Today was sunny and windy on Chequamegon Bay.

Lake Superior Brown Trout. NOT caught by me.

4th fishing trip on the bay this year. The ice is thick enough to drive cars and trucks. At this spot there is about 30 feet of water under the snowmobile.

Ashland WI Lighthouse. This photo was taken from todays fishing spot. The darker spots are clear ice with no snow cover. 

This photo was taken from todays fishing spot. Ashland's Oredock. 

A view inside an ice fishing shack. From left to right the propane heater, plywood to keep feet warm , water cooler with the bait,  9" hole with rod and reel and gear bucket with the fish finder on top. The heater does a good job keeping you warm so you can fish without a coat and gloves. The fish finder.... well maybe not exactly a finder. It does "tell you" when there are fish below. With the right winter gear it can be very comfortable out on the ice.

Boating on the bay. Hard water and the hot pond.

 

Great ice but no wind.

 Red Rocket pilot

 Cement canoe boating. Really!

 Yet one more view of the lighthouse.

It's in with the new out with the old day. Guess what's new*. Hint. Click on the photos for a closer look.

Chequamegon Bay sunset.

Ashland Oredock.

Ashland Lighthouse.

Ashland Oredock.

Crabapple colors.

Even brown looks better?

Yes it was a windy day. Listen close you can hear other lake front sounds.


*Answer: New camera, new lens and renewed enthusiasm.
Canon 7D, Canon EFS 18-200mm IS

Windsurfing on red clay. Chequamegon Bay after several days of rain.

All of these photos were taken from the West End beach just West of Ashland WI. Sailing Northwest toward Barksdale WI.

Sailing southeast toward Ashland.

Lighthouse on Chequamegon Bay.

Oredock summer 2010.

Michigan U.P. fishing and camping trip.

Traveling east in the Michigan U.P.

Camping near Paradise MI.

Entrance to Paradise MI. Paradise...? Look here. Read and enjoy. For another take on literary connected locations in the MI U.P. see here.

Suspension Bridge over the mouth of the Two Hearted River.

Crisp Point Light House on the north shore of Michigan U.P. (West of White Fish Bay).

Shore of Lake Superior looking west from the lighthouse.

Shore of Lake Superior looking east from the lighthouse.

Anyone know the name of this moth?

Trout caught under the bridge at the mouth of the "Big" Two Hearted River.

Grand Marais MI

Now known as The Lake Superior Brewing Company.

Great bar. Good drinks. Fun locals.

Thanks Ashleigh and Dan. Ashleigh is by far the hardest working bartender I seen in a longtime. Dan just moved to the region to help run his granddad's business.

"THE BEST" juke box in the U.P.......... I'm told

Rock hunting and swimming.

There are hatches and THERE ARE HATCHES. This was latter.

Dandelions. It isn't Wareham MA and it isn't Tautog.  I'm still fishing 55 years later. I still think of my first fishing partner every time I wet a line. Thanks again Dad for teaching me to fish. Here (#1) is a Google Map image of the spot where I caught my first fish circa 1952-1955. Spot #2 are the "finger piers"

An underwater photo taken with my new underwater camera when it was working which was just before it wasn't working. 

May fishing trip part 2. May 30th was "species day". I caught Smallmouth bass (3), Largemouth bass (1), Northern Pike (4), Bluegills (10), Walleye (1). All catch and release. All but the Largemouth Bass were in season and legal size. Most but not all were caught on a foam fly I tied from a pattern (see here and here) found here on the internet.

Nearing the lighthouse. Slightly different fishing grounds.

 

 

Double digits. Driving on the ice. No ice fishing.

 

Chequamegon Bay Lighthouse

  

We are standing just NW of the lighthouse over the shipping channel. The water depth below us is ~ 30 feet.

  

This  winter will probably be the last opportunity we will have to have this picture taken. If things go according to the current plan the Oredock will be torn down starting this spring.

  

We are standing NW of the Oredock. The water depth below our feet is probably 30 feet.

  

Ok, here is the explanation of the title "double digits". We have lived here since 1978... 31 years and I had to prove there was 24 + inches of ice below our feet...... before my wife finally drove on Chequamegon Bay. 31 and 24 double digits.

  

Here she comes off the bay after her first solo spin out on the ice.

  

Driving up onto the "landing". Finally ashore.

P.S. for those keeping count I did fish yesterday. Slow but caught smelt and perch. Had fresh fish with K & S for supper.

Back to the T-P for fishing.

Fished again today. Cold, sunny and windy on the bay 19 degrees with 7-10 mph wind from the NNE . I decided to drag out my ice fishing T-P. It's been in storage for 5-6 years. It needs a little repair work but it has aged well. If memory serves me well it must be 25 years or older. It worked well to day. Quicker and easier to setup and tear down. Plenty of room.

My 25 year old T-P seems like it has plenty of good use still left in it. Tomorrow I'm going to make a few repairs and modifications. Look close you can see the lighthouse on the right off in the distance (click on each photo for larger version). Also  Notice the 30 lb propane tank on the left. That is the heat supply. This is one of the reasons driving out to fish is so great. You can take what you want.

Nice comfortable seat and a Vexilar (fish finder).

Tackle, bait (yellow box on the ice) and heater. A heater that will cook you out.

 And of course fish on the ice.

Fishing in a new spot today. Started off slow but soon picked up. Fish on the Vexilar most of the day but the bite was on and off. The perch were bigger today.