My dream buck and so much more!

Well! You guys seemed like such nice people, that I thought we would stay for a while and be friends, Heck it is just a cord.

See You Tomorrow!

I think is a good time to write a pledge, or a oath of good conduct that we as IDA can abide by and pass our code of conduct on to others.
I’ll make the first rule
1) I pledge Stay off plowed roads when I haven’t paid the resort owner road pass. I will Treat these like private property. I realize that with out the resort owners private roads I would never be able to take my weel house to the flats.

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(have wheeler, trailer, portables, equipment, etc.)

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All these things can be bought at a store……too bad common sense and decency cannot.

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Well! You guys seemed like such nice people, that I thought we would stay for a while and be friends, Heck it is just a cord.

See You Tomorrow!

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If that is/was you, I just don’t really get it is all. Makes no sense to me. Honestly, I would like to know, does it not bother you even a little bit to set up right on top of people like that? I don’t understand I guess.

I don’t care about a cord or even the road – those are minor details. It’s more the principle of the matter and common courtesy to other fisherman. Seems to be lost quite often these days.

I’m a very friendly person, you are correct on that point. Many people from this site know from personal experience that that is indeed the case.

I agree but sometimes people think your have a hot spot and you are not saying anything so they want to check it out at your expense. It is a big lake with lots of room…. It happen in the boat all the time. Especially in the spring on the river.I had one guy actually hot my boat, boy I was not happy, but what could I do.

I feel ya sundog…hit the same spot 2 nights in a row last week. 1st time there was one permanent within 100 yards. 2nd day I get out there, 2 permanents within about 50 yards, still tolerable. I was setting up some tip-ups and the owner of one of the permanents comes up, says hes noticed me out here 2 nights now, and how did I do the other night. I reply saying I did decent on some nice gills and crappies. Within the hour, at 4 o clock prime fishing time, he had his lil yard tractor out on the ice and pulled his permanent literally 10 yards behind my portable where I was set up and proceeds to start ripping holes. Within another 10 minutes I have to listen to his girl absolutely balling because she wants to catch a fish…I was outta there fuming, wheres the decency?!

Matt Grow and I were fishing a shallow reef out of Hunters Point today and at around 3pm or so we had all our holes drilled and had started fishing! Along comes a guy on a atv pulling a 100lb propane tank. He proceeds to drive right past Matt within 10 feet of him!!! he had miles of room either side………Matt looks at me and says!! “whats with that” I just could not believe it…..its was like the guy was upset that we were there fishing? There wasn’t another fisherman within 1/4 mile of us.

Some people

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I feel ya sundog…hit the same spot 2 nights in a row last week. 1st time there was one permanent within 100 yards. 2nd day I get out there, 2 permanents within about 50 yards, still tolerable. I was setting up some tip-ups and the owner of one of the permanents comes up, says hes noticed me out here 2 nights now, and how did I do the other night. I reply saying I did decent on some nice gills and crappies. Within the hour, at 4 o clock prime fishing time, he had his lil yard tractor out on the ice and pulled his permanent literally 10 yards behind my portable where I was set up and proceeds to start ripping holes. Within another 10 minutes I have to listen to his girl absolutely balling because she wants to catch a fish…I was outta there fuming, wheres the decency?!

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Wow, that’s just brutal.

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Matt Grow and I were fishing a shallow reef out of Hunters Point today and at around 3pm or so we had all our holes drilled and had started fishing! Along comes a guy on a atv pulling a 100lb propane tank. He proceeds to drive right past Matt within 10 feet of him!!! he had miles of room either side………Matt looks at me and says!! “whats with that” I just could not believe it…..its was like the guy was upset that we were there fishing? There wasn’t another fisherman within 1/4 mile of us.

Some people

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In the words of Ron Burgundy, “Heck, I’m not even mad … that’s amazing!”

What do you even say to that? That doesn’t even make sense.

I hate to be the devil here but the lakes are public waters. (They even drove on our personal road – paid for in our fee through the resort) As long as they got on the lake legally you can’t stop them from driving on the road. Sure you can say if it wasn’t for the resorts roads nobody could get out there blah blah blah. Nobody plows roads on the big lakes up here and there are lots of guys out on the water. Once somebody blazes a trail more will come. It’s the resorts decision to plow roads if they didn’t I’m sure people would still fish the lake. I work hard to get to out of the way spots. I get stuck alot and do alot of shoveling. I even go a different way home just so I don’t make a beaten trail to a spot, becouse if there is a beaten trail people are gonna follow it.
I for one don’t crowd people, as a matter of fact I am the guy off in the distance by himself. If there is someone close to where I was fishing the day before I go look for another spot. But that is just me and my thoughts.

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I hate to be the devil here but the lakes are public waters. (They even drove on our personal road – paid for in our fee through the resort) As long as they got on the lake legally you can’t stop them from driving on the road. Sure you can say if it wasn’t for the resorts roads nobody could get out there blah blah blah. Nobody plows roads on the big lakes up here and there are lots of guys out on the water. Once somebody blazes a trail more will come. It’s the resorts decision to plow roads if they didn’t I’m sure people would still fish the lake. I work hard to get to out of the way spots. I get stuck alot and do alot of shoveling. I even go a different way home just so I don’t make a beaten trail to a spot, becouse if there is a beaten trail people are gonna follow it.
I for one don’t crowd people, as a matter of fact I am the guy off in the distance by himself. If there is someone close to where I was fishing the day before I go look for another spot. But that is just me and my thoughts.

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You’re missing the point here, I do believe. That’s not my major contention, I couldn’t really care less if they used our road and then went off roading as long as it’s not on top of us. It’s a matter of principle and decency, not public vs. private roads. I was simply explaining the situation and that was a small part of it.

Some people will go out of their way to avoid people and be polite; others obviously don’t really care. I fall under the former category.

I’d like to tell my story. Well not really my story , but my dads story…

My dad and his brother were ice fishing on a central Minnesota lake that his brother has owned a cabin on for about 30 years now. They were the only two on the entire lake fishing for about an hour when this property owner that grants access to paying customers and plows roads out on the lake, decides to begin plowing a road for the first time that season. Well he decided that the road needs to be right where my dad and his brother were fishing. This guy plows so close to my dads truck that some of the snow he plows piles up under his truck, and keeps going. Well, my dad being the good citizen he was decides to move his truck for him, instead not out of the way but in the middle of the road.

So when the guy comes back to finish plowing the road, he’s a little upset and yells all sorts of profanities and tells the two that they are FOREVER BANNED FROM THE LAKE!!! Of coarse thats a little tuff to do being he has a cabin on the lake.

I don’t remember if my dad ever moved his truck or not, but I think some resort owners get a little out of hand trying to controll things they cannot legally controll. Some of the better resort owners I know, really know and understand the laws and accept what they can’t controll.

Those people are just plain lazy, why work for my fish when I can go by that guy. He must be on fish becouse he put a shack there. That is too many fishing show that tell you ya gotta catch fish to have a good outing. I saw one fishing show where the host said “Fish by other people to cut down on searching time” I turned the channel and haven’t watched that show again.
It stinks to have to worry about people butting in because they see you catch one. Stealth fishing is no fun but now days it’s how you have to do it. I took all the flags off my tip ups and hide the fish in my pocket on the way back to the shack becouse I know people are watching with bino’s. But there is nothing I can do to change it.

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Well! You guys seemed like such nice people, that I thought we would stay for a while and be friends, Heck it is just a cord.

See You Tomorrow!

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If that is/was you, I just don’t really get it is all. Makes no sense to me. Honestly, I would like to know, does it not bother you even a little bit to set up right on top of people like that? I don’t understand I guess.

I don’t care about a cord or even the road – those are minor details. It’s more the principle of the matter and common courtesy to other fisherman. Seems to be lost quite often these days.

I’m a very friendly person, you are correct on that point. Many people from this site know from personal experience that that is indeed the case.

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Life is to short to get so worked up. I was just funning ya, Part of life is being able to laugh it off, Right?

It’s unreal how many of these types are out on the ice. You could set up over 90 feet of water in the middle of nowhere & they’d still drill holes next to you. In the metro I almost expect company every trip no matter where I am. Lot’s of shanty towns seem to form this way.

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I know people are watching with bino’s

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You bet if I see you or anyone catching fish I’m going to take note. No I won’t head right over and start fishing out of your holes but when you leave I might give it a try or maybe tomorrow.

Who’s to say you didn’t find that spot the same way?

I think we all need a little bit of tolerance, but obviously many people cross the line. I had it happen to me many times this year already. One of the biggest that irritated me this year was snomobilers driving between me and my tip-ups less than 30 FEET away !!!

I honestly don’t really mind if someone will come within 20 feet of me and start fishing sometimes. As long as everyone has respect for each other in that situation. Its kinda nice sometimes I’ll have somebody to BS with and maybe pry some new secrets out .

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Well! You guys seemed like such nice people, that I thought we would stay for a while and be friends, Heck it is just a cord.

See You Tomorrow!

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If that is/was you, I just don’t really get it is all. Makes no sense to me. Honestly, I would like to know, does it not bother you even a little bit to set up right on top of people like that? I don’t understand I guess.

I don’t care about a cord or even the road – those are minor details. It’s more the principle of the matter and common courtesy to other fisherman. Seems to be lost quite often these days.

I’m a very friendly person, you are correct on that point. Many people from this site know from personal experience that that is indeed the case.

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Life is to short to get so worked up. I was just funning ya, Part of life is being able to laugh it off, Right?

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I hear ya and you’re right. It’s just that ice fishing is my “piece of mind” and I hate when my relaxation turns into stress.

I’ll probably take some heat for this but…….when I fish Mille Lacs, and I only do so 2-3 times a year, you are inevitably within 5-10 feet of another boat. Two boats working the edge of a flat in opposite directions, one’s gotta yield. And when bobber fishing Mille Lacs, sometimes I wonder why we don’t just tie all the boats together!! Is the ice season different?

I don’t think close is an issue on Mille Lacs, you can be close and courteous at the same time!!

There are some examples above of being discourteous, don’t do that! Not on Mille Lacs or anywhere else.

ET

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I’ll probably take some heat for this but…….when I fish Mille Lacs, and I only do so 2-3 times a year, you are inevitably within 5-10 feet of another boat. Two boats working the edge of a flat in opposite directions, one’s gotta yield. And when bobber fishing Mille Lacs, sometimes I wonder why we don’t just tie all the boats together!! Is the ice season different?
I don’t think close is an issue on Mille Lacs, you can be close and courteous at the same time!!

There are some examples above of being discourteous, don’t do that! Not on Mille Lacs or anywhere else.

ET

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I’ve got zero problem fishing flats with other boats. One goes inside, one goes outside, and you keep on moving. Even with bobbers you can be fine not too far away. It’s certainly easy to find a new spot and move if you want.

Ice fishing can be somewhat similar, but it’s a different animal. Especially when you have a banked up ice house in the middle of nowhere and somebody gives you a little caboose action. It’s not like we can just up and leave the spot like we’re in a boat. We’re stuck there. And I probably would’ve been fine if they just asked if it was okay to set up or whatever. To me fishing around others that are pissed off would be worse than not fishing at all. Not my idea of a good time and would totally defeat the purpose altogether.

You guys complaining gonna give my boat lots of elbow space down on pool 4 this spring……..HUH???? Seriously now, I don’t want any of ya coming within casting distance of my boat, just go “somewhere else” and fish.

I wouldn’t have parked by you, but then I don’t like people either. I’m just saying there could be a million reasons they did that; anything from the poor guys don’t have any friends to just being stupid and lazy? It’s a big lake, like you say, maybe they were afraid to be out there all alone? Unfortunate, regardless…

[mind you – and drove next to and over our generator extension cords.]

Reminds me of the time I was looking for a friends house about a mile or so out of Brandt’s. In my truck I approached a house that fit his discription when 2 guys came running out screaming that I just ran over there extension cord. They were royally P’od. It was pretty dark and after studying the situation I saw their generator about 100 feet away from the house and indeed I ran over their cord. Of course they were not my friends and I after the chorus of 4 letter words I am sure I wasn’t about to become one!

Unfortunately this winter is not a very good one on Mille Lacs for driving and people do things that make it easier for them. I figure those who are that inconsiderate usually are not very good fisherman anyway which proved to be correct as they left. Sometimes I find it frustrating to return to a hot area only to find someone almost parked on top. They are less than 100 feet off the hot holes and you have to make a choice of redrilling out your day old holes hoping the they won’t be mad or going somewhere’s else. I will usually ask them if they mind if I set up and if you do it in a way with confidence, I have never had a problem. Certainly there are a lot of idiots out there however.

I have been on the river fishing in the boat and have people come within a foot of my boat saying “I’m just trying to catch one under your boat” and then next thing you know they got your line all tangled up with theres.
Honestly people there is plenty of water out there.

As far as ice fishing goes , there are other people in the world and who’s to say they didnt have that spot marked on the GPS from the summer time and you happened to have you shack there before they got there , are they not supposed to fish there? As far as smaller lakes go if there is a point or reef people are going to fish it wether there is 1 person there or 20 people there thats a known good spot.

There is no reason to fish nuts to butts on Mille lacs in the winter time!! So many options and flats that cover acres of area.

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You guys complaining gonna give my boat lots of elbow space down on pool 4 this spring……..HUH???? Seriously now, I don’t want any of ya coming within casting distance of my boat, just go “somewhere else” and fish.

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I don’t care if we fish right next to each other on the Pool; just don’t run into my boat.

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There is no reason to fish nuts to butts on Mille lacs in the winter time!! So many options and flats that cover acres of area.

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Couldn’t agree more! There’s miles of ice out there, leave me alone. Respect others peace.

Have you ever fished mille lacs before this is what happens summer\winter get over it

I love it when people say that (and then it happens to you and you get …) 100ft minimum and thats how I treat others WINTER fishing…Summer is a different story…RR

I know its going to happen, I just shake my head and bring over a stinky beer. Last late ice we were out away from everything, we were catching a bunch of jumbo’s. Next day a bunch of guys fishing our holes, not catching a thing, we give them room and move on. A few hours latter they are gone, so we set up in the same spot, and the jumbo’s are going crazy because those guys dumped their entire bucket of minnows down the hole. I just shook my head and drank a beer, what you going to do? I know they watched us through bino’s cause they they drove back to see what was going on.”Here’s your sign”

I have a question based on all this since Mille Lacs and so many other lakes are very structure oriented for chasing eyes.

How close is too close?? 10 yds? 20yds? 30yds? More??

If you are fishing a rock reef or a flat you are looking for points, inside turns etc as prime spots.
So many people have the GPS chips that you find people exactly on the spots you are looking for yourself.

I ran into that my first trip to Mille Lacs this year. Last year we had a spot all to ourselves and did really well before they were allowing trucks out. This year we get up there looking forward to hitting the spot again. Low and behold…there is a small wheel house there…not exactly where we were probably 30-40 yards from our spot on the spot. We went specifically to target that rock point/break. Should we fish it or just go somewhere else??
That guy wasn’t there last year when we were. We did fish it trying to stay as far away as possible but I am sure they figured the same thing…it is a big lake why do you need to set up there.

Don’t get me wrong I have no problem getting out early to beat the crowds or trying to find areas where no one is at.

I think it is a tough scenario in the winter…there are definite spots that are better than others and in the winter anyone with a chip can find them and plop down on them.

In the summer boat control can play a huge part in being able to stay on key spots. I would say probably 80% of the people that fish Mille Lacs in the summer don’t have the level of boat control needed to hold on a course or spot so those that do can easily fish those key areas without being overly crowded. We don’t expect people to keep that much distance in the summer, although it would be nice…..why is it different in the winter? Just because it is easier to get around??

Once again….don’t get me wrong…I would WAY rather avoid the crowds myself.
JB

After about 20 years you get used to it Most of the time it is just inexperienced people that dont have any idea where to go so they head to the nearest landmark.I cant tell you how many times I have drove threw a pack of boats and not seen anyone catching a fish and not mark one on the electronics but there are 30 boats there.I always get a good laugh out of that.I think people just like the company.