Candlewood is famous for its trophy Smallies, LMB,Trout and Perch. We went out with 7 other dudes and drilled holes/scattered our tip ups. We had 6-8" of Ice depending on what depth we fished. Most of the perch came along the weed bed edge in shallow water. Although the tip up action was slow to say the least dudes were jigging up perch like they were professionals. 8am the first beers were cracked and it was on from there. We were some jigging fools jigging up perch and small LMB. I had a decent buzz and these other chuckleheads were drinking beer like hatians in need of water(too soon?) I drill a few more holes a little deeper out 25-30' Deep and set up my tip ups about 75 yards away from where I was jigging up perch. the first flag goes off and im sprinting like a 50 year old man with an Iron lung..Damn Im outta shape. I can see the "T" spinning like crazy "only 10 yards to go" im thinking to myself..I get within sliding distance and It stops..damn thing took the bait and I ran all that way for nothing.. Bait up and walk back to my jigging spot and flag goes up and im dashing again..short perch WTF!!!!! atleast I was able to pry the minnow out of his jaws so he could be baited up..the only positive from that situation.
After 5 more beers I came up with the solution to my problem...Jig closer to the tip ups...BRILLIANT! Flag goes off and im in perfect position only 20 yards away and i set the hook and I feel its got weight so I know its a bass. Being as lethargic as they are in the winter it felt like dead weight so I wasnt too pumped untill I seen its head through the hole in the ice...3.3 smallie.. Biggest fish of the day of the group..We go to take a snap shot and dudes camera is dead..No biggie.. mine is in my bag I hit the power button and my battery is dead also...WTF this black cloud never leaves me..3 guys take cell phone shots and I give my cell to one of them so I can have a photo too..photo taken..I release fish and dude never saved the photo just shut the cell closed...Black CLOUD! Angered but I dont say a word
The rest of the day it was cookie cutter sized fish until about 430 when I had a nice hit on a blade bait I was jigging missed him the first time but he hit it again about 30 secs later...fish on im fighting him while the jigging rod is doubled over so I scream for assistance Frank comes over and I get the fish up to the hole and its a nice size smallie about 3lbs..the head is completly out of the water and im waiting for him to lip it but he isnt! instead trying to grab it and haul it out since the hook was in his mouth and was being drunk/scared. I doubled over in agony as I watched the treble go from the side of the mouth come loose and stick into the upper lip to fish back in the damn hole..during the ordeal..BLACK CLOUD
Conceiding to the black cloud over my head I decided to put down the jigging rod and just watch tip ups and drink beer. Tip up went off and I set the hook and this time the SOB took 2 short runs and I knew it was a lunker..during one of the runs he pulled the dacron braid out of my hands and slit me real good. bleeding all over the place I landed him slightly over 4.5lb Smallie on the Boga. I posed for pictures once again and then gave my phone to same dude and told him to actually save it this time unlike last time..It saved and he promised to forward me the 3.3 lb so pics when I get that one
but here is the 4.5
