Pretty sparse report this week due to the cold weather. I was closed yesterday and on Tuesday there weren’t very many people out either. The guys I did talk to Monday and Tuesday reported a pretty slow bite all around which is no surprise. The Atomic derby last Saturday also had a tough row to hoe and their fish numbers were way down. The good news is this weekend we are going to have some bikini weather with highs in the 40’s. The question will be how much rain we get on Sunday and Monday. My hope is we do not get any, but if we do I think we are better off getting a fair amount and hopefully melting most of the snow off of the ice. Just be aware it may make driving difficult if it creates a crust with slush underneath it. Next week looks pretty good aside from the rain and we should see the bite pick back up. The guys with cameras are still reporting seeing a lot of plus sized fish so we just need the conditions to cooperate! Stop in and get your tickets for the Brice Prairie Conservation Association Derby on Saturday!
Month: January 2019
January 24, 2019
It will be nice once I can give a report without leading with how much the weather is impacting fishing, it would be nice to get some consistency in the weather pattern. We have been adding ice like crazy on the lake, however it is yet to be seen what effect it has had on the ice breaks as well as the bad ice by the sailboat club. If you are going out for the Atomic Derby on Saturday and you have not yet fished the lake this year, make sure you talk to someone who is familiar with the ice conditions so you don’t go for a swim. As of today they are still not traveling from here to the Airport lights. As far as the fishing goes the lights remain steady with the perch bite with a lot of guys saying they go out for half a day and come home with 8-10 nice perch. It is a guessing game over there as far as the hot bite and you just have to be out there when a school decides to move in. The crappie bite has remained strong, and continues to outperform my expectations this winter in both size and numbers. With the weather changing constantly they have really been moving around, and pinning down the school can be some work. The bluegill bite has slowed, but you are still able to pull up some 9+ inch fish pretty regular. If you are wondering what is chasing your bait up the water column and not biting most likely it is a bluegill. Stop in and get the latest ice and fishing report!
One last note Atomic has moved their weigh in to Mosey’s Landing next to the shop due to ice conditions at Nelson Park.
January 17, 2019
It looks like we are going to get the cold weather that we have been looking for. Just this morning we have our first truck on the ice, they parked right by the landing. I imagine people will keep pushing out farther with vehicles over the weekend. You are still not able to get to the airport lights from this side of the lake. The northern bite right in front of the shop took off last Thursday, and people have been having a lot of fun with it. It has slowed down quite a bit since then, but I am sure you can still pick up a few flags without having to trek far onto the ice. Elsewhere in the lake guys continue to pick up large northern. The airport lights are remaining a popular destination for a lot of guys, and they are picking up nice perch. The bluegills and crappies have been moving around in the deeper water, and depending on who you talk to the bite is either good or bad. I think that if you remain mobile and are willing to move to find active fish you will have a good day.
January 10, 2019
Start out again this week with ice conditions. The area in front of the shop continues to thicken with plenty of ice for walking and ATV traffic if you stay in the well travelled areas. The rain we have had lately has done very little damage to the ice where it was good. What I am noticing is the warmups and rain will open up areas that were not safe to be traveled on anyways. The coldsnap we are having this week is definitely making some more ice. Hopefully we can get some more temps like that so guys can start driving trucks out.The fishing this week has remained good, between the rain and the wind the fishing pressure has been light the last few days. Not a ton of new information to report. Perch are still being caught over by the lights as well as some nice bluegills. If you haven’t seen the picture on my facebook page of the 42″ Northern caught last weekend check it out! www.facebook.com/schafersriverrentals Tip ups continue to do well both shallow and deep. In the deeper water it is still a mixed bag, with the perch numbers not as good as they were (I think they have moved shallow). Crappies still have been outperforming my expectations this winter, if you get them dialed in you can catch some nice fish. Spoons have been working well out here, stop in and I can recommend a few.
January 3, 2019
Much to everyone who called in the last few days surprise the lake did not lose much from the rain last week. In addition to that at least in the dredged area of the lake most of the ice is getting close to the 10″ mark with some areas over a foot. Other parts of the lake continue to struggle. I get a lot of calls about best ways to access the airport lights. From what I have been told the shortest way is going straight across from the Nelson park landing and cutting over land. I imagine their is a visible trail by now. I still don’t think you can get to the lights from by me. As far as the fishing goes I have been getting a lot of good reports. The crappies have turned on and been biting with much more frequency then last week and I have seen some nice ones come through the shop. The perch bite has been good over by the lights both in size and quantity. I hope everyone is appreciating the world class perch fishery we have, and realizing what that without good water or habitat those fish wouldn’t be here! The bluegill bite has also been good and the size remains above average. Northerns have really started to pop, the pressure has been light for them considering the success guys are having with tip ups.
That being said I don’t want to get on a soap box but I want to encourage everyone to get involved with a local conservation club. This lake is a perfect example of a body of water that needs to be actively managed to prevent it from filling in with sediment from the river. What I have learned since owning this shop is that the local clubs and groups are the ones able to make the most impact on projects on our fisheries but they are lacking the people at times to get as much done as they would like. Just remember that if everyone doesn’t pitch in to help preserve what we have it could disappear quickly!
Stop in and get the latest report!