I guess fishing was off...
Fast forward to this morning...I just got home from a short morning in the lab and got a call...Oh! It's Matt!
He asked me if I wanted to come for a little afternoon jaunt. Um...it was pondering...SURE!
I forgot a lot of businesses are only opened half day today...and 12:30 was when I left the house. Traffic was everywhere and I didn't get to Matt's house until 2:00pm.
We went to our friendly neighbourhood SuperBaitGuy just to say hi and grab some shiners. Then it was off to another person for 2009 licenses (SuperBaitGuy got tired of wasting time filling out licenses...so he doesn't offer them anymore). Another short drive thru for some McD's and we're back to Matt's front lawn for some fishing
There were already a group out on the ice...and they were fellow forum members. After some chatting, we got to fishing. Ice was a good 5" black ice and we had our rods down quickly. Matt had a Vexilar and saw fish coming up to look at his shiner on the way down.
Well...that was the story for most of our fishing sessions...mostly lookers...not a lot of takers
I finally chased the skunk away with the first fish of this ice season...little 6" perch...but had to take a celebratory pic.
Then, while I was clearing ice in my pike rod hole, Matt went to grab my rod with the pinhead shiner and brought up a 9" crappie. I tried to take a pic...but the battery was low...and didn't get the pic in time.
As the sun was setting, we were hoping the action would pick up...a phenomenon we called the "Afternoon Express". The Express was either late...or canceled...because I had spare time to take a picture of this sunset.
After that picture, I had a strange hit on the light rod. My spring bobber dipped down about an inch and just stayed dipped down for about 2 seconds. I went to pick up the rod to check out what was going on...and a good fish was there!
It gave me a good fight and I almost had it up to the hole...but the split shots caught the edge of the hole and got stuck...and the fish shook the hook off. I wish I could have at least seen it...might be a bass or a catfish by the way it was fighting 
Another little while later, while I was yet again away clearing ice from the holes, Matt called to me again and there was another fish on my light rod. He handed me over the rod, I set the hook and pulled up another 9" crappie
Just before dark, Matt finally heard the bells on the pike rod ring! "It's still there..." and Matt gave it a couple of seconds before setting the hook. In typical fashion, the little pike gave a good fight. And Matt chased the skunk away
On that note, Matt decided to pack it in. He had to clean up and prepare to go to his grandpa's 70th birthday. I decided to stick it out for another 30mins.
Nothing was really going on after it got dark. The light rod was still...and the pike rod was silent. So I pulled in the light and and decided to jig the pike rod. Maybe the commotion will draw some fish in.
That plan worked. I had a hit on the drop...and fed out some line to let the pike run with it. When the line stopped moving, I closed the bail and reel in some slack. The line was getting tight again and the fish was on the move again. I gave the rod a good set...but it was all slack! When I reeled in the line, the shiner minnow was gone
Fish just managed to miss the hook
I put on a new shiner and fished for another 10mins. But with the sun gone, it was getting cold and windy very quickly. The hands were suffering the most and you know how uncomfortable that can be. So I called it a night.
At the end, Matt went 1/1 on pike. I went 2/2 on perch, 2/2 on crappies and 0/2 on mystery fish. There was that 1/1 teamwork crappie as well.
Matt continue to reign over the pike and I kept my crappie minions in check.
Great fishing with you Matt on your home turf.
Don't party too hard tonight buddy...we got round 2 tomorrow 