Wabasha Ice ?

Hey guys, How does the ice look around the Wabahsa area, is the ice walkable yet ? would love to get out this weekend for some early gills! wing_nutt

Got to Wabasha Sunday. Found guys on the ice at the Wilcox landing south of town. Ice there was only about 2 inches and many small bluegills were caught. Went out close to shore on the Nelson bottoms and the ice was closer to three to four inches but didn’t stay because I was alone. My guess is that the ice is at least six inches by now, probably more. Just stay away from the current.

Thanks for the report juggs , I figured there would be some good ice by this weekend. I just gotta find someone thats willing to go out , don’t want to venture out alone my first time this year….. wing_nutt

Guys have been crawling around Wilcox this week. There have been reports of 2.5 to 3 inches of good ice, and ice thickness has been increasing each day. A few anglers have been checking out the finger lakes area too. I know a guy who got some 1/2 pounders down there yesterday. But I’m still trying to beat it out of him exactly where he did the catching!

Ya this cold snap I would think has made some good ice , I was gonna ask about the finger lakes, I dont know too much about them, only iced fish them a few times last year, wish I would had a 4 wheeler to get out to them , Long Walk! but cant complain its worth it , always is! wing_nutt

didn’t somebody fall through on the finger lakes last year and end up dead ?? or was that somewhere else. any way, be careful.

i was out at foster arends in rochester tonight to check out the ice and it wasn’t more then 2″ thick right near shore. there were a couple brave souls out about 20′ from shore though fishing. talk about stupid, i’d think that a gravel pit would be the last place you would want to fall through the ice.

Really? I dont remeber anybody falling though and dying last year? isnt the finger lakes pretty shallow as far as depth goes ? Ya a gravel pit might be the last place you would ice fish if you fell through that ice ! too dangerous right now …… wing_nutt

Most of the finger lakes are shallow, but a few nuts fish what is now the second culvert area…..lots of current and deep water. I saw a guy last year on about 3 inches of ice near the edge..he was catching fish, but ya gotta wonder if it is worth it.

i got a report from i guy that said he had been down to wilcox three times since monday. he ended up with a good bucket of nice ones all three days but he said you have to catch 15-20 little guys to catch a keeper. he also caught a few crappies but nothing to brag about.

Jake, do know where they are fishing at ? are they pretty much around the landing ? wing_nutt

i couldn’t tell you for sure. he just said at wilcox. i’m sure that there will be plenty of peolpe out this weekend and if there biting you’ll now where. it will be the spot with all the people at it.

when i was down there the other day they were catching gills everwhere ,,,, in the first cut and way out, didnt seem to catch any slab crappies but plenty of gills

talked to a guy the other day he said that he was getting some nice crappies out of there. He said you really have to work for them though. I haven’t had a chance to get out yet, but i will soon.

A guy by the name of Bill Anderson fell through on the finger lakes last year. I think he was from lake city, and own a few funeral parlors there and plainview and wabasha.If I remeber right he fell through in a area that wasn’t over his head..a couple of guys that were fishing nearby helped him out ,but the shock of the water and falling through gave him a heartattack and thats what he died from.As far as Foster Arends goes..2 inches is pretty scary,but if you know the lake (I do)there are some areas you gan get on that are waist deep and the trout come in from the deeper waters to feed on those flats.

Looking to get out to Wabasha tomorrow for the first time ever, any recommendations on where to go out at? Looking for gills, crappies & perch, never ice fished there and will be walking, best to try the marina, Wilcox landing or somewhere off of Hwy. 25?

I read on here once theres no bite or info as tight as the Mississippi ice backwater bite. I believe it . Your best bet is plug a few boat ramps in and go for a drive and see if any shacks are out .

isu22andy wrote:

I read on here once theres no bite or info as tight as the Mississippi ice backwater bite. I believe it . Your best bet is plug a few boat ramps in and go for a drive and see if any shacks are out .

Some of the more remote spots (I’m talking like a couple mile hike between islands) are the types of spots you don’t tell your best buddy about. Some of the more distant sloughs and cuts could be fished out by a half dozen greedy guys in no time. One year we fished a slough that had 3’ of water in the deepest spot, and you could literally site fish every one of the ~30 holes we drilled for tank perch and eater crappies. Unfortunately when they redid the Power Lines it was all but filled in.

As for community spots, I know guys have been out by the launches on the Nelson to Wabasha dike, in the Wabasha marina, and the Wilcox area. These spots always have fish but are extremely pressured. One year when word got out on a great pike tip up bite late ice in Wilcox, we had to park our ATV and walk solely due to the number of people and tip ups that we would’ve had to run over gear or flags to get through.

buckybadger wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>isu22andy wrote:</div>
I read on here once theres no bite or info as tight as the Mississippi ice backwater bite. I believe it . Your best bet is plug a few boat ramps in and go for a drive and see if any shacks are out .

Some of the more remote spots (I’m talking like a couple mile hike between islands) are the types of spots you don’t tell your best buddy about. Some of the more distant sloughs and cuts could be fished out by a half dozen greedy guys in no time. One year we fished a slough that had 3’ of water in the deepest spot, and you could literally site fish every one of the ~30 holes we drilled for tank perch and eater crappies. Unfortunately when they redid the Power Lines it was all but filled in.

As for community spots, I know guys have been out by the launches on the Nelson to Wabasha dike, in the Wabasha marina, and the Wilcox area. These spots always have fish but are extremely pressured. One year when word got out on a great pike tip up bite late ice in Wilcox, we had to park our ATV and walk solely due to the number of people and tip ups that we would’ve had to run over gear or flags to get through.

How safes going for long hikes on the ice in the backwater ? I always worry about going solo and for a big hike and falling through . I’m A younger fella so I’d think I’d be able to get myself out but it’s not something I want to experience if I do t have to .

I assume just staying away from current would be the most of it . Any cardinal rule as far as depth to fish goes ? I’ve been told there’s nothing that’s too shallow for perch . I’ve just been dipping my toes in this body of water .