The Ponds Are Frozen, What To Do?

 

Well, since my first fishing excursion of the year where I caught a crappie and a bass to now...the fishing has been severely limited.  In this picture above you can't really tell but the ponds are completely frozen over.  The ponds have been frozen over for the last two weeks.  We know because Lil' Shaka and I have been taking walks to check during the afternoons!  Last year we were fishing during this time and then the ponds froze over for a couple of weeks.

A couple days ago, it got warm enough to at least melt some of the ice on one of the ponds.  Check out the big lunker I caught on this tail spin. LOL!  I don't know if this little guy tried to eat my lure or if I just snagged him off the bottom.  I have no idea what species this little guy is.  Probably a bluegill.  I have not seen any other species besides bluegill, bass, and catfish in this pond.  It was a blessing to get a chance to wet a line, I will take it.  The sun was shining and the temperature was around 55.  It is amazing just how long it takes for lakes and ponds in this area unthaw from ice.  It is really because at night it has been getting into the teens in terms of the temperature.

If you can't fish, you can still work on getting new tackle.  We went to the Let's Go Fishing Show at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville, Illinois.  We went with one of our family friends that we fish with quite a bit.  We picked up some new baits.

Here is a pick of some of the jigs and soft plastics that we picked up.  I think the crappie and bass will KILL this bait when we get a chance to fish it.  I am looking forward to fishing as soon as the ice melts enough to wet a line again.

The other thing the Lil' Shaka and I are doing is preparing for a fishing trip we are going on at the end of January 2022.  We will fish Meramec Springs Park in Missouri again.  This is turning into an annual trip during this time of year.  The January/February fishing at Meramec Springs Park is "catch and release only".  In the picture above you can see I am preparing for trout and smallmouth bass.  Anybody else still love the Rebel Craws?  The Rebel Craw is one of the best lures of all time in terms of multi-species fish catching!  I highly recommend this lure for new anglers too that are just learning.  You don't really need to do much.  Just cast out, and then reel in slowly.

I hope you are all doing great.  The winter time is always tough for me personally.  I like to be outside in the warm sun.  But this too will pass, and the beauty of the whole things is the spring will be here as soon as we know it.  The fish will be biting!  Stay Committed, Stay Driven!