I hit North Elton pond Saturday and Sunday and had success. Saturday, the pond was virtually iced over, minus a few thawed patches. It was foggy and cold (32 degrees). The gravel road leading to that side of the pond is now open. They finally removed the the concrete that was blocking access to the road. Long Leader, power eggs and enough weight to get into the deeper parts worked well. After losing a couple (due to the severe milfoil problem) I caught my two fish limit within 45 minutes. One was a male, full of sperm, with a hooked jaw. It was quite dark as well. I'm assuming this was a carry over from last year that was naturally reproducing. The other was certainly one that was just released by WDFW several weeks ago. Both fish were 13 inches.

Today I went back out. Unlike the previous day, it was no longer foggy and dismal. The sun was out and it was actually quite warm. I'm quite pleased with 40 degrees this time of year. There was a little steam even radiating from the pond. The lake was far more thawed than the previous day. I even brought my two, four legged companions along today. My pooches gave me the 'evil eye' yesterday when I left without them. They saw me getting ready today and were just too eager to go for me to say "no." I actually started with Kastmasters today, and caught one off the get go. After that, spoons failed. I put on the same combination as they day before and instantly limited.

Tight Lines guys,

Joe

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