Hunt Ducks Hook Fish
Ice Fishing
Perfect Ice
Moments stuck to that feel good part of my brain. Imprinted by nature. Energized by the experience. Visions that reappear and make my spine tingle while I stood at the dock to launch the boat for the first bass fishing trips of the season. It’s months later and I still can’t help but smile. The … Continue reading
Outdoor Soundtrack
My sister played softball. My brother played football. I played the cello. Music has always been there. Longer than I can even remember hunting and fishing. Or maybe not. Maybe just as long as I can remember walking through the woods. And Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits. The Big Chill Soundtrack. Lionel Richie. White cassette tapes … Continue reading
First Ice of 2013
We left the morning after Christmas. Chased out of Detroit by the biggest snowstorm in years. The sparkling new King Ranch F-150 rumbled up I-75. I had never fished the Upper Peninsula before and the lure of fishable ice and walleyes the size of my arm were good reasons for a 6 hour truck ride. … Continue reading
The Derby
It’s Sunday morning. Just before dawn. I can still taste the blackberry brandy. The sweetness is gone. Replaced by a hangover. A few deep breaths of icy air settles my stomach for a few minutes. Branden ran back to the house to get the spud. I stand alone on the ice enjoying the silence. Listening … Continue reading
A Saturday in February
I stepped out of the shanty. The sun stung my eyes like walking out of a bar in the middle of the day. Uncle Pete was back at the house. He hadn’t been gone for longer than ten minutes. I squinted in the direction of my tip-ups. Flags down. My ears rang in the silence … Continue reading
Product Review: St Croix Legend Series Ice Rod
Face it. Reading can be boring. I’ve written enough about my ice fishing adventures this season. So I’m trying something new. Click on the pic above for a video product review of my new favorite ice fishing rod from St. Croix. The Legend Series Ice Rod. Enjoy. Disclaimer: I did not receive any sort of … Continue reading
Late Ice Stripes
This always seems to happen. Just when the fish start biting, I’ve got to quit fishing. It’s inevitable. I figure out a pattern then something comes up and I’m shorebound. Maybe it’s karma. Maybe it’s because I’d rather be fishing than doing just about anything else. So it doesn’t matter when I have to quit … Continue reading
Trout on Ice
Tradition is the soul. Anticipation is the heart. Photos are proof. Every outdoor enthusiast has traditions. Shared rituals that kick off your favorite season from Waterfowl to Upland. Walleye to Whitetails. We invite the same people each year. We set off in search of that one spot, the opening morning honey hole, that sets the … Continue reading
Monster Gills on Ice
Bluegill. Nothing about them seems all that sexy. They’re not mean like pike. Or tricky like walleye. They’re the fish you caught at the end of a boat dock. When you were 4. I can’t explain why a fish I ignore 10 months a year suddenly becomes an obsession. When the lakes in Michigan freeze … Continue reading
Icing Crappie and an Easy Recipe
Slabs. Specs. Paper-lips. Crappies have almost as many nicknames as tricks for stealing minnows off a jig. Here’s a quick rundown on how we caught a few followed by a great tasting pansfish recipe. Saturday, late afternoon, we hit the ice. A shanty, two Vexilars, a propane lantern, a bucket of shiners and a few … Continue reading
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Hunt Ducks Hook Fish 