When a nice quiet area becomes a shantytown?

The “when it is no longer your hole” thread got me thinking……
I avoid the situations mentioned in that thread as a rule. I cannot stand fishing around others and large groups of people. Almost always search for areas on my own as far away from the crowds as I can get. Which brings me to this. A couple buddies and I have had a particular area on a North metro lake to ourselves for the past three ice seasons. Not a soul has even ventured within 200-300 yards of this featureless area on a lake map. We’ve had great success fishing for multiple species and some nice surprises here and there over the last few seasons and none of has has mentioned anything to anyone about it. It’s been truly enjoyable ice fishing-peace, quiet, no litter, no dumb rear ends, and great fishing.. all of the things that can be pretty rare in the metro, I’d refer to it as a nice little oasis. Approximately 3 weeks ago word on a Walleye bite in this particular area “got out”. Now every single time I’ve ventured out to my little peaceful after work mental escape spot I’ve been met with between 20-30 people sitting on this spot as if they hijacked my GPS coordinates. Not a huge deal as I’ll move on to other areas once again. I realize its not “my spot”, but it is absolutely mind blowing how fast the word spreads in the world of ice fishing. It’s crazy! Fortunately most people suck at fishing in general and chasing a bite won’t do them much good anyway. Unfortunately I probably won’t have “my” quiet little area available to me for at least a few years. On to greener pastures I guess! Just a little bit of a bummer….Rant over.

Time to move a couple hundred yards again This last weekend, we did that on Mille Lacs… set up in a 33′ basin for some perch… no rhyme or reason & not another soul in 400 yards. The few younger guys that fished, 1 managed a 1.09 lb perch that earned him $100 in the Extravaganza !!! Just goes to show

Been there before man, one winter I put up a dummy house with my name on it in complete no man’s land to see if people would would show up an fish. Sure enough within two weeks there 4 permanent houses and people fishing in portables. Not even sure if there was fish near there cause I never wet a line. My tactic is never fish a spot two days in a row it makes people curious to come try it out.

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Been there before man, one winter I put up a dummy house with my name on it in complete no man’s land to see if people would would show up an fish. Sure enough within two weeks there 4 permanent houses and people fishing in portables. Not even sure if there was fish near there cause I never wet a line. My tactic is never fish a spot two days in a row it makes people curious to come try it out.

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You’re right on there. People don’t realize that you can’t go back to the same well over and over and expect people not to come and check it out.
My best advice if you want to keep a spot secret is to keep your mouth shut and don’t overfish it. 2 or 3 days in a row in a spot and someone will know something is up.

You also have to bear in mind that with binoculars it is easy to spy on a couple of guys fishing by themselves, as opposed to watching a shanty town.

Here is the other side of the story. There is a small lake I have fished a few times. Its basically a featureless, shallow pothole.

The last time I was out I noticed guys catching some fish when I wasn’t. Guess where I am going to start if I go out there again? And I wasn’t about to go cozy up to them when it was just me and those 2 on the lake. Should I be expected to ignore this spot because they were catching some.

Whether or not I venture out there is another thing. This lake was a big panfish lake until the word got out. I couldn’t tell how big the fish were, but from what I have caught there I doubt they had much size to them.

I ended up finding another lake about the same distance. Saw 2 other groups fish this small lake, but they must have been targeting walleye.

I ended up catching fish after an hour or so when I moved closer to where this other guy was drilling. He later moved to deeper water and I wasn’t closer than about 50 yards. This lake had better panfish.

As much as I like striking out and finding my own areas, if I don’t connect after a while I have no problem moving to where others are fishing. You can’t expect people to ignore an area just because someone is fishing it already.

Time for Clam to invent a white cover for the portables, incognito style!!!!

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Time for Clam to invent a white cover for the portables, incognito style!!!!

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HA!

Then next season when you go to try this spot, you’ll be looked at as an imposter, trying to muscle your way into someone else’s territory.

Frequent the same spot day after day someone else that is on the lake is going to take notice to same vehicle going to same spot all the time they know youre on something they are not. Once one makes the move others are sure to follow .

Wasn’t a day after day type of thing for us..More of a here and there type of thing. But I do get what you are saying, I totally understand eventually someone was gonna get curious and come ruin the fun…and as I said I have no problem moving on to a new spot away from the horde. What does amaze me here is that an area can go from being absolutely untouched for three years, to having 15+ portables and a few permanents appear pretty much overnight and out of nowhere.

No different than hunting spots. The only way to ensure one all to yourself is to buy a lake.

it can get really bad here.

i have a spot that is a 40 year old borrow pit that i fish that is on state property. a walking path goes by about 100 yards away. its pretty barren except for a few really old cribs that pretty much the small number of people that fished this 10 acre pond, stuck to. 2 years ago i started sinking my and neighbors christmas trees in another spot. would go out when ice was nearly bad and threw it out there. i’ve seen a number of people out there over the past few years but mostly the same guys. older retired guys with no flashers and hand augers. not really a threat.

last year we only had 10 days of safe ice on this spot. we went out the first day and just slammed fish. noone else was out. the next day was a saturday. got there early. there are 4 other guys fishing the old cribs. one of them was an old guy we’d talked to before over the years. as me and my buddy were going out i’m like “don’t say a word…just keep walking….” of course he doesn’t listen and starts talkign to this guy like they are long lost buddies.

as we go on our way, he’s like whats your deal, i say “you know how hit or miss those cribs are…once they start not catching fish, they are goign to buddy up to us now!”

to be honest i don’t think it would of mattered. we opened up holes and started catching fish. we caught about 5 in a matter of minutes and i was like, we got to get the hut set up and keep this to ourselves. too late. they made their way over and literally surrounded us the 4 of them and fished. in our holes and everything. talking to us like we were relatives.

we proceeded to put a clinic on that day. a flasher was an absolute necessity to catch them. they were so fickle. these guys just sent a minnow down to the bottom and reeled up a few cranks and just sat there. a few guys proceeded to call a few other guys and tell them about “these guys are nailing slabs!!!”

they left because they weren’t catching anything but i knew the damage was done.

2 days later i make my way out and this place looks like swiss cheese. i counted 100 holes in a 200 squr foot radius. i still caught them. next day there were 6 guys out there fishing.

heard word from a buddy who was like, “remember that spot we fished as kids? well a buddy said he heard they were catching crappies and went and filled a bucket”…

this year, it was annialated.

oh well. it sucks but…i’m now working on 3 other spots out there. goign to drop off the last of trees on 3″ of ice after work today.

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Time to move a couple hundred yards again This last weekend, we did that on Mille Lacs… set up in a 33′ basin for some perch… no rhyme or reason & not another soul in 400 yards. The few younger guys that fished, 1 managed a 1.09 lb perch that earned him $100 in the Extravaganza !!! Just goes to show

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Park all the cars, trucks and snowmobiles in a circle. Play load country music and let the Rottweiller run loose. The only people that come close will be offering up free whiskey.

-J.

It’s my fault. I screamed too loud when I caught the walleye. I thought it was funny how everyone told me to “SHUSH!!!” Now I see. I need a muzzle perhaps.

It stinks like BK’s bait to see 30 people one your secret spot when not one soul has been on it for years. Or even close! Makes me

But it’s a good opportunity to try NEW things. New spots. New ninja costumes… So that’s good.

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Time to move a couple hundred yards again This last weekend, we did that on Mille Lacs… set up in a 33′ basin for some perch… no rhyme or reason & not another soul in 400 yards. The few younger guys that fished, 1 managed a 1.09 lb perch that earned him $100 in the Extravaganza !!! Just goes to show

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Park all the cars, trucks and snowmobiles in a circle. Play load country music and let the Rottweiller run loose. The only people that come close will be offering up free whiskey.

-J.

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That was a blast !!! It will be interesting if any of them pictures show up

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Time for Clam to invent a white cover for the portables, incognito style!!!!

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The original Genz Fish Trap was white!
It is amazing how quickly people can surround you on the ice. I normally avoid the community spots because I prefer to search out my own spots. You can be the only one on a 400 acre lake, tying a new spot & someone will eventually show up & drill right next to you. It happens all the time in the metro. You could be over 90′ deep water & they’ll still set up next to you. If you’re with a couple friends who have their own portables, then you can expect it. I always figure 2-3 portables will always attract more.

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The “when it is no longer your hole” thread got me thinking……
I avoid the situations mentioned in that thread as a rule. I cannot stand fishing around others and large groups of people. Almost always search for areas on my own as far away from the crowds as I can get. Which brings me to this. A couple buddies and I have had a particular area on a North metro lake to ourselves for the past three ice seasons. Not a soul has even ventured within 200-300 yards of this featureless area on a lake map. We’ve had great success fishing for multiple species and some nice surprises here and there over the last few seasons and none of has has mentioned anything to anyone about it. It’s been truly enjoyable ice fishing-peace, quiet, no litter, no dumb rear ends, and great fishing.. all of the things that can be pretty rare in the metro, I’d refer to it as a nice little oasis. Approximately 3 weeks ago word on a Walleye bite in this particular area “got out”. Now every single time I’ve ventured out to my little peaceful after work mental escape spot I’ve been met with between 20-30 people sitting on this spot as if they hijacked my GPS coordinates. Not a huge deal as I’ll move on to other areas once again. I realize its not “my spot”, but it is absolutely mind blowing how fast the word spreads in the world of ice fishing. It’s crazy! Fortunately most people suck at fishing in general and chasing a bite won’t do them much good anyway. Unfortunately I probably won’t have “my” quiet little area available to me for at least a few years. On to greener pastures I guess! Just a little bit of a bummer….Rant over.

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That is a bummer….

Sorry to hear about your spot becoming a “community hole”

Dog

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it can get really bad here.

i have a spot that is a 40 year old borrow pit that i fish that is on state property. a walking path goes by about 100 yards away. its pretty barren except for a few really old cribs that pretty much the small number of people that fished this 10 acre pond, stuck to. 2 years ago i started sinking my and neighbors christmas trees in another spot. would go out when ice was nearly bad and threw it out there. i’ve seen a number of people out there over the past few years but mostly the same guys. older retired guys with no flashers and hand augers. not really a threat.

last year we only had 10 days of safe ice on this spot. we went out the first day and just slammed fish. noone else was out. the next day was a saturday. got there early. there are 4 other guys fishing the old cribs. one of them was an old guy we’d talked to before over the years. as me and my buddy were going out i’m like “don’t say a word…just keep walking….” of course he doesn’t listen and starts talkign to this guy like they are long lost buddies.

as we go on our way, he’s like whats your deal, i say “you know how hit or miss those cribs are…once they start not catching fish, they are goign to buddy up to us now!”

to be honest i don’t think it would of mattered. we opened up holes and started catching fish. we caught about 5 in a matter of minutes and i was like, we got to get the hut set up and keep this to ourselves. too late. they made their way over and literally surrounded us the 4 of them and fished. in our holes and everything. talking to us like we were relatives.

we proceeded to put a clinic on that day. a flasher was an absolute necessity to catch them. they were so fickle. these guys just sent a minnow down to the bottom and reeled up a few cranks and just sat there. a few guys proceeded to call a few other guys and tell them about “these guys are nailing slabs!!!”

they left because they weren’t catching anything but i knew the damage was done.

2 days later i make my way out and this place looks like swiss cheese. i counted 100 holes in a 200 squr foot radius. i still caught them. next day there were 6 guys out there fishing.

heard word from a buddy who was like, “remember that spot we fished as kids? well a buddy said he heard they were catching crappies and went and filled a bucket”…

this year, it was annialated.

oh well. it sucks but…i’m now working on 3 other spots out there. goign to drop off the last of trees on 3″ of ice after work today.

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But see, you did it to yourself here. Go once and leave it alone for awhile and you wouldn’t have had to worry.
You go two days in a row and then back in another couple days.

I know its hard but sometimes if you want something like that to last or be a big secret, then you just can’t keep going back.

It does suck though and shouldn’t be that way I’ll give you that!!

Several years ago a friend and I were fishing the same general area several times per week. It didn’t matter too much because there were only a handfull of guys fishing that lake,there is no motor vehicles allowed,there was only one access and that was a mile away from where we were fishing. Nobody wanted to walk that mile thru deep snow.

Then one day on another internet fishing site someone asked about walleyes at that lake. One of the lake’s “regulars” (a pike guy fishing near the access) said he didn’t know,but there’s two guys fishing by the XXXX several times each week,all winter. They must be doing something.

That weekend saw the area swiss-cheesed. Luckily,the fish were much deeper than anyone had guessed. They all fished tip-ups in weeds,we fished structure deeper than many even guessed walleyes related to.

I didn’t head there until the following Tuesday….I stay away from “vaulable” spots on weekends anyway,but I did see the “helpfull” post…That Tuesday I nearly didn’t have enough room to sled-out all the litter.

Someone else has fished that area (besides myself) exactly twice this winter,and never hit it at all last winter,so there’s hope.

One thing I’d like to say to any internet fishing “reporter”: If you didn’t catch it,it ain’t your “report” to make. I see too many times someone reports what “a guy I met on the ice” caught….If he wanted it reported on the worldwide web,he would’a done it hisself.

The dangers of ice fishing. No way to hide your tracks.

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it can get really bad here.

i have a spot that is a 40 year old borrow pit that i fish that is on state property. a walking path goes by about 100 yards away. its pretty barren except for a few really old cribs that pretty much the small number of people that fished this 10 acre pond, stuck to. 2 years ago i started sinking my and neighbors christmas trees in another spot. would go out when ice was nearly bad and threw it out there. i’ve seen a number of people out there over the past few years but mostly the same guys. older retired guys with no flashers and hand augers. not really a threat.

last year we only had 10 days of safe ice on this spot. we went out the first day and just slammed fish. noone else was out. the next day was a saturday. got there early. there are 4 other guys fishing the old cribs. one of them was an old guy we’d talked to before over the years. as me and my buddy were going out i’m like “don’t say a word…just keep walking….” of course he doesn’t listen and starts talkign to this guy like they are long lost buddies.

as we go on our way, he’s like whats your deal, i say “you know how hit or miss those cribs are…once they start not catching fish, they are goign to buddy up to us now!”

to be honest i don’t think it would of mattered. we opened up holes and started catching fish. we caught about 5 in a matter of minutes and i was like, we got to get the hut set up and keep this to ourselves. too late. they made their way over and literally surrounded us the 4 of them and fished. in our holes and everything. talking to us like we were relatives.

we proceeded to put a clinic on that day. a flasher was an absolute necessity to catch them. they were so fickle. these guys just sent a minnow down to the bottom and reeled up a few cranks and just sat there. a few guys proceeded to call a few other guys and tell them about “these guys are nailing slabs!!!”

they left because they weren’t catching anything but i knew the damage was done.

2 days later i make my way out and this place looks like swiss cheese. i counted 100 holes in a 200 squr foot radius. i still caught them. next day there were 6 guys out there fishing.

heard word from a buddy who was like, “remember that spot we fished as kids? well a buddy said he heard they were catching crappies and went and filled a bucket”…

this year, it was annialated.

oh well. it sucks but…i’m now working on 3 other spots out there. goign to drop off the last of trees on 3″ of ice after work today.

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But see, you did it to yourself here. Go once and leave it alone for awhile and you wouldn’t have had to worry.
You go two days in a row and then back in another couple days.

I know its hard but sometimes if you want something like that to last or be a big secret, then you just can’t keep going back.

It does suck though and shouldn’t be that way I’ll give you that!!

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these guys would of been there day 2 anyway and they would of eventually made their way over. our holes were still open and everything the next day.

it was a 2 edged sword. 4 days away we are looking at 60 degree air temps. it was, do we walk away and give somewhere else a shot or do we stick to this spot. the day before we caught 5 fish over 13″ includign a 15″ fish (thats big for public waters around here) it was a tough call.

sent out another crib today.

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The dangers of ice fishing. No way to hide your tracks.

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nothing better than ice fishing public water right before a snow storm around these parts