2-25-2013 Sun 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Weather:
NW 3, sunny, 30 ˚, 30.09 steady, 18” snow (Fairchild) 8” snow (Blair)
Location:
Fairchild and Blair, WI
Bagged:
nothing
Partners:
Dick at Blair, Roxy and Lacey
Comments:
I have not been up to Fairchild yet this year rabbit hunting, so I was on a mission to seek out and destroy some snow shoe hares. This area use to be my all-time favorite rabbit hunting area. I never got many cottontails here, but I always was able to chase some hares, and even shoot a good number. I have rabbit hunted this area about once or twice every year for the past five years and every year the hares get sparser and sparser. But, this year was by far the least amount of hare sign I have seen. In fact I probably only found about three different sets of tracks.
Since I found nothing that indicated any amount of hares being present, I quit scouting after about two hours and decided to call Fairchild a bust, and I headed to Blair. I had hunted here a few weeks back, and did not find much then, but I figured the dogs could at least get one chase in. I met up with Dick and we sent the dogs into the brush. Actually only one really thoroughly searched the brush and that was Lacey.
The rabbit population was very thin. Luckily Lacey did get one up and running and her and Roxy ran that poor little bunny very hard for about forty minutes. They both did a great job! I did see the rabbit once during the chase, but it was really too far out to shoot. Even if it was closer I did not want to shoot it and stop the girl’s fun.
Observations:
Both Fairchild and Blair were pretty desolate in terms of rabbit or hare numbers. Lacey did a very good job in searching, running and minding, I was impressed with her!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
2-24-13 Sat.
2-24-2013 Sat 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Weather:
W 5, overcast, 34 ˚, 29.94 falling, 8 – 12” snow cover
Location:
Camp Douglas and La Farge, WI
Bagged:
nothing
Partners:
None
Comments:
I started the day off at a rabbit hunting trial in Camp Douglas. The trial was held at the Ragged Rock Beagle Club in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. I was once a member and active participant with the club, but with the death of Freeway and the age of Abby and then the on again off again hunting abilities of Roxy, I just stopped going. Now just within the past couple of weeks Roxy has really started to come on and this has gotten me back into the rabbit hunting mood. I have really missed it and I definitely want to participate in more trials and hunting rabbits, besides ice fishing has gotten boring and very crowded.
I got to the club and rekindled some old friendships and hopefully started some new ones. I went along on two of the casts and was even able to handle a couple of the dogs, which I truly enjoyed! At the end of the trial I even took one of Ron’s dogs home with me for a tryout. I am at three dogs now, and the township does not allow any more than that, so the dog I am trying out is for Dick. He has expressed an interest in getting a dog, and hopefully Lacy will foot the bill.
After the trial I took her and Roxy over to La Farge for a little rabbit chasing. The only thing I knew about the dog was that she was a good dog, could chase rabbits and she may come when called. Since this dog had no idea who I was, nor did I have any idea what she was all about, I was a little hesitant to unleash her and let her go. I found a fairly small piece of cover and let her and Roxy go, and go she went. She definitely had rabbit on her mind. She was quite a searcher and within about ten minutes she had a rabbit up and running and circled back to the brush pile from where she had stirred it. I was impressed and Roxy was left in the dust.
I checked one other potential spot out, but I did not let her out on account it was a much bigger area and I did not want to risk losing her the first day. I did hunt Roxy there and she jumped a couple of rabbits, but never she made much of a chase out of it.
Observations:
I did find a few rabbits at La Farge, but they were not in any great numbers. The snow conditions were pretty good; there was probably 8 – 10 inches with a good crust and then another inch or so of powdery wet snow on top of that.
Weather:
W 5, overcast, 34 ˚, 29.94 falling, 8 – 12” snow cover
Location:
Camp Douglas and La Farge, WI
Bagged:
nothing
Partners:
None
Comments:
I started the day off at a rabbit hunting trial in Camp Douglas. The trial was held at the Ragged Rock Beagle Club in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. I was once a member and active participant with the club, but with the death of Freeway and the age of Abby and then the on again off again hunting abilities of Roxy, I just stopped going. Now just within the past couple of weeks Roxy has really started to come on and this has gotten me back into the rabbit hunting mood. I have really missed it and I definitely want to participate in more trials and hunting rabbits, besides ice fishing has gotten boring and very crowded.
I got to the club and rekindled some old friendships and hopefully started some new ones. I went along on two of the casts and was even able to handle a couple of the dogs, which I truly enjoyed! At the end of the trial I even took one of Ron’s dogs home with me for a tryout. I am at three dogs now, and the township does not allow any more than that, so the dog I am trying out is for Dick. He has expressed an interest in getting a dog, and hopefully Lacy will foot the bill.
After the trial I took her and Roxy over to La Farge for a little rabbit chasing. The only thing I knew about the dog was that she was a good dog, could chase rabbits and she may come when called. Since this dog had no idea who I was, nor did I have any idea what she was all about, I was a little hesitant to unleash her and let her go. I found a fairly small piece of cover and let her and Roxy go, and go she went. She definitely had rabbit on her mind. She was quite a searcher and within about ten minutes she had a rabbit up and running and circled back to the brush pile from where she had stirred it. I was impressed and Roxy was left in the dust.
I checked one other potential spot out, but I did not let her out on account it was a much bigger area and I did not want to risk losing her the first day. I did hunt Roxy there and she jumped a couple of rabbits, but never she made much of a chase out of it.
Observations:
I did find a few rabbits at La Farge, but they were not in any great numbers. The snow conditions were pretty good; there was probably 8 – 10 inches with a good crust and then another inch or so of powdery wet snow on top of that.
Monday, February 18, 2013
2-17-13 Sun
2-17-2013 Sun 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Weather:
SE 12, clear, 29 ˚, 29.97 falling, 4” crusty snow with some bare spots
Location:
North Bend, WI
Bagged:
Me: 3 - cottontails, Ty – 2, and Jake - 2
Partners:
Ty and Jake / Roxy and De De (dogs)
Comments:
Today I was once again rabbit hunting with Ty and his dog De De, Jake and my dog Roxy. We were hitting some farm ditches up by North Bend, and Jake had promised me that the ditches held lots of rabbits. Jake was right, there was rabbit sign everywhere.
I have not hunted Roxy much the last couple of years on account of I now longer believed she would ever have the ability to run a rabbit. It is really strange, when she was less than one year old I would take her and Abby out and together they both ran great, but then when I stopped taking Abby, Roxy never seemed to do much. And, if another dog was along, you almost might as well forget about her hunting at all. Besides not having the trailing down very good, she also did not have much of a search desire. But now the past couple of weeks I have been taking her behind the house to look for some of the rabbits that have been hanging out around a brush pile and she has shown renewed interest and promise.
Jake and I started hunting a little bit before Ty and De De arrived and Roxy was not showing us much. I did shoot a rabbit that she had jumped, but there was no chase involved with the run. After about twenty minutes we met up with Ty and De De and a rabbit was soon jumped. Roxy and De De were put on the track and they ran and circled it back to me, where it met its demise with one well place shot to the head at a distance of about fifteen feet. It was a great run to start, but there was one problem, they did not open up on it (bark).
Things definitely improved as the day wore on. The dogs started searching and opening on the rabbits that were jumped. We had some great runs! The dogs did really well, and it was the best I had ever seen Roxy run. I was definitely proud!
Rating the dogs I would have to say De De had more desire and search, but Roxy was usually in the lead on the runs, and definitely the faster or the two. I would also have to say I think Roxy has the better nose. De De definitely showed she has more desire and stamina at the end of the day, Roxy was pretty much shot, but De De wanted more. Roxy has a deep bawl voice and De De has more of a high pitched chop.
Observations:
The dogs did an outstanding job for the limited amount of hunting time each has under their collar. The area we hunted today had outstanding cover and an ample supply of rabbits. I think Jake enjoyed himself and I am hoping I can get both him and Dick to get a beagle!
Weather:
SE 12, clear, 29 ˚, 29.97 falling, 4” crusty snow with some bare spots
Location:
North Bend, WI
Bagged:
Me: 3 - cottontails, Ty – 2, and Jake - 2
Partners:
Ty and Jake / Roxy and De De (dogs)
Comments:
Today I was once again rabbit hunting with Ty and his dog De De, Jake and my dog Roxy. We were hitting some farm ditches up by North Bend, and Jake had promised me that the ditches held lots of rabbits. Jake was right, there was rabbit sign everywhere.
I have not hunted Roxy much the last couple of years on account of I now longer believed she would ever have the ability to run a rabbit. It is really strange, when she was less than one year old I would take her and Abby out and together they both ran great, but then when I stopped taking Abby, Roxy never seemed to do much. And, if another dog was along, you almost might as well forget about her hunting at all. Besides not having the trailing down very good, she also did not have much of a search desire. But now the past couple of weeks I have been taking her behind the house to look for some of the rabbits that have been hanging out around a brush pile and she has shown renewed interest and promise.
Jake and I started hunting a little bit before Ty and De De arrived and Roxy was not showing us much. I did shoot a rabbit that she had jumped, but there was no chase involved with the run. After about twenty minutes we met up with Ty and De De and a rabbit was soon jumped. Roxy and De De were put on the track and they ran and circled it back to me, where it met its demise with one well place shot to the head at a distance of about fifteen feet. It was a great run to start, but there was one problem, they did not open up on it (bark).
Things definitely improved as the day wore on. The dogs started searching and opening on the rabbits that were jumped. We had some great runs! The dogs did really well, and it was the best I had ever seen Roxy run. I was definitely proud!
Rating the dogs I would have to say De De had more desire and search, but Roxy was usually in the lead on the runs, and definitely the faster or the two. I would also have to say I think Roxy has the better nose. De De definitely showed she has more desire and stamina at the end of the day, Roxy was pretty much shot, but De De wanted more. Roxy has a deep bawl voice and De De has more of a high pitched chop.
Observations:
The dogs did an outstanding job for the limited amount of hunting time each has under their collar. The area we hunted today had outstanding cover and an ample supply of rabbits. I think Jake enjoyed himself and I am hoping I can get both him and Dick to get a beagle!
2-16-13 Sat
2-16-2013 Sat 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Weather:
calm, clear, 14 ˚, 30.14 steady, 12” snow with a layer of crust
Location:
Chippewa Falls, WI
Bagged:
Me: 3 - cottontails, Ty: nothing (air)
Partners:
Ty
Comments:
I rode up to Chippewa Falls with Ty to pick up his beagle at his father in laws place and get a little hunting in. I had thought Ty wanted to get rid of her and I thought I would see what she could or could not do. I was not looking for another dog for myself, but both Dick and Jake had expressed an interest in having a beagle.
When we pulled into Ty’s father in laws place De De was waiting. I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for beagles and she had been in that kennel for so long and had not been run for over a year. From her posture it seemed as if she was almost pleading to be let out and ran.
We loaded her up and hit about four spots. The rabbits were not thick, but we did see some and I managed to shoot three. De De did not do much today, but she searched and tried and most of all she hunted with us and tried! To be fair, she had not been run in a long time and the conditions were not very conducive for running: it was cold and the snow was very powdery.
Observations:
The area up here seems to be rich with game. I saw at least twenty pheasants, six grouse, six rabbits and one squirrel.
Weather:
calm, clear, 14 ˚, 30.14 steady, 12” snow with a layer of crust
Location:
Chippewa Falls, WI
Bagged:
Me: 3 - cottontails, Ty: nothing (air)
Partners:
Ty
Comments:
I rode up to Chippewa Falls with Ty to pick up his beagle at his father in laws place and get a little hunting in. I had thought Ty wanted to get rid of her and I thought I would see what she could or could not do. I was not looking for another dog for myself, but both Dick and Jake had expressed an interest in having a beagle.
When we pulled into Ty’s father in laws place De De was waiting. I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for beagles and she had been in that kennel for so long and had not been run for over a year. From her posture it seemed as if she was almost pleading to be let out and ran.
We loaded her up and hit about four spots. The rabbits were not thick, but we did see some and I managed to shoot three. De De did not do much today, but she searched and tried and most of all she hunted with us and tried! To be fair, she had not been run in a long time and the conditions were not very conducive for running: it was cold and the snow was very powdery.
Observations:
The area up here seems to be rich with game. I saw at least twenty pheasants, six grouse, six rabbits and one squirrel.
2-15-13 Fri
2-15-2013 Fri 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Weather:
calm, clear, 15 ˚, 30.26 steady
Water:
5.00 steady, 20 kcfs, clear
Location:
Dresbach tail waters below the information center, walleye fishing (ice)
Caught:
Me: nothing, Scott: 1 – 6”walleye
Partners:
Scott
Comments:
Scott and I were ice fishing for walleyes in a new spot today below the dam. I have never seen anybody ice fish here before, but Scott and I had caught a number of walleyes here near the end of the open water season and we had both agreed to give it a try.
We were set up just below the Information Center tight to the Minnesota bank. We were fishing in water anywhere from ten to thirty feet. I never caught a fish, but I did have at least one decent mark on my Hummingbird lead me to believe one was investigating my bait. Scott was able to catch one very small walleye, and once again he out fished me.
Observations:
No one was fishing up by the short wall tonight and if I would guess I would have to say it is because the ice up in that area has to be unsafe.
Weather:
calm, clear, 15 ˚, 30.26 steady
Water:
5.00 steady, 20 kcfs, clear
Location:
Dresbach tail waters below the information center, walleye fishing (ice)
Caught:
Me: nothing, Scott: 1 – 6”walleye
Partners:
Scott
Comments:
Scott and I were ice fishing for walleyes in a new spot today below the dam. I have never seen anybody ice fish here before, but Scott and I had caught a number of walleyes here near the end of the open water season and we had both agreed to give it a try.
We were set up just below the Information Center tight to the Minnesota bank. We were fishing in water anywhere from ten to thirty feet. I never caught a fish, but I did have at least one decent mark on my Hummingbird lead me to believe one was investigating my bait. Scott was able to catch one very small walleye, and once again he out fished me.
Observations:
No one was fishing up by the short wall tonight and if I would guess I would have to say it is because the ice up in that area has to be unsafe.
2-13-13 Tue
2-13-2013 Tue 6:00 PM – 8:15 PM
Weather:
(1853) S 5, overcast, 35 ˚, 29.68 falling
Water:
5.08 steady, 23.9 kcfs, clear
Location:
Dresbach tail waters walleye fishing (ice)
Caught:
Me: 1 – 11” sauger, 1 – 10” walleye, Scott: 1 – 15”walleye, 1 – 12” sauger
Partners:
Scott
Comments:
It was an after work walleye fishing trip with Scott tonight. I ended up getting stuck late at work again, so I had a later start than I desired.
We have had a few days of warm weather lately, and I was a little concerned on the condition of the ice. About one quarter of the way up towards the short wall I had my first indication that the condition of the ice was not that good; there was an inch wide crack in the ice and it went as far as a person could see. When we got within close proximity of the short wall there was another large crack, which I stayed downstream of.
I set up just downstream of the upper crack with my chair on the downstream side of it and my ice hole on the upstream side. As I fished I stretched my feet across the crack to the upstream side. Since the upstream ice piece was not that large it was bobbing rhythmically from the current. This actually gave me the slight sensation that I was in a rocking chair.
The fishing was not very good tonight. Scott and I each caught two fish, and I really did not have much more action than those two fish.
Observations:
The increased temperatures and current has greatly weakened the ice up by the short wall, tonight may have been my last night ice fishing for walleyes up this close to the dam.
Weather:
(1853) S 5, overcast, 35 ˚, 29.68 falling
Water:
5.08 steady, 23.9 kcfs, clear
Location:
Dresbach tail waters walleye fishing (ice)
Caught:
Me: 1 – 11” sauger, 1 – 10” walleye, Scott: 1 – 15”walleye, 1 – 12” sauger
Partners:
Scott
Comments:
It was an after work walleye fishing trip with Scott tonight. I ended up getting stuck late at work again, so I had a later start than I desired.
We have had a few days of warm weather lately, and I was a little concerned on the condition of the ice. About one quarter of the way up towards the short wall I had my first indication that the condition of the ice was not that good; there was an inch wide crack in the ice and it went as far as a person could see. When we got within close proximity of the short wall there was another large crack, which I stayed downstream of.
I set up just downstream of the upper crack with my chair on the downstream side of it and my ice hole on the upstream side. As I fished I stretched my feet across the crack to the upstream side. Since the upstream ice piece was not that large it was bobbing rhythmically from the current. This actually gave me the slight sensation that I was in a rocking chair.
The fishing was not very good tonight. Scott and I each caught two fish, and I really did not have much more action than those two fish.
Observations:
The increased temperatures and current has greatly weakened the ice up by the short wall, tonight may have been my last night ice fishing for walleyes up this close to the dam.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
2-6-13 Wed
2-6-2013 Wed 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Weather:
(1453) E 6, overcast, 27 ˚, 30.04 falling
Water:
4.92 rising, 16.7 kcfs, clear
Location:
Goose Island back sloughs (Josh’s perch spot)
Caught:
1 – 26” pike, 1 – 10” perch, 1 – 6” bluegill
Partners:
None
Comments:
I had the day off and I had hoped to have a very enjoyable day of ice fishing and exploring. I woke just before daylight and was greeted with temperatures a few degrees below zero. Since I was taking the airboat and I do not like running it if it is any colder than about fifteen degrees on the plus side I did not leave home till after 10, and even at that time in the morning the temperature was still in the single digits. I made the 30 – 40 minute drive to Goose Island and started removing my fishing gear from my truck to my airboat. About half way through the unloading process I discovered I had made a grave error; I had forgot the ice auger. This was a major bungle on my part. Forgetting the ice auger when you are going ice fishing is like forgetting the paddles when you are going canoeing, you just cannot get along without either.
I made the trip back home grumbling to myself the whole time. I Picked up the auger, retraced my steps back to Goose Island and was leaving the landing in my fully stocked airboat a little after 1PM. I found the spot that I had never fished before and drilled about eight exploratory holes. In each and every hole I was able to see fish on my underwater camera. I saw bass, bluegills, perch and crappies and in quite decent numbers. I was pumped! I soon had two tip ups out and was fishing with a third line in my portable shack, accompanied by my camera. It did not take me long to realize the fish had done their typical Houdini act. As has happened many times in the past, drill some holes, take a look with the camera, see lots of fish, and then when you start fishing no more fish!
After about two hours of jig fishing with one bluegill and one perch succumbing to my rhythmic jigging motion, I put the jig pole away and put out another tip up. Exclusively tip up fishing can be quite boring, but it does give you time to reflect and explore your surroundings. I perched myself about four feet above the water on a solid bank with my back leaning up against a massive silver maple and a panoramic view of my tip ups. The first thing I noticed was some fishing line wrapped up in the massive maples limbs that stretched toward the frozen surface of the bay. Upon further examination the line had a hook and sinker attached to it, and on the hook was what looked to be the remains of minnow. This minnow never made the sacrifice for the good of the fisherman, nor did it have the slight chance of escape that the water may have offered.
As the day crept toward the dark side, I noticed the lights of the Mt LaCrosse Ski Hill and the lights of WKBT radio towers. Even though I was out in the middle of the marsh, and civilization and people seemed a long distance away, these lighted locations told me otherwise.
The marsh is pretty stale or life less this time of year, perhaps that is why I ignored some rusting in the branches of a swamp white oak just mere feet away from my location. That is until the noise did not stop even with the last breath of the wind which I had assumed was making the rustling. To my amazement and astonishment the noise was coming from a gray and a fox squirrel that must have been making the evening rounds around their domain. I circled around the little group of trees where they were now hiding and there was not one set of their tracks in the snow. This lead me to believe they were staying put in this one location till spring arrived or they ran out of their stash of nuts. One other sign or should I say past sign of life was the tracks of small marsh rodents (mice or voles) that had made the fatal mistake of crossing the open snow covered bay. There was not much left to the imagination of their fateful journey. Their delicate little tracks across the frozen slough ended with a softball size depression in the snow along with a few delicate wing prints just to the outside of the depression. The little rodents met their fate in the talons of a hawk or owl.
Yes my little vantage point was very nice, secure and comfortable, and for some reason I even had the thought that it would not be so bad spending the evening out here if for some reason I had a mechanical breakdown with the boat. Well, I must have really jinxed myself, because at the end of daylight I packed the boat and jumped into the driver’s seat, turned the key and nothing happened. I was marooned!
I checked some rudimentary items, connected my spare battery, but still the starter did nothing. I had plenty of juice to run my accessories, but my starter just would not turn. I quickly came to the conclusion I was stuck and needed assistance. Walking back to my truck was not an option, it was a good three mile hike and there was plenty of open water and thin ice between where I was now and the safety of the landing. I then came to the second realization; I had to call my friend Jake Tupper who also has an airboat. I really hate to call and ask anybody for help and it’s not because I am too proud, I just do not like to have to bother anybody. I made the call, described as best I could where I was at and told him I would continue to try and get the boat started. He graciously accepted the rescue mission as I told him to give me a call when he got to my vehicle at the landing.
I figured it would be a one and one half to two hour wait until he arrived, so in the mean time I was not going to sit on my laurels and do nothing. I carry a few tools along and thank goodness I had a light. At first I thought it was the ignition switch or the wiring coming off the switch. I pretty much tore the ignition switch apart and every wire associated with the ignition and accessories, but this got me nowhere. I then looked over the starter and noticed I had two leads coming to the battery from the starter. I removed on of the leads and touched the hot wire to the starter, bypassing the solenoid and the starter spun to life.
I now knew I had a pretty good chance of getting the boat going. The only other obstacle left was when the starter turned the gear that engages the flywheel the gear was not extending out to engage the flywheel. I was able to manually pull the gear out of the housing, but it is spring loaded and it would not stay extended. I tried it again and this time I turned the flywheel so the flywheel and the starter were engaged and the friction of the two held the starter gear out. The only problem with this is I did not know if the starter gear would retract once the engine fired up. I touched the hot wire directly to the starter and hoped for the best. With lots of luck on my side the engine fired up and the starter gear retracted from the flywheel.
It was now time to make the journey back to the safety of the landing. I called Jake, who was almost to Goose Island and told him I had gotten the boat started and that I would hopefully meet him at the landing. I grabbed all my gear off the ice and threw it in no certain order back into the boat and got ready for the ride back to the landing. I only had one more handicap to overcome; I had no lights to illuminate my journey back to the landing. It was more than a little hairy with the thin ice and open water and my very limited visibility. I did make it back okay, but I definitely did not take the same route that I had taken to get there. I even got a little turned around a time or two.
I never did meet up with Jake at the landing, I had told him to take a left at the four way stop instead of a right. I did call him and told him I had made it to the landing and that I was very thankful for his assistance.
Observations:
We are in depths of winter; the landscape looks like winter and the fish are very lethargic. I was quite surprised by all the open water in the back sloughs around Goose Island though. The sloughs and the main channel around home are solidly covered with ice and the snowmobilers and four wheelers are exploring every little nook and cranny.
Weather:
(1453) E 6, overcast, 27 ˚, 30.04 falling
Water:
4.92 rising, 16.7 kcfs, clear
Location:
Goose Island back sloughs (Josh’s perch spot)
Caught:
1 – 26” pike, 1 – 10” perch, 1 – 6” bluegill
Partners:
None
Comments:
I had the day off and I had hoped to have a very enjoyable day of ice fishing and exploring. I woke just before daylight and was greeted with temperatures a few degrees below zero. Since I was taking the airboat and I do not like running it if it is any colder than about fifteen degrees on the plus side I did not leave home till after 10, and even at that time in the morning the temperature was still in the single digits. I made the 30 – 40 minute drive to Goose Island and started removing my fishing gear from my truck to my airboat. About half way through the unloading process I discovered I had made a grave error; I had forgot the ice auger. This was a major bungle on my part. Forgetting the ice auger when you are going ice fishing is like forgetting the paddles when you are going canoeing, you just cannot get along without either.
I made the trip back home grumbling to myself the whole time. I Picked up the auger, retraced my steps back to Goose Island and was leaving the landing in my fully stocked airboat a little after 1PM. I found the spot that I had never fished before and drilled about eight exploratory holes. In each and every hole I was able to see fish on my underwater camera. I saw bass, bluegills, perch and crappies and in quite decent numbers. I was pumped! I soon had two tip ups out and was fishing with a third line in my portable shack, accompanied by my camera. It did not take me long to realize the fish had done their typical Houdini act. As has happened many times in the past, drill some holes, take a look with the camera, see lots of fish, and then when you start fishing no more fish!
After about two hours of jig fishing with one bluegill and one perch succumbing to my rhythmic jigging motion, I put the jig pole away and put out another tip up. Exclusively tip up fishing can be quite boring, but it does give you time to reflect and explore your surroundings. I perched myself about four feet above the water on a solid bank with my back leaning up against a massive silver maple and a panoramic view of my tip ups. The first thing I noticed was some fishing line wrapped up in the massive maples limbs that stretched toward the frozen surface of the bay. Upon further examination the line had a hook and sinker attached to it, and on the hook was what looked to be the remains of minnow. This minnow never made the sacrifice for the good of the fisherman, nor did it have the slight chance of escape that the water may have offered.
As the day crept toward the dark side, I noticed the lights of the Mt LaCrosse Ski Hill and the lights of WKBT radio towers. Even though I was out in the middle of the marsh, and civilization and people seemed a long distance away, these lighted locations told me otherwise.
The marsh is pretty stale or life less this time of year, perhaps that is why I ignored some rusting in the branches of a swamp white oak just mere feet away from my location. That is until the noise did not stop even with the last breath of the wind which I had assumed was making the rustling. To my amazement and astonishment the noise was coming from a gray and a fox squirrel that must have been making the evening rounds around their domain. I circled around the little group of trees where they were now hiding and there was not one set of their tracks in the snow. This lead me to believe they were staying put in this one location till spring arrived or they ran out of their stash of nuts. One other sign or should I say past sign of life was the tracks of small marsh rodents (mice or voles) that had made the fatal mistake of crossing the open snow covered bay. There was not much left to the imagination of their fateful journey. Their delicate little tracks across the frozen slough ended with a softball size depression in the snow along with a few delicate wing prints just to the outside of the depression. The little rodents met their fate in the talons of a hawk or owl.
Yes my little vantage point was very nice, secure and comfortable, and for some reason I even had the thought that it would not be so bad spending the evening out here if for some reason I had a mechanical breakdown with the boat. Well, I must have really jinxed myself, because at the end of daylight I packed the boat and jumped into the driver’s seat, turned the key and nothing happened. I was marooned!
I checked some rudimentary items, connected my spare battery, but still the starter did nothing. I had plenty of juice to run my accessories, but my starter just would not turn. I quickly came to the conclusion I was stuck and needed assistance. Walking back to my truck was not an option, it was a good three mile hike and there was plenty of open water and thin ice between where I was now and the safety of the landing. I then came to the second realization; I had to call my friend Jake Tupper who also has an airboat. I really hate to call and ask anybody for help and it’s not because I am too proud, I just do not like to have to bother anybody. I made the call, described as best I could where I was at and told him I would continue to try and get the boat started. He graciously accepted the rescue mission as I told him to give me a call when he got to my vehicle at the landing.
I figured it would be a one and one half to two hour wait until he arrived, so in the mean time I was not going to sit on my laurels and do nothing. I carry a few tools along and thank goodness I had a light. At first I thought it was the ignition switch or the wiring coming off the switch. I pretty much tore the ignition switch apart and every wire associated with the ignition and accessories, but this got me nowhere. I then looked over the starter and noticed I had two leads coming to the battery from the starter. I removed on of the leads and touched the hot wire to the starter, bypassing the solenoid and the starter spun to life.
I now knew I had a pretty good chance of getting the boat going. The only other obstacle left was when the starter turned the gear that engages the flywheel the gear was not extending out to engage the flywheel. I was able to manually pull the gear out of the housing, but it is spring loaded and it would not stay extended. I tried it again and this time I turned the flywheel so the flywheel and the starter were engaged and the friction of the two held the starter gear out. The only problem with this is I did not know if the starter gear would retract once the engine fired up. I touched the hot wire directly to the starter and hoped for the best. With lots of luck on my side the engine fired up and the starter gear retracted from the flywheel.
It was now time to make the journey back to the safety of the landing. I called Jake, who was almost to Goose Island and told him I had gotten the boat started and that I would hopefully meet him at the landing. I grabbed all my gear off the ice and threw it in no certain order back into the boat and got ready for the ride back to the landing. I only had one more handicap to overcome; I had no lights to illuminate my journey back to the landing. It was more than a little hairy with the thin ice and open water and my very limited visibility. I did make it back okay, but I definitely did not take the same route that I had taken to get there. I even got a little turned around a time or two.
I never did meet up with Jake at the landing, I had told him to take a left at the four way stop instead of a right. I did call him and told him I had made it to the landing and that I was very thankful for his assistance.
Observations:
We are in depths of winter; the landscape looks like winter and the fish are very lethargic. I was quite surprised by all the open water in the back sloughs around Goose Island though. The sloughs and the main channel around home are solidly covered with ice and the snowmobilers and four wheelers are exploring every little nook and cranny.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
2-4-13 Mon
2-4-2013 Mon 6:15 PM – 8:30 PM
Weather:
calm, clear, 14 ˚, 29.96 falling
Water:
4.89 steady, 15.6 kcfs, clear
Location:
Dresbach Dam below the short wall
Caught:
18” walleye (kept)
Partners:
None
Comments:
It was an after work walleye fishing trip for me and it was my first below the Dresbach Dam. I had to work until 5:30 and I ended up working a little latter than that so I did not get on the ice until 6:15 PM. I missed the prime bite which is usually about a fifteen minute window just at sundown, and when I pulled onto the ice most of the other fishermen had already left or were in the process of packing it up.
The ice was not thick enough to fish alongside the short wall, but it was safe enough to fish below it. I ended up fishing in about twenty feet of water which is about five to ten feet deeper than I like to fish below the tail waters. The problem with the deeper water is that in combination with the current it is hard to pick up your bait on the flasher. In twenty feet of water your bait is probably five feet downstream of your location by the time it is near the bottom.
I caught a nice eighteen inch walleye within the first half hour and that was all I iced tonight. I had around five other bites, but I did not connect on any of them. Fishing with a jigging Rapala is definitely not a sure hook up type of bait.
Observations:
The ice is about four inches thick below the short wall, and no one has been brave or stupid enough the venture alongside it.
Weather:
calm, clear, 14 ˚, 29.96 falling
Water:
4.89 steady, 15.6 kcfs, clear
Location:
Dresbach Dam below the short wall
Caught:
18” walleye (kept)
Partners:
None
Comments:
It was an after work walleye fishing trip for me and it was my first below the Dresbach Dam. I had to work until 5:30 and I ended up working a little latter than that so I did not get on the ice until 6:15 PM. I missed the prime bite which is usually about a fifteen minute window just at sundown, and when I pulled onto the ice most of the other fishermen had already left or were in the process of packing it up.
The ice was not thick enough to fish alongside the short wall, but it was safe enough to fish below it. I ended up fishing in about twenty feet of water which is about five to ten feet deeper than I like to fish below the tail waters. The problem with the deeper water is that in combination with the current it is hard to pick up your bait on the flasher. In twenty feet of water your bait is probably five feet downstream of your location by the time it is near the bottom.
I caught a nice eighteen inch walleye within the first half hour and that was all I iced tonight. I had around five other bites, but I did not connect on any of them. Fishing with a jigging Rapala is definitely not a sure hook up type of bait.
Observations:
The ice is about four inches thick below the short wall, and no one has been brave or stupid enough the venture alongside it.
2-3-13 Sun
2-3-2013 Sun 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM / 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Weather:
W 10, overcast, 15 ˚, 30.01 steady
Water:
4.96 falling, 18.7 kcfs, clear
Location:
Black Deer’s AM / Half Way Creek PM
Caught:
Small blue gills and crappies
Partners:
Autumn in AM
Comments
Autumn was home from college for the weekend and she wanted to go ice fishing and see what it was all about. As much as I have ice fished as Autumn was growing up I don’t recall a time when I had taken her out. She may have expressed an interest in going a time or two, but she was never overly serious about it.
It was not going to be an all day excursion; she just wanted to get an idea of what it was all about. I decided we would stay close to home and fish in Black Deer’s Channel. I had heard reports of lots of fish in there, but the size of the fish were small.
We picked a spot right below the Black Deer’s old house and commenced to set up. I drilled the first hole with the power auger and Autumn wanted to drill the second, she was a little apprehensive, but together we got it done. We set up the shack and flipped over the top and we were now in our own little ice fishing world obscured from the outside world. A pole was baited and the camera was lowered down into the shallow depths. Immediately the camera screen was filled with both bluegills and perch. There were hundreds of them, although the majority of them were small, it was still quite a sight. The fish were on a constant march, first moving in unison in one direction and then another, with no known destination.
I quickly caught some small bluegills and Autumn was more than eager to remove them from the hook. I was rather surprised by that, but hey if she wanted to un - hook them what the heck, let here have it.
After about a half hour of seeing constant fish on the camera, in just and instant they were all gone. They were not far I am sure, but Autumn had gotten here taste of ice fishing. She was ready to go spend here last couple of hours at home surrounded by her dogs before she had to board the bus to take her back to the big city and school.
In the afternoon I decided to go do a little exploring on the lake in the deeper dredge holes for some slab crappies. I found quite a mess of crappies, but the size was very dismal. I caught one fish after another but the average size was in the four inch range.
Observations:
We are now seeing the winter pattern: snow cover, cold temps, ice depths around fifteen inches and lethargic fish.
Weather:
W 10, overcast, 15 ˚, 30.01 steady
Water:
4.96 falling, 18.7 kcfs, clear
Location:
Black Deer’s AM / Half Way Creek PM
Caught:
Small blue gills and crappies
Partners:
Autumn in AM
Comments
Autumn was home from college for the weekend and she wanted to go ice fishing and see what it was all about. As much as I have ice fished as Autumn was growing up I don’t recall a time when I had taken her out. She may have expressed an interest in going a time or two, but she was never overly serious about it.
It was not going to be an all day excursion; she just wanted to get an idea of what it was all about. I decided we would stay close to home and fish in Black Deer’s Channel. I had heard reports of lots of fish in there, but the size of the fish were small.
We picked a spot right below the Black Deer’s old house and commenced to set up. I drilled the first hole with the power auger and Autumn wanted to drill the second, she was a little apprehensive, but together we got it done. We set up the shack and flipped over the top and we were now in our own little ice fishing world obscured from the outside world. A pole was baited and the camera was lowered down into the shallow depths. Immediately the camera screen was filled with both bluegills and perch. There were hundreds of them, although the majority of them were small, it was still quite a sight. The fish were on a constant march, first moving in unison in one direction and then another, with no known destination.
I quickly caught some small bluegills and Autumn was more than eager to remove them from the hook. I was rather surprised by that, but hey if she wanted to un - hook them what the heck, let here have it.
After about a half hour of seeing constant fish on the camera, in just and instant they were all gone. They were not far I am sure, but Autumn had gotten here taste of ice fishing. She was ready to go spend here last couple of hours at home surrounded by her dogs before she had to board the bus to take her back to the big city and school.
In the afternoon I decided to go do a little exploring on the lake in the deeper dredge holes for some slab crappies. I found quite a mess of crappies, but the size was very dismal. I caught one fish after another but the average size was in the four inch range.
Observations:
We are now seeing the winter pattern: snow cover, cold temps, ice depths around fifteen inches and lethargic fish.
2-2-13 Sat
2-2-2013 Tue 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Weather:
W4, overcast, 13 ˚, 29.60 falling, 6” snow cover
Location:
Blair public land
Bagged:
Nothing
Partners:
Roxy
Comments
It is unbelievable that this was my first time out rabbit hunting for the season: where has the winter gone! In the past years my primary winter passion was rabbit hunting, but with the lack of a good rabbit dog, I have concentrated more on ice fishing. I still have a slight glimmer of hope that Roxy will become a proficient rabbit hunter like her other predecessors, but the odds of that happening are looking pretty dismal!
We never jumped or chased a rabbit today. The conditions were not very good, we had just gotten a blanket of snow overnight and the rabbits had not had any time to make new trails and venture out from their lairs. We ran across two small areas that had a few tracks that were made during and after the snowstorm, but we could not find the wily rabbits that had stamped them out in the snow.
Observations:
Roxy is still suffering from separation anxiety: she just has a hard time being out of my sight. The only good thing about that is I don’t have to chase her down when I am done hunting, but on the other hand she is not very good search and destroy type of rabbit dog.
Weather:
W4, overcast, 13 ˚, 29.60 falling, 6” snow cover
Location:
Blair public land
Bagged:
Nothing
Partners:
Roxy
Comments
It is unbelievable that this was my first time out rabbit hunting for the season: where has the winter gone! In the past years my primary winter passion was rabbit hunting, but with the lack of a good rabbit dog, I have concentrated more on ice fishing. I still have a slight glimmer of hope that Roxy will become a proficient rabbit hunter like her other predecessors, but the odds of that happening are looking pretty dismal!
We never jumped or chased a rabbit today. The conditions were not very good, we had just gotten a blanket of snow overnight and the rabbits had not had any time to make new trails and venture out from their lairs. We ran across two small areas that had a few tracks that were made during and after the snowstorm, but we could not find the wily rabbits that had stamped them out in the snow.
Observations:
Roxy is still suffering from separation anxiety: she just has a hard time being out of my sight. The only good thing about that is I don’t have to chase her down when I am done hunting, but on the other hand she is not very good search and destroy type of rabbit dog.
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