Ice Fishing With All This Snow?

Made it up to a Brainerd area lake this past weekend. I have to admit it was a workout with all the snow. Even with 4 wheel drive it took some effort to get into the cabin and then we even got the 4 wheelers stuck on the lake. Just walking around took some effort, drilling holes, and then shoveling a place for the portables. Nothing I hadn’t done before, LOL, maybe just getting older, LOL

It used to be a little easier with snowmobiles when we had them.

Does all the snow affect how much you fish or how much you move around?

It doesn’t necessarily have an effect on how MUCH I fish, but it does change HOW I fish. I’m much less likely to go out on lakes that I can’t just drive the truck out on. If I do go out by foot or wheeler, you can bet that I have my spots I want to try marked and ready to go before I get to the lake, and I’ll be much more willing to just hang out in a spot than drilling a couple hundred holes like I do on early/late ice. Metro area had been lucky to miss most snow up until this week, but when I go up to northern MN to fish with my brothers you can be sure I’m only trekking on lakes that we can drive out on. I’ll take a little snow over the -20 degree weather though!

I was out on one of our local smaller lakes up here yesterday. You could see where somebody plowed a road once during the season but it’s been awhile since it was last plowed so it was of no help.
I unloaded the side by side and headed out. It was a bit of a struggle and only once did I think I was going to actually get stuck but you can always back out on your own tracks as long as your not hung up. Predicting more snow tonight and tomorrow so that pretty much ends going out on lakes that have no plowed roads around here unless you have tracks.

I always hope for more and more snow in our areas. I hate fishing in crowds and love the backwaters of Pools 4 & 5. I’ll gladly pull a sled a 1/4 mile through 2′ of snow to have peace and quiet instead of driving out on perfect conditions surrounded by a crowd and their litter.

buckybadger wrote:

I always hope for more and more snow in our areas. I hate fishing in crowds and love the backwaters of Pools 4 & 5. I’ll gladly pull a sled a 1/4 mile through 2′ of snow to have peace and quiet instead of driving out on perfect conditions surrounded by a crowd and their litter.

I’m the same. And this snow keeps the wheel house guys away. And keeps them on a nice plowed path. Even if there isn’t fish. I like the snow for that reason. Now I only wish I had a snow machine. But the wheeler will make due

I like the challenge, but we used up a lot of energy getting into the cabin. Had some drifts thigh high. Finally unloaded all our gear, and then got stuck again on the ice, LOL

I’m talking about up North and like Keith and Dex said, with this other batch of snow on the way I don’t think you’ll be moving around too much with a 4 wheeler up there. Kind of makes me want to get a sled again

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>buckybadger wrote:</div>
I always hope for more and more snow in our areas. I hate fishing in crowds and love the backwaters of Pools 4 & 5. I’ll gladly pull a sled a 1/4 mile through 2′ of snow to have peace and quiet instead of driving out on perfect conditions surrounded by a crowd and their litter.

I’m the same. And this snow keeps the wheel house guys away. And keeps them on a nice plowed path. Even if there isn’t fish. I like the snow for that reason. Now I only wish I had a snow machine. But the wheeler will make due

Isn’t that a wheelhouse in your avatar??

lindyrig79 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>

I’m the same. And this snow keeps the wheel house guys away. And keeps them on a nice plowed path. Even if there isn’t fish. I like the snow for that reason. Now I only wish I had a snow machine. But the wheeler will make due

Isn’t that a wheelhouse in your avatar??

Yes it is, you busted me. But in my defense I was out solo all by my self. It gets tough to move when your up north with no sled. I get lucky and my buddy has full tracks on a suburban on lake of the woods when we get up here.
I was talking local though. The honey holes get 50 shacks mounted on them. Then the snow comes and the holes are only a few sleds and wheelers. I like that.

It’s these circumstances with the snow and mobility issues that always gets me on Craigslist looking for tracks for my Ranger. There’s plenty lakes around with plowed roads but your just fishing where you can which isn’t always where you want. The costs of tracks just doesn’t meet the cost/benefit factor. I fish a lot of smaller local lakes and 90% of the time tracks are overkill but those few times when they allow you to go wherever you want when otherwise you wouldn’t even venture out on the lake always gets the track bug going in me.

I could get a decent used 2 up sled for the cost of tracks but then that’s a whole other machine to maintain and store somewhere for 8 or 9 months a year. Oh well, first world problems!

It’s tough especially when I only have my pickup. Really gets me looking for a sled. I like to fish bigger lakes and am not a huge fan of trudging a mile out on to a lake to get to a spot that might have fish.

I fished a little lake in that doesn’t see much pressure yesterday. I’ve only been on it once before in the summer in a rowboat (no motors). I got there about 2 and was surprised to see someone had plowed a road which went to a house on the other end of this long narrow lake. As soon as I got out and started drilling it started to snow and pretty hard. Bounced around the lake drilling holes for the next couple of hours dealing with very heavy snow, filling my holes with slush, covering my Vex & LX9 and collecting and freezing on my rods and reels. Saving what I thought would be the best place for last, I fished a few holes, looked at the snow pilling up around me trying to decide if I should pack it in so I’m not stuck on an obscure lake all by myself or stick it out for the late afternoon bite. Tired of battling the elements I pulled out the clam and got that set up. Like the OP said, lots of shoveling, trudging through deep snow etc, hard on this old guy. After I set up I looked around and thought that was a mistake, I should be getting out of here. Not wanting my efforts to go to waste I dropped a couple of lines and got in about 15 minutes of not fighting the elements, albeit without any fish on top. I lost my nerve and packed it in about 4:30, just as things were about to pick up I’m sure! I took a measurement on the way out and measured 9 inches and still coming hard. That’s a lot of snow for 2 1/2 hrs.

The biggest disappointment is that I don’t know if I’ll be able to get out there again, especially with another 4-8” expected the next couple of days. Hopefully it’ll settle and pack nicely later in the season. The guys that can get out on sleds or vehicles with tracks will be glad schmucks like me aren’t out there.

I have been thinking a sled lately, there is a ton of snow on some of the pot hole lakes that aren’t fished by the people.

Yep so much snow and no sled. I’m headed to Detroit Lakes this weekend and will be following and staying on or very close to plowed roads. Might need to look at a sled. Would like to have a Lite skid house also maybe with a atv/sled door.

I was tearing it up yesterday in about 8-16″ of snow on a wheeler with rear chains and 4WD. Never bogged down once or had to use the locking 4 wheel differential to get me out of a jam.

Three out of the last five years, there was hardly enough snow to even use a sled. At least around here, where it used to every year. Trail riders weren’t happy at all, and the lakes were bare. Keep the climate trends in mind when choosing a sled vs wheeler. Best of all worlds is probably a wheeler or side-by-side with tracks. You can remove the tracks and replace the wheels and use it in the summer and fall for riding and hunting. Resale value is better too.

Sleds are dirt cheap though. My most recent purchase is a two up with electric start and in great shape! $500. There are 100’s of sleds available out there for less than $1500.

You really don’t have to choose between an ATV or Sled if you don’t want to. You will put more than $500 worth of wear on an ATV in these conditions. Plus we have a lot of slush. ATV + slush = good luck. That’s not saying you can’t get by with just an ATV because you certainly can. You just need to be much more cautious.

Bass Thumb wrote:

I was tearing it up yesterday in about 8-16″ of snow on a wheeler with rear chains and 4WD.

Chains help a ton!

Joe Scegura wrote:

Sleds are dirt cheap though. My most recent purchase is a two up with electric start and in great shape! $500. There are 100’s of sleds available out there for less than $1500.

You really don’t have to choose between an ATV or Sled if you don’t want to.

That’s very true. Those cheap prices aren’t good for the original owners, but they’re nice for shoppers on the secondary market. Craigslist is packed with cheap sleds right now. There’s almost as many sleds as gas augers!

I was thinking about this recently. I could get TWO decent sleds for the price of putting tracks on my Yamaha wheeler.

Have an ATV so just need a sled. Maybe have one for next year.

Joe Scegura wrote:

Sleds are dirt cheap though. My most recent purchase is a two up with electric start and in great shape! $500. There are 100’s of sleds available out there for less than $1500.

You really don’t have to choose between an ATV or Sled if you don’t want to. You will put more than $500 worth of wear on an ATV in these conditions. Plus we have a lot of slush. ATV + slush = good luck. That’s not saying you can’t get by with just an ATV because you certainly can. You just need to be much more cautious.

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bass Thumb wrote:</div>
I was tearing it up yesterday in about 8-16″ of snow on a wheeler with rear chains and 4WD.

Chains help a ton!

How do chains help you in deep snow? Unless you mean when you dig through the snow and get to the ice. Every situation is different. Sure you can tear through 2 feet of powder with a ATV or UTV but that’s rarely what you’re dealing with on the lake. There is always a mixed bag of layers fresh snow on top of packed snow on top of slush that’s been refroze or still slush. If I was pushed into a decision I think I’d go with tracks for my Ranger before buying a sled. I have no where to store a sled inside during the summer and fall and like I said it’s just another machine that needs to be maintained that will only get used once or twice a year seeing as how we are not snowmobilers otherwise. When machines sit and only get used on the rare occasion they don’t seem to like to work when you do need them.

Bass Thumb wrote:

I was thinking about this recently. I could get TWO decent sleds for the price of putting tracks on my Yamaha wheeler.

That would be a pretty good idea. Also I’m not a huge fan of tracks on a wheeler. They throw soo much snow. On a bright sunny day you’ll be covered in snow dust. Gets really old, at least for me it did. Snowmobile is the way to go if you have room to store one.

I was up in the Brainerd area last weekend too. Snow was about 20″ drifted into the bay where I was getting out of. ATV did not do that great. I ended up getting some better tires (long overdue) for snow. We will see how they do.

One thing that really took the wind out of my sail was a slush pocket I hit on the wheeler I really buried it quickly. With a sled I would have skimmed over the top. I spent a good chunk of the evening getting it back out.

Just got another 12″ up here.

You can get stuck with tracks too… Just saying!!! I am thinking about something for this situation and would love to set up a Bearcat or other similar workhorse sled, but the wife thinks a four wheeler is the better buy for its versatility in non-snow conditions… I have tractors for that!!! But FW isn’t buying that… So I hope for snow to keep the real meat hunters at bay and wait for the snow pack to… well, pack and/or melt.

Mark