Cold today with a high of 15-18 F and winds out of the NW 8-18+ mph. As detailed yesterday, the temperature will rise in each of the next five days. We are not expecting a loss of ice though as the nights remain well below freezing. No snow for Oneida Lake today, as the big storm is way east of us. Winds will peak today around 3 pm and quickly drop through the evening. Barometric pressure is dropping today and will rise starting around midnight steadily through the day Monday.
Ice conditions remain very good with folks reporting 10-14″ of black ice on Oneida Lake. There is a good amount of hard-packed snow in spots, with numerous reports of slushy spots anywhere from 2-4″ deep causing some issues with machines. Not so bad as to need chains for the wheelers if you can avoid the slush spots. Also, more reports of cracks and quakes so keep your eyes open as the path back in may not be as free of dangerous spots as the ride out was.
The go-to lure remains the jigging rap (most are using 3s or 5s), looking for walleye anywhere from 20-40 FOW. Perch colors, whites (wonderbread), orange, and glowing lures are all getting the job done. Spoons, Caty jigs, and pimples are also popular presentations. Reports of walleye are coming in from all popular access points, but we do seem to have better perch action coming in from the south shore of late.
For anyone that is interested, Apps is running tournaments now each Saturday. For those looking, Irish Knots does guide on Oneida Lake during the winter. Find them by clicking here. Insider tip, these guys are very good and in demand, so book now if you are looking to get out this winter.
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