Saving the Best for Last

Life just didn't set up for a proper adventure this year. But I'm grateful that I got the chance for 2 little tastes of it. I love ice fishing for any species but burbot and Lake Trout are tops.

The adventure level is high. Big lakes, machines, and unfamiliar waters usually. But these trips are work and success is anything but a guarantee. When it all works out it is so rewarding compared to heading to a small lake for a limit of panfish. That's why I just couldn't stay away, that and the thought of when are we going to have ice again? It could be a couple seasons on those lakes. But if we could figure out a couple things now what is to stop us from trying out of the boat.

This trip would be much different than the last. No snow on the lake, mild weather, and hopefully lots of burbot spawning activity. We also had some info to go on and prior experience on Crystal. All things that give you a little more confidence.

Trevor has already been up for a few days and the bite had been good. Much easier than our prior trip, well until Saturday when I could make it up. We learned some interesting stuff about the Lakers there last time. They don't really act like the Lakers I've caught anywhere else. No real chasing and very bottom oriented.

After wasting some time, I had that “aha” moment. I had just lost a fish and sent it back to the bottom in 100ish feet. In the deep water on those big lakes you'll often get a dead zone with your sonar. It's reading bottom at the very top of the break but in reality it might be many feet deeper directly below. Remember we are dealing with a cone when using sonar and the deeper you get the bigger the cone is. Anyway I dropped into the dead zone where I can't mark fish, jigged once and had a fish.

I learned pretty fast that I was going to get way more Lakers bites if I pounded bottom like I was burbot fishing. Noted for the next trip up there and you don't have to choose between a burb setup and a lake trout set up.

It got darker and we headed for the burb grounds. Really hoping they would show up early tonight. We started off by drilling a bunch of holes and right after settling in Trevor picked up a really nice trout. The burbs though, they never really got hot and heavy. But it sure felt good to pick up that first one. For me it is the most exciting and satisfying thing I can do ice fishing.

I made a move and caught another, then did the same thing a couple more times. The other guys were staying put but not getting much action. So instead of staying in that area and picking away at them. I did what I always do and went drilling for the mega school. It was a poor decision in this instance because the only other thing I'd catch were monster rock bass. Also noted for the next trip because they are huge there and you know that would be a lot of fun on perch setups. There's a waypoint waiting for the next time there is ice up there.

Waiting for that next trip is going to be challenging. So many things popped into my head on the way home that I could have tried that might have improved my success. It stinks knowing it may be awhile before I get a chance to try them again. But I know I'll be back and I wasn't going home empty handed.

All the burbs I had were good sized. The small ones really don't have much meat on them. When cleaning them, they have a tail section and a nice back strap above the rib cage. Tail sections get fried and the back strap gets chunked and boiled for poor mans lobster. You don't want to freeze burbot so we were having fish for dinner. They were definitely up feeding and had rock bass, perch, shiners, and baby burbot in their stomachs. I also had all males so we must have been just a touch early for the spawn.

The ice was ready for some more action up there but all I had time for was a day. That was the end of my ice fishing season and it was a good one. A lot of work at times but it was great to fish a bunch with family and friends. I'm ready to get the boats out now. Maybe get some beach trolling in or maybe not. I've got some trailer issues (structural rust) to deal with on the duck boat trailer. Plus we are so late in the year it is time for the nitro. It might be a casting year for trout instead of trolling.

I hope to catch up with everyone at the Grand Rapids show this weekend about ice fishing action and our upcoming bass season. It's been awhile since we haven't already been in boats by the time this show rolls around. I'll be in the Johnson Outdoors booth showing off MEGA Live 2, Humminbird Xplore units, and Minn Kota Quest motors.