New Ice Updates

[deadeye]

Thanks for the reports! I might be heading from mn down there so I apreciate the info. This last summer I was down in des moines and did some fishing at big creek and at the spillway below sayllorville and I did pretty good so I thought maybe i would try big creek on ice and the dam for open h20. ><>
deadeye

[goodyy7]

Deadeye-- I am from DM area, so I have some reports for you. I too love to fish 12 and 3mile, year round. HOwever, as with last year, not looking good for ice so far. To my knowledge nowhere in s.Iowa is doing any good for ice. Here in the DM area we barely have good ice. Just putting some on, but it is hard to find. Big Creek has been doing well in the Lost Lake area for the last month or so...lots of crappie, gills, and small eyes. Not sure of ice on there today and thickness. Checked Badger Creek and Maffit Res. this morning. Ice on Badger Creek was 2" and that was a lot of it on Maffit. Did find some 4-5" ice in some bays at Maffit and caught a decent gill and smaller crappie while the only other person out caught a decent little perch. Ice started to feel unsafe around 11:30 so I called it a morning. Most bodies of water here around DM and to the south have ice now, just not staying cold long enough to keep it healthy. Thinking by Tues it will be pretty darn good in my area at least.

goody

[Guest]

Went to Union Grove(by Garwin). A lot of the ice by the west boat ramp is not safe. Most of the south east looked safe. I tried south of the west boat ramp. The water level is way low due to draining the lake for dam repairs. The ice there was cracking and poping so bad it made your ******* pucker. I got nervous and gave it up there. It should all be good ice in a couple of days.

Went down to Rock Creek around noon. Fished one point down from the campground. Sat out in the wind all afternoon on 5" to 7" of ice even though there was water on the very tip of the point. I tried to put the glacier house up, but the wind was to strong for me by myself. Caught 3 crappie and 1 cleanable gill up till then. About 1 hour before dark the wind died enough to put the house up. Stayed till 7:45.

Cleaned appox 20 some crappie and the gill. Found bottom with both poles. Raised them both up 5' and jigged to the bottom. Ussually got nailed by at least 1 pole on the way down. Had several doubles. Did a lot of culling, but had fun.

A big thank you to the guy who held on to the house while I was putting it up.

fishtale:

[Guest]

i fished a pond southwest of indianola yesterday. the ice was 4 to 5 inches in the cove, but the rest was about 2 to 3. i kept 15 crappies between 10 and 12 inches. i put back at least that many back. i went to south dakota last weekend, caught some very nice pike. i'ts hard to come back and fish, after a trip like that. oh well.

[HideHunter]

Got ice south of 80!

I posted this earlier so if it shows up somewhere else, I apologize.

Fished farm ponds Sunday, yesterday and today. Got about 3" of ice as of this afternoon. Good bite Sunday. Caught some dandies. Released a 13+" dump.

Tough yesterday. Had to go down to 2# , #12 RatFinkee and a single spike. Did end up catching a couple dozen 'gills. Lots of sorting. Tried a different pond in the evening and they were a lot more excitable.

Much better today. Got over a good brushpile in 15 feet of water and caught a nice run of 8 -10" BG. They liked a gold Fat Boy today.

Taking a couple gals from the county conservation board tomorrow. Their first icefishing trip. Hope I can get them into something. .. goodfishin' .. g

[Guest]

Fishtail-was at rock creek 1-15 and caught 25-30 9 1/2 in crappies.For that place that is outstanding!! Haven't seen these fish this active in a long time.Have been catching little saugeyes of of the campground point.

[goodyy7]

HideHunter-- How far south you talking? Heard of some good ice forming down around new virginia farm ponds, 3mile is supposed to be getting over 3" now. Lets get this central/southern iowa ice season going!!!

goody

[Guest]

Drove through Diamond Lake park yesterday(tues1/14/03). There is a lot of open water yet. Could probably get out on the far south or far north ends if you wated to.

Was at union grove today. Walked out on the ice just to check it. There was probably 4+" at the west boat ramp area. Didn't see any open water, but I didn't drive all the way round this time. The Lions Club rescheduled the annual Fishing Derby there to 01/25/03.
I think it starts at 9 AM.

Fishtale:

[HideHunter]

goody,

I'm just north of Burlington. I was on Odessa yesterday morning. About 4" there. Caught some small fish. The few fishermen I talked to were catching small fish or nothing. Hit a farm pond, about noon, and buddy and I caught a couple dozen real nice 'gills.

Think I'll call down to Sugema and see what they have for ice. I'd think the next few days should firm everything up. Never ice fished that but it looks like a natural.. g

[Guest]

Looks like Ice fishing is finally going to be possible for most of Iowa now. You still want to be carefull where you tread because of the way things have been so far. There is still thin spots or broken or rotton ice in some places.

Went down to Big Creek yesterday. 7" or 8" of ice. We fished between 2 jetties on the edge of brush piles and channel. It was 19' on one end of the house and 22' on the other.

We got there around noon(bad timing) and left at approx. 10pm. Started catching eyes just as the sun went down. No keepers. My partner said he caught about 25. I may have caught 8. I didn't catch any until after we drilled 2 more holes on the deeper end and moved over. But I think he was fishing right on the bottem and I was trying to stay up a couple of inches. I had minnow on a plain hook and split shot and he was using a minowed jig and split shot.

Please post where you went, ice conditions and how you did!

I am going to try to get on the ice again this afternoon, but not sure where.

fishtale:

[Guest]

hey fishtail, i was there also from 4p.m. till 12p.m. i had the same results. nice to see the fish are biting there again, no more shad. i will go again today about the same time.

[goodyy7]

Well, finally was able to get on the ice after one long and busy week. Nice to be back on the main lake at Big Creek instead of fighting the crowds of Lost Lake area. Well, long story short, my dad and I caught (and released!) close to 100 fish. Lots of gills, lots of crappies, and 5 eyes. Not one single gill under 8"but none over 9"...all real nice fish. Crappie went anywhere between 8and 12" with most in the 10"range. Walleye were all small with the largest only 14". A LOT of fun though with almost nonstop action from 8:30am to 7pm. How did everyone else do that hit Big Creek??....lots of shacks out there!!!!

goody

[Guest]

went to big creek last night, caught 20 walleyes. nothing over 14" i am going again tomorrow during the day. if you are free and want to fish let me know.

[goodyy7]

I will be there in the morning Monday...hopefully sunup to about 3 or so (plan on taking a half-day at work!). Keep an eye out for me...I drive a '01 (dirty) green F150 extended cab with a cabelas sticker in the back window and walleye on the antenna. I have a homemade green ice shack and will be alone. Give a yell if you see me!

goody

[Guest]

Went back to Rock Creek today. I didn't get out till after 5 PM. Fished just before the 4th jetty from the campground, before the big bay. Ice was 5" in 10' of water beside an old steak bed. Fished til 9:25 PM. Cleaned 29 crappie.

Wonder where on Big Creek and how was the ice goodyy7 was fishing. Sounds like they had a great day together.

Hope others will post info!

Fishtale:

[Guest]

Fished Greene Castle all weekend. Sat. night caught a 4 lb. walleye. My first ever at green castle. Sunday caught a couple of catfish and bullheads. Ice was 8 inches.

[goodyy7]

Ice on most of Big Creek is around 8" and growing with this cold. There were still a couple of open spots out from the marina due to geese and such, but 4wheelers were out on the hard stuff on the lower half. I would be more cautious on the north end up from the marina, but other than that it is thick stuff. Had a little less luck yesterday than on sunday, but still made contact with fish. Caught a couple of bass and some gills, but many more lookers than biters and the gills were biting much softer than yesterday. Still fun. Gin clear water was cool...neat to see bottom below you in 15ft of water...not used to that.

goody

[Guest]

i was on big creek monday also. i was south of the west boat ramps. the only fish caught was walleyes. we caught alot of them, but nothing over 14". still nice to see them biting as well as they are. ice was about 10" and will be making more as the week progresses. i am going to try and fish at nite when i get of work between 8 and 9 a couple days this week.

[Guest]

Hey thinICE! Since you were bragging about the eye at Greencastle, I thought I better chime in. Even though its not a ice update.

I was thinking of going there Sun. evening for that reason. Instead I went on down to Rock Creek. I haven't been down there for a couple years(Green Castle). Used to go there all the time. Crappie used to be good there too.

Anyway, I've got a walleye mounted from down there. 8.5 # caught super bowl sunday 1992. I used a gill I caught that evening for bait and have that mounted with it.

You got my blood flowin now! I'll have to try it again soon.

Tight lines:
fishtale:

[Guest]

Fishtail, Any chance that you caught that eye on the south end of the lake?

[Guest]

Yes, kind of. If I remember right there are 3 jetties on the west side and the handicap access. Caught him just north of the 3rd jetty.

Fishtale: