Ice Fishing Pennsylvania's Monroe Lake

This past Saturday I ice fished for the first time in 2010. I went to Monroe Lake, a private lake in northeastern Pennsylvania. We had a large group, around 20 people at one point, and everyone had a great time. My Uncle Howie and I did most of the hard work, while my friends and other family members enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather. My best friend Will started a fire, cooked hamburgers/hot dogs and brewed up some hot cocoa.

Fishing-wise, it was a slow day. My uncle and I had a number of weak hits; it seemed undersized yellow perch were grabbing our oversized minnows and then having trouble eating them. In the end, we caught 4 perch and 1 chain pickerel. There were many false alarms, a missed fish or two, and lots of slush. One of the best parts of ice fishing, however, is the fun time you have with your friends and family. And we certainly had that.

On Thursday I plan on heading to North Jersey in search of northern pike. I'll check back then.

Image #1 - The pickerel, the biggest fish of the day
Image #2 - Ice fishing on Monroe Lake

Ice Fishing this Weekend

I apologize for the lack of posts. As most fly fishermen know, however, the sport tends to slow down during a month long deep freeze. This weekend I'm heading up to the Poconos to do some ice fishing. I will post pictures and a write-up by early next week.

Keep your spirits up until the spring!