ClamMan30
02-28-2005, 06:55 PM
Hi,
I just wanted to say thanks for all the information I've come across as a long time reader and a (now) new poster on the site...
Additional Higgins Lake Report...
The guy at the bait shop near the BP (SE end) said the North end in 30 fow was hot, but here is what we did:
From the South Park (actually off Lincoln):
Sat 12 pm: 90 fow, using teardrop w/waxie - nothing, talked to some guys jigging for whitefish (spawn) in 70 fow - hadn't got any action off the jigging poles, but had a couple flags on the tipups;
1 pm: 60 fow, using jig w/ minnow - nothing;
2 pm: 30 fow, using jig w/ minnow, jig w/ spike - nothing;
Reorganized (g/f and I) and headed to a lucky spot, deemed by her:
3 pm: 30 fow + 7 fow, using tipups, teardrops, jigging rap/large spoons - this time of day or approach seemed to work (shortly) because she caught a 10-inch laker and had something else fairly large break her off. She was a little off her technique (momentarily), due to the power surge from a couple intense jager bombs, when I pointed out that there was a fish (on the vex) under her bait...she jumped up and jigged it a little bit - and it was a laker. I thought that was a great accomplishment - since I have never caught a laker myself. Shortly thereafter, she had another one, but it made a good run and broke it. I am thinking this may have been a pike, but that is only a guess.
4 pm: (same spot & types of baits), from this point on, we only had a few nibbles...and we finished up after 5. Also - 1 flag on the tipups, but the minnow appeared to be untouched and it didn't look like any more line was out. I thought I rigged it "windless", but I'm thinking the wind may have caused it???
Sunday:
1030: We went to the West end and drove out (before) the launch - talked to an "old timer" and he said things were slow in smeltville - he has a shanty there. He was heading out for perch - but things had been slow in general. In lieu of sitting there for a few smelt, I proposed heading for the island (from the West side) and we starting working the shallower water off that point (you could see a line of shantys that indicated the dropoff area), and I drilled holes and checked for fish with the vex - and jigged in each one out to about 23-25 fow.
12 pm: At this point, we are on fish with the vex, but few are in the biting mode. I was in a "switching" mood and threw pretty much everything I had at them. My g/f was using small teardrops and getting bites all the time, but she wasn't able to hook them. The fish started to settle right on bottom, and I figured they were perch - most of them dinks.
1 pm: I decided to fish two poles in the shnaty, one a rattling perch lure/small jigging rapala/jacks spoon - all tipped with a minnow and used sporadically, the other a small teardrop and minnow, and she was using a teardrop/waxie - and she hit a small perch - and then lost another one at the hole...then...right after that, from where she was originally, I had a small bite, and my line takes off...with what seems to be a big fish - all of a sudden her line goes down on the drop and gets hit by another fish, and we lose both of them - no idea what we had. Did I lose anyone there?
2 pm: Things really shut down, and I went to a blue teardrop. There is a story behind blue - I usually try to use it during the really cold weather, and today seemed to qualify with the 20 mph winds and 20 degree temps. From this point up until about 5, I hit a perch about every 20 minutes between the blue jig and glow in the dark (both on minnows), although important to add that they were all small perch - mostly really skinny 6 inchers. Didn't really want to come in yet, but it's always good to get a jump on the drive - it was a good idea since I was dead tired at work this morning.
Also, ice was approx. 20" in most places - although I agree you have to pay attention out there. I personally did not encounter any poor spots, but I did not venture out far off of the "blazed" trails. Plus, look for pine trees, branches, etc., when driving out - saw a few of those!
I think we may make the same trip this next weekend, so I am trying to develop a good strategy...pending this new snowfall does not keep people from driving out.
JL
I just wanted to say thanks for all the information I've come across as a long time reader and a (now) new poster on the site...
Additional Higgins Lake Report...
The guy at the bait shop near the BP (SE end) said the North end in 30 fow was hot, but here is what we did:
From the South Park (actually off Lincoln):
Sat 12 pm: 90 fow, using teardrop w/waxie - nothing, talked to some guys jigging for whitefish (spawn) in 70 fow - hadn't got any action off the jigging poles, but had a couple flags on the tipups;
1 pm: 60 fow, using jig w/ minnow - nothing;
2 pm: 30 fow, using jig w/ minnow, jig w/ spike - nothing;
Reorganized (g/f and I) and headed to a lucky spot, deemed by her:
3 pm: 30 fow + 7 fow, using tipups, teardrops, jigging rap/large spoons - this time of day or approach seemed to work (shortly) because she caught a 10-inch laker and had something else fairly large break her off. She was a little off her technique (momentarily), due to the power surge from a couple intense jager bombs, when I pointed out that there was a fish (on the vex) under her bait...she jumped up and jigged it a little bit - and it was a laker. I thought that was a great accomplishment - since I have never caught a laker myself. Shortly thereafter, she had another one, but it made a good run and broke it. I am thinking this may have been a pike, but that is only a guess.
4 pm: (same spot & types of baits), from this point on, we only had a few nibbles...and we finished up after 5. Also - 1 flag on the tipups, but the minnow appeared to be untouched and it didn't look like any more line was out. I thought I rigged it "windless", but I'm thinking the wind may have caused it???
Sunday:
1030: We went to the West end and drove out (before) the launch - talked to an "old timer" and he said things were slow in smeltville - he has a shanty there. He was heading out for perch - but things had been slow in general. In lieu of sitting there for a few smelt, I proposed heading for the island (from the West side) and we starting working the shallower water off that point (you could see a line of shantys that indicated the dropoff area), and I drilled holes and checked for fish with the vex - and jigged in each one out to about 23-25 fow.
12 pm: At this point, we are on fish with the vex, but few are in the biting mode. I was in a "switching" mood and threw pretty much everything I had at them. My g/f was using small teardrops and getting bites all the time, but she wasn't able to hook them. The fish started to settle right on bottom, and I figured they were perch - most of them dinks.
1 pm: I decided to fish two poles in the shnaty, one a rattling perch lure/small jigging rapala/jacks spoon - all tipped with a minnow and used sporadically, the other a small teardrop and minnow, and she was using a teardrop/waxie - and she hit a small perch - and then lost another one at the hole...then...right after that, from where she was originally, I had a small bite, and my line takes off...with what seems to be a big fish - all of a sudden her line goes down on the drop and gets hit by another fish, and we lose both of them - no idea what we had. Did I lose anyone there?
2 pm: Things really shut down, and I went to a blue teardrop. There is a story behind blue - I usually try to use it during the really cold weather, and today seemed to qualify with the 20 mph winds and 20 degree temps. From this point up until about 5, I hit a perch about every 20 minutes between the blue jig and glow in the dark (both on minnows), although important to add that they were all small perch - mostly really skinny 6 inchers. Didn't really want to come in yet, but it's always good to get a jump on the drive - it was a good idea since I was dead tired at work this morning.
Also, ice was approx. 20" in most places - although I agree you have to pay attention out there. I personally did not encounter any poor spots, but I did not venture out far off of the "blazed" trails. Plus, look for pine trees, branches, etc., when driving out - saw a few of those!
I think we may make the same trip this next weekend, so I am trying to develop a good strategy...pending this new snowfall does not keep people from driving out.
JL