fishing

All Good Things Come to an End

TeamOGTH

Well last night I spent a couple hours putting my ice fishing gear away. It is always bittersweet and it will take me a week to get over it, but it is done.

What a great season it was…from early ice at Clear Lake to the final trip at Clear Lake. This season had it’s ups and downs. There were days I was the hero and others I didn’t catch a fish. At one point I went three trips and only caught 5 fish, but that is the “thrill of the hunt”.

I have many to thank, but the one person who puts up with me the most is my wife. She has been very supportive of my fishing obsession and understands this is my dream to do this full time. While that is not possible right now, I can see it in the future.

I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who has liked, commented, subscribed or followed me on any of my social channels. I truly enjoy sharing my love of fishing with you and I look forward to bringing you more this spring as we target some big Iowa bass.

Take care and until next time…LET’S GET SOME!

 

fishing

Heading Out to the Farm

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If there is one thing Iowa has a lot of it is farm ponds. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to fish a few in my day, but gaining access to them is not always easy. This particular pond is smaller in size, but is often mighty when it comes to the fish catches.

With only a few hours to fish, this pond was perfect and we had some insight on to where the fish were located or had been caught over the past couple weeks. I don’t want to say this pond is over populated, but it does need a few fish taken out of it and that is why we kept a few fish on this trip.

Thank you to Mike and Hudson for a fun morning of fishing. If you have the chance and have the ability and access, fish a farm pond…more often than not you catch some fish.

Check out the video below from our morning of fishing.

fishing

Iowa Crappies

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Mike and I headed out and in search of walleyes and stumbled upon some crappies. In all reality we had only fished the lake a couple of times in the past and had high hopes. No walleye, but some nice crappies.

It was a fun day of catching crappies on rippin’ raps…with Mikes 3 pound bass as the kicker.

Check out the video below for a day of fun and fishin’!

fishing

South Dakota or BUST

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When we booked our 2019 trip back in the late summer of 2018, we didn’t know what to expect, but we did know we would be fishing with Marcus Quam and Reel Therapy Guide Service.

We had fished with Marcus the year prior for a day and knew he was pretty damn good for the area. Fishin’ Friend, Mike Vroegh, fished with him this past summer and set the world on fire. There was no doubt we would schedule him for our trip this year.

So months past and finally the day came to hit the road to South Dakota. The 442 mile trip is easy, nearly all four lane interstate and highway. So I picked up Mike and Laramie in Bondurant, then Tyler in Ankeny. In sub-zero temperatures the truck was rolling (we hit -25 degrees at one point). We made it to Webster in a little over 7 hours and spent the rest of the night preparing our gear for the next 3 days.

After some sleep and dreaming of giant perch and walleyes the alarm clocks blaring, Marcus and Eric were outside ready to roll. Day 1 we headed off the beaten path to fish a lake that had not been receiving a lot of pressure. We had 4 guys in our group, planning to fish with Eric, but Marcus only had 2 guys in his SnoBear. These guys from Nebraska graciously said that one of us could join them. I volunteered and it was awesome fishing with Mark and Matt.

It was great fishing all day. Not fast, but big perch.

Day 2 – We had the same group of 6 guys rolling in 2 SnoBears for the second day. Mike fished with the Nebraska boys and I had the chance to fish in Eric’s SnoBear with Laramie and Tyler. We headed back to the same lake and thought it would be on fire. The sun was out, temperature rising, but damn it was a tough day. We really had to work for the perch we caught and moved around. If a spot was hot that day it only had 3-4 fish, but they were still big fat “footballs”.

Day 3 – We headed east to a new lake and were planning to fish with our group of 4 in Eric’s SnoBear and a flip-over shack in tow. We were on the move all day and it turned out to be a good one.

Thanks again to all for a great trip and check out the video below for some highlights and fish catches!

Pond
fishing

New Fishing Spot Using Google Maps

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One of the best parts of fishing is finding a “new” spot. A few weeks ago I was searching Google Maps and found a few new areas and one I stumbled upon was relatively close to a pond I had fished in the past. This new pond is kind of secluded and is about 1/2 mile hike from the road.

On this particular afternoon I had a couple hours to kill and knew I needed to check this pond out. With fresh snow on the ground I had my opportunity to get the small sled and pull my equipment to the pond. I knew it was going to be a hike, but what I didn’t know it is all up hill. After a ten minute hike with my sled in tow I reached the pond only to find it still had open water. Disappointed at first, I soon came to my senses and realized this pond is going to be something special, but it will have to wait for safe ice.

Check out the short video for my afternoon adventure.

Family, Life

What’s in a Knife?

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Whether you hunt, fish or you are a person of the outdoors, a knife can save your life, but more importantly a knife can tell a story.

My favorite knife is this Swiss Army knife. I use it regularly to open a package, tighten a screw or cut fishing line.

This knife belonged to my grandfather, LaVern Zunkel. He was born May 24, 1923, in Boone County, the son of Clifford and Marie Elliott Zunkel. He was a graduate of Ogden high school and in 1944 entered the United States Army, serving with the 90th Infantry Division during World War II. He was honorably discharged in 1946 and received the good conduct ribbon, European Theatre Ribbon, two Battle Stars, a Victory Ribbon and a Combat Infantry Badge.

On November 25, 1948 he married my grandmother, Beverly. For those that remember LaVern and Beverly, they were the sweetest little couple and I’m thankful to have grown up with them being a big part of my life.

Grandpa passed in 2001 and Grandma passed in 2008. It wasn’t long after grandma passed that we were going through different things and I came upon this knife. I’d never really carried a knife, but I thought this was something that would be great to hold on to remembering my grandfather.

Since 2008, this knife has made it’s home in my right pocket. I’ve carried other knives, but it isn’t the same as carrying this red Swiss Army knife.

The funny thing is I’ve lost several other knives over the past decade, but I’ve never lost this one. Sure I’ve misplaced it a time or two, but it always shows back up. Most recently, I misplaced it…I wasn’t mad it was more of a sadness. The weird part is I had a feeling it would show back up. And guess what…I was cleaning out my closet and there it was under a pile of dirty laundry.

This knife to me is not a knife, it is a piece of me and a part of my grandfather that I will always carry. This knife has a story from an Iowa farm boy, a WWII veteran, a father and a grandfather.

fishing

Fish of a Lifetime?

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Some say the Muskie is a fish of a lifetime. I do agree, but this one was only pushing 10lbs. I’m not disagreeing, it is a nice fish.

I know there are bigger ones swimming in this lake because I’ve seen them caught, and I was lucky. I was fishing for walleye this cold fall day and it hit my 3/8 oz lead head and 4 inch twister.

I’m not going to complain, it put up a great fight, but was it a fish of a lifetime? I’m going to say NO. A 30 plus pound Muskie is a fish of a lifetime.

Until next…tight lines and fish on!

Thin Ice
fishing, ice fishing

Stay Safe…Be Smart This Ice Fishing Season

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As the temperatures drop and ponds/lakes begin to freeze, we all get a little excited to get on the ice. Across the ice belt, anglers will be prepping their gear and patiently waiting to hit their hot spots. Every winter we hear of anglers going through the ice whether it be walking or driving.

Here are a few tips to keep you safe this winter:

  • Always carry your ice picks
  • Always carry rope
  • On early ice be sure to carry your spud bar and check conditions every few yards
  • Stay light…if you don’t need all of your gear, leave some of it on land
  • When possible…take your buddy, but don’t walk too close together, especially on early or late ice
  • If you are unsure of conditions check with a local bait shop or your local DNR office

Below is a chart which gives you some guidelines as far as ice thickness

Click to enlarge

Take it or leave it, but please stay safe on the ice this winter. I don’t like hearing about people falling in and even worse losing their life.

Stay safe my friends!

Uncategorized

Welcome

TeamOGTH

If you know me, you know I love fishing. If you don’t know me, you will soon find out that fishing is a big part of my life. From the rivers to the lakes of Iowa, I’ve fished them all.

Anyways, welcome to my site. During certain times of the year I am able to fish a lot, but at other times, my “reel” job keeps me from the water.

I enjoy all types of fishing, but fishing for largemouth bass and walleyes are my favorites. Thanks again for visiting and I know you’ll be back.

I’ll be keeping you up to date with my latest fishing stories and news from the fishing world.