So there is still good ice at elevation; I got a call a little after 7 this morning from a contact near Mt Pocono assuring me there was safe ice on a private lake in his community. Wasted little time in pleading with the wife, picking up minnows and driving two hours up there. By the time we met and I got to the lake it was close to 11:00.
 His friends had been fishing and done well early but there was no bite at all and this lake is flush with nice crappie and Blue gills. I whiled away the time drilling and fishing many holes with my latest set up: 18v brushless Makita hammer drill, clam plate, extension, and 6" Lazer.
 Around 4 one of my friends; he had out 5 tip ups for hours, caught a nice crappies and I started getting bites. I'd love to say I lit them up jigging but Mr. Jigger, and my Schooley rig did most of the catching. Fatheads on just about anything. Then the sleet and snow blew in and was rapidly accumulating as I jigged up a nice fat gill and an 11"crappie which I gave away. Satisfied I made a horrific drive home; 3 hrs and 10 min with a fair bit of cursing at incompetent drivers who should not have been on the road. That said I'm still really glad I made the effort!