We got a late start for our first day (Friday, February 20th) in the annual ice fishing derby. We did not have lines in the water until after nine, and after a brief malfunction with the auger (detached starter cord) we were fully set up by ten.
This was Jasmyne's first trip of the season, and with the weather not cooperating as well as we would have liked, we decided to fish until about three pm and then pack up. We had one flag no more than ten minutes after baiting our last line. Although we lost bait we did not land a fish on this one.
The pond we were fishing (Saponac Pond) in Burlington, is known for producing large white perch and the occasional chain pickerel or smallmouth bass. All three of these species are prize categories in the ice fishing derby we are in, so it offers fast fishing, especially good when you have youngsters along.
It was not more than an hour after we had set up that one of my Heritage Lakers sent a flag flying, and Jasmyne and I went running out to check the flag. Just as I had pulled the trap and set a hook in the fish on the line, I looked up to see another Laker displaying a flag no more than fifty feet from the hole where we knelt. "Jasmyne! Flag! It's yours, go get it!" And off she went.
The strength of the fish on my line surprised me, and after a couple of minutes (he had run about 40 feet of line before we got to him) I flopped a pretty fat 24" chain pickerel out onto the ice.
By this time, Jasmyne had set her hook like a pro and was pulling up a fish down the pond from me. I ran over to watch her land her fish, and just as I arrived at her hole to take a couple of pics, she wailed in disgust as she pulled a fat little chub through her hole.
Needless to say, Jasmyne, while she is only eleven, can identify her fish easily and after watching us moan and groan about these chub fellows during trout fishing season, felt about as miserable as we would for pulling this guy. Still she handled it like the pro she always proves herself to be when she is out fishing with the guys. I just know she wanted to take a big fat fish to the weigh in herself, one with a prize for largest in species.
We fished the rest of the day with a few more flags, and landed two more fish, but nothing of the size of the first one of the day. So, just for the record, the biggest fish we landed on day one was a 24" chain pickerel, probably around 4 lbs. but we'll have exact weight tomorrow at weigh in. We caught him on a 3" golden shiner, with 12 lb HT Polar Braid and 12 lb. Polar Ice Leader. The bait was hooked with a red Lazer hook, size 6.
We still have two more days to go! Here are a few pics.
A traditional setup in the morning. The sky was overcast. I just love looking at the auger sitting out amongst the traps. The second picture is of a set of heavy storm clouds moving out over Passadumkeag Mountain. The picture looks as if they are coming at us. A sight like that when you are in the middle of a frozen lake is quite humbling.
The picture of Jasmyne setting the hook and beginning to bring one in is at the top of the page, the picture on the left is of her (ugh!) chub! LOL. But, she got one this weekend last year that was bigger than the one I am holding on the right (24").
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