Grouse Hollow Journal for January 3, 2013 by Greg Koelker
Ellen and I tried the ice, such as it was, at Goose Island Park on December 22. There were erratic and disturbing cracks and holes in places, but there were also at least a dozen fishermen on the ice, not through it, so . . . We found what I thought looked like a likely spot, and I drilled a couple holes in the maybe 3 inches of hardwater. We set up our two-man Frabill in wind block mode and sat down to jig in three feet of water. There was one talkative gentleman who had two fish on the ice nearby but he said that was all he caught all morning. He caught a couple more by walking from hole to hole and dropping in a line. We caught nothing. I had one bite and lost my bait. It was cold, so we called it quits. Ellen went over to the Flying Horse to ride Libby and help with chores, while I went to ACE Hardware for some liquid sealant to repair the cable on my Aqua-View fish cam. Two seasons ago, I lost the cover for my ice auger and I found out too late that the sharp blades had sliced the cable skin in three places (and the tent in one place). When I went to use the fish cam last season, the video screen showed only bubbles. A couple of weeks ago, I checked the camera and found that it worked again. In a few days I hope to be able to try it again - that is, if my patches hold.
On Wednesday, December 27, El and I and Vince Ruetten went out to find a fresh panfish dinner at Stoddard. We found an exodus of fishermen heading out - never a good sign unless maybe the Packers are playing or someone announced free beer somewhere. We talked to one guy who said he had been there since 10 AM and had four fish, and he said he had to "work" for those. It was near 2:30. Oh well, you can't catch 'em if you don't go, has always been my motto. We pulled the sled out on the ice and then sat down on our ice chairs to put on our YakTrax ice creepers. At first Ellen was having a bit of a time getting one stretched right and sling shot it ten yards away! After a laugh, we got underway up river to a "secret" spot I wanted to start at. Vince and I drilled holes in the six inches or so of ice, and immediately he had a decent bluegill up from the 8 feet of water with his new Christmas St. Croix ice rod and reel. Vince has a Marcum flasher and was "seeing" fish on it, so maybe my hunch was okay. Ellen caught a dandy a short while later, and eventually we all caught fish including some dandy slabbers. The wind was raw, so I started up my tent heater and we pulled the lid over to warm up. That heater is part of a story about losing and finding.
Before Christmas, I started rounding up my ice fishing gear. I drug out my ice sled/tent. Put my Lazer auger - with a new blade cover attached - in it. I found our ice fishing poles and ice scoops in the shop. After a bit of brainstorming, I found my panfish jigs up in the tobacco shed in the tackle box under the tarp over the Queen. I found my fish tongs (Dollar Store salad tongs) and my tip ups in an ice fishing bucket, but my Little Buddy heater was nowhere to be found. Keep in mind that this device is basically blaze orange in color. I searched the shop, the barn, the tobacco shed, the basement. Ellen helped me search. She kept asking me where I had used it last. Did I use it while working on some vehicle or cleaning fish maybe? No, I didn't think so, but who can remember that far back? We were about to leave to go fishing when I took one last lap around the shop. A stroke of brilliance caused me to look up, or maybe I tripped over something. Anyway, there were four of the little green LP gas canisters I use for that heater on top of a cupboard. Upon further investigation of that area, I found the heater tipped over behind my router table, its black handle and top camouflaged with wood dust. The story doesn't end there though. At the ice, I realized I didn't have my ice cleats. I slipped around a bit, but didn't fall and kill myself that trip. Later, I began a search for them in the usual places. Nuttin' honey. Ellen helped again. I checked out my deer hunting clothes box, my bow hunting clothes box - where I did find my fur ice fishing hat! and on and on. On one last turn of the shop, I was lifting and moving junk when I spied a dark green Cabela's bag sort of wadded down under what used to be Ben's desk, and where I had put my ice pails and gear last year. Sure enough, inside that bag were my YakTrax and my hand towel from last year. Anyway, the more I look for stuff lately, the more I find things I didn't realize were lost. I know I thought, "Hey, I wondered where this or that was . . . " more than a few times.
The three of us fished until nearly dark and kept 12 nice gills plus a fat ring perch Vince tossed our way. Back at the ranch, Ellen got the fish fryer ready and rounded up some sweet potato fries for the oven, while Scout and I filleted the fish up in the shop on the bench - with a little milk house heater blowing pleasantly on my hands while I worked. Fried bluegill filets with horse radish sauce and sweet potato fries with 57 sauce washed down with a cold beverage, followed by a mint brownie under ice cream for dessert in by the fireplace topped off with a "short" winters nap - it don't git no better.
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