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23.1.11

NOUGHT

No temperature outdoors.
Nought
Nada
Nothing
Nil
Zip
Zilch

But...we're making ice
-23°F tonight!

Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
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22.1.11

CHAMPLAIN ICE AND YELLOW PERCH

We've been waiting patiently for thicker ice, not to say that any ice is "safe" ice, but thicker ice makes fishing much more comfortable.
Cathy and I finally made a "date" to fish on Thursday.  We both managed to schedule a day off, and would fish when Cathy got out of the Dentists chair.

We hit our spot at noonish and found a good solid eight inches of black ice.  Good strong ice that made us both feel comfortable being on it.  We set up our portable two-person shack, fired up the heater and began to jig in ten feet of water.  We could clearly see our jigs near the bottom and it wasn't long before the fish began to move in to see what we were offering.

Cathy was the first to pull up a nice fat ten inch Yellow Hen...the first fish of 2011 for her and a good size Perch for the fillet knife.  I was soon to follow, then another and another.
We fished for four hours, the fish coming and going.  At times there wouldn't be anything below us, other times several fish would come in and take our bait.

We were thinking the fish were leaving, following forage that was more interesting but that wasn't the case.  It turns out there was a nice Northern Pike hanging around.  We got a few good glimpses of it, probably near eight pounds or so.  The perch didn't want anything to do with that big Esox predator hanging out. The perch would leave, then return when Mr Pike wandered off.

As the sun began to set and the temperature started to fall, we ended our first day on the ice of twenty-eleven.  A successful first ice fishing adventure of the year with a mess of lively, colorful, delicious Lake Champlain winter Yellow Perch.  We brought home 17 keepers, all between nine and eleven inches.  Anything smaller, we released to grow another season.



11-1/8"...best of the day

Needless to say, we had an excellent meal of fried perch fillets on Friday.  What a great meal, fresh perch fillets from the ice of Lake Champlain!

Get out on the ice, be safe, and enjoy the fishery!

Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
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21.1.11

NEW "ICE MACHINE"

I'll have to get one of these!



Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
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2.1.11

LOTS-A-BALLS

Can I break the Vermont Yellow Perch Record of 2.125 pounds? 
I think so (er...I'll remain positive anyway!)
Recently, I think I've discovered a "somewhat" hidden treasure of big slab Yellow Perch and I'm going after them when we get decent ice.

I paid a visit to the hidden treasure yesterday while traveling to my in-laws for a New Years Day lunch of Prime Rib.
I found a few folks that were milling around on the foggy, soft, slushy ice in Northeastern Vermont, the Northeast Kingdom as it's known in these parts.  They didn't have much to report when I asked how the fishing was, but that doesn't deter me at all.  The slabbers are there...and I'll find them!

At the same time...quite possibly I'll take a prize in the iceshanty.com on-line fishing tourney!

Where is this magical, mystical, slab filled body of water you might ask?
Just one hint: 
This pile of lots-a-balls is about half way between my house and the big slabs.


Oh, I mustn't forget my beautiful wife Cathy.  She currently holds the house-hold Yellow Perch thru the ice record. (See pic at bottom of page).  She's my toughest competition...I gotta beat her too!

Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
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