Welcome to the Ice Force IceBlaster, your 2x/week email with the best ice fishing info IN THE WORLD! Enjoy!
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Today’s Top 5
‘Tis the season for stupidly huge mutant lakers: > What ensued was an hour-long battle…. The fish was 45″ long, 32″ girth and unofficially weighed 52 lbs 3 oz on a hand-held digital scale.
> If the fish tops 40 lbs when officially weighed, it could be an ice-fishing world record. The Hall of Fame will not recognize fish that have been weighed on a hand-held scale….
> “It was a monster,” said Jim Janssen of Voyagaire Lodge and Houseboats in Crane Lake.”I was holding the scale when we weighed it. It was hard to hold.”
> He first saw the fish in Scott’s shop shortly after Scott returned from fishing. “I thought, Holy God, that thing is grotesque.”
2. 5.8-lb redear may be new WR!
Possible new world record caught Sunday from AZ’s Lake Havasu.
Not an ice fish…wish Havasu would freeze over so we could chase these monsters northern-style.
Team Newbie/Wilson rack up two consecutive NAIFC wins, and team Fassbind/Smyers score another 2nd: place.
After N/W won on Croton Dam Pond, MI Feb. 9:
> This past Sunday, Feb 16, on Lake Maxinkuckee, IN, they weighed 10.13 lbs of crappies – including biggest fish, a 1.27-pound crappie – crushing Fassbind and Smyer’s eight bluegills for second place with 4.57 lbs.
> Newbie and Wilson were scouting the basin with their Aqua-Vus and found the crappies almost by accident – they just happened to be watching the camera as it was dropping down the hole and found those fish suspended pretty far up over 17 feet. Even then, the bite was skittish.
> Fassbind dialed in the finicky panfish bite by sizing down to a 3 mm Chekai painted purple and one red spike.
Of course two winners mean they won a…chix dinner….
4. How a Strikemaster passes inspection.
Wow! Cool read. Who knew?
5. Hovercraft deer rescue vid.
Dang, did we just shed a tear? Props to James and his dad.
Hey – can we use your hovercraft for late ice?? Hahaha!
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News
1. MN: Driver deep-sixes truck.
2. ME: Drunk driving during ice derby.
3. Cabela’s co-Founder passes.
4. WI: Locals pitched for ice show.
6. CO: Grand Lake derby March 1-2.
8. Lindners revamp YT channel.
9. WI: Lake Superior ice caves.
…lands in Minsk, Belarus. Somebody’s gal ain’t happy. TMI!
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Fishin’ Reports
Gussy on slab patrol.
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Tip of the Day
> In his role as a guide and tournament angler, Brosdahl spends hours and days prior to freeze-up searching for fresh, untouched locations in his boat.
> “To find these little sweet spots, I use two tools. First, my Humminbird Side Imaging sonar sweeps water like a pair of underwater binoculars. I set the unit to blanket 150 feet of real estate on both sides of the boat.
> Once found, I use my Aqua-Vu camera to zoom-in on the spot like a microscope. I want to see who’s home. The camera shows me the exact size, shape and complexity of the cover, reveals any fish in the vicinity and even tells me if they’re active, plus what they’re eating.”
> “Found a big tractor tire on Leech Lake in MN and it held a bunch of crappies. On lakes along the Mississippi River, I’ve come across virgin white pine logs, lost during timber operations over a century back. Where two or more are lying on top of each other, the logs become a magnet for crappies, rock bass, perch, and smallmouth bass. Even walleyes use these things.”
> “I get a kick of out just finding these spots, using the camera to solve the mysteries of what’s there and where fish are positioned. And then it’s fun to figure out how to best fish ’em.”
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Quote of the Day
Ice fishermen are already noticing fewer days they can be out on our ice-covered lakes.
– WI Rep. Mark Pocan on Jan. 16. Bwahahahahahaha!
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Shot of the Day
Pike bike. Huh. You don’t see that every day.
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GET OUT AND STAY OUT ICE-HEADS!
