Closing Out March with some 'Eyes and Other Goodies
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:32 am
Sunday was an amazing day on the ice for Lvace and myself. We went out angling for Walleye as it closes at the end of the month, and ended up each catching two species that were new to us and what a thrill that was!
The morning started off pretty quickly with a bite for me. The rod didn’t bend and no pulling on the line, just a gentle strike. I Love the mystery of pulling up an unknown… and voila! It was a Mooneye (thanks Marty because I had no idea what it was and would have been taking to Google very quickly without you!).
What a pretty fish! The sun shone off its bright-white silver scales. Its mouth was quite delicate and small. It looked like it belonged in someone’s tropical fish tank, not an iced-over Canadian river!
I caught a few of these and Lvace did as well. The other fish we were bringing up to see the sun were Sauger. Not new to Marty, but new for me. So plenty of smiles were going around!
In the afternoon we moved on and really started gunning and running. We really weren’t marking much on the sonars at all. After walking half a mile and drilling holes every few feet, we found a sweet spot. Still nothing crazy, but Saugers and one of those elusive ‘Eyes for Marty.
All of the sudden, Lvace calls out… “can you hear that?” It’s his line peeling away, several times over. Dang that’s feisty for a Walleye. What is it? Hmmmmm …. Up it came and it was a Ling! And a good sized Ling too! Such a cool fish! The head of a Newt and the body of an Eel. Slimy and not at all impressed to see that pretty sunset that had just begun it's decent.
Next I saw a really decent red bar on the Sonar. Perhaps this is the Walleye I was waiting for? I was convinced. Danced my jig, making that bloody, ragged minnow head look oh-so-delicious…. Bam… Up she came and yes it was a Walleye and a decent sized one too…A quick unhook and wait… no… those are clearly defined black spots on that topfin and tail. It’s no Walleye, but a Sauger! What a pretty looking fish! And I bet she would have made a pretty great meal, but down the hole she went.
My arms are sore from drilling so many holes and I have a sunburnt face today, but it was all worth it!
The morning started off pretty quickly with a bite for me. The rod didn’t bend and no pulling on the line, just a gentle strike. I Love the mystery of pulling up an unknown… and voila! It was a Mooneye (thanks Marty because I had no idea what it was and would have been taking to Google very quickly without you!).
What a pretty fish! The sun shone off its bright-white silver scales. Its mouth was quite delicate and small. It looked like it belonged in someone’s tropical fish tank, not an iced-over Canadian river!
- FullSizeRender.jpg (136.59 KiB) Viewed 4372 times
In the afternoon we moved on and really started gunning and running. We really weren’t marking much on the sonars at all. After walking half a mile and drilling holes every few feet, we found a sweet spot. Still nothing crazy, but Saugers and one of those elusive ‘Eyes for Marty.
All of the sudden, Lvace calls out… “can you hear that?” It’s his line peeling away, several times over. Dang that’s feisty for a Walleye. What is it? Hmmmmm …. Up it came and it was a Ling! And a good sized Ling too! Such a cool fish! The head of a Newt and the body of an Eel. Slimy and not at all impressed to see that pretty sunset that had just begun it's decent.
- Marty Ling.jpg (104.1 KiB) Viewed 4372 times
- Slipper Sauger.jpg (301.78 KiB) Viewed 4372 times
Nice fish Tia and Marty .
I also have to thank Yannick for the tips