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04/24/2010
I arrived at Diamond lake Lodge at 3pm on Friday 23rd. I was a little disapointed with all the ice that remained. I knew ther would be a lot but I had hoped to skirt the edges a little more than I did.
All the boat ramps were still iced in. The boat shack at the resort cut a small trail from the boat rental to the edge of the cheese hole (for thoes of you who know the lake) It was a gallant effort. The charter boat tried to break up a big slot but almost got stuck on the ice and had to retreat.
The South End was open from the lodge south to the pizza shack it was rotton ice South to the highway.
I slid my pontoon boat in at 7am and had the south end to myself. There was about 200 yards of open water and out about 200 feet from shore
I worked the open water with a variety of flies. Hairs Ear, Pheasant Tale and tried a desperate attempt with the Damsel Nymph and did not touch a fish.
I charged headlong into the rotted ice and managed to pull myself on to the very thin, very rotton ice and proceded to dig a whole with my oar. Equiped with my spinning rod and a jar of crystal chartuse power bait I entered the water and waited.
I had not quite settled in and a boat with four men appeared through the trees behind me on the bank, launched a twelve foot boat and paddled across to the ice and set up camp not 30 yards away.
They brought enough plywood to build a fish shack and proceded to lay out the plywood and drag the remaining crew on to the rotton ice. They had chairs and buckets a TV which later turned out to be one of those moniters you use to see the bottom.
I caught five fish, landed three had trouble getting a few throught the ice and lost them. The group to my left caught 5 fish total.They were using yellow gigs and steelhead eggs. The biggest fish was around 5 lbs but pre spawn I did manage a nice bright 17" and a fairly bright 16"
Thanks for letting me share
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