Getting a flag refers to having a fish hit one of your tip ups. The fish will spool out the main line on the tip up, it releases a spring loaded flag to let you know a fish has taken your bait.
Dan - I don't keep them anymore, although I've eaten them in the past. The crew of guys I fish with have a pact to release everything under 45", and we only keep those over if we mount them. Unfortunately most NY waters capable of producing good northerns get waaaaay too much pressure, and the numbers of good size fish really aren't that great here. A lot of people don't realize this, but it takes 20-30 years to grow those trophy 40" to 50" sized pike. I'm still waiting on my 45"+ keeper. One of these days......... Michaelp - Eric was right.........getting a flag refers to a fish taking your bait and setting off your tipup flag.
Exactly. Our growing season is very short in Ontario and it takes a long time for females to get to maturity. We have a rule that all Northern over 27.5" have to be released. These are all females and we protect the breeding stock in the lake.
Ha Haaa! There is enough ice to keep you from fishing normal but not enough to even think about ice fishing here. I sure am enjoying all the photos though, keep them coming.
I have no idea why I'm finding all those guys in the background sitting on buckets so funny. This ice fishing doesn't look too appealing to me...
There's lots of different ways to ice fish, my preferred method is in a heated portable, stay warm and be able to move with the fish. I only bucket sit late ice when temps can reach 50-60 degrees. It's kind of a trip ice fishing in your t-shirt. Taking the girlfriend out fishing tomorrow for the first time, hopefully my aqua-vu will keep her occupied.
I'm SW MN I fish small local lakes but most of my ice fishing is done after classes near Brookings, SD.
Went fishing with my wife on Sunday. Got around a dozen flags, and put several pike on the ice. My wife caught her first pike too, a 33" that took a dead 8" sucker off the bottom.
Got out on the ice yesterday with my neighbor and wife. It was a balmy 18 degrees. Needless to say after 2 1/2 hours the wife was ready to go. Managed to bring home 41 bluegill in the short amount of time. Great way to spend a Sunday.
killed em on Island lake, il on friday! fished from 6am-7pm. morning bite was ~7 to 9am. pm bite was ~430 to 630. 30 gills, two stripers and 3 crappies. sun was on Marie from 8-4pm. not one bite! buddies called at 6pm said they got a flag... it was a catfish.
I think I'm headed out for some salmon and lake trout next weekend. Other than that just hitting the brook trout, pickerel, brown trout from the camp. I'll post pics if a get a few good ones!
Good to hear the reports guys. I got out last Saturday for a local tournament that draws 1500 people and pays out $45,000 in prize money. They pay out the top 4 walleyes for every hour of the tournament. Our group of 8 ended up with a good day, and managed to take 1st place for the last hour of the tournament. I wish I had pics, I'll have to get some next time.
