It's On......

Lake Champlain's hardwater season......my favorite time of the year!

That's right, ice fishing is upon us. The recent cold has set ice in some of the bays in the Champlain Islands, and I was able to take advantage of it this afternoon. Bundled up, grabbed my auger and a handline and set out. Fair warning though, it's still a bit sketchy!

I was able to get out on some anchor ice that had locked up. Water temps are still in the mid-upper 30's, so not quite full on freezing yet. I walked further out to some new ice but it was about two turns with the auger and I was through......not really my cup of tea. So I settled in to a couple holes in the anchor ice where a couple deer had walked across the night before.

All in all it was cold and I only had one bite. Then a baby chain pickerel bit hard, I set the hooked, and pulled it out. I released it back through the hole, and called it a day. Only a matter of time now, every night the temps drop, and the ice will get thicker. Pretty soon it'll be time to pull the tip-ups out!