Updated Okoboji/Spirit Report?

[Matt James]

NWBuck Thats some nice perch there, good for you!!! I will be out there next weekend hope to see you on the ice!!! Im thinking Smiths Bay on West, what do you think? Those perch sure are tasty, i love them with a little vegtable oil and bread crumbs... try them with wheat bread, the way mom cooks them!!!

[Esox_Magnum]

Slow bite for us today, saw plenty just couldn't coax many into eating. Got 5 nice ones and 1 borderline, other 3 wouldn't swim away so no choice but to eat them.

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[tspotout]

How many are keeping perch under 9 inches I hope there is not many unless they will not swim away.would be nice for the small ones to grow up and have another year of good fishinging in 09/10.Don't get me wrong I have kept a couple that would not go back down the hole but have seen a few buckets that all they had were small fish.Use a ruler you will be surprised what the actual length of the fish are. JUST MY .02

[NWBuck]

I thought this weekend was definitely a little slower than last as well. Our best luck Saturday came on a diamond jig tipped with either a wax worm or a minnow head. My son didn't like squeezing the body off, so he used a whole minnow, and didn't catch quite as many, but did have the big fish of the day at about 12. It's always fun trying to figure out what will turn the sniffers into biters.

Congrats on the fish EM, top left looks like a real beauty! I think there probably are too many people intentionally keeping small fish, but there are still a bunch of perch down there for 09/10. I don't carry a tape along, but have an 8" auger and always use the hole to help me decide on a borderline fish. You can get a pretty good idea what's 9" and what's not.

[Esox_Magnum]

I use the hole measure method to for the most part but have 2-3 tapes in the shack or in my coat. I see lots of fish being cleaned in the baitshops of small fish.

[grandpa]

what's a diamond jig? Must be the only one I don"t have.

[Esox_Magnum]

Like a fiskas Wolfgram made by CJ&S

[grandpa]

Okay. Thanks

[NWBuck]

what's a diamond jig? Must be the only one I don"t have.

The diamond jig is small but fishes heavy...that's one of the reasons it is a favorite ice jig. These 3 perch were all caught on a diamond jig Saturday...2 tipped with a wax worm and the largest with a full minnow. All were between 9 and 12 inches and were caught in a quick flurry right before noon. Good luck out there, and be careful with the recent changes in ice conditions...

[grandpa]

How are the ice conditions on Spirit? Whant to get out this weekend.

[epkirkman]

I am posting from my shack...

The ice is fine the access on the other hand is really not that great. Try Buffalo or Marble, you will have to go through a bit of open water but the other accesses just have way to much water on them for me to try.

Guys are driving all over the lake and from what I have seen and heard we are still fine out here in the middle.

Fishing was horrid for us today, but very good for a buddy of mine. He was a mile south of me, I am sitting of Mini-Wakon (or however you spell it.)

I can't buy chubs anywhere other then suckers and the northerns are thick out here. I don't have a problem catching those but minnows are not doing the trick. I am kicking myself in the backside for not checking my traps, all the creeks are open.

I would have had to put my waders on to get them but I would have at least I would have had bait.

You should not have any trouble getting out this weekend if the weather report is right.

I am not sure if we will even bother fishing this weekend if the fishing stays slow, I owe my wife several weekends at home.

[LOTWSvirgin]

Epkirkman If you fish this weelend and got pike a round I can get good active chubs to share if you can share you location

[epkirkman]

give me a call or shoot me an email [email protected] or 712-299-1002.

I don't think I will still be on this spot this weekend and it's really not a big secret. However; I am fished out this year. I don't want to even think about moving this shack again and the fishing here the last few weeks has been moderate to say the least.

I have had very good luck with pike here, like I said, I just don't have the bait and I am really not in the mood.

[PerchPounder]

My brother is out there right now and last I heard he had 17 perch and caught atleast one walleye in the slot and others that were too small. Im not sure where he's fishing but I know he came on the lake at Crandall's Beach? on the northwest part of the lake and says the ice is good once you get on the lake.

[Esox_Magnum]

Travis broke through coming off the lake at the beach the other day, Stans bait shop also said theres springs opening holes along the west side so beware.

[Esox_Magnum]

Not a banner day, caught lots of small eyes and perch ended up keeping 10 between 9.5 and just shy of 11

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[KoopHawk]

Anyone been out recently? I'm heading up this weekend and was wondering if anyone was having luck yet?

[Meycatch]

I think you can still catch perch on spirit, alot of sorting. Was out a few days ago and caught some off minnows. I wouldnt drive out there tho, ice is getting bad in areas.