[Carpenter Bill]

I'm ready for the skagmog jumbos .this waiting for the ice sucks, heading to budd lake this afternoon, maybe try some where else also.how much snow on the ice up there.

It really does work! That’s why I always carry hotdogs & bread for minnow trap bait. There are times when I don’t catch any minnows so I am prepared to fall back to artificial baits on my jig rod & hotdogs on tipups. Another hillbilly hack I use in a pinch is chewing gum on my teardrop for bluegill or perch, chew it up first, then nip off a piece & roll it, pinch a paddle tail on it & bam! Instant waxworm!! Growing up poor up here I had to be creative! Lol

 

[John Hine]

I'm ready for the skagmog jumbos .this waiting for the ice sucks, heading to budd lake this afternoon, maybe try some where else also.how much snow on the ice up there.

The snow isn’t too bad up here. Most of the lakes I’ve been on have just a couple inches of fluff with a touch of slush. Temps during the day have been pretty steady upper 20’s around here which isn’t making ice but we’re not loosing ice either. I’d bet she made some ice overnight, it’s 11 degrees right now at my house.

Skegmog is the lake I fish the most, once she locks up that’s pretty much the only place I fish.

 

[Go Lions!!!!]

The snow isn’t too bad up here. Most of the lakes I’ve been on have just a couple inches of fluff with a touch of slush. Temps during the day have been pretty steady upper 20’s around here which isn’t making ice but we’re not loosing ice either. I’d bet she made some ice overnight, it’s 11 degrees right now at my house.

Skegmog is the lake I fish the most, once she locks up that’s pretty much the only place I fish.

That's good to hear on the snow, John. Must have been a weird snow band came across just south of you then. The lakes in Osceola County are a mess with snow and slop. Things should firm up after the next two nights decent. Hopefully some cold nights without snow and we will be rock'n and roll'n!

 

[Flag Up]

The snow isn’t too bad up here. Most of the lakes I’ve been on have just a couple inches of fluff with a touch of slush. Temps during the day have been pretty steady upper 20’s around here which isn’t making ice but we’re not loosing ice either. I’d bet she made some ice overnight, it’s 11 degrees right now at my house.

Skegmog is the lake I fish the most, once she locks up that’s pretty much the only place I fish.

11 perfect! Tonight is going to be even colder! There is hope for getting on some better water in the area.

 

[John Hine]

I am out in Margerethe right now, just lost one short one at the hole, & a bunch of dink perch down there ripping off my minnows but it was 9° in the truck on the way here lots of safe ice out here. I didn’t bring my four wheeler with me today so I’m in one of my back up spots

 

[John Hine]

BOOM! 18 incher, fire tiger jigging rapala!

 

[Go Lions!!!!]

View attachment 628397 BOOM! 18 incher, fire tiger jigging rapala!

Nice work!!!

 

[John Hine]

I just lost a good one on a tip up also, I Could see him down there about 15 feet hook popped right Of hismouth, I’m using kind of small treble hooks because I was rigged up for perch before I came here. Fast action for a few minutes there

 

[John Hine]

I think the party is over for this spot. If I had the gumption I’d move a hundred yards & follow these fish out deep, but I don’t,, lol. Good luck folks!

 

[Go Lions!!!!]

Hey John...just curious...do you give much concern to the PFAS warnings on Margerethe? I've never fished it, but sure looks good on the map. And I know there are good fish in there.

 

[wysiwyg]

Nice catch! Will you be heading out to other Kalkaska area lakes this weekend? Looks like early morning/morning bite might be good time.

 

[Cptncor84]

Im also interested in the water quality and eating fish question

 

[aacosta]

i eat the fish, but only fish the lake a few times a year

 

[John Hine]

Hey John...just curious...do you give much concern to the PFAS warnings on Margerethe? I've never fished it, but sure looks good on the map. And I know there are good fish in there.

There’s nothing wrong with the fish in the lake, I follow the recommended servings per month put forth by the powers that be just because it seems reasonable. I used to fish this lake almost every single day and not trying to brag I would bring home a limit just about every time, we ate these fish for probably for five years before the warnings came out a couple times a week. I definitely do he’d the warning’s just like I do on the great lakes fish but you would have no problem eating these fish, This lake is extremely clean, the fish warnings for this lake are comparable to the great lakes

 

[Cptncor84]

Thank you John, I would have to agree that it cant be any worse than Det / Sag River in proportion and at this point in my life cant be any worse than the case of Buds I suck down every weekend.

 

[John Hine]

Nice catch! Will you be heading out to other Kalkaska area lakes this weekend? Looks like early morning/morning bite might be good time.

Actually I was thinking about dropping back over to cranberry later and see if I can pull a couple gills to go with this walleye LOL

 

[Moritahei]

There’s nothing wrong with the fish in the lake, I follow the recommended servings per month put forth by the powers that be just because it seems reasonable. I used to fish this lake almost every single day and not trying to brag I would bring home a limit just about every time, we ate these fish for probably for five years before the warnings came out a couple times a week. I definitely do he’d the warning’s just like I do on the great lakes fish but you would have no problem eating these fish, This lake is extremely clean, the fish warnings for this lake are comparable to the great lakes

The reason I am hesitant is the fact that only bluegills, sunfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass were tested per the dnr. My sister who is a chemist said pfos’s are called the everlasting chemicals, they do not break down over time, and will stay in the flesh of animals until death.

 

[John Hine]

The reason I am hesitant is the fact that only bluegills, sunfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass were tested per the dnr. My sister who is a chemist said pfos’s are called the everlasting chemicals, they do not break down over time, and will stay in the flesh of animals until death.

I can completely understand why some would be hesitant. You would need to make that decision for yourself and your family with what you feel good about. But I would say if you smoke,drink alcohol or eat fast food this might be a moot point. The first trick is you have to figure out how to catch enough fish to even worry about exceeding the recommended serving size, she doesn’t give em up easy. Lol

I’m not sure how it is anymore but it used to be that the highest pollutant in the lake was mercury, I believe the consumption warning on that was even steeper than the Pfas

 

[John Hine]

By the way, on my way out I dropped my minnow trap down about halfway in about 10 for the water with Ritz crackers in it checked it in about 20 minutes and I had four of these minnows which I get quite often out of Margerethe , I call them fat heads I’m not really sure what they are, good bait!

 

[John Hine]

Ice making temps for sure!! My thermometer says 6 deg.