Hey James–Here’s an idea for a once of a lifetime show. How about we rent a helicopter for the day and have it put us down out on Superior Shoal for a day of lakers. It would obviously stay there while we fished. I may be crazy but am only half joking; how intense are you? I’d let you front the cost of the helo though. 
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Hey James–Here’s an idea for a once of a lifetime show. How about we rent a helicopter for the day and have it put us down out on Superior Shoal for a day of lakers. It would obviously stay there while we fished. I may be crazy but am only half joking; how intense are you? I’d let you front the cost of the helo though.
The big lake doesn’t freeze often often… if ever there was a year this would be it. Sadly my helo budget is a little short right now. But I like the way you think. 
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Hey James–Here’s an idea for a once of a lifetime show. How about we rent a helicopter for the day and have it put us down out on Superior Shoal for a day of lakers. It would obviously stay there while we fished. I may be crazy but am only half joking; how intense are you? I’d let you front the cost of the helo though.
The big lake doesn’t freeze often often… if ever there was a year this would be it. Sadly my helo budget is a little short right now. But I like the way you think.
I’m in !!!
Why not just drive out in style, Pug and I will let you guys use that fine machine Iceasylum found us over in the G.D. forum. Just have it back by our GTG at Evert’s.
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Why not just drive out in style, Pug and I will let you guys use that fine machine Iceasylum found us over in the G.D. forum. Just have it back by our GTG at Evert’s.
I don’t know what the time is out from Canada but from Copper Harbor, MI, the boat ride is 2 – 3 hours depending upon conditions. A guy might be able to reach it this winter on the ice (from CH) but that’s some really rough ice undoubtedly and probably more than a few cracks wide enough to increase the pucker factor a bit. Another week or so of cooler weather and no wind might deal with the cracks but it’s still a puckering enough run on water that doing it on the ice would certainly be a world class epic experience (at least in the fishing world)…certainly good enough for Vikings to write a tale of the experience.
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Hey James–Here’s an idea for a once of a lifetime show. How about we rent a helicopter for the day and have it put us down out on Superior Shoal for a day of lakers. It would obviously stay there while we fished. I may be crazy but am only half joking; how intense are you? I’d let you front the cost of the helo though.
The big lake doesn’t freeze often often… if ever there was a year this would be it. Sadly my helo budget is a little short right now. But I like the way you think.
Seriously though, if a guy could put together enough of a sponsorship/advertising package to cover the helo costs, would you be game? It would still be a pucker but not heartstoppingly so with a helo.
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Seriously though, if a guy could put together enough of a sponsorship/advertising package to cover the helo costs, would you be game? It would still be a pucker but not heartstoppingly so with a helo.
I’d want to research it from start to finish and make the final call for me and the team with regards to safety and logistics but I’m game for most anything. If it could be done safely I’d be all in. Same with the guys I fish with. On the surface it sounds like an adventure of a lifetime.
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Seriously though, if a guy could put together enough of a sponsorship/advertising package to cover the helo costs, would you be game? It would still be a pucker but not heartstoppingly so with a helo.
I’d want to research it from start to finish and make the final call for me and the team with regards to safety and logistics but I’m game for most anything. If it could be done safely I’d be all in. Same with the guys I fish with. On the surface it sounds like an adventure of a lifetime.
Let me poke around a bit and see if it might be possible. Check your PM here in a second.
James everytime you go fishing put a dollar in the helo fund then when the big lake does freeze you have a way to hire a helo!
How much does it cost to rent a helicopter?
If you find a helicopter that can fit an extra [rather large] guy I’d pitch in a few hundred of my own $$ for that trip.
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How much does it cost to rent a helicopter?
If you find a helicopter that can fit an extra [rather large] guy I’d pitch in a few hundred of my own $$ for that trip.
Will, actual cost issues aside for a minute, the larger issue it would seem is actually getting a helo pilot willing to put his or her A/C on the ice or what it would take for them to do so. I’ve talked to a few folks and they are politely telling me that I’m pushing up a rope for the most part. If a helo remaining on station is out, it would be either a shuttle mission (with slingloading for equipment and rope/cable delivery for people) or an over-the-ice movement by sled and both are ENTIRELY different beasts with considerably more obvious and not so obvious safety, logistical and planning issues. I’m not giving up but early conversations aren’t going in the direction I would have hoped.
fellas, fellas, fellas,
why waste your time OVER the water? Hire a submarine and avoid all the “safety problems”
Once you see fish out the window, you surface, crawl out on the ice and fish away.
How about ultralights? Those big Lakers are catch and release, so no added weight coming home.
How about making a reality fishing show called wicked lakers. We’ll take the hardcore laker anglers from northeastern minnesota and have a battle for the most pounds of fish caught and bragging rights for a year lol.
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How much does it cost to rent a helicopter?
If you find a helicopter that can fit an extra [rather large] guy I’d pitch in a few hundred of my own $$ for that trip.
Will, actual cost issues aside for a minute, the larger issue it would seem is actually getting a helo pilot willing to put his or her A/C on the ice or what it would take for them to do so. I’ve talked to a few folks and they are politely telling me that I’m pushing up a rope for the most part. If a helo remaining on station is out, it would be either a shuttle mission (with slingloading for equipment and rope/cable delivery for people) or an over-the-ice movement by sled and both are ENTIRELY different beasts with considerably more obvious and not so obvious safety, logistical and planning issues. I’m not giving up but early conversations aren’t going in the direction I would have hoped.
Scenario 1 sounds a lot like a Coast Guard training mission… Maybe they would like to get out and have a little fun too.
A third option that might actually be viable would be an air/fan boat. Bat signal to Koonce… You’ve got friends with a few air boats right??
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How much does it cost to rent a helicopter?
If you find a helicopter that can fit an extra [rather large] guy I’d pitch in a few hundred of my own $$ for that trip.
Will, actual cost issues aside for a minute, the larger issue it would seem is actually getting a helo pilot willing to put his or her A/C on the ice or what it would take for them to do so. I’ve talked to a few folks and they are politely telling me that I’m pushing up a rope for the most part. If a helo remaining on station is out, it would be either a shuttle mission (with slingloading for equipment and rope/cable delivery for people) or an over-the-ice movement by sled and both are ENTIRELY different beasts with considerably more obvious and not so obvious safety, logistical and planning issues. I’m not giving up but early conversations aren’t going in the direction I would have hoped.
Scenario 1 sounds a lot like a Coast Guard training mission… Maybe they would like to get out and have a little fun too.
A third option that might actually be viable would be an air/fan boat. Bat signal to Koonce… You’ve got friends with a few air boats right??
Already thought of the first and don’t think it too likely for a variety of reasons. However, I’ve a call into them to verify and or to get some civilian helo contact suggestions. An air boat ride would be as rough or more so than a sled. Ice on the Kew’s western shore and tip is VERY rough. Not ruling it out. Isn’t there quite an airboat fleet in the Apostles?
Another obvious concern is time and how much more of a window might still exist even if the ice on the Shoal is thick enough right now? I do like challenges though.
This whole thread has my heart-rate up. Adventure fishing at its finest. Like James said, if it could be done safely, this is cool stuff. There’s quite a few places I’ve thought of taking a chopper into, but the shoal sounds awesome.
Joel
Holst to Enterprise, beam fishing party to shoal. Aye Captain, engaging transporter.
Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.
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