Went on that ice fishing recon and swung by and picked up a 19 year old true outdoorsman. The downside of that is trying to prove that the 67 year old can hike through the snow right along with a 19 year old stud. I feel like I've been dragged through a knot hole. Our first spot involved at least a half mile trudge through at least a foot of snow, and not catching hardly anything. I did get a large mouth bass which qualifies as what I call the "skunk fish."
Then we hiked back up though the tunnel under the rail road tracks and under the State highway, where not only can you not stand up, but you actually have to duck down under a concrete beam that is no more than 3 feet above the deck, and....it's all up hill coming back once you're off the ice.
We made a two mile move by truck and hiked out on another Mississippi back water. But that only involved maybe a 250 yard hike one way. Fishing was sssslloooooowwww. This is the thickest ice I've fished in years, but there is a bit less than 3 ft. of water under said ice. I managed to bring home 3 nice yellow perch. I did catch a beautiful pumpkinseed, and though it was certainly big enough to eat, it was too pretty to kill.
When I got home just before 7 pm there were six deer and chubiferous raccoon under the bird feeder, that fled as I pull into the driveway. Cleaned the perch, walked the guts out to the field and had a slice of rabbit pot pie for supper. Having Woodford Reserve for dessert. All is good now with 4 vitamin I and and two fingers of bourbon.
My buddy received the day's report and postponed his ice trip to next week when we should be able to use the hover craft.