Little Worm

How thick is the ice in Polk County. Thinking about fishing on Loveless this weekend. Thanks in advance.

Is the ice pulling away from the shore at Brushy? Wondering if I can still get on. Thanks.

I think so. I remember one year down at three mile, everyone carried buckets of crappies off the lake. I am as gulity as everyone else, I like to eat panfish through the ice and I hate to clean fish. The one time a year I keep fish, I go for numbers. I kept 3/4 of a pail of mostly bluegills, a few crappies, a few perch and a couple of walleyes that we caught on Saturday. The down side to what I did is I was purly meat fishing. I up side is that I have 8 packages of fish in the freezer and will not keep any again until the one time I keep fish next winter. Am I a conservationist or a meat hunter? In Wisconsin, they have a limit of 25 panfish per day with a maximum limit of I think 50. That's probably reasonable.

My dad fished Brushy yesterday. He said there was as much as 8 inches of water on the ice in some spots. When he drilled a hole, the water rushed into the hole and it flushed the ice around the hole down like a toilet. Whirlpools formed while the water ran into the hole. Be careful where you step, water flowing like that will open a pretty big hole. It's going to be a little spooky until we get some more cold weather.

I missed it last year, I'm in.

Hoping that the lake gets capped before the wind starts. Getting anxious to start drilling some holes. Thanks for the update, I am almost out of crappies from last year.

Is it capped over yet?

I assumed there would be some slush/snow. We are quickly running out of ice here in central Iowa. Looking forward to drilling some holes up there.

Coming up to fish this weekend. Are people still driving on the ice? Also, will I need the gas auger (how many inches)?

I fished there three times last week. The only place I have caught fish is on the north end in 25 feet of water. I would fish two poles. One with a jig and waxy for gills and another with a jig and minnow for crappie. Last Saturday, I came in on the west end by the walking bridge and fished all the way over to the north ramp. Only started catching fish once I got to the nortn end. The gills are good and the crappies are really good. Good Luck!

I haven't fished Eagle for about 5 years but I saw the biggest musky of my life in the NE corner of Vermillion Bay. There is a weed bed that runs from the boat landing on the N end of the bay and then south along the shoreline. I am not going to even guess how big it was. I saw it four times on a shallow raider. Good Luck!!

Has anyone ever been asked to show a birth certificate or been denied access to Canada because they did not have a birth certificate with them?

I will be in the Waukon/Decorah area this weekend. Anyone from that area finding mushrooms yet?

I fished Brushy and Briggs Woods last weekend and my friend went back over to Briggs on Tuesday. My first bass of the year out of Brushy was over 19" which is a good start. The water temp on Brushy was in the low 50's and Briggs was mid 50's. I think it's time to start. The forecase for next week is highs in the 50's and 60's.

Thanks for the updates. I think I will put on the Gore-tex boots and walk in. Don't want to make that call to my insurance man.

Are people still driving out or are they pulling the portables?

Three men fell through the ice at the I-35 pond near Latimer eariler this week. I am done for the year in Iowa (going to Wisconsin this weekend). For you die hards, be careful.

How are the ice conditions in Polk County. Any concerns about fishing this weekend?

I was watching CH 13 this morning. Saturday is forecast for a high of 58. I think I wil bring the grill to Brushy with me. [This message has been edited by Little Worm (edited 03-10-2003).]

Selmer, I fished Hickory Grove about three weeks ago...lots of ice. From the south ramp go left and in the middle of the lake there is a marker bouy with lots of brush under it. Straight north of that along the shore is another huge pile of brush. I did decent in there and it's only about 1 hour from IF, 15 minutes farther for you.

There are several way to acces the lake. When you say form the south, I assume yu will be coming up 35. Go west on hwy. 20. One access road is Vasse Ave (gavel) and it stops at the north end of the lake. The fish I have been catching have been near the creek channel and real close to tight, thick brush. If you go one more road west, there are signs pointing south. This road is a blacktop and goes to the main park on the west side. The deeper water is down there. I have never been much of a walleye fan so I am not sure what the tactic is in that area. I would fish late afternoon into the evening.

I fished the north end on Saturday and was catching fish until my 7 year old stepped in an ice hole and got cold. I think I left about the time the good bite started. Caught bg and crappie. They were the first nice crappies I had caught out of there this year.

I heard the earthquake was from everyone falling down in Nebraska after the Cyclones beat them in football.

I guess it's true that when you go to a bait shop you should believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. Thanks for the info. I will be up there in a week and give it a try.

Was up this weekend. I did not fish Round. Went to Bone and Loveless instead. Caught lots of little fish and a few nice ones. The bait shop on Hwy.8 and Hwy.46 said that nothing has been going on Round all this winter. With the warmer weather coming, it may help. My $.02.