It's hard to believe I was standing on the ice in a black t-shirt thinking about taking it off because of the heat. With 12" of ice left on the small lake my boys and I were standing on (actually lost 3" since Monday), 10" was solid, the top two inches--Junk. But still plenty to walk on. Plus the fish are hittin' good just under the ice.

It's as easy as waiting for the kids to get off the bus at 2:30 and hittiing the ice at 3:00 for a couple of hours. And man have we caught some nice fish including some 11 inch gills and 15 inch crappies which have all been released. Using what? And Where? Basically, a small chartreuse/oragne Genz Bug tipped with a waxie while doing a little hole hopping between a dozen or so holes. What depth? Seven feet with old weeds, approximately four to five feet below the surface with some of the fish only 3 ft down cruising under the ice. With the ultra clear water, it's easy to look down the hole and see the fish swimming below. What about the dusk bite? Im sure it's good, but that's bed time, so that has to wait. Bummer.

My theory anyway is if you can catch them during the day, why fish at night? Most of my fishing clients are day time anglers anyway, so I practice my skills during normal business hours. But I do have to admit, fishing at dusk is killer and quite fun for that short window of opportunity. Anyway, hope to get out on the ice a few more times this week, and then I will have to drive north a few hours and then...boat. What a short winter. For updates, pics, fishing info, and guide trip results/stories throughout the summer, follow Minnesota Fishing Guide Service on www.facebook.com and or www.twitter.com (MN.Fishing Guide @MNFishingGuide) throughout the season. GoodLuck, Capt. Josh www.minnesotaguideservice.com