Jeff, thanks for your nice comments. I've probably mentioned this before, but the whole cold water (poles put away, deer rifles pulled out) paradigm shift was initially a leap of faith for me. I think all the ice fishing videos on UA-cam and fishing with Sparky at Table Rock in winter sealed the deal. Admittedly, the cold must be managed with insulation. For sure there's far fewer winter anglers, and definitely, there's normally nobody else sitting in a float tube in that cold water! 🥶 Fish behavior is different also and a lot of time, they can't be seen on a fish finder because they are lying on the bottom in the mud. My expectations for success are far less than in warm water so the challenge is part of the fun. Have a blessed week and enjoy the playoffs...Go Chiefs 😊 Don
@@Winkiedoodles yes. My expectations are for a nice afternoon outside and not on the couch ....try not to freeze your 'cajones' off in your float boat. 😀😀😀
Thanks, Virgillio! I'm getting excited about the 2023 season already. When we moved to our new home last November, we are now much closer to many good places to fish. Can't wait until spring, literally, and hope to go fishing again in the months ahead when weather permits. All the best, Don
Don, great video. I am envious of your weather, south of us. I tried to go out last Wednesday, with 52 degree temps, but all of my lakes were still iced down, with no open water. Sounds like it will be late March or Early April, until I can get back in the hunt for some of our Iowa bluegills and crappie. Maybe even a few trout, if they decide to cooperate. Good luck in the coming days, with the weather and the fishing.
Thanks so much, Dennis and I appreciate your kind comments. Glad you enjoyed the show! I hear you on the ice thing. Along with short days, less sunlight, no green leaves, cold, winds, and typical sleet or snow....this time of year is depressing. Cabin fever can only be cured by feeling a fish on the line hahaha 😆 😂! Since 1995 we have moved from the latitude of mid Missouri (Boonville) to SW Missouri (Springfield) and back up to mid Missouri (2016 Jefferson City and where we are now in Holden) I'm still envious of folks a few hours south of us who rarely get the ice out conditions. We had post-Elliot thawing in late December and are in a roller coaster with overnight icing temps now. Having also lived in Kansas City in the past, I know a number of good places to fish in this area so hopefully 2023 will be exciting. Hope you have lots of success in SW Iowa soon. Best wishes, Don
@@Winkiedoodles this is Jeff. Live in Cinci. Lots of brown water/ stained. But with persistence and a feel for fishing, bass and crappie can be caught with some regularity but not with the quantity Don catches......do you do a guide service, Don? I am first in line.
@Jeff Dempsey Jeff, I know you are a Bengals fan, but we can still be friends. Your Who Dey team is really good and a top nemesis for the Chiefs. Quite a few of my fave places in mid Missouri are stained water; some dirty/muddy and some greenish. Most have less than 3 ft visibility, but the fish don't seem to care. All this stained water is why I've been using 8 lb Mr Crappie HI Vis mono with a 6 or 8 lb Vanish fluoro leader for quite some time on dual purpose panfish & bass rigs. Hmmmm, I don't have a guide service per se, but I am often conscripted into service as both outfitter and guide for family members and friends. 🤗🤗🤗 Having just moved here in November, I'll be somewhat incompetent at this job in 2023 - until I've memorized every stick, rock or stump in the locations I'll visit this season. Big fun! Catch you later, Don
I was hoping that the milder temperatures after the artic blast was going to allow you to get out again! Not sure what it is about the Bang StickZ, but it will produce for me around docks and boat ramps when nothing else will. I am a huge fan of the FattyZ as well. Loved the content as always Don and really liked that Main Coon, that was a beautiful cat! Hope this finds you and your family well sir and hoping for more content in the very near future.... If weather permits of course!
Thanks so much, Tony, for your kind comments. Although it may not be apparent, I do try to have a strategy for my fishing trip s 😉 😄 😜, and tried to envision what sluggish bass would bite in cold water. I put all the eggs ($10 a dozen hahaha) in one basket with the Bang Stickz. As you noted, they have worked well for you, too. They are a great lure as are FattyZ and Big TRDs. I didn't have a back-up lure, so it was fun to catch something on them in that cold water. My fingers are crossed for some fishable weather conditions in the months ahead. All the best, Don
Thanks Wayn. I don't think there's crappie in that pond but there are bluegill. In past years some big 20"+ bass have showed up. Don't know if they are still there because the pond really took a hit with low water during the recent drought years. Those goofy Reds chattered and squealed and chased each other through the trees for hours. They are probably still going round and round. Best wishes, Don
Don, great weedless FattyZ and the chin lock hook! Bang stickZ caught the bass right away too. Nice fat bass no matter where you have chosen to hit the water.👍. Sweet pictures of that “tiny little Main Coon kitty” Loki!!😊. Great video even on the ice water😅
Thanks Sis and glad you liked the show. That Loki is huge! You will see their crazy tails as Zachary's Maine Coon gets bigger. I was happy to find some bass swimming around and to catch a few. January isn't my favorite month to fish because in smaller, shallower water they are known to be lying on the bottom in the mud and inactive. In big lakes like Table Rock Barry and I would see NOTHING on the fish finder but at the right location/way point we would drop jigs vertically in 30-50 ft of water and see them explode upwards to attack the lure. If I can catch anything in these smaller waters I'm lucky. Ponds are filling up with the rain; come on spring! Xxxxxoo RTR 🦇🦇🦇 Don
Thanks for watching the show, Solo! This summer means warm water strategies and exciting stuff like top water lures. Soft plastics never go out of season. Have a wonderful week, Don
Thank you for showing everyone that the bite doesn't stop when deer season starts. You have great choices for small water fishing. Keep cranking 😀
Jeff, thanks for your nice comments. I've probably mentioned this before, but the whole cold water (poles put away, deer rifles pulled out) paradigm shift was initially a leap of faith for me. I think all the ice fishing videos on UA-cam and fishing with Sparky at Table Rock in winter sealed the deal. Admittedly, the cold must be managed with insulation. For sure there's far fewer winter anglers, and definitely, there's normally nobody else sitting in a float tube in that cold water! 🥶 Fish behavior is different also and a lot of time, they can't be seen on a fish finder because they are lying on the bottom in the mud. My expectations for success are far less than in warm water so the challenge is part of the fun. Have a blessed week and enjoy the playoffs...Go Chiefs 😊 Don
@@Winkiedoodles yes. My expectations are for a nice afternoon outside and not on the couch ....try not to freeze your 'cajones' off in your float boat. 😀😀😀
@@Winkiedoodles go bengals😍😍😍😍
Starting the year with an excellent video that is of great health and blessings to you and your family my friend.
Thanks, Virgillio! I'm getting excited about the 2023 season already. When we moved to our new home last November, we are now much closer to many good places to fish. Can't wait until spring, literally, and hope to go fishing again in the months ahead when weather permits. All the best, Don
Don, great video. I am envious of your weather, south of us. I tried to go out last Wednesday, with 52 degree temps, but all of my lakes were still iced down, with no open water. Sounds like it will be late March or Early April, until I can get back in the hunt for some of our Iowa bluegills and crappie. Maybe even a few trout, if they decide to cooperate. Good luck in the coming days, with the weather and the fishing.
Thanks so much, Dennis and I appreciate your kind comments. Glad you enjoyed the show! I hear you on the ice thing. Along with short days, less sunlight, no green leaves, cold, winds, and typical sleet or snow....this time of year is depressing. Cabin fever can only be cured by feeling a fish on the line hahaha 😆 😂! Since 1995 we have moved from the latitude of mid Missouri (Boonville) to SW Missouri (Springfield) and back up to mid Missouri (2016 Jefferson City and where we are now in Holden) I'm still envious of folks a few hours south of us who rarely get the ice out conditions. We had post-Elliot thawing in late December and are in a roller coaster with overnight icing temps now. Having also lived in Kansas City in the past, I know a number of good places to fish in this area so hopefully 2023 will be exciting. Hope you have lots of success in SW Iowa soon. Best wishes, Don
@@Winkiedoodles this is Jeff. Live in Cinci. Lots of brown water/ stained. But with persistence and a feel for fishing, bass and crappie can be caught with some regularity but not with the quantity Don catches......do you do a guide service, Don? I am first in line.
@Jeff Dempsey Jeff, I know you are a Bengals fan, but we can still be friends. Your Who Dey team is really good and a top nemesis for the Chiefs.
Quite a few of my fave places in mid Missouri are stained water; some dirty/muddy and some greenish. Most have less than 3 ft visibility, but the fish don't seem to care. All this stained water is why I've been using 8 lb Mr Crappie HI Vis mono with a 6 or 8 lb Vanish fluoro leader for quite some time on dual purpose panfish & bass rigs.
Hmmmm, I don't have a guide service per se, but I am often conscripted into service as both outfitter and guide for family members and friends. 🤗🤗🤗 Having just moved here in November, I'll be somewhat incompetent at this job in 2023 - until I've memorized every stick, rock or stump in the locations I'll visit this season. Big fun! Catch you later, Don
I was hoping that the milder temperatures after the artic blast was going to allow you to get out again! Not sure what it is about the Bang StickZ, but it will produce for me around docks and boat ramps when nothing else will. I am a huge fan of the FattyZ as well. Loved the content as always Don and really liked that Main Coon, that was a beautiful cat! Hope this finds you and your family well sir and hoping for more content in the very near future.... If weather permits of course!
Thanks so much, Tony, for your kind comments. Although it may not be apparent, I do try to have a strategy for my fishing trip s 😉 😄 😜, and tried to envision what sluggish bass would bite in cold water. I put all the eggs ($10 a dozen hahaha) in one basket with the Bang Stickz. As you noted, they have worked well for you, too. They are a great lure as are FattyZ and Big TRDs. I didn't have a back-up lure, so it was fun to catch something on them in that cold water. My fingers are crossed for some fishable weather conditions in the months ahead. All the best, Don
Some nice bass caught. No crappie? Around and around the squirrel goes. Where they stop nobody knows.
Thanks Wayn. I don't think there's crappie in that pond but there are bluegill. In past years some big 20"+ bass have showed up. Don't know if they are still there because the pond really took a hit with low water during the recent drought years. Those goofy Reds chattered and squealed and chased each other through the trees for hours. They are probably still going round and round. Best wishes, Don
Don, great weedless FattyZ and the chin lock hook! Bang stickZ caught the bass right away too. Nice fat bass no matter where you have chosen to hit the water.👍. Sweet pictures of that “tiny little Main Coon kitty” Loki!!😊. Great video even on the ice water😅
Thanks Sis and glad you liked the show. That Loki is huge! You will see their crazy tails as Zachary's Maine Coon gets bigger. I was happy to find some bass swimming around and to catch a few. January isn't my favorite month to fish because in smaller, shallower water they are known to be lying on the bottom in the mud and inactive. In big lakes like Table Rock Barry and I would see NOTHING on the fish finder but at the right location/way point we would drop jigs vertically in 30-50 ft of water and see them explode upwards to attack the lure. If I can catch anything in these smaller waters I'm lucky. Ponds are filling up with the rain; come on spring!
Xxxxxoo RTR 🦇🦇🦇 Don
Getting lot of theories, I hope I could utilize it this simmer :)
Thanks for watching the show, Solo! This summer means warm water strategies and exciting stuff like top water lures. Soft plastics never go out of season. Have a wonderful week, Don