494 Launch

I have not been down at the launch for a while now. Does anybody have a photo of what it looks like? Thick ice? Locked up? Breakable? Launchable? With the warmer temps this weekend, I was hoping to bust through and get out to the main channel. The last I was out there was a bunch of barges yet on the river and was hoping that they have been still moving them around and keeping things opened up….

I was wondering the same thing. I have my boat parked for the winter, but thought maybe I could do something from shore. I’ll try and swing by there this afternoon and take a look.

I drove over the bridge Tuesday afternoon and it was locked up pretty tight,just a couple small open spots down river a ways. There is no chance of launching a boat.

Tight Lines!
Kevin

Just drove over the bridge today and the shores were iced up fairly good but the main part of the river was open as far as I could see.

Pretty iced over at lilydale,if chopping ice is a guys thing he could get out there.It cant be that thick in the main channel as I see open pockets here and there.Hidden Falls would be launchable with some chopping, not any ice in the main channel there.Didnt check out 494

Lions Levee was a skating rink. She done!
The ice was walkable in areas of the back channel.

I am heading to WI for deer hunting this weekend so wont get to join in the fun unless I get lucky and put one on the ground tomorrow morning. Be safe if you guys do go. No reason to be in a hurry.

494 ramp is open with 10 boats out this morning. Some ice moving down stream, but not bad by any means. Most of the shoreline ice is gone from what I could see.

-J.

494 ramp is open with 10 boats out this morning. Some ice moving down stream, but not bad by any means. Most of the shoreline ice is gone from what I could see.

Now I have to make a hard decision… fish Pool 2 or Pool 4 later this afternoon/evening. Just yesterday I didn’t think Pool 2 would even be an option but now you’ve got me wondering. Do you think most wing dams will be fishable or is there still too much ice? Pool 4 is the safe bet in terms or ice but I’d rather have another shot on Pool 2 before winter really settles in.

Thanks for the update Jon.

Boone

Running errands and stopped down at noon. Looked like all the boats were duck boats. Talked to one group of hunters that hit an underwater ice burg and put a large dent in the hull of the boat. Lucky it was a welded sturdy boat or they may have been goners.

Thanks Jon…good news!

Anybody have an open seat?