first time on ice today there was about 6 inches at shirley`s bay straight out the ramp in about 8 to 10 feet of water.
Went out for couple of hours 4pm to about 6pm,it was friggin cold out there,nobites talk to someone else, he caught one. i`llgo out again soon.
Anybody else got anything?
shirleys bay
Not Shirleys but I was out for a couple hours last night and your right it was cold but the clam did the trick. I was really only out to see how the Marcum LX3 worked and it performed as I expected.
What a treat to take the guess work out.. drop..rise.. drop...rise all the while showing them coming right to the bait.. Got a few keepers but hey its early so I let them go.. sorry no pics...
Priorguy!
What a treat to take the guess work out.. drop..rise.. drop...rise all the while showing them coming right to the bait.. Got a few keepers but hey its early so I let them go.. sorry no pics...
Priorguy!
Ice
Finally got out last night for a short fish - Man was it cold. There is 1 small portable hut out on the ice and we were out a good 150 yards past that (to the north) and there was 8-10" of good black ice.
We only fished for about an hour and a half and I managed to pull up two eye's. The first was about a pound or so, the later was a beauty! There's nothing like the feeling of a good solid strike! After a brief fight I landed a solid 3 1/2 to 4 pounder. She got off right at the hole and I had to put the arm in up to the elbow to pull her out. (Yes - she met the pan) Literally 5 seconds after I ice the fish my buddies rod starts going, he sets the hook - Bang fish on. Good bend in his rod, it's another solid fish! He wages the battle pulls out the fish only to see about a 3lbs Ling Cod with his favourite jig half way to it's butt
That was all the action and I will reiterate - it was COLD!
We only fished for about an hour and a half and I managed to pull up two eye's. The first was about a pound or so, the later was a beauty! There's nothing like the feeling of a good solid strike! After a brief fight I landed a solid 3 1/2 to 4 pounder. She got off right at the hole and I had to put the arm in up to the elbow to pull her out. (Yes - she met the pan) Literally 5 seconds after I ice the fish my buddies rod starts going, he sets the hook - Bang fish on. Good bend in his rod, it's another solid fish! He wages the battle pulls out the fish only to see about a 3lbs Ling Cod with his favourite jig half way to it's butt
That was all the action and I will reiterate - it was COLD!
If you like to eat walleye (and who doesn't?), then you should also try ling, it is very tasty when caught in cold water.
I admit they are slimy and horrible to handle, but you can overcome that by letting them sit on the ice for a bit to just start to freeze. Fillet the meat off ABOVE the ribs, and from the rib cage top and bottom back to the tail. So your fillet looks like a piece of quarter-round attached to a tail fillet. Get the skin off as quickly as you can before it turns slimy on you again!
It has been called "poor man's lobster" and I have done it in chunks, steamed and eaten with garlic butter. But my favourite is just to pan-fry it, same as walleye. The meat is firm, white and flaky. It is also excellent in chowder.
So next time you catch a ling, REJOICE!!!!
Doug
I admit they are slimy and horrible to handle, but you can overcome that by letting them sit on the ice for a bit to just start to freeze. Fillet the meat off ABOVE the ribs, and from the rib cage top and bottom back to the tail. So your fillet looks like a piece of quarter-round attached to a tail fillet. Get the skin off as quickly as you can before it turns slimy on you again!
It has been called "poor man's lobster" and I have done it in chunks, steamed and eaten with garlic butter. But my favourite is just to pan-fry it, same as walleye. The meat is firm, white and flaky. It is also excellent in chowder.
So next time you catch a ling, REJOICE!!!!
Doug
Ling
Funny,
Every year this topic (eating Ling) comes up on this board. My friend had the notion of eating one - to see what they are like, you know - "Fresh water cod". So he cleans one out on the ice - stinks, but he cleans it up and tosses it (The meat) in the back of his pick truck (with a cover on the box) He said when he got home and opened up the tail gate the stink coming out of his box was gagging! Needless to say he didn't eat it. I had another friend grab one to remove the hook, he had the smell on his hands for 2 days regardless of what he tried to wash it off with 
After I heard about the fresh water lobster description, I did a little research on the matter. I discovered that many years back (late 60's I think - don't quote it though) they tried to commercially fish Ling only to have the market collapse. This tells me that if the general public wouldn't eat them - && I've seen some member's of the general public eat anything that come's out of water! Something just isn't right.
Couple that to the stench, and hideous look, and I'll prefer to just grab the hook with pliers’ and shake until the filthy Cod falls off - I don't think I've ever even had to touch one, (just let them swim in a circle on the top of the hole for about a minute, then they sit still enough for the pliers trick
Now potentially, if I happened upon a freshly cooked batch as per your recipe, I would certainly try a bite, but I digress, they will simply remain something to laugh at your buddy about!
Good fishing,
CCLad!
Every year this topic (eating Ling) comes up on this board. My friend had the notion of eating one - to see what they are like, you know - "Fresh water cod". So he cleans one out on the ice - stinks, but he cleans it up and tosses it (The meat) in the back of his pick truck (with a cover on the box) He said when he got home and opened up the tail gate the stink coming out of his box was gagging!
Needless to say he didn't eat it. I had another friend grab one to remove the hook, he had the smell on his hands for 2 days regardless of what he tried to wash it off with After I heard about the fresh water lobster description, I did a little research on the matter. I discovered that many years back (late 60's I think - don't quote it though) they tried to commercially fish Ling only to have the market collapse. This tells me that if the general public wouldn't eat them - && I've seen some member's of the general public eat anything that come's out of water! Something just isn't right.
Couple that to the stench, and hideous look, and I'll prefer to just grab the hook with pliers’ and shake until the filthy Cod falls off - I don't think I've ever even had to touch one, (just let them swim in a circle on the top of the hole for about a minute, then they sit still enough for the pliers trick
Now potentially, if I happened upon a freshly cooked batch as per your recipe, I would certainly try a bite, but I digress, they will simply remain something to laugh at your buddy about!
Good fishing,
CCLad!
It is probably ME that writes every year about eating ling! 
We caught several large ones last year in one of the Depot Lakes and I semi-froze them on the ice (as usual) and brought them home to clean them. They DID stink, not sure why, but it was not a pleasant cleaning job.
Anyways, I smoked and canned those ling, with a bit of sliced sweet onion in the jars, and it was delicious!
I also eat squirrel, raccoon, and some other "non-traditional" critters, and they are all delicious also. What can I say? I hunt and fish and eat what I keep!
Doug
We caught several large ones last year in one of the Depot Lakes and I semi-froze them on the ice (as usual) and brought them home to clean them. They DID stink, not sure why, but it was not a pleasant cleaning job.
Anyways, I smoked and canned those ling, with a bit of sliced sweet onion in the jars, and it was delicious!
I also eat squirrel, raccoon, and some other "non-traditional" critters, and they are all delicious also. What can I say? I hunt and fish and eat what I keep!
Doug
report
Quick fish again tonight. 4 small eye's landed, not too cold
About 12" of ice now, more huts are going up. One lad went way out and set upm a tent trailer. he said there was 12" of ice out there as well. NOTE He pulled the tent trailer out with a 4 wheeler.
Good luck, our shack is going up sun. Fishing on a bucket sucks
About 12" of ice now, more huts are going up. One lad went way out and set upm a tent trailer. he said there was 12" of ice out there as well. NOTE He pulled the tent trailer out with a 4 wheeler.
Good luck, our shack is going up sun. Fishing on a bucket sucks