Hey folks the hard water season has arrived. The bay is iced over but conditions and ice thickness will vary right now 4 inches here 2 or less over their so if going out PLEASE be very carefull and have the right safety gear with you and please use the buddy system out their don't go it alone! foot traffic only for now.The bay has ice from the head of the bay down to second landing along the ashland side of the bay. Wasburn side has ice from the head of the bay up to bono creek but have not heard yet what the ice thickness is as of yet. Their is a open water from washburn   long island but that area should start iceing over in the next week if the winds stay down. Folks are starting to work their way out on the first ice of the year the shop has been a buzz this morning with guys picking up bait and stocking up with new  gear for this season.  Their are guys starting to fish off second landing for perch and pike others are starting their season out by the ore dock here in ashland. Their is little snow on the ice so with the cold temps we are seeing and what they are forcasting thur the next week we should be able to fish most area's of the bay by next weekend with a little luck. Inland guys have been hitting up some of the smaller lakes and smaller bays on some of the larger bodies of water a little early for fish reports but over the next couple of days we will have a better handle on whats going on as far as to what is biteing and where. For now though it will be the same as other years. Perch & pike off the landings ore dock area walleye with some trout and smallmouth mixed in and trout and salmon off the s curve to bono and north of wasburn. This next week I will update the report again as I and my buddys will start pounding the ice tomorrow or monday. Stop by the shop and see what we have in stock for new gear this season we have a huge amount of ice gear this season from panfish to laketrout gear you name we have it and a few things other shops don't.