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Or strike up a conversation with nearby ice angler that is willing to share apple pie in a jar or a few Keystone
True Story:
Many moons ago, a buddy and I decided to try ice fishing devils lake. We went to a small bay on a tip from a buddy and set up for walleyes and pike. This resulted in six tips-ups with quick-strike rigs and a couple jigging rods in my midget-sized Shappell 2000 ice "house."
The tip-up fishing was so hot I called in sick to work (I worked 2-midnight at the time).
We were getting into some decent 30+ inch pike and had stacked a few next to the house. I thought I heard some scratching at one point but thought nothing of it. After a lull, I peaked my head out only to find all but one pike were gone.
Then a yellow lab from a permanent shack came running over, gave me a sideways glance, picked up the last pike and ran back to his house.
So buddy and I get out and walk over. We knocked on the door and a fellow answered. We asked if it were alright if we picked up the pike his dog had piled up by his door. He had a quizzical look, and we explained that we'd caught his dog fetching our fish.
He laughed and laughed! Said sure and apologized. We laughed too. It was pretty damn funny. We chit-chatted a bit and he asked if we'd seen "the train." Apparently there was a 45+ incher that prowled this bay and people had seen it but nobody caught it. That really stoked our fires and we decided to stay until dark.
We were back at our house maybe 30 minutes when I hear someone walking over. It's the same guy -- with a plate full of steaming venison brats.
My buddy and I hadn't packed food for an all-day sit, so this was a welcomed gift. I gave him a jar of pickled pike and he was tickled about that.
We never caught a single walleye, but went home with limits of chunky DL pike. And a great story. It's the most fun I've had sober.
