My 2023 Iowa season

[duckhunt]

Today was a beautiful day to start my new season. I figured I would get the long rod out and try to find some open water below one of the dams around here.
My first stop was the clarksville dam on the shellrock River that was completely iced up.


They also have a snowmobile and biking trail there so I took a quick hike since it was such a nice day.
My second choice was the Nashua dam on the cedar river.
Someone must have had to much to drink on new years.


The north side had to much ice to fish.


A quick move to the south side and I have open water. The current is a little swift on that side but I have to give it a try.


What walleye wouldn't want this rig?


I didn't end up getting any bites but it was still a great day to use the long rod for a change.

 

[duckhunt]

Had a buddy call me yesterday and ask if I wanted to get on the ice. Well I told him hell yeah. He has a little honey hole on the cedar river that I've never been to. It's about a 1.5 mile walk from the nearest public parking area but he said that he has another plan. He happened to get permission to park in this ritzy neighborhood and walk through one couples lawn. Talk about feeling like a couple of dirthead rednecks in the wrong neighborhood. We found the fish but damn they were finicky. Watching them on the camera we saw northern, walleye, bluegills, crappie, and rock bass. We would watch em come up to the jig and just stare at it then swim away. The 2 of us ended with 3 bluegills, 1 rock bass, and 1 northern about 8 to 10 pounds.



It was a great afternoon for the turkeys to be out feeding. Saw about 50 in one field and about 20 in 2 other fields on the way home.

 

[Chief23]

Like the turkey pictures. Can't wait for season to start

 

[duckhunt]

The weather has been good for us the past few days. I decided to dig the charcoal grill out of the garage and do some backstrap. Made up some instant potatoes with it but forgot about the portobello mushrooms we have in the fridge. The wife bought some banana nut muffins so that made a good desert.



I'm hoping to make it over to the big river this weekend for a little ice fishing. I think I'll take the poles and tip ups to see what's biting.

 

[duckhunt]

Definitely nothing to brag about over the weekend. 2 of us caught 10 small bluegills with 2 keepers. I did see some boats below the dam at lynxville. Boy did that get me ready for spring.

 

[duckhunt]

Exciting news today. We will be closing on our new property on the Iowa side of the big river. We bought 2 acres that border Yellow river state forest. Have a trout stream right across the road and a boat ramp to the Mississippi about 3 miles away. Looking forward to making alot of new memories at the new place. Now it's time for the stress and tension with the wife over designing a cabin to build.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

Exciting news today. We will be closing on our new property on the Iowa side of the big river. We bought 2 acres that border Yellow river state forest. Have a trout stream right across the road and a boat ramp to the Mississippi about 3 miles away. Looking forward to making alot of new memories at the new place. Now it's time for the stress and tension with the wife over designing a cabin to build.

Congratulations!

 

[johnp]

Exciting news today. We will be closing on our new property on the Iowa side of the big river. We bought 2 acres that border Yellow river state forest. Have a trout stream right across the road and a boat ramp to the Mississippi about 3 miles away. Looking forward to making alot of new memories at the new place. Now it's time for the stress and tension with the wife over designing a cabin to build.

Congrats , neighbor . My place is just 12 miles on the other side of the " Blue Bridge".

 

[duckhunt]

Congrats , neighbor . My place is just 12 miles on the other side of the " Blue Bridge".

I have a trailer in the lynxville area now.

 

[duckhunt]

Fished Lansing Saturday morning with alot of small gills. Only one keeper between 2 of us. I've had about enough of sitting on the ice, I'm ready for some open water action.

 

[Gellar]

Fished Lansing Saturday morning with alot of small gills. Only one keeper between 2 of us. I've had about enough of sitting on the ice, I'm ready for some open water action.

I’d like to go out a few more times but daytime temps in the 40s and just freezing at night is not good for the ice.

 

[johnp]

Fished Lansing Saturday morning with alot of small gills. Only one keeper between 2 of us. I've had about enough of sitting on the ice, I'm ready for some open water action.

I ice fished yesterday south of Lansing , caught 2 big perch but that was it. Been real slow for me lately, I blame it on the super low water level on the back waters when the ice formed.

 

[duckhunt]

I set a trail cam out in my grove at the beginning of January just to see what I would get. Checked it yesterday with great anticipation and I ll be damned if I didn't have it set just a little high. A couple pictures of deer feeding that all I could see was their backs with there head down. Going to put new batteries in and adjust today. Working until 12 so after taking care of the trail cam I think I ll dig the boat out of the garage and dump it in the cedar river for a go at some walleye.

 

[duckhunt]

Change of plans I guess. I new the west fork/ shellrock side was open but wasn't sure about the boat ramp. Swung over after work and this is what I find.



Since I've been up since 2 30 this morning I decided to eat some leftover pizza and take a nap. Maybe this evening I can take a ride and do some bank fishing somewhere.

 

[BrentD]

Change of plans I guess. I new the west fork/ shellrock side was open but wasn't sure about the boat ramp. Swung over after work and this is what I find.

View attachment 265271

Since I've been up since 2 30 this morning I decided to eat some leftover pizza and take a nap. Maybe this evening I can take a ride and do some bank fishing somewhere.

I think you would be better off going rabbit hunting. You've got 10 days left in the season.

 

[duckhunt]

After a great nap I decided that I really didn't feel like going anywhere. I did take the dogs out in the nice weather and took a walk around in the Grove and played in the yard a bit. I think they are as ready for spring as I am.

 

[Kevin W]

Today was a beautiful day to start my new season. I figured I would get the long rod out and try to find some open water below one of the dams around here.
My first stop was the clarksville dam on the shellrock River that was completely iced up.
View attachment 258840

They also have a snowmobile and biking trail there so I took a quick hike since it was such a nice day.
My second choice was the Nashua dam on the cedar river.
Someone must have had to much to drink on new years.
View attachment 258842

The north side had to much ice to fish.
View attachment 258843

A quick move to the south side and I have open water. The current is a little swift on that side but I have to give it a try.
View attachment 258845

What walleye wouldn't want this rig?
View attachment 258847

I didn't end up getting any bites but it was still a great day to use the long rod for a change.

What ever happened to the car? It looks a bit precarious there in front of it.

 

[duckhunt]

I asked a buddy about it and I was told that the fire department puts it out there with a cable hooked to the front. They sell raffle tickets on what date it will thaw and fall through. The cable is so they can pull it out right away.

 

[duckhunt]

Had snow geese flying over yesterday. I say bring on SPRING.

 

[Gellar]

Had snow geese flying over yesterday. I say bring on SPRING.

the waterfowl had really increased in numbers here last week but the snow/ice/rain might have sent them south again. It is usually around the first week of March when I hear the first sandhill cranes flying the river. I noticed yesterday that some maple trees are starting to bud.