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Well after reading fishing reports for Potholes through the ice in the Lind Coulee Arm for Perch and others, I figured it was time to give it a try for the first time. I have always wanted to fish Potholes since I was a teenager. (my first fishing love was LMB growing up on Lake Spokane) I was ready for some white meat in my belly and the freezer, ran out a while ago.

Plus I was ready to do some other fishing after having my personal best Steelhead season on the Snake River.

I reserved a room at Mardon Resort headed down and got on the ice Thursday late (3pm). It was so foggy, visibility was less then 50 yards and not knowing the area actually made it interesting. I did not see a soul on the ice but there was a few cars at the Launch. I followed the tracks in the frost on the ice to where the fisherman were. I found three fishermen around an island about 200 yards to the north ( did not even know it was an island till the next day). These guys had around 40 perch on the ice, no other species.

I decided to fish near them and use 4 predrilled holes that were within 10' of each other. I noticed the ice was about 8" thick. the depth was 40' to 45' deep. I put on a size 3g copper halo Swedish Pimple tipped with worm. I dropped to the bottom and jig it from there to up about a foot of the bottom and after a few minutes I got a 16" Walleye. I continued to fish till dark and I ended up getting 5 Walleye from 13" to 18" and 12 Perch 8" to 10". Not bad for 2 hrs. The Perch were not as big as I hoped but still bigger then most places.