How Tom Boley swimbaits, Strange fish house pet, Burbot set-line tricks

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First off: Everyone is okay.

Second off:

(That was an actual quote by 43. 😁) Few details from this MLive write-up:

> The two anglers were trying to retrieve items they had to abandon during their first rescue when they needed to be rescued yet again.

> That [first] rescue occurred on Sun, Mar 6…had to leave behind snowmobiles, fishing equipment, and a pop-up camper due to a large crack in the ice….

> About 4:30 pm on Wed, Mar 9, Bay County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to Linwood Beach Marina in Fraser Township after being alerted to 2 men being in the water after their boat capsized

> They took a 12′ flat-bottom boat to cross the water out to the ice floe, when it capsized in rough water. 1 of the 2 men’s cell phones still worked and he managed to call 911, giving updates on their location in the worsening conditions.

> The U.S. Coast Guard responded and deployed an airboat + helicopter. The men were found about a 1.5 miles into the bay and were in the water for just over an hour….

> They were rushed to the shore, placed in waiting ambulances, and taken to McLaren Bay Region for what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries…kept overnight for observation.

> Both…had been wearing life jackets. Without the life vests, who knows if they would have survived….

Scary stuff, but glad everyone was okay. I’ll say it would be sickening to know all of your gear is floating around out there and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Now someone has started a GoFundMe to help get the gear off Saginaw Bay before someone gets hurt. They said that all funds will go to salvage crews (not the owners of gear) and that “we will have a roast of the owner when all is safe and done.” Lol. Has raised $2,805 of the $3,000 goal so far.

We get it guys!

Says it’s a very finesse-y presentation that can be “the deal” for neutral or negative fish when the water is still frigid.

The fish are more lethargic in the colder water…so he’s not “rip-jigging” like he would in the summer but instead doing little 1′ pops – making sure the bait hits bottom in between each pop and not giving it any slack on the drop.

Sure it’s finesse-y, but can still cast it a mile and cover a lot of water:

Tom was fishing the Kalins 3.8″ Tickle Tail swimbait on a 3/8-oz Rattlin’ Google Eye Jig. Said all the little appendages on the side of the swimbait give it a lot of movement while the bait’s not moving that much. Also makes it airplane off to the side when you pop it:

[Drum-roll sound effect]

…Dan Warnest and his pet SHEEP?! 🤣

Man, the internet is a strange place hahaha.

But to be fair that thing is probably more chill than my GSP (named Vexi after Vexilar):

…but have you ever seen custom-painted ice fishing jigs for panfish? Small canvas to work with!

One of the pages I’ve been following for several years now is called J and S Custom Jigs – never know what you’re going to come across when he posts, but odds are it’s going to be pretty schweeeeet.

He calls this pattern “APOCALYPSE” – dude knocked it out of the park:

Can’t even imagine how much time is spent making just 1 of those little buggers! I’d be scared to fish with ’em around here ‘cuz our lakes are all chock full o’ snot rockets aka little northern pike.

With anything you do…ever…check local regs. That said – embrace the largies where/when the season’s still open! We like to poke fun at “green carp” in the summer, but they can put up one heck of a fight on light gear through a hole in the ice. Even better, you’ll probably have the spot to yourself.

One heck of a Jim Edlund write-up here at In-Fisherman.com, few tiddly bits below including a bonus dogfish:

> Largemouth bass is America’s favorite freshwater fish…so why don’t more anglers target bass through the ice? Ice anglers typically chase whatever bite promises a fish fry, typically walleyes and panfish. Bass? Not so much.

> Find a lake with green vegetation and panfish, and chances are good you’ll find winter bass fishing. Cabbage and coontail top the list, but bulrushes, pencil reeds and other vegetation can hold bass too.

> Dave Genz: “When I started using my underwater camera – which has a temperature sensor – I started noticing water temperature differences. Bass move to the warmest water in a lake, which is typically around 39°F. A lot of times, that means shallow water.”

> Panfish jigs are standard fare for winter bass fishing, although there are exceptions like early- and late-ice when upsizing can produce fish…or the tried-and-true shiner or sucker dangled under a tip-up or deadstick.

> Mike Hehner: “Horizontal jigs have worked best for me, typically fished with 1 or 2 maggots, a single waxy, or Wedgee plastic. I stick with black, brown, and reds to emulate bloodworms. But the smallest Demon Spoon with a waxie can work well, too.”

Waaaay more info in the full write-up on specific tactics and baits.

And here I always thought bass guys ice fished like this:

Those shots are from Landon Wieske, who maybe got a little too antsy one spring trying to get after Lake Erie smallmouth haha. Peep the water temp…the dedication is real!

> Gary Parsons: “Rick Olson (Ole) was in my estimation one of the best walleye anglers on the planet. We traveled together for many years and I really got to know the man. Kind, smart and a man with an outdoor instinct that was impressive. Many of you young bucks don’t know a lot about him, and that’s too bad as he was a true pioneer and legend, not only with his fishing but with his fishing business accomplishments. Since he was a pretty quiet guy, much of his story went untold.

> “When he was diagnosed with ALS, it was devastating news, not only for him and his family…but to all of his friends. But, in true Ricky fashion, he took it with dignity and grace.”

2. MN: Mille Lacs Fishing Advisory Committee gets 10 new members.

3. MX: Big expansion of Navico’s manufacturing.

Navico (division of Brunswick) is the parent company to Lowrance, Simrad, etc:

> The investment will expand the current facility by 35% and include the construction of a new 50,500 sq ft building with 47,200 sq ft dedicated to additional production space.

4. ND; KX Sport Show, Minot, Mar 11-13.

And if you’re planning on going, you’ve got the chance to hit up one of Ted Takasaki’s Walleye Schools that’s happening each day of the show.

5. MI: Ultimate Sport Show, Grand Rapids, Mar 10-13

> Nearly 100 fishing and hunting seminars will be held on 5 stages, including “Lake Ultimate,” the 110,000-gallon indoor lake.

6. Buck Knives is celebrating the 50th anniversary…

…of their 112 Ranger Knife. Even if you’re not a big knife person, you’ll likely recognize the design:

I love interesting stories like this on how things came to be:

> The result of a skirmish amongst sailors aboard the naval aircraft carrier USS Ranger a few years earlier, Buck was forced to alter its business plan dramatically. When asked in an interview in 2011, Chuck Buck, 3rd generation CEO had this to say about the incident: ‘In the late ’60s, the aircraft carrier USS Ranger was in port in San Diego when a couple of sailors got into a fight, and they both had 110s. So the captain said, ‘No more 4″ blades.’ That’s when we developed a 3″ version of the 110, and of course, we named it the Ranger.’

> After 8 yrs of rapidly growing sales of the model 110 Folding Hunter, Buck engineers dreamed up a smaller ‘little brother’ that would become another reliable everyday companion to outdoorsmen everywhere. Developed throughout the year, the model 112 Ranger was finally announced by Buck’s Sales Director, Don Hamm, in a letter to dealers on Oct 31, 1972. Buck began shipping the 112 to dealers later that year, although it wasn’t officially added to the catalog until 1974.

7. They call permanent fish houses “Bobhouses” in NH?

That’s a new one for me. It’s sorta interesting how depending where you’re at across the ice belt, they could be called: Shanties, wheelhouses, permies, shacks…you name it.

Oh, and NH “bobhouses” must be removed by Apr 1. Sorry, got sidetracked lol.

8. BoatUS has grants for educating boaters…

…on safe and clean boating. Provides local groups up to $10K each.

9. Have you put together a fishing equipment inventory?

Probably should for the sake of insurance…can save you from a big headache if something should ever happen (fire, theft, wreck, etc). Check out this throwback post to see how and why.

Also might need good life insurance if your significant other sees the final numbers lol.

10. T-H Marine buys YakGear.

T-H Marine’s second acquisition of 2022 and its 16th add-on acquisition overall.

11. WI: Community fishing ponds open Mar 12.

12. WI: Wholesale fish dealer convicted of illegally selling invasive carp.

Ordered to pay > $13K in penalties.

13. DC: Martha Williams new director of Fish and Wildlife Service.

14. FishUSA has a $1,000+ walleye giveaway going on.

One lucky winner is gonna get a Lakewood tackle box jam-packed with 100 lures. More info here.

My favorite set-line setup for burbot.

Few tricks to help catch more burbot on your “bonus” lines (rattle reels, deadsticks, tip-ups) or for when you finally set down the jigging rod to get some shut-eye in the wheelhouse:

“Back then, a gallon of gas cost 10 cents and you could buy a prime cut of steak for about 25 cents per pound.”

– That’s a write-up talking about when O.G. Schmidt invented the first-ever electric trolling motor – aka Minn Kota – back in 1934. Things have sure come a long ways!

Hold up: If gas was $0.10 back then, and is $4 now…then that means a prime cut of steak should be $10/lb nowadays, right? HA can’t even get flank steak for that.

This @nkdunner shot of a lake trout sorta reminds me of a hungry baby bird – if a baby bird wasn’t actually a baby bird but something terrifying instead:

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH