The small lakes and pot holes skimmed over last night.
If we get some more cold weather the big lakes will be next.Attachment 106521
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The small lakes and pot holes skimmed over last night.
If we get some more cold weather the big lakes will be next.Attachment 106521
That's pretty cool. I've been a little confused about the icing up here. I've seen snow flurries, ice on my windshield, and ice on the pavement but haven't seen any frozen water snow/frost on the grass.
Anyways, it was neat to leave Minneapolis yesterday morning at 28 degrees with snow on my rooftop and driveway and fly down to Charlotte, NC and walk out of the airport to 70 degree weather :)
You guys convinced me finally. I just ordered my GAMMA ice line for this winter, now all I need is some more Hot Sauce for the reels.
For our freshman here, it is often cold enough that normal lubrication in reels gets very stiff to almost unuseable in the winter. Most of us "winterize" our reels, when we use the same ones on the ice that we do in open water. Also different local lakes will freeze up at different times and to different degrees. Here deep in the Metro, Isles and Nokomis will be frozen enough to fish on sometimes almost a month before Harriet and Calhoun. Of course smaller, shallower bodies freeze up before larger deeper ones. So be careful.
And don't put away your PFD either.
Ordered it the evening of the 14th and it came in the mail today. Right now they are shipping free, too. I have been getting my GAMMA on line direct from the manufacturer and the service has been very good and always speedy. Quality product and superior service. Gotta like it.Quote:
Originally Posted by no1son
Thought we were going to get some early ice. It gets in the 20's at night, but now they are talking 50's all week. No ice. Might have to get the boat back out..
There are still boats going out around here. Some night fishers, I expect for walleyes considering the lake and where they were on it. They will continue to be out until ice stops them, too. That lake also has some real slabs but they are hard to find at least in the daytime. Nearly every one of the best crappies I have seen off that water came after dark.
Hey no1, do they use underwater lights? Lanterns? etc. Wife & I had a blast this summer catching Crappie/ underwater lights.Quote:
Originally Posted by no1son
What the heck is that white stuff along the shore in the picture? Do they pour salt there so you can melt your fishing shack out in february? Watched my son fish (and catch bass) at harriet this weekend. Noted three muskie boats out there yesterday.... Each day without winter is another smile... Correct, i get the heck out of here at the end of december...
You will see headlamps and that sort of thing; so one can see to tie knots etc, but underwater lights are illegal in Minnesota as is a second line until we get water hard enough to walk on. Then you can put down a second line, but still no underwater lights. You can light up your ice house, unless you are spearing and even have a lantern in the boat, but it may not shine on the water to attract plankton and bait fish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by no1son
I don't know many of the lake names yet up here. I just googled those - they're a little south for me. I travel by Medicine Lake every day - seen a few boats out there during my travels. Looking at the map, the closest lakes to me look like Diamond Lake or Foster lake. There's a Lake Itasca close on the map but looks private. I noticed a little icing on Mill Pond in Anoka as I came through there the other day but it also looks like they've drained it into the river or a dam broke or something - the water's way down
Medicine is a very good lake, pike, bass, bluegills,crappies, walleyes, but for me a little outside of my general stomping grounds. On the way to and from work note where the boats tend to be. At this time of the year that is an indication where to start after ice up, if you want to give Medicine a shot. IIRC There is also a bait shop with a boat launch right on Medicine (on the SW corner?).
Stop into that Cabelas right there in Rodgers and have them point out some local waters for you.
It will be awhile before the lakes freeze up here in Minnesota.I'm in the NW suburbs of Minneapolis....near Robbinsdale.I can't wait....am really getting the ice fishing ITCH!
Down into the teens last night and for the next week barely making freezing in the day time. Too windy yet for much ice, but that takes the heat out of the water faster. Once the winds let up, we will be making ice pretty quickly as long as the temperatures remain like this and they are supposed to for the next week at least.
Hey no1, highs in the 30's low's in the 20's for at least a week. Windy as heck though. Maybe ice is on the way...
We crawled out of the 20's and into the mid-30's today. Not a lot of wind, wind....nice breeze at times. Smaller bodies of water maybe iced over now but the big water will be a bit yet.
I don't much mess with ice any more. I sold all of the major stuff a couple years ago but kept a one man port, hand auger and spud. And my ICE CREEPERS. With many areas of the river open all winter, if I feel like getting cold while fishing I'll take the boat out. In addition to knowing where some good walleye and sauger fishing can be had I also know where the crappies are hanging out too and they are way more fun on a long rod and from the boat.
We hit low 30's today, going to the teens tomorrow night. Not sure about the Crappie being more fun from a boat with a long rod. I really enjoy a 10" on my Ice Blue Noodle rod... Both are fun.. We fish according to the season..
I did some looking in the area and found one true Gritter on a small lake.
Some of the lakes are totally covered and making ice with the below zero temps we have been having.
The deeper lakes still have open spots on them.
If this cold weather will last for a few days we should be able to walk out soon. :-)
WOW!! Below 0 all ready? Our little swamps holes are frozen over, and shallow spots on the lakes, but no where near walking on...
Forecasting the 50's here for the next few days. Maybe some freezing rain to kick things off tomorrow. I'm still fishing open water and hope to get the boat to the Mississippi yet maybe next week.
Bob is up in the north country, down here in the Cities there is little more than skim on the shallowest portions and smallest lakes, much like what you have in Michigan. There was a boat out on Harriet this pm when I went out on a scouting drive. Nothing one would care to walk on yet, not here. I'd be willing to bet there are boats out on Calhouns this evening, too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crappie 1
Some muskie dudes out in a couple places yet, too, soaking suckers. Last day for it before season closes.
Lake levels are way down around here, too. Lowest I have ever seen here in the Metro. Looks to me like we are going to have to work out some different breaks this winter with the water levels down as far as they are.
We found some open river water fishing last winter, too, up here in the Cities. Gotta agree more fun on the long rod, and a lot less messing around when you don't have to be cutting ice holes all over.Quote:
Originally Posted by CTom
I was in Georgia all this past week. I left Monday morning to temps at 10 degrees and snow on the ground. I was pretty impressed to see the smaller lakes completely ice over (skim ice) when we flew back in on Friday. Temps are back up though in the 30's.
We drove to Grand Rapids on Friday for the grandson's basketball game. Home on Saturday [yesterday]. Just before Hill City there was a portable on a small lake and from the Highway I could see the ice sagging under the weight. I had to wonder what kind of lightweights needed an ice shack on Friday with the temps well into the 30's, but then to be on ice thin enough that it had them sitting in a puddle when the hole got cut.
What with the wobbly weather and bouncing temps we've had this year thin ice may well be the norm for a while and I just don't understand why people push the envelope. People breaking thru the ice are 10 times more likely to become a statistic than those who go in open water. Lots of risk in taking chances on the ice when it is thin.
Mother nature threw us a curve today,40 degree temps with west wind gusts up to 30 mph. All our snow melted today and all the lakes have water on the ice.
Not good,not good at all; I don.t see any cold weather in the near future. :-(
I'm enjoying what we have. Today the smoker is running in high gear to finish up my venison summer sausage. Thursday it will be the jerky that gets smoked. Heck, I just finished digging my carrots this morning.
We have 49 right now. Supposed to get cold again for a bit. Don't know if we have any ice left or not....