again my first thought was that I am going to get out on the ice tonight.  Right off the bat I ran into problems, I brought my hand auger this time and reopened the holes I had made the night before. The problem was the slush from my holes was frozen in to tiny ice mountains in the single digit weather. I tried to sit my shelter up on them and it was like trying to stand on one foot after an epic night partying.

Now things went from bad to worse. I have seen slush layers between the ice and the snow before but not this watery. There was a foot of snow, then 3 inches of wet ass slush, then two feet of ice. Usually I see this during a warm up, but it had been no higher then 8 degrees all day. It was now 1 degree and my doom was sealed. When the slush layer met the heat of my lantern it turned my shelter into a smoking Indian sweat lodge and I could hardly see to fish. What the hell? So tired, hot, and out of breath thanks to the flu and my asthma I conceded defeat and started to pack up. My retreat was terrible as well. Anything the slush had splashed on was immediately encased in ice. My boots, legs, auger, shelter, and everything in my otter sled!!! As I pulled everything to the van, I was out of breath and could not figure out why it was sooo heavy. I took separate trips up frozen hamburger hill. When I just had my empty sled it STILL weighed a ton. I flipped it over to find a 5 inch thick layer of frozen slush!! Finally I was back in my vehicle cover in sweat, legs burning, and hitting my inhaler wondering what just happened. I thought this sport was my relaxing stress free escape, I guessed wrong….

Darkstar72's Fishing Blog: Rippin' Lips with the Zipper

Darkstar72's Fishing Blog: Rippin' Lips with the Zipper: I got out on the ice early Saturday morning. Pondboy and I drove separately and DuPage Angler member JC1Crappies beat us to the pond.  JC1 d...