I consider myself very fortunate, I’m lucky enough to spend an incredible amount of time on the water and ice. Those days inherently lead to some incredible fishing at times. Sharing fishing time with friends is always a treat when schedules line up, having incredible fishing while with great friends is the perfect scenario.
Our friends Darren and Sherry threw the invite out to Birdee and I to join them up in the Hills chasing trout. We loved the beautiful scenery last year on the trip but conditions just led us to mediocre fishing on that trip. Better conditions this year had my hopes high.
How do you know it’s going to be a good day? While setting up my first tip-down setup I watched my split shot and minnow setup sink to the bottom on the Vexilar. I lifted it off bottom and it was slammed. Fish on!
Darren and Sherry’s rods then fired up. I should actually say “sticks”. Darren runs the old school gad setup that still put loads of fish on the ice.
He needed some help with his fancy hat for his pic! haha!
Sherry was up next! Played this one like a pro.
Gee, I wonder if Sherry is having a good time?!?!?!
Next thing we heard was Darren yelling he was hooked up inside his shack. We ran over to see him pluck this plump Hen from the icy water.
Darren’s Gad was bouncing, he told Birdee to come grab it. Thumbs up!
With all this action we had built up an appetite. Darren had a fire built in no time!
The girls got down to cooking while I kept the holes ice free due to the -27 degree temps.
Birdee came across a recipe for Meatballs of all things to cook in campfires. Venison it was and the rest of her creation I have no clue but once they sat in the coals for about 30 minutes they were unbelievable.
While chilling around the fire rods were still bouncing….
After being harassed by this fish twice prior I finally set the hook into her. What a fight, best fight of any fish I’ve had on ice with the exception of a few Lake Trout.
It was around this time in the day that I noticed we were only running 5 of the 8 lines we were legally allowed to have. No one was jigging at all, set lines did almost all the damage. Darren and I just chuckled at that revelation, never did drill another hole to put more lines out.
Last fish of the day was a beauty that Birdee tamed. Easily her best fight on the ice and best fish she has ever iced. Awesome.
What a way to end the day. Packed up and headed off the ice at 3:30. An incredible days fishing that will be lodged in all our memory banks forever.
