Is it pretty easy to get on the ice with an ice castle? Which area would be the best for spending a few days fishing from portables and using an ice castle for sleeping? Also, what size extension are we talking 12” or 20”…. or both.A few of us are heading up in a few weeks and this is my first trip. Thank you in advance for any info!
Conditions for getting on change all the time up there. On another site someone asked this and said right now people aren’t having trouble getting on and off with Ice Castle right now. There are a lot of accesses on both sides of the lake. Heard reports where people are getting thru fine with a 12″ extension and then the next report says they barely got thru with an 18″. If I were going up shortly, I’d have the 12″ extension on, but would have the 20″ with and the tools to swap it out with on the ice.
Conditions for getting on change all the time up there. On another site someone asked this and said right now people aren’t having trouble getting on and off with Ice Castle right now. There are a lot of accesses on both sides of the lake. Heard reports where people are getting thru fine with a 12″ extension and then the next report says they barely got thru with an 18″. If I were going up shortly, I’d have the 12″ extension on, but would have the 20″ with and the tools to swap it out with on the ice.
You can get on, getting far with an ice castle is a challenge. Getting thick, I would be prepared for using a double extension. On track to hit 5 ft thick by March.
Probably some of the best advice. It’s wilderness style fishing. If it can break it will, and weather can get nasty. Clackin raps are also great lures. But they are discontinued.
I’m not so sure “wilderness” is a good word to describe LW. There’s probably 1000+ people fishing the south basin on any given weekend day. I’ve seen shanty towns of 100 people in a small area pop up and then disappear within an hour. Wilderness it is not.
If you don’t want to break stuff then don’t haul anything in your portable… it’s really that simple. Figure out a way to haul everything you need on your snowmobile or atv and you’ll be fine. The guys constantly breaking stuff are the ones who are in a hurry and just toss everything in their portable and take off.
The best way to not break stuff is to not take a portable at all, but that obviously depends on the weather.
Some of us do appreciate your advice Jetro. I will say it again.. be prepared. You will find my expensive items on my sled on not in my portable. S..t happens. Just seems to be more on this particular trip, especially with high winds and tough terrain in certain years.
Is it pretty easy to get on the ice with an ice castle? Which area would be the best for spending a few days fishing from portables and using an ice castle for sleeping? Also, what size extension are we talking 12” or 20”…. or both.A few of us are heading up in a few weeks and this is my first trip. Thank you in advance for any info!
You can get on either east or west side. East at rd 100 or 103. West Warner is smooth, winnipeg beach is smooth. Take both extensions.
I need to remind people about crossing. Several groups had to turn around after a single member of their groups had a dui that they forgot about. Please remember this. Hate to see a trip ruined by an over sight.
The big windy
It was 40 degrees 20 minutes before this storm came in last year.
To be honest, I had every color rippin rap, live target, chubby darter, strike king, bait possible with me. They all got out fished by the PK Flutter Spoon in pink and purple colors. They sell them and the bait store in Selkirk pretty reasonable price as well. The spoon with a frozen shiner was what worked the best for us.
I know Fleet Farm in Blaine, MN has a ton of them.
Also another good bait was a Kamooki Smartfish in firetiger.
Awesome info guys! Keep sharing
Will have a couple PK flutter spoons in the tackle box before we go!!
Thanks for all the info guys!
Guide we used last year kind of snickered at the larger rip and raps and etc. Used small rattle spoons that worked ok but not much better then rip and raps. Our best go to last year was live minnow on jig.
5 years ago all the fish were 23 inches or bigger. That’s not the case any more. Lots of smaller fish.
Good luck
Guide we used last year kind of snickered at the larger rip and raps and etc. Used small rattle spoons that worked ok but not much better then rip and raps. Our best go to last year was live minnow on jig.
5 years ago all the fish were 23 inches or bigger. That’s not the case any more. Lots of smaller fish.
Good luck
Because of the forage base crash in the north basin. All the fish moved south.
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