On 12/7/2025 at 6:19 PM, gim said:

 

Was just talking about Seinfeld here in the office 5 minutes ago.

 

Greatest show ever, never to be outdone.

Wind was blowing like wild when I left work, dead calm when I got to the boat ramp. Got 3 fish in about 45 minutes, fun to get out even with short days 

 

On 12/18/2025 at 7:53 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Wind was blowing like wild when I left work, dead calm when I got to the boat ramp. Got 3 fish in about 45 minutes, fun to get out even with short days 

 

What reel is that?

@JustinJ, st croix GXR

Looks like Xmas eve was my last day this year; only one bite on a 7/16oz finesse jig, but it counted.  A feisty laker @ 15.5lbs with the net included in the weight.

 

scott

 

 

Some pike from this last month. 

Wish I could approve of the pike but I can't.  I just can't.  Especially through the ice.

2 hours ago, gim said:

Wish I could approve of the pike but I can't.  I just can't.  Especially through the ice.

 

So you're saying you would rather throw a drop shot over ice fishing???

My favorite fish to catch year round. 

 

It's steel leaders, spoons and rtraps. 

 

One of the best tasting fish to me.

20 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

So you're saying you would rather throw a drop shot over ice fishing???

 

I'd rather be stuck in an airport with no hope of getting out for a week than go ice fishing.

 

12 hours ago, NelsonIII said:

My favorite fish to catch year round. 

 

It's steel leaders, spoons and rtraps. 

 

One of the best tasting fish to me.

 

Mine too...but not through the ice.

Pike on a fly rod is about the the most fun you can have on the water.

21 minutes ago, Further North said:

 

I'd rather be stuck in an airport with no hope of getting out for a week than go ice fishing.

 

 

Mine too...but not through the ice.

Pike on a fly rod is about the the most fun you can have on the water.

 

Ice fishing is just cope until spring, if I'm honest. Otherwise I'd go mad. 

I think with the right equipment, ice fishing would be really fun.

 

But without it, could be very unpleasant.

 

Randomly drilling holes (in the cold) with no electronics probably doesn't pay many dividends.

 

If my early retirement plan comes to fruition, I can definitely see myself giving it a try.

1 hour ago, NelsonIII said:

 

Ice fishing is just cope until spring, if I'm honest. Otherwise I'd go mad. 

I understand.

I do other things in these months.

1 hour ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I think with the right equipment, ice fishing would be really fun.

 

But without it, could be very unpleasant.

 

Randomly drilling holes (in the cold) with no electronics probably doesn't pay many dividends.

 

If my early retirement plan comes to fruition, I can definitely see myself giving it a try.

 

It's the most gear and effort intensive, that's for sure. 

 

Sometimes I'll be panfishing and I am wearing my Striker float suit, have the Milwaukee Fuel drill auger, fish finder and sometimes even the insulated shack and buddy heater if it's really cold...and I'll pull up a little 3 inch 'gill and I honestly laugh out loud. All that effort, gear, hole hopping for some dinks. 

 

The addiction is real. 

2 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I think with the right equipment, ice fishing would be really fun.

 

But without it, could be very unpleasant.

 

BINGO! 
 

That’s why I do it once every year or two.

3 hours ago, Further North said:

I understand.

I do other things in these months.

 

Honestly I think that's why most people participate.  They simply have nothing better to do.

 

I can only sort my sock drawer so many times.

2 hours ago, gim said:

 

Honestly I think that's why most people participate.  They simply have nothing better to do.

 

I can only sort my sock drawer so many times.

Fly tying, bait making, XC Skiing, stuff around the house...there's plenty to do.

On 1/5/2026 at 11:29 AM, NelsonIII said:

Some pike from this last month. 

Nice fish! I also love pike 

My boss came down to vacation and we took his boat Redneck offshore of PV for the first time in 2026.  First day was a half day, but we still landed 4  yellowfin tuna, all on live bait below a kite, the biggest about 120 pounds.  The weather was rough so we were not able to drift offshore for the night, so we motored for two hours to the nearest anchorage  at a place called Punta Mita.  We got up at 4 AM and headed back out for the second day.  We landed 6 tuna the same size class as the day before.  All were caught drifting live bait under kites and balloons.  We tried trolling for marlin for a couple hours but no luck.

 

That night the wind died down allowing us to drift for the night and try our luck at catching squid for bait. I new if we could get some live squid we could crush the tuna.  We fished hard for a couple hours and got 6 nice squid for bait.  The dolphins moved in to our lights and chased the squid away.  I turned off the lights, and tried again at 3AM, but no luck.  We were going to have to get by with only 6 squid.

 

We ran to the numbers from the day before and had the squid under helium balloons at first light.  Instantly one balloon went down and we were hooked in to a tuna.  The angler took that rod to the bow to fight it and I followed him.  I turned around and my deck hand was walking to the bow with a bent rod.  He said it was a blue marlin, and right then the marlin went airborne.  I asked him if he thought we should break the first tuna off, start the motors and chase the marlin, and he said we couldn't because we had a big tuna on a third rod in the stearn.  So far three squid and three fish hooked in 5 minutes.  Nothing I could do but hope the marlin didn't spool the 600 yards of line on the reel.

 

I gaffed the first tuna, a small 25 pound yellowfin, and went to the stern to help.  When I got there my other deckhand was letting another balloon and squid out.  I questioned him if he thought that was wise, when the balloon went down and we were hooked to another large tuna.

 

I have had some hectic moments fishing offshore before, but this was sizing up to be the biggest rodeo I had ever seen.  Luckily the marlin kept circling the boat, and we were able to get the tuna in before it decided to head for the South Pacific.  I climbed in the tower fired up the engines and a half hour later we had the marlin along side the boat.  The fight was too long, and the marlin was not in good condition, so we gaffed it and brought it in the boat.  This is the third blue marlin in a year I have kept, I was hoping to tag and release all billfish in 2026 but no use letting a fish go to waste.

 

We hooked a jack and a toro on the last two squid, we only had a few other live baits left, so we decided to call it a day and get back to the dock in time to get some fuel.

 

This was a great way to kick off 2026 and I hope to have the same kind of luck when I get a chance to chase big bass.

   

Dang @king fisher, that’s one heck of a way to start off the saltwater season!

Sounds like an exciting day of fishing @king fisher. Good job, and thanks for sharing the story.

Practicing my scoping skills and finally getting some fish for a buddy from work. Hardest part of the day was catching keepers. Caught about a thousand 9-9.75” crappie but those 10+ inch fish were elusive.

@king fisher, consistently making bass and muskie fishing seem boring. 😂 Congratulations on one heck of a trip brother!!!