Otter Creek Reservoir
We arrived early in the morning, unloaded the Snowdog, and headed out across the ice to find a spot. We didn't have to travel far from the marina before finding a place to set up.
We drilled a few holes and got to work. My usual approach to ice fishing is to keep one rod in my hand for actively jigging while setting another rod up on a Jaw Jacker. That way, I can work a lure while the other rod sits waiting for a hungry fish to make a mistake.
We started with small curly tails and paddle bugs on our jigging rods. For the Jaw Jacker, I rigged a plain hook with a nightcrawler threaded all the way up the hook, leaving about three-quarters of an inch hanging off the end.
When the fish are biting lightly, I like to switch to a smaller, brightly colored jig, sometimes tungsten. A smaller presentation can make a difference when the fish are just nipping at the bait. With the Jaw Jacker, I prefer the simple nightcrawler setup. The light rig works well with the trigger, and the fish can move off with the bait before the hook sets.
The first couple of hours were pretty productive. We had several bites and landed multiple rainbow trout, but none of the big ones I had come looking for. The fish were biting light and playing games with us. They seemed interested enough to keep us busy, but not interested enough to cooperate completely.
After a while, one of the Jaw Jackers went off. This one was a decent fish, and things were starting to look promising.
Just as my coworker arrived, Kyle hooked into a real nice rainbow. We all got to see it, and suddenly everyone was interested in finding out what else might be swimming around underneath the ice. More holes were drilled, and we spread out to see if we could find another one.
Unfortunately, that was about the end of the action.
I don't know if all the extra commotion on the ice had anything to do with it or if the fish had simply decided they were done biting for the morning. Either way, we didn't manage to catch any more.
We had come looking for big rainbows, and at least Kyle had managed to find one. I was happy for him, even if I was still hoping for one of my own.
With the fishing slowing down, we decided to make the drive up to Fish Lake and try our luck with the perch.
[Photos: Snowdog on the ice, fishing at Otter Creek, and Kyle's rainbow trout]
Fish Lake
We headed out onto the ice toward an area where we had found success on previous trips. We figured that if the rainbows at Otter Creek weren't going to cooperate anymore, perhaps a few perch would be willing to entertain us.
We got set up and started fishing, but we couldn't quite get into the perch the way we had on earlier visits. We managed a few bites, but the action was slow.
Eventually, our friends decided they had done enough sitting on the ice and headed off to get some late breakfast.
We stuck around a little longer, hoping things might improve. After all, we had already made the drive up to Fish Lake. We might as well give the fish a little more time to change their minds.
Then, out of nowhere, a bush plane landed on the ice not far from where we were fishing.
I've seen plenty of interesting things while fishing, but I had never watched a bush plane land on a frozen lake before. It certainly wasn't something I had expected to see that morning.
A gentleman climbed out of the plane and wandered over to ask how the fishing was going. He was an older fellow with a good sense of humor, and we ended up having a nice visit.
Of course, we hadn't exactly been setting any fishing records that day, so I didn't have much exciting news to report. Still, he was fun to talk to, and it was one of those unexpected encounters that makes an outdoor trip memorable.
Eventually, we wished each other luck and went our separate ways.
Before leaving, he gave us one last present: a low flyover on his way out.
Watching that plane skim across the lake before disappearing into the distance was worth the trip by itself.
Sometimes the Fishing Is Only Part of the Adventure
We didn't catch the trophy rainbow trout I had been hoping for at Otter Creek, and the perch at Fish Lake weren't exactly lining up to jump into our buckets either.
But Kyle caught a nice rainbow, we spent a winter day fishing together, and we got to see something I had never seen before.
That's one of the things I enjoy about getting outdoors. You can make a plan, pick a destination, research the fish, and bring all the right equipment. Sometimes it works exactly as you hoped. Other times, the fish have a different agenda.
And occasionally, a bush plane lands next to your fishing hole.
I would still like to get back to Otter Creek and see if I can find some of those bigger rainbows. The trip gave me enough reason to return, and I have a feeling Kyle would be happy to go along.
As for Fish Lake, I'll keep chasing those perch, too. I know they're out there somewhere.
Final Tally:
Otter Creek Reservoir: Several rainbow trout, including a nice one caught by Kyle
Fish Lake: A few bites and some stubborn perch
One unexpected bush plane landing
One entertaining conversation with a pilot
A memorable winter day with my boy
Not every fishing trip ends with a cooler full of fish. Sometimes the best part is the story you bring home.
