[imsafanct]

I've been "ice fishing" before, if you call standing around a small grill drinking beer and not really caring about catching fish "ice fishing".

Yesterday I went ICE FISHING, for real. I drilled my own holes, setup my own tip-ups with live shiners and jigged for pan fish. No flags in the two hours I was there, but I managed two perch jigging a Lindy Frostee.

I didn't know what to expect as I've never done this before, but everything worked great. Now I have a comfort level and confidence to know how to do it and I'm looking forward to this coming weekend.

Very fun!

-Eric

[fishin]

You picked a slow day to get started on the ice. I was out there from about 1 to 5:30 right off the end of the yacht club with large shiners and jigging. Got 2 perch and a smelt all on orange teardrops. There were a decent number of people out there but I dont think I saw a single flag.

[imsafanct]

I was closer to the channel markers than I probably should have been, trying to work the West end of the shallow weedy shoal that comes out from the Eastern edge of the cove. We got into pike there this past Summer. The group next to me (shallower, closer to the highway) had a flag or two while I was there and managed either a pickerel or a small pike. I ran into another guy I know on my way out who had been there all morning and he said it was slow for his group as well. On to next week!

-Eric

[Michael]

What was the ice thickness and color?

[moose444]

Great to hear you are out and self sufficient...Our clan was out there Sunday from dawn through to 3PM. Jigged up 12 or so crappie and perch and a few gills. Very slow for Cove standards...Had 8 tip ups out for Pike without a touch....keep going the Cove it will at times amaze you...Ice was 5 inches and black....but please stay away from the channel markers!

[fishin]

Ok, so then it was you I saw by the channel markers. I know there's fish over there, but I stay away from that area as the ice is inconsistent and it make me nervous seeing people over there. I saw the guys over there next to you too (orange coveralls?) along the highway there on Sunday, and I had an appt down he street on Tuesday, drove by just to check, and he was in the exact same spot. He must have found a few.

5" of solid ice there last Sunday, I'm sure there's more there now. If you're out there, I'll be there tomorrow bright and early by "the island"

Moose - Good point on the Cove - can be very "hit or miss" on the tip ups, but jigging is always consistent. They even got a few keeper stripers on the ice last year.

[PECo]

There was six inches of solid black ice on the north end of the cove on Wednesday. I had been expecting the ice to be noisy due to the tides, but it was completely silent. Ice skates would have been good out there.

I bought some pike shiners from Connecticut Outfitters. When I asked whether there had been any fishing reports from the cove, I was told that a 24 inch striper had been pulled through the ice.
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

[stripertime]

NO SMELT in the cove you caught a spottial shiner

[imsafanct]

I went back this past Sunday morning before the rain and fished the same area, but a bit further from the channel markers to be safe. Same setup...two tip ups with large shiners and a Frostee on my jigging rod tipped with spikes. I got a handful of smaller perch jigging before Bill made it to the cove, just as the rain started. I didn't feel like getting soaked so we packed up and hit Cabela's. I had one flag late, but it was a miss; the shiner was still hooked but had a smallish bite outline on it's sides. I want to say there was 6-7 inches of ice before the rain/thaw.

I may try Keeney North next time out as opposed to Wethersfield, but we'll see.

-Eric