Secret spot delivers under tough conditions

With my ice-fishing garb wrapped around my body, I gingerly stepped on a very mushy bank and flipped the tiny, white Mini-Mite jig parallel to the shoreline.

By all standards, what I was doing wasn't supposed to work because the water temperature was as cold as the North Sea.

But then there was a slight twitch in the line, and in a second or two, I was fast into a fish.

This pond was more like an obscure pimple, somewhat hidden from the road and surrounded by tall weeds. I had visited this tiny watercourse twice before with good success, but now I had my doubts -- until that very second.

You see, we had just experienced several inches of snowfall and most men my age would have had the sense to stay close to a furnace vent instead of braving the elements. I figured if I made enough casts I could keep warm.

My 7-foot, soft-action ultralight rod was the perfect tool for this jaunt in that I had to flip the tiny jig over the tall weeds and bushes.

The fish on the end of the 2-pound mono was a small bluegill, barely nudging the 6-inch mark on my ruler, but it was a fish nevertheless. Six more casts resulted in two additional fish, close enough to satiate the great hunger for action.

I figured 45 minutes was enough for this outing, and yet I made two more throws across the pothole. My line zipped to the right and then straightened. I set the hook and a small bass leaped out of the frigid water. This isn't supposed to happen, the sages instructed. But it did. Mr. Largemouth forced the digital numbers to squirrel around the 1½-pound mark. Now the day was complete.

Impatience has always been my motivator. Most other times I would have been satisfied with sorting tackle and cleaning reels. Not now though, in that I had enough of winter-like musings and was willing to suffer the consequences of a running nose, fogged glasses, and frozen fingers.

Will I come back here? You bet, because this little, hidden dot will more than satisfy under adverse conditions.