Reflections 2015-2016

First fish of the season

With the end of the 2015-2016 ice fishing season, I look back and reflect on the highs and lows of the previous ice season.

For starters, if I never hear nor experience a "Strong El Nino weather pattern" again, I will be a happy man.  The strong El Nino weather complex brought warmer than average temps almost all winter and it created major issues for ice formation and safety throughout the entire ice belt.  There are not too many winters, in the state of Iowa, in which you cannot find at least some safe ice during the month of December; but it just so happens that this was one of those years.  The ice also made an early exit this year with the majority of safe ice leaving northern Iowa by the second weekend of March.  The effects of El Nino were not limited to Iowa either, as most of the Ice Belt experienced a shortened ice season as well.

I was able to log 28 trips on the ice to 15 different bodies of water; 5 of which were new to me this winter.  I had a couple less trips than last year; but when there is no safe ice within six hours of home during most of December, it is certainly a detriment to how many trips you can take during the winter.  My travels this season found me again spending most of my time in Iowa; but I was also able to fit in a trip to NE South Dakota right after Christmas, as it was the closest safe ice with quality fishing opportunities to Des Moines.  It had been three years since I last fished that area and made for a nice first ice trip. 

My tournament partner, Todd Reed, and myself fished a few tournaments this winter.  We competed in the Team Extreme tournaments at Big Creek and Brushy Creek as well as the Iowa State Fishing Club tournament at Hickory Grove Lake this winter.  We finished in the top five in each of the tournaments we fished, but only cashed a check at the Team Extreme Big Creek tournament this winter.  It was not quite the results we were hoping for this winter, but a learning experience and motivation to do better next year.

2016 Team Extreme Big Creek Tournament (3rd Place)

2016 Team Extreme Brushy Creek Tournament (5th Place)

Not all of my time this winter was slotted for tournaments and I was able to get out and do some "fun fishing".  I again found myself in search of larger quarry than panfish this winter and walleyes and channel catfish filled that requirement.

20.5" (Top) and 18" (Bottom) Walleye

18 3/8" Walleye

18.5" Walleye

17" Walleye

17.5" Walleye

Gills and eyes

26" 8.8 pound Channel Catfish

I was also able to catch a personal best through the ice this winter.  During our trip to northeast South Dakota, I was able to get into a school of white bass while fishing the Waubay Refuge.  While they do not fight quite as hard as during the warm summer months, they still put a good bend into your rod and are a challenging fight.  The schools of white bass would take up eight to ten feet on your flasher when they came through and were more than willing to bite.  Most of the white bass I caught were between 15-17" long, but the "shoulders" on them were what really set them apart from the white bass in central Iowa.  They obviously take full advantage of the abundant fresh water shrimp which are prevalent in the lakes in that area.

Waubay Refuge White Bass

I would like to take a moment to thank my sponsors Clam Outdoors and Sportsmen's Direct for their continued support this winter.  It is a pleasure and honor to be a part of each of each of their respective teams and endorse their products.

With that said, that puts a wrap to another fun season.  See you on the ice next winter!