Ice Fishing for Bass

[Crafty Angler]

From the 'Amazing History' Files -

I've been re-reading Genio Scott's Fishing in American Waters published in 1869 and thought I'd post the following excerpt.

I don't know if this qualifies as ice-fishing or not - and it seems like there was more work than sport in it, but I think it gives you an idea of the abundance of striped bass we once had in our area. It has always made me think, too about a native spawning population of bass in our area back in The Long Ago.

" In November the bass shoal and congregate in brackish water-ponds or back-waters of tidal rivers, or in the bays and bayous of rivers which have an outlet to the sea, after which time it will not take bait until the following spring, after having spawned and returned to native waters."

" The ponds formed by the back-waters of the Seconnet River were, a few winters since, so full of striped bass that the fish were discovered by their dorsal fins sticking out of the ice, where they had been frozen by too close packing."

" The ice was cut and hundreds of cart-loads were pitched out with forks and taken to market."

Oh, yeah, by the way....some of you will recognize the spot he's describing, but we'll keep that to ourselves

[GBOUTDOORS]

Bet there are fish there today. I know of at least four rivers in the area that have always had winter over bass in them. Most are so schooled up that you must know just were to look or you come up empty handed. Now all you need to do is look for Clammer with an ice pick trying to get his new boat to the fish

PS my phone didn,t ring this weekend

[Nebe]

interesting.. thanks crafty

[basswipe]

Originally posted by Crafty Angler
From the 'Amazing History' Files -
Oh, yeah, by the way....some of you will recognize the spot he's describing, but we'll keep that to ourselves

[Clammer]

EBen //I,ve watched reels get stripped in that pond thru the ice //////
only did one or two schoolies /it seems only the larger fish would hit /& there wasn,t much you can do fishing in a hole in the ice ///

I,ve fished a place in Conn. that when it freezes over /I skate from one hole to the other /// white perch , . schoolies, tom cod / & once in a while a small winter flounder







Greg /have to fix the trailer /& get the boat & trailer registered before I head any distance ////

[MAC]

Originally posted by Clammer
EBen //I,ve watched reels get stripped in that pond thru the ice //////
only did one or two schoolies /it seems only the larger fish would hit /& there wasn,t much you can do fishing in a hole in the ice ///

I,ve fished a place in Conn. that when it freezes over /I skate from one hole to the other /// white perch , . schoolies, tom cod / & once in a while a small winter flounder







Greg /have to fix the trailer /& get the boat & trailer registered before I head any distance ////

Mike, U iceskate

[Clammer]

Dave // I,ve watched people judge this book by the cover all my life ///
Clammer with a flyrod ?????

Clammer skates // ya -love to play defense /great reason to take em down & out ////

Clammer /does photography // enjoys shooting flowers ////

Clammer is part owner ina daycare with well over 100 kids /// that,s @#$%^& nuts //

Clammer spent 15+ years as accountant with one of the big * companies & quit a sweet job to go commercial fishing


Clammer,s going back into therpy because of @#$%^@#$% BLOfish ////

Clammer lives life [hard] everysingle day // laughs whenever possible // because what choice do you have ??//


Clammer has been lucky enough to meet some great people who accept him as he is [[ I,ll cut the line on the big one <<><<><

[The Iceman 6]

Clammer likes talking in the 3rd person. We'll said Clammer....we'll said...

[Nebe]

Comming to a theater near you....... Clammma See clammer fish, see clammer swear, see Clammer's secret fishing spots, see clammer go ballistic on a bloofish...

Rated R for abusive language and cruelty to bloofish.

[Got Stripers]

I finished building a new rod yesterday and just had to take a few casts, but couldn't find any open water. I was at an inlet at a local lake that usually is free of ice, even in the coldest weather but it was covered with about a half inch of ice. Since the rod was for spinnerbaits, I figured what the hell and tied on a double willow leaf and gave it a nice long cast. Couldn't really get the feel for the rod with the spinnerbait sliding along the ice, but found out it cast nice.

About the third or fourth cast I almost dropped the rod, when the ice exploded under my bait, throwing it about 6 inches into the air. I reeled in the bait and scratched my head and passed it off as a natural spring suddenly releasing a large amount of gas that burst through the thin ice. I cast again and as I was bringing the bait across the ice, the ice started to buckle about 10 yards from my bait. Suddenly there is a ribbon of buckling ice rushing towards my bait and then my bait disappeared in a violent eruption of ice and freezing water.

Instinctively I set the hook and this icebreaker of a bass turned what was previously a frozen pocket of skim ice, into a winter wonderland of flying ice shards. The battle was his and I just hung on in total amazement, wondering when my line would be parted by the sharp edges of the ice. The answer came quickly and with a jump like no others I've seen before; the massive bass re-entered the lake the same way it came out and my line came flying back into my face.

I stood there shivering, not from the frigid air, but from the adrenaline pumping through my body. It must be some sort of genetic mutation I said to myself as I walked back to my car. There couldn't be any other explanation, unless it's some new species of Bass yet to be discovered?