By Steve Weisman
How about a little yo-yo weather? First, we had several inches of snow, but mild temperatures took that off. Let me tell you just how happy I was for the reprieve. However, ice cleats/creepers have now become a must.
Then the weekend of Dec 13-14), we hit the deep, deep, deep freeze! That cold snap kind of locked up the main part of West Lake! Then, of course, we hit highs in the upper 30s, which definitely took care of any snow on the ice! Where ice was set, that did little to hurt it. However, it did make the main part of West Lake not accessible.
Ice depth on Big Spirit seems to be holding pretty consistent at 9-10” and the same along the Ritz on East Okoboji and on Lake Minnewashta. Just hoping that the accesses hold up during this warmer stretch. Above all, be careful!
Good fishing right now
Last weekend, every parking lot (access areas) on Big Spirit was overflowing from Templar Park boat ramp to Marble Beach to Buffalo Run to Crandall’s Beach to Mini-Wakan State Park on the north end. Wherever you looked there were portable shelters along all of those areas. The results were not as good as the previous 10 days or so, but then I think that was partially because of the human pressure.
Prior to that, fishing was really pretty good on Big Spirit’s west side with some really nice perch and walleyes being taken out deep in the 20’ depth. It takes some sorting with lots of 12-13” walleyes caught along with slot fish and then some 14–16-inch keepers. Most of the keeper perch are in the 9-10” range.
Things are changing a little bit, though, with dozens and dozens of shelters in a main area, which is pressuring the schools of perch somewhat. So, it will now become a search mode, but the cool thing is Big Spirit is such a great fishery right now for walleyes, perch, crappies and bluegill. It just takes the time to get on ‘em!
A slip bobber, plain hook and splitshot tipped with a minnow has been good for the perch, along with the jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head or silver wigglers.
Another recent hot bait that we have been using for both walleyes and perch is Clam’s 1/32-ounce Tikka Flash. It looks kind of like a crankbait style lure with a treble front hook and a blade style tail. It has a lot of flash and comes in a variety of colors: pink glow, wonderbread glow, gold, chartreuse glow, perch, firetiger glow and red tiger glow.
I got a bunch from Clam Outdoors a year ago and tried them during the summer on West Okoboji. We’d cast them out away from the boat, keeping the line taut as it fell toward the bottom. We’d then rip it up and let it fall back down. It became a good deep water bluegill lure.
They are a great jig up, fall and jiggle, jiggle, jiggle bait for winter. You can fish without bait or tip with a minnow head, silver wigglers or plastics.
Chasing bluegills
Things are pretty limited at this point with the West Okoboji ice pretty sketchy! Lake Minnewashta and East Okoboji in the bay from the Ritz and north have both produced fish. Some anglers are also fishing the Harbor, Little Emerson and out in front of the Emerson Bay boat rap. In these waters, I turn to the pink Clam Drop jig in 1/32 oz. or 1/64 oz size depending on how finicky the fish are. This time of year, I will tip with a wax worm, or if they don’t seem to like that, I will tip it with a red or pink plastic. Big key here is to make sure that the lure does not spin and make sure to do a really tight jiggle, jiggle, jiggle.
I’ll use my Vexilar if it’s too deep to sight fish. If I do find them shallow, though, and can sight fish, I am in my element. Recently, I have been able to find some nice 9-to-9,5-inch bluegills. The bigger the gills, the more finicky they are. If they are attracted by a certain jigging cadence, I’ve found I can’t switch it up! If I do, they will sit off to the side and slowly swim away. When I do stop the cadence, I make sure that the bait does not spin. If it does, the gills immediately leave.
It’s a challenge, but what fun it is when a big gill takes the bait! I’ve learned, too, to reach down and grab the fish as it comes to the top of the hole. I’ve lost too many that have flopped off!
Ice will, hopefully, continue to at least hold its own with our nighttime temperatures in the teens to lower 20s. However, be wise and remember not all ice is created equal!
This 10” perch inhaled this pink wonderbread Tikka Flash.
Big gill attacked this gold Tikka Flash.
