Man, Silver's glory days are over.....at least for the time being! I am sure am glad I experienced the good perch bites early in January and came to understand this lake's potential. The last 4-5 days have been slow, which no improvement from day to day. 45-60 minute bites and catches of 25-30 keeper perch have been replaced by 5-10 minute bursts of activity and fewer fish.

Same thing today. I got on the ice at 7:40. I went fishless while fishing several different holes until about 8:30, when one hole suddenly lit up. I got 4 good perch in rapid succession. It went dead for five minutes, then turned on again, giving me 3 more as a school moved through. All takes were strong and decisive, unlike the soft, tentative takes I'd gotten the past few days. I actually convinced myself they were about return to form. I was wrong, and did not get a single fish, or take for that matter, in the next hour despite constantly moving and trying several holes.

I then moved into shallower water (20') near the launch and fished a few holes Motor1 and I had punched the previous day, where I got one more dink before calling it a day.

The gray ice near the launch is hanging tough at 7-9", but the dark ice further out is down to 4" and less. I didn't venture out there today......with this ongoing warm weather pattern, it's just not worth it.