Airport Bay 1/11/09

[portagelaker]

Mike the Pike and I hit the ice yesterday afternoon on Airport Bay. Fished from 2 till 5, and not a single fish. We tried minnows, waxies, and wigglers with no luck. We marked fish coming through, but they just weren't hitting.

Water clarity was clearing, but still milky.

There were maybe 20 other people out there (with very limited access, only if you know someone anymore), and no one was catching anything, but a pretty good buzz :lol:.

You know, if I keep coming home from this place empty handed, my wife is going to start thinking that "Airport Bay" is just code for "The Landing Strip" :lol:.

If you think about it, it's really not that far off from the clubs..... Icefishing right now costs a ton of money, and it's all anticipation with no delivery :smile-mad.

[bobd47fish]

That's why it's called FISHING, not CATCHING.
I think few fishermen catch fish every trip. Those that always catch their limit are liars.
lastly, if you caught a 16" perch or greater, I want to see the picture with a ruler next to the fish...

[jimhx720]

Hey portagelaker, I was out there yesterday also, my cousin, myself and 2 of our friends made the long walk out Frenchman's canal. We got out around noon and setup. Ended up catching about 15 or so with like 2 keepers. I was marking alot more fish the later the afternoon went, but same thing, not much biting.

[portagelaker]

Hey portagelaker, I was out there yesterday also, my cousin, myself and 2 of our friends made the long walk out Frenchman's canal. We got out around noon and setup. Ended up catching about 15 or so with like 2 keepers. I was marking alot more fish the later the afternoon went, but same thing, not much biting.

Which shanty were you guys?

Mike and I were in the black one closest to shore.

Any idea what that guy is talking about with a 16" perch? I am confused.

[jimhx720]

We walked out towards the mouth of the Bay, we were in a dark blue DX3000 and a gray s3000. We ended up beign the last guys off the ice except for one guy sitting on a bucket.
And no, I don't have any idea.

[mike the pike]

HEY, Portage laker I think what bobd47fish was saying about the 16" perch was that guys out there do catch fish , but it was hit and miss. When people have a few to many cocktails and start talking out their gills about the 5 gallon bucket of perch his cousin just left with that had a 16" er in it ....SEEING IS BELIEVING...Show me the ruler! When portage laker and i were fishing there yesterday we did make a phone call to our buddy with a fake fishing report ( He was supposed to come ,but had to shovel the snow instead...WHATEVER) that we were clobbering the perches...an occasional "OH, I GOT 1" and the sound of the reel screaming next to the phone are some of the classics we like to play on Dan...it got him thinking that , " snow could wait till i got home". WE did see 10 does by the airport and we stopped to talk to them BAHHHH , BAHHH , then had to go. The sad thing is that this more deer in 5 minutes then i saw all season .

[glongworth3232]

Hey Jim u forgot about the 5 keepers that me and Tony got so that made 7 keepers.Still pretty crappy compared to thursday and Friday!!!

[hardwatersteve]

The hit or miss stroy out there is 100% true, I fish the bay all the time and have knocked the crap out of em one day and go back to the same holes and area the next and not a nibble. I have taken buckets og gills and perch out of there with a few perch that wen 15 inches.

[mapember]

We walked out towards the mouth of the Bay, we were in a dark blue DX3000 and a gray s3000. We ended up beign the last guys off the ice except for one guy sitting on a bucket.
And no, I don't have any idea.

I was the last guy sitting on the bucket and I didn't catch anything. I had one miss on the tip up and a couple nibbles. I know yesterday was slow, but does anyone have any suggestions for lures? I used a Genz worm and minnow, but obviously that wasn't the ticket yesterday. I also used a forage minnow for a short time. I just moved back to Michigan and started ice fishing last year in North Dakota, so I don't know what works best around here. I need to invest in a Vexilar and Shanty; that I know for sure.

[jimhx720]

mapember, I generally use small jigs in the green/char/orange color range. The ones I have been having the best luck with have gold glitter in the paint, I have been getting them at Bottom Line.

[Connor4501]

Does anyone even fish Frenchman's Creek anymore?

[bobd47fish]

Portage Laker, I was just talking in general terms, not about you, don't be so sensitive... ie, I've heard plenty of fisherman tell me how they catch 14-16" perch, Yeah, right. The biggest I have ever caught was 13.75 (4 of them, 1 last year on the Bay). I've seen a couple of 14 and 15, but none bigger than that.
My whole point was that lots of fishermen exaggerate greatly. My dad always taught me to "tell them the truth, they won't believe you anyway".
I have actually found this to be very true.
Old John, the old fart who fishes out there nearly every day always tells me that the fishing will be good whne we get a short shelf out there. That means, when the ice disappears in the channels, and the ice is formed from roughly the flag pole on the left to the edge of the island on the right when looking downstream. Old John does catch more big fish than anyone I know, I've seen his fish every time I'm out there. He also fishes with me during the summer on LE out of Monroe.
The best lure to use is the Kens spoons (or lures), I believe they're called. Just a bead on a hook. They're sold at Bottom Line. They outfish everything else. However, that being said, if they are not bitting, doesn't matter what you use.

[das7189]

i fished the creek last year got 25 dinks in 2 hrs but no size

[soggybtmboys]

We used to do pretty darn good where the canal meets the river again on the south side by the boat club. That was before they put in the bubblers, i would imagine that there would still be fish to be had there as long as you can get on and the ice is safe.

[jimhx720]

Bobd, I have seen John out there many days. One day last year he saw my buddies and I cathcing fish, next thing I know he is setting up between our shanties. We sat there and fished a while longer and we hear him kind of make a noise, look outside the shanty and here he sets with a beauty 15" perch. I had to laugh.

[MonsterShanty04]

I had a 72 yr old guy drill some holes right next to me yesterday. Seems like a nice guy. I fished the bay Monday the 12th from 11 to dark, ended up* with 3 keepers. Drove by there today and there was only one guy out there. We just need the water to clear up and it will be on again.

[jimhx720]

As far as guys fishing Frenchman's creek, there were a bunch of people fishing it on Sunday as we walked out. One guy had a few gills and a couple of perch on the ice, but nothing of any size that I could see.