Hard water is here!
Good ice is found over most of Minnesota's lakes now. Rumors are they are even driving on the lakes up north. My friend and I are going out for the first time this year on Thursday. We will be on foot. Last I heard there was 3 inches last week, but temps have been down to about 15 degrees at night so it should be better now. I was walking out on a lake in NW Wisconsin last week. A good 4 inches there, but single digit temps were making lots of ice fast. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes.
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You lucky bugger.
The only thing that had fishable ice so far closed on 30 Nov.
So now we play the waiting game.
Keep us posted.
do you ever check out iceshanty.com ?0 -
Ok. Plans changed. Now I am going Sunday afternoon and Monday. I will give a report when I get a chance. Maybe even some pictures.
I spent the last 2 days fixing rips in my portable shack. I think it is ready to go now.
I have not been to iceshanty.com, but will check it out.0 -
Ice fishing must be a blast. I have seen shows where it looks like towns on the ice. I took a man out fishing here at the lake that lived up in Wisconsin or Minnesota and he talked about spear fishing. 0 -
If he was spearing he was likely in MN. Spearing Northers is a big deal here, although I have not gotten into it. 0 -
what species do you chase?
when I have the wife or grandkids we target cutthroat, browns, rainbow trout and Kokanee, but when I'm alone or with my fishing partner we target Mackinaw (lake trout)0 -
Good luck![;)] It has been right around the 0 mark here in my part of WI the past few nights and only getting in the teens during the day.
Jon0 -
quote:Originally posted by dpmule
what species do you chase?
when I have the wife or grandkids we target cutthroat, browns, rainbow trout and Kokanee, but when I'm alone or with my fishing partner we target Mackinaw (lake trout)
Mostly after Crappie and walleye. Not a lot of lakes here in SE MN, but I try to get out as much as I can.0 -
How do crappie act thru the ice, I've only ever caught them when we went down to Lake Okeechobee in Fla to bass fish and the wind was bad and we pulled into some sheltered areas and fished with small minnows. We caught over 150 and most of them weighed 1 lb to 1.5 lb with a dozen or so that went a honest 2 lb.
Damn good eating0 -
I collect "Fish Decoys" mostly from Minn. They have been fishing our inlet for about 2 weeks. Big lake just frooze over yesterday but WAY too soon to venture out on it. The eagles come in about now and pick up ducks in the small open pot holes. Interesting to watch. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by asop
I collect "Fish Decoys" mostly from Minn. They have been fishing our inlet for about 2 weeks. Big lake just frooze over yesterday but WAY too soon to venture out on it. The eagles come in about now and pick up ducks in the small open pot holes. Interesting to watch.
funny you should mention that about the eagles, as today as I traveled to Rexburg Idaho I passed a pond partially froze over and full of geese and a few swans, there was a baldy in a cottonwood sitting there like he was picking out which one he really wanted.0 -
quote:Originally posted by dpmule
How do crappie act thru the ice, I've only ever caught them when we went down to Lake Okeechobee in Fla to bass fish and the wind was bad and we pulled into some sheltered areas and fished with small minnows. We caught over 150 and most of them weighed 1 lb to 1.5 lb with a dozen or so that went a honest 2 lb.
Damn good eating
Crappie through the ice are a lot of fun. Mostly we set up on deeper holes (15' early ice, 35' later) and jig with a wax worm, or crappie minnow. Sometimes they hit very hard, and others are very shy biters, but a spring-bobber is a must with either IMO. Also through the ice they are suspended and very often move up and down quickly. I use a Vexilar flasher to keep up with them.0 -
Not much better eating them those ice cold crappie. Beer batter filets, french bread, onion and banana peppers WOW. Hopefully I will get to try ice fishing some day. My son fishies a ice fishing tournament every winter in Wisconsin. I think that it is a good excuse to drink barley pop and hang with the guys. Nothing wrong with that I guess. 0 -
Ive only seen the Vexilar on the shelf, never seen one in use.
I have a Lowerance x-67 ice machine that I can put on flasher mode to work about the same I think. We have always caught lots of trout thru the ice, but with these electronics is sure makes it easier to get the grandkids on depth in a hurry to start dragging out rainbows and cutts. Most time when searching for Macks I just use it for a depth finder.
What kind of auger do you use? I'm thinking about a new 3hp Jiffy stealth and I might treat myself to one of hose new 2 piece jiffy "Mille Lac" ice spud too, because one lake I fish you have to skinny ski to get into. I have shared a jiffy 30 and eskimo with family and friends for years, time to finally get my own.0 -
I use Strikemaster augers. Mainly a Lazer hand auger, but others I fish with have power units. I looked at these... http://www.icegator.com/ but the price is just too much.
One guy I fish with has the same graph you do. He runs it on his boat all summer and on the ice in the winter. He likes it, but admits nothing makes a better flasher, than a dedicated flasher unit. Most guys I fish with have the FL18, or 20. Mine is an FL-8. A little older, but works like a dream. Simple to use too.0 -
One worthy of a picture on Wednesday, 22lbs 39" 
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