Rockman’s Report/steaming ice

Well boys and girls, we are setting up nicely for a quick freeze just like last year. I woke up this morning to steaming ice. It will not take long to freeze over the big pond if the winds will stay down. We have been working on fish houses for the past week, so we are just about ready. I will be shooting for the 15th of Dec. for the walking thing out on the lake. Maybe even enough ice for the 4 wheelers. The lake is down about 2 ½ feet so be careful this year around any of the rocks. They absorb a lot of heat at that time of the year. The wind must stay down for the next few days, so pray for no wind and very cold temps. It was -3 below this morning up here and they are talking low temps in the single digits and below zero for the next 5 to 7 days. Looking forward to another year as the great tundra rat that I am. One more thing, use your head while out on the ice this year, I saw a lot of dumb people last year taking to many stupid risks with those dam wheel houses. Remember they do not distribute the weight very well when you are only on 2 wheels and 6 inches of surface area, it does a hell of a job on fracturing the roads. You may find yourselves in the water with the fishes. I have been there and done that and let me tell you it is a terrifying experience. We will not name any names, but I am sure you know who you are! I am also working on some super light weight wheel houses made from expanding foam; they should be well under 800 lbs for a 7×16 ft house. I will keep you updated on the progress. With the season getting shorter and the ice getting thinner, I think these will be the cats a** for what we need to get out sooner with out the risk of all that weight that we deal with on the heavier houses.
Stay safe
The Rockman

Rockmans web cam shows some ice! Calm side of the lake yesterday?

From MY perch, which is about 60 ft. above the waters edge on the north shore, as of about noon today (Thursday), I could see zero ice in ALL directions with a NW wind making waves as far the scope could see.

Another quiet cold night will help but the forecast is not for super ice making conditions. Unless— we have two or three consecutive days/nights WITHOUT ANY wind. Then it might happen.

That said, I would suspect sheltered areas such as Cove Bay and any west shore bays might see walking ice within the next week (or less)if the wind stays in a west-northwest direction as it is now.

Here is the 10 day forecast for this area.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/ski/tenday/56431?from=36hr_fcst10DayLink_ski

Steve Fellegy

218-678-3103

An update from the north-“southerly facing” perch—-the wind went down to nothing about 4pm and now there is a THIN SKIN of ice as far as the scope can see. Will it stay quiet enough for the next 48-72 hours to keep it in place? If so…it could be 2 inches thick by Sunday a.m. –or more.

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

Thanks Steve and Rockman .

Sweet, someone will be driving out by this weekend…

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Sweet, someone will be driving out by this weekend…

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Only an idiot

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Sweet, someone will be driving out by this weekend…

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Only an idiot

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We all know there are plenty of those!

Was up at our cabin yesterday and today. Past the east side on the way up…open water out past about 15 feet from shore….Today as we went past on the way home, she was iced up as far as I could see. Was really cold up there last night and no wind. Won’t be too much longer…

“won’t be too much longer” lol …OR WILL IT!?

I can see waves as far as my eyes can see to the east, south and west from my perch high above the WATER from the Myr Mar point. A heavy NW wind blew’er wide open! And the forecast is NOT good for the next week or more. Big winds today–more big NW wind tomorrow— and temps in the 30-40’s coming next week.

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

thanks for the day brightener…..

I am disappointed to hear that…she looked so good out there on friday. Oh well, keep the reports coming…thanks steve!

Drove up tonight and came up the East side. There was a quad and a portable out in front Portside. There was also ice as far as I could see in the dim light. Haven’t personally tested, but imagine we will be on this weekend.

Wahkon,Isle, and the Twin Bays all have about 5″ of ice. Many portables out today, and probably even more tomorrow.

Hey Steve!
I don’t think the extended looks too bad. A couple of days of mid 30’s Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Then back into the 20’s for highs. And we are supposed to be pretty cold through this Thursday. I think the ice season is upon us. At least I hope it is….

dd

Of course, I hope the ice season “is upon us” as well. But it is still early per the average for the main lake to be fishable.

No doubt, there would be ice along the east side as well as in the bays with west winds in force. That said, at least 80 percent of the lake was ice free yesterday(Saturday). With open water or just a thin sheet on it, any kinda of wind switch (as in going to the south like it will soon) could break it off from those iced in shores and then trolling becomes the presentation of choice–and not a good one.

I suspect there is a stretch several hundred yards wide along the southern/eastern edge of yesterday’s open water that is rough, chunked ice created and built up by the wave action. THAT swath, with some drifted snow added, can be very deceiving. It will take much longer for swaths like that to catch up with the main lake, smooth iced in areas.

Until the main sheet gets at least 5-6 inches thick throughout, it can and many times will, break up somewhere. Any open water creates a potential DOWN wind shift. Believe me I know. I have come off THREE TIMES by boat over the past 50 years. So for now…fish on ice that is on the DOWN wind side of the lake…so any shifting will NOT create OPEN water between you and the shore.

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

“Day light in the swamp” now.

The water is hard as far as our eyes can see, with dark 10′-50′ wide streaks of open water about every 1/4 mile–steaming.

Will it hold up in the wind? It’s blowin’ pretty good now outta the NW again. But the temps forecast is trending colder than earlier projections. The “old” ice, which is along shore in some places plenty far out to catch fish on, should be “walkable” in most places as already has been pointed out. BUT…it could take off with those open water streaks all over without warning. Been there…done that! 3 too many times.

See what this time tomorrow brings.

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

Thanks for the updates steve. Hopeing to be up there next weekend if the weather lets us.

I understand what Steve is saying about making sure the ice is safe before you go a drift! I too have been floating on a sheet of ice with white caps between you and the shore you need to access!! It is the worst feeling I think I have ever experienced. I was able to get off the lake that day, but have always had more respect for early ice since.

Please be safe and wait till the lake is completely ice covered.

Bob,

Does that mean you don’t think I should hoof it out to Hennipen Island from Mac’s tomorrow?

Jack…don’t go unless the wind is from the south–heavy!

Ya see, the fact that there were waves in front of our house on the north shore yesterday, puts the odds in your favor for a trolling bite to work as the big sheet shifts down wind. Just keep checkin’ depth, as it will most likley change without changing holes. Bring a leadcore rod along and some shadraps!

My guess is that 70 percent of the lake had ice on it ALL of yesterday with 10-80 acre open patches here and there, as far as the scope could see, –until the wind went down again at dusk and they skimmed over fast. It should be ALL coverd again today with many areas now with 2 or more inches on the main mid-lake. Still thin enough to be able to blow open and or make a big shift.

The guys fishing off of the Indian Point area yesterday, with an off shore wind…were NUTS!!!!!!!! No common sense whatsoever. (I hope they read this!)

With another couple nights with no wind day or night, and NO SNOW, it might not be open again until until April. As I said before, it has busted WIDE OIPEN a couple times with 5-6 inches on it. 1965 and about 6-8 years ago on Thanksgiving weekend it broke open with that much ice on it–brother Joe came off by boat in the ’65 episode–100’s of fishhouses were out on the lake. The waves were so big that you could not find the edge of the ice to get into the boat so they nailed a long wooden ladder across to the gunwails of the wood row boat and crawled across to the boat. All for a fish…..

Go ahead Jack! With a good south wind, adding up all the open water space from yesterday, you’ll be able to troll at least to the “Needle” from Hennipen….. lol lol

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

No Steve, I’ll be staying tucked inside the Hawkbill. Good perch action on the weed edges, and a decent walleye bite at last light.

I think the year we went a drift was 1991? We were fishing out front on the reef at Lakeside and left the lake near Agate Bay……If I recall correctly it was a south wind that sent it on its way…..oh ya by the way, our lines had a slight angle on them in the hole with 5-7 inches of ice! This can be a very bad deal guy’s…….be save

I’m pretty sure that was the year I went for a drift out from Barmacles. Started straight out on the deep drop, it started snowing so we couldn’t see shore, and by the time we figured out what was going on we were most the way to the Red Door! Luckily for us the drifting ice was sliding against the solid shore ice and we were able to jump across with all our gear in the pull sleds. The walk back to Barnacles seemed to take forever, and we could hear the sheets of ice crunching as it drifted along.

Whitecaps as far as the scope can see!!!! NW BIG wind. Now there is plenty of room for a big shift if and when the wind changes to a southern direction.

All for a fish…

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

Thanks Steve. I appreciate you keeping us all updated about the ice conditions on the north end. I have a shack at The Red Door, and were all getting the itch. According to your report, I think I’ll give it another week or two. The waters too cold for this old boy to be taking a swim.

I spent all day Monday fishing in my portable out from Mac’s Twin Bay resort. I had 6-8″ in the bay itself, and 5-6″ of dark clear ice out from the bay but inside Hawkbill point. The water was pretty cloudy, enough so that I could not see bottom in 8 FOW.

As for the fishing, I probably caught about 40 perch, all too small to keep, and 5 walleyes, keeping only 1 16″er, the rest being too small also. All the fish were caught during daylight, and not a single bite after the sun went down till a little after 7:00 when I called it a day.

The lake was making plenty of noise later in the day and into the night, so I’m guessing she’s making ice somewhere.

As the sun sets (Tuesday the 5th), Mille Lacs held pretty tough through heavy south winds. There were still open football field size or bigger patches of water dotting the main lake, including areas around the “East Flat” out from Red Door, within a half mile of shore in Garrison Bay and several spots along the west half of the lake including a mile long 20yd. wide streak across St. Albins Bay–about a half mile off shore starting at Pike Point heading south.

That all said…if the big NW wind coming in behind the clipper tomorrow doesn’t rip it open as it did the past few days, I think the main sheet will survive until April.
If things are still “tight” by dark tomorrow, the forecast looks good for getting enough ice to hold for good. With some luck…the lake should be stable by Friday–even with the warming trend on it’s way.

What does THAT mean? Stable? It should stay froze–no more waves. Does that mean it will be safe this weekend? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!

By the weekend, ice that was in place the past week will be 6 inches thick or a shade more. Ice that formed SINCE Monday(yesterday) morning will be only 3-5 inches thick. That means in many places, “shoreline” ice will be fine for walking and ATV’s but will thin waaay down as you go out on to the “new” ice. Which by the way…is within 200yds of shore in a few places.

I might sneak out and take a “poke” tomorrow. But with a NW wind howling…it won’t be for long as the boat ain’t handy!

That’s the latest as I see it.

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

Thanks Steve!
Pheasants for one more weekend, then up for the winter.

As of an hour ago, (3 p.m. Dec. 6th) I can see OPEN water from the north shore–at least 200-400 yds. wide—that stretches from just east of Knox Point to just east of Myr Mar. All “mostly” about a half mile off shore. Heading west from there and then south from Garrison, you will find OPEN water in patches as big as football fields dotting the lake from less than 200yds. out from Pike Point to an average of about a 1/2 mile from shore.

So—I agree with the report from Johnson’s/Hunters etc. for the MOST part. But a trip across the open ice–say tomorrow–leaving the north shore or the west shore or maybe–ANY shore, (north of Indian Point) could become your LAST trip if you happen onto one of the open spots as I type this. And THAT is based on what I can see. There could very well be more open spots beyond my ability to see distance from shore- wise.

Stay on the “old” ice….that you know is the “old” ice, which makes up a huge percentage of the lake now, and you’ll be fine. ATV’s should be fine for the most part now. But!!!! until that present open water area is 4-6″ thick, the whole sheet can still shift 100’s of yds. either to the north or the south.

There are guys fishing, with a 20 mile per hour OFF SHORE wind blowing, 200 yds from OPEN water in Garrision Bay today. IDIOTS!!!

It’s ONLY Dec. 6th!

All for a fish…..

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103