December 27, 2012 – Thursday

17 degrees – cloudy/light snow

Pentoga Road

Wednesday was an ice fishing day on Pentoga Road and a fairly good one at that. I traveled from our home to the end of the road and caught meat for the table. What’s for supper tonight? Mmm, fried bluegill filets.

Everything fits into the Clam sled. I'm ready to go!

We were entertained at first light on Wednesday morning by a flock of red grosbeaks, a beautiful bird that we see mostly in the winter months. It seems black sunflower seeds are one of their favorites. As quickly as they arrived, they left. I need to refill the feeder.

I couldn’t see the detail of the birds well enough to know what they were, so I sent some pictures to my friend, Matt Goff, in Sitka, Alaska. I taught with him at Sheldon Jackson College years ago. Matt is a genuine bird enthusiast… a birder? …  a bird watcher? … he likes birds! I’ve been high on a mountainside or way back in the boondocks more than once and come across Matt with a camera strapped around his neck. The boy will hike and climb miles for the opportunity to snap a picture of a rare or different bird. Thanks, Matt, for your help.

I drove to the bait shop and visited my friend Gloria. We talked fishing and exchanged recipes on how to prepare small northern pike. I prefer canning. She likes to put them in a grinder to separate the small bones, then make fish patties. I’ll have to try her method some day. I walked away with two-dozen shiner minnows and fifty wax worms.

Despite all the modern-day advances in ice fishing, I prefer to use the same type of equipment that Dad and I used when I was a small boy. Since the old-school rods are no longer manufactured, I made the one above. Despite all the gadgets and gizmos, sometimes one can't beat an old fashioned bobber and worm.

Check out those high tech line holders!

It was past 10:30 AM before I was on the ice. Action was fairly light for the first hour with only undersized bass hitting. The tip ups were active but again, it was small bass stealing minnows. They are fond of grabbing the three-inch shiners, running the line to the end of the spool, then dropping their prey and swimming off. I caught several, but turned all back.

At one point, nothing was hitting and while texting Yooper Brother Mark, he sent me a picture of a bluegill so I'd know what one looked like. That's okay, Brother, you know what they say about paybacks.

Another undersized bass

The bluegills were intermittent and I’d catch one, then two or three, then wait for, sometimes, an hour before they started to bite again. I was really surprised when a pike hit the bluegill jig and I managed to wrestle him through the hole. Usually, their sharp teeth cut the monofilament line and they get away.    

I caught the biggest bluegill I’ve ever landed in the UP yesterday. I wish I could get about fifty more just like him. It doesn’t take many that size to make a good meal. Wouldn't it be nice to have some in the freezer for those times when they aren’t biting?

I came home just before dark and cleaned my catch. After, I filled two quart jars with pike and fired up the propane burner with the pressure cooker in the garage. There was laundry to do, floors to vacuum, and wood to carry in. Finally, I got to take a shower and just sat down as Sargie walked in the door.

Chunks of pike getting ready to go into the pressure cooker

Sargie had to close last night and arrived home just in time to eat supper and go to bed. It was a very short night for my tired girl as she opens today, but at least my favorite optician in the world will be home early this evening. We’ll feast on fish filets and fried taters. I’m certain they are on both of our post-Christmas diets.

I’m going back onto the ice first thing this morning. I’d like to be home by noon as there are a few million chores I should be doing. Between the holidays and fishing, I’ve let some things slide. Oh well, that’s why there’s always tomorrow. After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…