JUST LOVE the ice!!

  • arklite881south
    Posts: 5660
    #1302600

    I often wonder how many guys hang up their cleats this time of year. While I’m not up to date on current ice conditions south of “Manland” I assure you some of the best ice fishing action in borderland for Big pike, Walleyes, Crappies and Perch are in front of us. When ice lingers into APRIL those fish WILL become very active. In all honesty we still are not experiencing the traditional “Late Ice” hoopla. There isn’t any ice swirling down old grooved holes and there isn’t any honeycombing on the sheet. The influx of oxygen from run off water hasn’t even started pouring down from the ridges into the lake. WHEN this happens SHORTLY the big Pike will become very active staging outside spawning bays, and the big walleyes will keep becoming more consistent in morning and evening bites. The Crappies tend to become tighter grouped. Right now we’re still finding crappies one or two at a time. This of course makes it more difficult to put bigger numbers on the board.

    We’ve got 2ft of ice on most borderland lakes right now. The next 7 days calls for highs in the upper 30’s or low 40’s while getting below freezing at night. This I promise will not have any devasting impacts to the sheet. I predict ICE FISHING AT LEAST into the middle of April if not the 3rd week in April.

    Due to the late ice out anyone looking to flag giant pike give me a shout. We never pre-book trips that late not knowing ice conditions, but line up the boys this could be awesome!! We also can fish eyes until the middle of April. Of course Slabs….They are in the cross hairs right now I assure you.

    Yesterday our Crappie bite was flat out slow. We only managed 3 crappies, couple walleyes, pike,8-10 tullibee, few perch, few rock bass, sucker and a whitefish!! LOL!! OUCH!! MIXED BAG?? We lived to fight another day, and I fully expect CRAPPIE REDEMPTION is in the air today ahead of this front.

    Pull that ice fishing equipment out boys!! This is going to get crazy good!!

    blue-fleck
    Dresbach, MN
    Posts: 7872
    #952085

    Memo to self:

    Remove Chris Granrud from Christmas card list….and all other mailings for that matter.

    Glad to see you pounding those hawg Crappies. Sure makes me jealous.

    Keep the pics coming Chris!!

    Jake_A
    Posts: 569
    #952104

    I wish we would be able to have ice that long down around here It helps out looking at the pics of crappies that could slurp down a muskie bulldawg! Keep at
    em!

    icenutz
    Aniwa, WI
    Posts: 2534
    #952186

    The best ICE Fishing is yet to come, 2 feet of ice on the local lake here. Got a few nice Slabs last evening after work. This next week should be the start of some good fishing!

    James Holst
    Keymaster
    SE Minnesota
    Posts: 18926
    #952190

    There was 2.5 – 3 feet of ice on mille lacs yesterday and access to the lake on the west side was easy… sleds, wheelers or trucks. Not that I’d recommend a truck. But we saw several out on the sheet.

    For all those that have put away the ice gear… what the heck are you thinking?! The next two weeks will be awesome!

    onestout
    Hudson, WI
    Posts: 2698
    #952197

    Made the reservations last night. A few of us are going to be coming up on the 7th for the weekend looking for almost anything that will bite, but prefer crappie and eyes. We’ll be in a RZR with tracks drilling lots of holes looking for them.

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18537
    #952206

    I just cant talk anyone into going and Im not interested in fishing up there alone. Mille Lacs that is.

    joe-winter
    St. Peter, MN
    Posts: 1281
    #952214

    Changed pool 4 plans to chase crappies on the ice.

    Tmagill
    Posts: 6
    #952244

    I love the late ice period is so nice to be on a heavily fishied metro lake and not have anyone around to bug ya…crappies are biting down around here

    blue-fleck
    Dresbach, MN
    Posts: 7872
    #952317

    Quote:


    For all those that have put away the ice gear… what the heck are you thinking?! The next two weeks will be awesome!


    Unfortunately…our ice floated downstream with the 12ft river stage we have. Compound that with the fact the man has the noose extra tight around my throat, so 4+hr trips north aren’t part of the schedule.

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