With ice just a distant memory, Hawg Hunters Guide Service took advantage of the beautiful April weather to rustle up a hand over fist panfish party! Old standby Sylvia and Twin Lakes northwest of the metro are one of Bob and my favorite places to hit early in the year. Typically size and numbers are tough to beat on these bodies of water, and last weekend was no different. So good in fact, we did something that hasn’t happened in years… ran out of minnows!
We didn’t hit the water until after 3:00 p.m. Saturday, only to find the midday sun now covered with clouds, and a stiff southeast wind to contend with. With main lake temps hovering around 48 degrees, and the bays a steady 55 degrees, we opted to start out at a spot we call the honey-hole, which in truth is nothing more than a single dock with bulrushes alongside, it didn’t take long and fish were coming to the boat. The spot in question is in the northernmost bay on Sylvia, but know this, we had many boats around us that afternoon and no one; I mean no one, was on the school like we were. All the schooling fish were stacked in a very specific area, nuff’ said.
As previously stated in the beginning, we burned through 3 heaping scoops of crappie minnows in just a couple of hours. The jig of choice was a Fatboy, glow red or glow chartreuse, with the hook turned out a bit to increase hook-up percentages. The Loomis 6’10” Drop-Shot Rod pulls double duty as a panfish rig for us in the spring, teamed up with a Shimano Stradic 1000, 2/10 PowerPro, and a 4# Vanish splice. Top it off with a Thill float and you got an all purpose, all depth, crappie slaying machine.
We ended up with over 100 fish for the afternoon, with 20 in the livewell for a fish fry. The biggest fish we had was just under 13” with average around 12”. Many bass came boatside as well as a couple of gills, including this brute that went 9.5”. All and all, a great way to start out the year, sure am looking forward to all the openers coming up.
Good Luck!
See You on the Water…
There’s some pretty darn nice looking fish Dan!
Who’s the crusty guy with you?
With this weather, it’s time to get them boats out!
Nice report Hawg Hunters. Kinda gives me the itch to go chase some Slabs instead of eyes this weekend
Just for the record, I kicked Bob’s
!!!!!!
Only for the first 10 minutes…….”The guy in the back of the boat always catches all the fish”
CRUSTY-
ouch
Great looking slabs!! Dan, either I coming your way, or your coming mine…need to get on some of the slabs together!!
Luke,
I am coming down to fish 3-mile Lake by Afton for Muskies next Friday thru Sunday. How far are you away, or are you on my way there or back? Last year we had 40mph winds the whole time we were there, can you do anything about that?
Dan, Afton (Three Mile) is just south and west of Des Moines..I live just under two hours to the east of DM-
I doubt I can do anything about the wind…It’s IOWA!!
It is always windy-
Sending you a PM!
Looking forward to opener
Me too, but I won’t be fishing, I will be hanging with the next generation of the Bowman fishing team, the wife is due in 3 weeks 
Nice report Dan. I’ll be fishing three mile for eyes this saturday. You no coming down til the next weekend? I’ll let you know what I get.
Nice fish guys! I love that lake. I’ve spent many hours out there and would have to saw I think I just might be able to tell where those pics where taken.
Mike I’ll race you there!
Nice report there Dan and Bob…
Sylvia / Twin is one of my favorite ice fishing lakes, looks like I will have to get out there on open water.
nice report dan.. mmmmmmmmmm crappies!
Wife and I will be down there on sat afternoona nd sun morn as well andy, hope to see ya there, just look for the fat man with the big [censored] smile on his face cause he isnt workin.