The FRIST Bass

 

That first outing in the boat each spring is a special one.  First off, you just hope things float, the motors work and the batteries hold a charge.  After those things have been checked, it is time to make those first casts.  This spring was very unique in the way that I was not throwing a Quantum combo.  After using those products for about 30 years, it was time to move on to Lew's rods and reels.  It is always fun trying new models of things each spring, but a new product line was VERY exciting.  I was like a kid on Christmas morning.  The new combos were a pleasure a use, very balanced and overall lightweight, they are going to be wonderful throughout the many years to come.  More details on those will be coming.

The fishing the first time out is always a bonus, just hoping for that one bite.  Also, the first month or so of open water fishing is your best chance to catch a giant, especially a giant largemouth bass.  No giant on the first trip out but some nice fish.  The biggest did come on a jig and chunk pitching to some rocks, pretty typical for March, let alone late February.  A fun time, the boat floated, both motors worked, and fish were caught.  I guess the 2024 open water season is here!

The Shortest Ice Fishing Season Ever

Last fish of the season:
9.5 in Bluegill

Looking back to November, I was so excited for the ice fishing season.  I love to fish from the boat, but the fall weather patterns did not produce a steady bite like a typical fall.  Each and every year before the ice fishing season I do some homework to search out new lakes I have never been to before to try.  I had three of them on this winters list, I only got to one of them.  I was able to make it out on the ice 14 different days, which is about half of a normal winter.  This was not the plan back in November, but once again Mother Nature is in control.

The ice is pretty much gone here in Iowa and it is time to move on to the open water.  It was the shortest ice fishing season ever for me, and I hope next winter is much longer.  My friends and I did have some great trips.  The best; the last one at the Okoboji Lakes.  I get up to the Okoboji area a few times each year, it is by far the best fishing in the state.  Whether you are ice fishing or fishing in a boat, no other place comes close...the only one that is in the conversation would be Pool 9 near Lansing.  The Okoboji trip "saw" many bluegills, crappies and yellow bass to come out of the holes, and many great meals in the future.  I am looking forward to a meal of yellow bass tacos tomorrow night as I write this.  The bluegills are the reason for going ice fishing at Okoboji, they just grow different up there.  An 8-inch bluegill is common and when you are doing things right, you will catch numerous 9-inch bluegills each day you target them.  What makes this even more exciting is that you literally see the fish down the hole when they come up to your lure, it is a rush for sure!  Mix in a few sightings of northern pike and muskie and you are in for a trip you will not forget.  If you have never been there...please...do yourself a favor and get there next winter.

THE GEAR:

I cannot conclude this without a special note about some of the equipment I had this winter.  The Vexilar FLX30 is my everyday flasher, it is hands down the best flasher out there.  However, the Vexilar FLX28 is a must for sight fishing, I love the wide cone angle it has for the early bite warning.  I love starring down a hole all day waiting for fish to bite, but sometimes you need to sit back and relax.  The FLX28 allows you to do this and gives you plenty of warning when a fish is coming in.  The low power feature on this model is key too, bluegills live in the weeds during the winter and the low power filters those weeds out of the screen, again allowing you to detect incoming bluegills.

I was able to get my hands on the new Eskimo E40 auger from the good folks at the Cedar Falls SCHEELS store.  I have used every electric auger on the market, each has its pros and cons.  This auger, so far has no cons.  It was absolutely amazing this winter.  Now, this was not your typical winter and I only saw a foot of ice once this entire winter, most winters these augers shine when there is 18+ inches of ice.  So far this auger is has impressed me and everyone that has used it.  Next winter the real test will come when we get a large amount of ice on the lakes...I hope.

CLAM Tikka Flash

Lastly, a new lure.  CLAM came out with the Tikka Flash this year.  A small horizontal hanging bait with a spinner on it.  I tried this bait back in November on some crappies in the boat, right away I noticed the unique fall of this bait.  It shimmies down the water column and looks great with side to side action with jigged.  It was a great bait this winter for crappies and a few perch.  I did make one upgrade to the smallest size of Tikka Flash.  I took off the small treble and replaced it with a larger one, this helped the hook-up ratio tremendously.  

On to the open water, it was a short ice season but I made the most out of the few weekends we had to get on the ice.  

The Prettiest fish swimming?

The Yellow perch, which can be found in lakes around Iowa and in the Mississippi River, might be the coolest fish swimming in our Iowa waters.  Their bright colors and dark black stripes are unmistakable with any other fish.  These fish do not grow very large, a big perch is considered around 12 inches, and if you catch one over 13 inches, that is nearing "trophy size" in this state.  Currently, the best place to go after a "trophy" is the Mississippi River.  Pools 9, 10, and 11 have good numbers of perch in them.  Other top places to search for perch through the ice are; West Lake Okoboji, Spirit Lake, 12-Mile Lake and Brushy Creek to name a few.  

Perch are fun to chase around, but you better have a lot of energy and several augers with you.  They are a roaming fish and are constantly on the move.  You can sit and wait until a group swims by, or you can move around and hunt them down.  Hunting them down has always yielded more perch for me, and the more holes you have drilled the better.  Using your Vexilar to move from one hole to the next is so important to catching these fish.  Also, a smooth spinning reel is a must.  Those big perch do not like the looks of the bottom of the ice and when they get close they are sure to go on a fun, letting that drag sing.  It is a beautiful sound, but at the same time you hold your breath!  My favorite lure for perch is a spoon.  There are many good ones out there, the CLAM Pinhead is great and the CLAM Rattlin PT Spoon are my two favorites.  They sink fast, have great paint jobs and the hooks are durable.  Another great way to catch perch is using a live minnow with a Tip-Down.  These rigs have been popular on the Mississippi River for decades for all types of fish.  They really work well on days that the perch just do not want a spoon or a jig.  It is worth every penny to pick up a couple, they have saved several days on the ice for me.  

The ice season is coming to a close and if you do not get a chance to get out and chase down some perch this winter, I hope this helps you to catch a few more in the future.  Enjoy your time outdoors and be safe out there.