Red Hot Fishing at Echo Reservoir - Not Really

Fishing Time: 10:00 to 2:00 pm
Weather: Cold, clear, calm, T-18
Moon Phase: 47% Moon
Location: Echo Reservoir
Best Bait: Curly tailed grub tipped with worm fished 10 ft under the ice in 35 ft of water
Who Went: Bobber John and Anthony, Rick and Elle, Tad and Zack, Dayton and Dunc

I wanted to get my boys out ice fishing this year and my online research led me to reports of red hot fishing for perch and rainbows at Echo Reservoir.  Seemed perfect for the kids.  Unfortunately, Devin couldn’t make it, but Dayton and I picked up Bobber John and his boy Anthony and met Rick and his buddy Tad and their kids at the lake.

Apparently, we were not the only ones to research the hot reports.  The ice was covered with people and ice fishing tents.  We found one of the only open spots left and set up our own tents.

The depth was 35 feet and seemed perfect for perch. Rick lowered his Aqua View camera through the ice and confirmed it.  Little perch swimming everywhere.  We started fishing and immediately getting bit, but they were the kind that drive fisherman nuts.  One tiny bite and then gone.  Bobber John finally stuck one and pulled up a 5-inch perch. Yay. We got plenty of bites, but that was the only perch that made it to the ice.

I started seeing some marks on the fish finder higher in the water column and began targeting them.  I had a taker and it turned out to be a feisty rainbow.  Dayton took over and was able to pull it through the ice.  Good job Dayton!

Bobber John took note and also moved up in the water column and landed one more feisty rainbow with Anthony.  Rick and his gang continued to frustrate themselves watching perch on the camera and get constant nibbles, but no takers. 

Meanwhile, Dayton was trying out his new BB gun that he got for Christmas.  He has become quite the shot and was putting holes in cans of soda and watching them explode.  I think that was his favorite part of the trip! 

The slow fishing got old, so we packed up and let the kids slay ride near the truck for a minute.  It wasn’t the red hot action I was hoping to get the kids into, but a fun trip none the less.