A Cat through the Ice

Species #9  Brown Bullhead

   I didn’t get out of work until 4 pm Saturday. After a couple sandwiches I went fishing. I planned on fishing for an hour until dark. I set up three tip ups with shiners and used my jigging rods in the open holes. With the fifteen holes I drilled yesterday and the holes from the fishermen today, the pond looked like Swiss cheese. After fifteen minutes I found a hole that had fish under it. I caught sunfish and a couple perch until dark. Right around dark jigging slowed to a trickle. After dark, I caught two or three bluegills and a crappie.

 
I also had two flags go up both after dark. The first was a 10 inch largemouth. The other was empty after I set the hook. I was really enjoying myself and considered staying out a few hours, but I told DJ I’d be home around 5:30. It was 6:30 and I was already an hour late when I decided to leave.

   As I was winding up one of my flags, I had another flag, but my reel wasn’t spinning. I pulled up what felt like dead weight with an occasional tug. I was excited to see whiskers when I got the fish near the surface. I was even happier to see the size of it. It easily would have surpassed the two pounds required for a state pin. However, I let it swim away.

   The cooler temperatures this week should keep the ice from melting for at least the next the next ten days. Since I don’t get a day off from work until Friday, I might do some more night ice fishing. Truth is very few people do it. Night time icing is close to an untapped fishery. There are a couple sharpies on the ponds. You don’t hear much about it, but they are on the ponds almost every night. I see the same cars after dark at some of my  local ponds.That should tell ya something.