Good perch bite

[The Bait Shop Guy]

The perch bite north of the narrows is still going good. Wigglers and minnows are both producing fish on perch rigs, as well as teardrops under a slip bobber, and small spoons and Raps, if the current isn't ripping along. Average size of the fish has been very good, with most being in the 8 to 11 inch range, with a good number of fish over 12 inches. We've even heard of a number of 15 inchers being caught! Roy Morgan stopped by the shop yesterday with a nice mess of perch, topped off with a 15 1/2 inch fish, that weighed 2 pounds, 6 ounces! That one's going on the wall.

Ice offshore is still very good, but the shoreline around the Kipling access is getting pretty tore up. I wouldn't recommend taking a truck out anymore. Quads and sleds are still getting around well enough. Last I heard, they are now crossing Butler's Island north of the orange marker.

[The Bait Shop Guy]

Not sure how much longer we'll be getting out on the ice, there. The rain we got Saturday, plus the current in the narrows have eaten away at the ice pretty well the last few days. Somebody did take a truck out Sunday, but sounds like they broke through the ice near the Kipling ramp. I walked out from the north side of Saunder's Point, Sunday. The ice near shore looked to be less than a foot thick, and over a foot in the narrows. The predicted rain on Tuesday will probably eat up the shore ice, so that was probably my last trip to the narrows on the ice. Ended my season there with 13 nice jumbos.