I drove to Dow's, where everyone was happy to see me, and I was happy to see everyone. Joe Welsh told me he had driven 14 hours to get bait and that their shop is the only one carrying any. I needed only a dozen large shiners, lingering a bit before I got on my way.
At Cranberry Lake it was obvious the ice was safe with so many boot prints in the snow on top. I quickly opened a few holes that had recently been fished, including one that had frozen-in nearly four inches. Once I had my stuff on the ice, I used my splitting bar to open some new holes in a line along the shore. I didn't need to bother with the power auger, but the ice was a good five inches thick.
I had put a tip-up out further, but pretty soon I set it in line. I had got a flag before I had all the stuff out, and before I got my second tip-up set. Missed the hit. I found evidence of weeds when checking on bait, so I knew I had a good strategy, doubting the weeds extended much deeper. I set the five tip-ups--all of them in a single row along the shoreline--in about eight or nine feet of water.
It was nice out there. Ice fishing seems always to be a way to let go of daily routines and get a lift. There's an atmospheric quality.
I fished for nearly four hours that went fast. Three pickerel caught, two I had on and lost, three missed hits. The biggest was right about 21 inches, the other two about 17.
