Winona--Bartlett/Airport Backwaters

[JIvers]

I spent most of today on Bartlett--there is about 4" of ice. The bluegill action was steady, with enough decent-sized fish to make it worthwhile. As has been reported, the tip-up action was really slow. I had several hits on my tip-ups, but failed to hook anything. A few other guys out there had the same problem. I suspect perch are to blame.

[winona walleye]

hey eyehunter,

so i went out on the pond out by golds gym just to check ice, there is plenty out there but all i could find was 5-7 feet of water, does it get any deeper, if so is it back past where the pond splits or toward the road more? we drilled like 20 holes 20 feet apart right in the middle starting from that island tye peice of land where the pond seems to split, but could not find very deep water, got any tips?

thanks,

ww

[JIvers]

The deepest water is near the street (south end) out from the dam. I have never found more than nine feet or so in there. Up on the north end where it narrows around that little island is pretty shallow.

[winona walleye]

thanx for the help, ill see what we can do, thanx again

ww

[JIvers]

North Ridge Park is a little deeper even with its low water levels, and has better-sized bluegill than Gold's Gym pond does--there may be a connection there.

I am going to be back in Coralville for a couple/three days this week to tie up some loose ends from last semester, so I am going to be hitting the local ice. I have another pond that is a little off the beaten track , and Macbride is fishable now, from what I have been told.

[winona walleye]

i was out on the gold gym pond today, ahaha and they have defintly not been hitting the weightroom but it was still fun to get out there, thanx again for the help. where is north ridge park? id love to try out macbride, but i have no clue on how to get there, can you tell me how to get there from brown deer or 80 or watever. And hey if you need someone to fish with and you feel like stayin' warm while doing it let me know, i got a clam 5600 and a big ol heater.. ill be out all everyday this week and hopfully ill find a honey hole

[JIvers]

North Ridge Park is that little park and pond on the north side of I-80 across from Coral Ridge Mall. To get there, go down Holiday Road, east of the intersection with 12th Avenue, and turn south at South Ridge Road, or the access drive just east of there. There are some decent bluegills in North Ridge, although you will have to sort through some dwarves to get them.

To get to Macbride, get on I-80 and take Exit 246 north on to Highway 1, and go to Solon. At Solon, take a left at the yellow caution light in town, and follow that road out of town to the state park, which is about four miles east of Solon. Once there, find an access point on to the lake that looks good. Be careful on early ice on Macbride, especially under the powerlines!

I will be back in Coralville Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday and/or Friday are looking like ice fishing days to me. I can show you around to some of these spots then. As for tomorrow, I am going to be out on Bartlett in Winona.

[winona walleye]

thanx for all the help, ill have to try north ridge, i went out again on the dovetail pond and we caught alot again but all the same size, no mosters, its still fun to get out there. i would really appreciate some guidance if you have time on either of those days just let met know.... i wish i was back in winona, ant tip up action yet, thanks again

ww

[JIvers]

I was out on Bartlett with a couple buddies of mine for about seven hours today, and on three tip-ups we got a total of one 10" largemouth and one missed strike. No one else was doing any better with them. The bluegills were hitting well, with some really nice ones mixed in with the smaller stuff.

Winona Walleye,

I will be back in Coralville tomorrow to tend to some business, so I am thinking Thursday I will hit some spots around Iowa City. Drop me an e-mail if you can get out, and we will see what we can do.

[winona walleye]

eyehunter,

what is your email adress i couldnt find it on your profile, i have to get an mri tomarrow at 11 but should be done at 1230 maybe i can meet you out somewhere, just let me know what your thinking you can email me at [email protected] or just post it on here ill check both, or if it wont work out thats ok too, let me know

ww

[billbixby]

eyehunter, maybe that was you I spoke to in the parking lot before I went out there yesterday @2:45. I had the same results. Great sunnies, crappies were small, and nada on anything else. I suffered through it 'til about 7:30. I just hated every minute of it.

[JIvers]

Quote:

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eyehunter, maybe that was you I spoke to in the parking lot before I went out there yesterday @2:45. I had the same results. Great sunnies, crappies were small, and nada on anything else. I suffered through it 'til about 7:30. I just hated every minute of it.

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If you were asking about the ice over the deep water on the left-hand side of that little island, yup, it was me. I am back down in Iowa for a couple days, but me and one of my fishing buddies are going to be out there again Saturday morning, weather permitting.

[JIvers]

Winona Walleye, you have mail...tomorrow afternoon works fine for me.

[billbixby]

"If you were asking about the ice over the deep water on the left-hand side of that little island, yup, it was me."

That was me. I'm gone this week, but I'm sure to see you out there again. Merry Christmas, and I hope the fishing gets hot for you guys this weekend.

[JIvers]

Quote:

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"If you were asking about the ice over the deep water on the left-hand side of that little island, yup, it was me."

That was me. I'm gone this week, but I'm sure to see you out there again. Merry Christmas, and I hope the fishing gets hot for you guys this weekend.

---

Cool. That brings the total number of people from this site that I have actually met to two.

[Winona Ice]

I was out on barlett for about an hour today, and the gills are still biting. A lot of small ones. There were a lot of flags going up, and some nice pike caught. Yesterday i was out in the lacrosse area, and i found a lot of big gills and a few crappies.

[Ron Burgundy]

How nice were the pike?

[JIvers]

I fished Bartlett for about seven hours again today. The bluegills were still biting, but the weather front made them just a little more picky than they were Tuesday. The tip-up action was non-existent; I did not see a single flag go up the whole time I was out there. The shiner I put on my rig at 7:30 was still swimming around without a tooth mark on him when I left.

[JIvers]

I fished Bartlett for about seven hours again today. The bluegills were still biting, but the weather front made them just a little more picky than they were Tuesday. The tip-up action was non-existent; I did not see a single flag go up the whole time I was out there. The shiner I put on my rig at 7:30 was still swimming around without a tooth mark on him when I left.

If that sounds like the same report I made for Saturday, it is because nothing much was different today. I did catch one nice perch (wish I could have gotten five more!), and no crappies. I had one hit on my tip-up, and whatever it was took about forty feet of line and then dropped my shiner, so this one had tooth-marks on it, unlike the shiner on Saturday. I saw one Northern caught on a tip-up, but apart from that I saw no other tip-up success.

[Ron Burgundy]

How is the ice holding up there?

[JIvers]

I was out at the airport Wednesday fishing (panfishing was a little slower than normal, and tip-ups were pretty much a waste of time) and there was open water right at the parking lot, and some more way west of there, past the island and where anyone normally fishes. Those places are known for having iffy ice, freezing up late, and opening early.

I fished west of the parking lot towards that little island, and the ice I crossed was still in decent shape, with 5" or so of clear ice underneath a couple inches of white ice and some slush right on top. This warm weather is going to make things hairy as it goes on, especially if you get some rain on top of it. FWIW, the long-range forecast says it is supposed to cool off in a week or so.

I'm back in Iowa for a week or so, but I'm going to be back in Minnesota, and I hope there is some good ice waiting for me when I get there. Down here the ice has pretty much turned to mush, although some brave and/or foolish souls are still fishing it.