ICE FISHING IN DIXIE

A brief ice fishing season in Dixie.

Technically, any place below the Mason Dixon Line is supposed to be the 'south' portion of the eastern half of the nation. At least that was the story back in the Civil War times. You might call it Dixie. I'm about 4 miles south of the border, and we get 'safe' ice about every 4-5 years, or less. So...I spent my entire ice fishing season, one day, at a local pond that locked up with a recent cold snap and put 4 inches of clear ice on the pond. We were out for bluegills, but had to settle for those darned ole green fish...largemouth bass! Hey...something was biting!

Kastmaster spoons did the bass in.

Hooked right at the top of the mouth.

Not huge but, hey, I'll take some ice action!

My carp buddy Bob and I had fun. Didn't kill the fish, but we had some action, which is better than sitting home taking a nap every Sunday after church. I went 4 for 5 on strikes with 4 bass from 14 to 17 inches long and lost a near five pounder right at the hole. Awwwwuggghh! Dang....the big girl came off just as I was going to give her the flip out of the hole. She just hovered motionless inches below the clear ice, in the clear water...as if to say 'hey, check me out. I'm the one that got away!' I watched as she slowly drifted back into the inky darkness.

The 14 to 17 inchers were healthy!

Icy bass...cool!

Fun on 2 pound line!

We caught these fish in about 5 1/2 feet of water on 1/10th ounce gold Kastmaster spoons tipped with a mealworm for a teaser. I was using 2 pound SOS mono and Bob upped it to 4 pound test on his. He had two good strikes, including a big fish that took some drag, but came off before we could get a sighting. The only difference between he and I was that I was using a sensitive wire strike indicator. We were after bluegills, but they never came around.

Back we go!

No, Bob...there are no carp in this lake.

Just the week before, the Mason Dixon weather was mild with 50 degree temps. With that, Bob was still doing the carp thing at the local Carp Mart, with fish up close to 20 pounds. He even let me reel one in...

Bob felt bad for me, let me reel in this nice carp a week earlier.

Bob with one of many of his January carp. When it warms up, he'll be back.

Freedom!

The temperature are supposed to rise up to 60 on Wednesday, and what little safe-ice we have will no longer be safe. Have to head north for more hardwater action and maybe load up on gills and perch. Are more fish frys a comin'? We'll see...

You know, I was reading in Psalms tonight and as Psalm 49:20 points out...'A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish'. In other words, we can have it all...cars, homes, big bank accounts and the latest fishing gear. But if we do not have the word of God, in our hearts, then we perish like an animal. In verse 13, it points out that 'This is the fate of those who trust in themselves'. When I have trusted in my own percieved wisdom, I have failed. When I seek God's Word through the Holy Scriptures, I get blessed. Even when my prayers are not answered the way I want them to be, I am still blessed. I will not perish like the beasts. THANK YOU LORD!

BEST OF THE BEST FOR 2012 part 2

Well, as promised, I am going to try and wrap up the year of 2012 and the bluecollar fishing trips we had in the Mason Dixon area and beyond. Here are a few 'big and ugly' catches we made...carpin in Jan and Feb of 2012...

Not a huge fish, but beats sittin' home in January!

Bob with a smallish carp..7 or 8 pounds.

That's a little more like it! Close to 'twenty'.

Long, lean 38 incher.

Bob hangs on as a big girl powers off.

And here's a very nice 22 pounder in February.

I'll put in a few more carp pics later. But here are a few select, early March and April catches, some not so ugly...

My buddy Patrick with a fine 8 pound channel cat taken on a 1/64th oz jig and 2-pound test line.

Check out my PR on rainbow trout...23 inches in a small PA lake!

And more channel cats from another PA pond...Loren with a 6 lber.

Chicken livers were hot, and this one had to have it!

One of my favorite types of fishing is in small, wadeble streams that are close to home. Check out these small, but beautiful fish from the Monocacy River in central Maryland...

First up is this hornyhead chub on the Rebel Crayfish.

Battle-scared redbreast sunfish.

And a little smallmouth bass. There are much bigger in the Monocacy.

Some type of a sunfish cross. Check out those eyes!

Lot's of green sunfish in the river.

Along with some rock bass, or 'redeyes'.

All these from a small, slow moving river in the country...cool!

Along the way, we had a few other highlights during the year. Here are a few of the 'keepers'...

Matt with a nice 16 pound class carp on a pineapple chunk.

My 2 year old grand daughter came along and got thirsty.

Another big carp from the local cyprinid factory.

Bob's 23-pounder...nice fish!

This one made the cover of Fishing Headquarters! Cool!

Blue cats in the Potomac...lots of small stuff.

Patrick with his personal best 27 -pounder!

Yes, I must say, we were blessed with many beautiful moments fishing in 2012. God has graciously poured out memories and beautiful grand children as well, including Abigail Grace, born on Oct 2, 2012. Now I have TWO girls to take fishing!

Best catch of the year was Abigail Grace... 8 pounds 6 ounces!

With all that we had in 2012, I can't wait to see what will happen in 2013! Gods plans are perfect, even when we don't agree with them, they remain his sovereign plan. His wisdom is endless, and we will never conceive or totally understand it. As Psalm 139:6 puts it 'TOO LOFTY FOR ME TO ATTAIN''

I am thankful that He makes the plans, and not I, a mere mortal man. Yet His love overpowers me!

Praise be to God who created all things for His Glory, forever and ever! Amen!

THE GREATEST CATCH IS THE FIRST!

BEST OF THE BEST FOR 2012 - PART ONE

Well It's January 2013 and the skim ice on local lakes is kinda holding us back from fishin'. Soooo, I thought I'd post a 'highlight reel' of the best of the best catches from 2012. Here is a specie by specie breakdown with our best catches for the past year....

Early spring bluegills took a variety of baits once the sun warmed the shallows a bit. This here is a February fish.

Custom tied Firetiger in 1/32nd ounce is a Zigs Jigs standard, and a dynamite bait, tipped or not.

Had a surprisingly good bass year, with 410 largemouths on the year, including ten over 5 pounds.

The total fish count for the year was 2129, with 1699 as panfish, or, 77% were crappies, gills, perch or other panies. Like in the caption, we caught quite a few bass this year, mostly because they were simply available and abundant in the bluegill ponds I love to fish. Here are some of the better ones...

Jake shows off his first 'big' fish...an April 5 pounder on a 1/64th oz jig...way cool!

My bro-in-law Paul with a nice three plus pounder.

I got lucky again with this chubby near-six on a Stank X Stix!

And, at another pond, with another Stix, another good bass!

This looong pond giant went for the Bluegilla Stix 4.5...better than Senkos!

Linda and I doubled up with a pair of 'near fives' the evening after Labor Day.

Got this 20 incher a whole .7 mile from the house. On a piece of shrimp for catfish!

Linda got that knee replacement and was back in action!

Yes, excellent bass year! But when the target was bluegills, we often made the mark. I caught and released 75 this year that exceeded 10 inches, which is a great year for me. I PR ed on coppernose bluegill, hybrid sunfish ( green sunfish X bluegill cross) and caught a host of other fine fish. Check 'em out...

First big gill of the season...an 11.25 inch stunner!

Matt shows his 10.25 inch trophy!

Red breast sunfish X bluegill cross...a gorgeous hybrid!

My best ever red ear sunfish from Maryland waters...117/8 inches!

Bulky 10 inch male.

Stunning 11.5 inch female hybrid...green sunfish X bluegill cross!

Not a scale missing on Lindas 10.5 inch male hybrid sunnie!

Massive pumpkinseed...9.5 inches.

Pete and Ryder...does it get any better?

My personal best hybrid at 12 inches long caught Oct 24 th.

And this amazing 12.75 inch coppernose from Richmond Mill Lake, NC.

Well, that's gonna be it for this post! I'll be back for part 2 next week with some trout, river sunfish and smallies, carp and cats.

What a joy it is to serve a risen King who forgives and blesses abundantly! I deserve nothing, yet I have everything! As Acts 4:12 points out...'there is no other name, under heaven, given to man, by which we must be saved'. Thank you, Jesus, for abundant joy and love. I deserve death, but You, YOU, OH GOD,  have given me life! May I serve You all the days of my life!