Winter Walters (February 2013)

The Bay was good to me again this year, and I thank her for it. Well I did not start the trip off well for fishing aspects, losing my first 3 fish at the bottom of the hole, ouch! Well my hooks were all brand new and sharp, I still could not keep them all on up the 12"+ ice thickness we were in, I was really having a hard time with the 8" hole . Some smaller walleye and some big Jumbo perch filled my time in between hunting down some lunkers. All my fish were not possible without my humminbird ice 55, this machine is a life saver while vertical fishing. One fish I marked half way up the water column, pulled my jig up to it. I got a follow, but soon after it went back to the bottom. Well I chased it back to the bottom also, and brought it right back up. About 10 more feet up my line went completely slack, the fish hammered it! I reeled down and set the hook, this fish took off to the bottom and popped my hooks. On our last morning fish were on the Humminbird right away, and about a half hour in I got a chaser. A follow of five feet and smash, fight was on, with a couple really good line pulls. Finally got this fish to the hole and it was a tanker, a solid head shake and I watched my jig pop out of her mouth. I just could not believe I had lost my third good fish of the trip. Starting to feel down but knowing they are liking what I was throwing at them, i just kept trying to entice more to hit. Another fifteen minutes goes by and another solid follower on the screen, and with a little tease of the jig she could not resist. This fight felt like forever and again a struggle at the hole, but this time I got her head up and reached down. She looked like she might not make it up the 8" hole but she did no problem and back she went no problem too smacking my hand against the side of the ice with a strong stride away. Lots of fish caught and another unforgettable trip to the Bay of Quinte.