Cooks Bay - Friday Jan 14, Fishing report

[Dilly]

Walked out from Gilford Beach park. No issues at shoreline. Spudded as I walked approx 2km. Ice was solid everywhere. Even areas of "pack ice" were locked up tight. My holes measured 6-7" in 22' of water. Very windy and cold but the bite was great from set-up (just after dawn) till 10:30. There were always fish under me, but lazy dinks later in the morning.

Took home 15 fish. Five were in the 13-14" range. Hitting on a tipped buckshot spoon.

Noticed on the walk back there were several ATVs on the ice. I belive it is now safe.

Stay safe and tight lines everyone.

[Chevy]

Nice catch Dilly. Thanks for the report

Cheers

[Brookie bandit]

Thanks for the update, will give it a shot tomorrow.

Is there a depth of water or bottom structure where i can increase my odds for catching jumbo perch or it is really hit and miss (ie dinks and jumbos in the same areas, just different schools).

BB

[Dilly]

I’m no expert. I am pretty sure I was over sand.

[Washout]

Nice feed!

[finsfurfeathers]

Sounds like its time to get the gear down fron the garage.
Guess I'll be out next weekend.

[Brookie bandit]

We went out this morning, started at 9am and left by 1pm. No luck and no one around us was catching anything at all in Gilford. Was fishing 20-25 feet.

Perhaps we started too late.

[metalbuckle]

Nice jumbos.. Thanks for the report

BB, if you are not catching a perch in Gilford after 15 minutes, move..
They are in there, just need to find the schools.
Generally you have to weed out the smaller perch to get into the jumbos.

[Brookie bandit]

Metalbuckle,

Thanks for the tip!!

We were truthfully in the same spot the entire time.


When you suggest I move after 15 minutes with no action do you go 20 feet away or 200 feet away etc. Just looking for some general rules of thumb.

Makes me wonder the value in setting up a shelter (at least until you locate them).

[TMAN]

I normally don't set up shelter until I find them. Drill, try for 20-25 if nothing move, if some maybe keep trying, if they are there heavy you will know and set up shelter. However they can move also

[metalbuckle]

That is correct I don't setup my hut until I have marked and iced a couple of perch. I will walk 100 feet or so around an area and drill about 3 holes.. i only have a hand auger so 3 holes 15 to 20 mins apart is enough for me, before I get tired. Lol.. if nothing here I will walk farther away and try another area I have marked on my GPS from years past.. same deal until I find a few fish then decide if I want to hunker down.. also depends on the weather. If its cold, windy and miserable out and I am suffering.. lol.. I might crack earlier and setup where I think perch will show up.. they move around as well..

[Brookie bandit]

Thank you gentleman for the advice!