First trip(s) of the season, one to report

Noted

I have gone down to a 1/8oz sized similar lure and used a Simcoe bug style lure (seeing Mykola's report of getting fish with it) as well (has worked to catch the odd fish but not like my usual lure overall). Some looks this time as well but no takers. I completely agree with you on the disappearance of the smelt situation after they fill the screen for a while and I am usually get a bit more excited when that happens. The trick is how long do I stay if I am marking loads of smelt and they don't clear away (except when I drop the lure and make them scatter...and then they come back if I hang the bait high). Often, my decision is to move not too far to look for a spot where the bait is much less or non-existent and hope the fish are around the outside of the bait. With all these good suggestions, I will have to play around with my second line to get something down there and see what will get a bite or two when the main line is not getting them. Thanks all for the suggestions Still early to get my presentation refined. But I'm not complaining...my fishing trips are usually only about 3ish hours long each time so that is only about 6 hours so far.

That was interesting conversation, I noticed that it's getting harder to get fish's bite last two years. I'm also using all the tricks you guys mentioned... Some trips I get more luck and other not, it's fishing. Good luck Flukes! By the way, how much snow on the lake ice?

There are those days. I can't say yet if those two days were those hard to get a bite day or if I am just rusty from not having fished for a while (probably alot of the latter). Happy that I had fish come through so I can change things up and see what's up. The worst days are those with very few to no marks showing and any that show up are slow and not interested. Best day last winter was 4 lakers within about 30 min....every one marked decided my lure needed to be dead. It was easy walking except for a bit of slush that would cake onto the bottom of my boots (with spikes) but I think overall, the snow as only about 4" and there were snow mobile tracks going out too.

Thanks for the update man. Thinking to try my luck, probably coming weekend.

But of course, we just had a few days of warm and rain and then more snow and more snow on the way so things keep changing

Nice report John.

I was out of the country for over 3 weeks since Christmas Day, and just got back home last night, so let me begin my ice fishing this reason! :-)

Nice to hear you are back. Go out and get them. I am trying to figure out soon if I can get out for a couple of hours today and from a friend's place. Would be nice to be out there before all the next bit of cold comes again (gets heavier for me with a heater, etc.) But I have to get a few things done first. See you out on the lake one of these days.