First Ice is Nice!
Travis Frank
One of my favorite days of the season has just come and gone. It was the first day of ice fishing. There's something special about it. I can't explain it - luckily, I don't have to. Usually I'm after walleyes, and usually it's on a lake. This year was slightly different. I chose to angle the river first. If you've followed my ventures the last few seasons, you've noticed that I have a thing for the river. It's simple - big walleyes and many of them.
I'm sure you are questioning my sanity right now, and to be honest, you have every right to do so. Flowing water and ice is nothing to mess with. One wrong step and you are gone forever. With this in mind, we approached things carefully. When I say carefully, I mean that a couple of friends had already been out two days prior and gave the green light.
On Saturday morning we hopped down the river bank and cut our holes a mere 10 to 20 feet from shore. 10 feet seems weird, but it was where I wanted to fish. In a straight line I drilled the holes watching them grow thinner with each cut. The last hole I put a barrier down and said, "nobody walks past here, this is the line."
Over the next 2 hours we did what we do best. Bails started the fun when he slid a nice eater walter through his hole. Moments later Eric was on board with his own. Bails followed that up again with a catch too large for the pan. We snapped pictures and laughed about the ones we caught and the ones that got away. My first two nibbles eventually broke my heart when they decided to release themselves. Just how they grab a treble hook and let it go is something I will never understand. After a couple of blunders I finally landed on board with a nice sauger. At that point our bellies screamed for breakfast and we crawled back up the bank. With a walleye dinner in hand, we did what we came to do. I hope the ice treats each one of you very nice this year. May the big guy up above bless you with many fishy tales to tell. Until the next one bites, keep on livin' your dream!
**Disclaimer** - River fishing is great, but you must use caution. If you are trying this for your first time, please let the ice thickness grow for a few weeks before you venture out. It is very thin in most places.