Red Lake ice predictions…

Matt Waste wrote:

Walleye bite was poorest I’ve ever had up there. After my stop at blackduck I’m not sure I’ll ever fish red again.

Wow, that bad huh? Not the report we’re used to seeing on early Upper Red ice.

The youtubers have all sorts of Red Lake Early Ice videos already, like FishNmore. Its all foot traffic and camping on shore.

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Matt Waste wrote:</div>
Walleye bite was poorest I’ve ever had up there. After my stop at blackduck I’m not sure I’ll ever fish red again.

Wow, that bad huh? Not the report we’re used to seeing on early Upper Red ice.

JR’s has a decent report, but you never know for sure.

Fished black Friday out of WW. Best bite was 9 FOW from bottom of the ice. Brought home 5/6 for two guys, with 10 or so throw backs (mostly all overs). Best bite of the day was 11:00-ish to 12:30. Not the best trip I’ve had there but also not the worst. From what I hear it slowed way down with all the traffic over the weekend.

Fishing is terrible from what I hear. Everyone should stay home and go to the ice show this weekend.

Our group has experienced a really good bite. But we have also hiked a long ways. Did so well I even spent a afternoon in the woods instead

Must have been 10,000 houses out of Jr’s Friday, a hours wait to use the cleaning room. Crazy how many fish came out of the lake this past weekend. Even seen some crappie being caught.

bigcrappie wrote:

Must have been 10,000 houses out of Jr’s Friday, a hours wait to use the cleaning room. Crazy how many fish came out of the lake this past weekend. Even seen some crappie being caught.

holy smokes that’s crazy. was parking backed up to the hwy?

Crazy or normal?

lol it is normal. but its crazy that it is normal. I haven’t gone to red in a few years because I don’t care much for the crowds and it seems like its gotten progressively worse the last 5 years or so.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Crazy or normal?

Pretty normal. Last spit we fished we couldn’t see a shack within a Mile.

and just like that, JR’s is closed

There’s a pretty large open patch all along the south shore now with winds shifting and quite a few anglers stranded on the other side…

buckybadger wrote:

There’s a pretty large open patch all along the south shore now with winds shifting and quite a few anglers stranded on the other side…

You knew this was inevitably coming. And yet they all decided to risk it anyways.

gim wrote:

You knew this was inevitably coming. And yet they all decided to risk it anyways.

Happens every year. JR even posted about it probably happening last night, but didnt stop people.

buckybadger wrote:

There’s a pretty large open patch all along the south shore now with winds shifting and quite a few anglers stranded on the other side…

there is a huge open patch along the north shore as well

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Would you rather just have people go out on there own as they would anyway?
Or at least have a resort with a staked off path. That check conditions daily. It’s a large windswept lake. Ice moves early ice and mid year. It’s just part of the deal.

Update: Jr’s now has a bridge up and people out of Rodgers and Mort’s are being asked to trek down to Jr’s to get off the ice sheet.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Would you rather just have people go out on there own as they would anyway?
Or at least have a resort with a staked off path. It’s a large windswept lake. Ice moves early ice and mid year. It’s just part of the deal.

This brings up the annual argument about responsibilities as anglers and as resorts charging to access an area and then using stakes to determine the “safest” or “advisable path.” I always assume you are heading onto the ice at your own risk and you make your own choices regardless of who you pay for access or what stakes are in the ice. Don’t rely on the guy bombing around making $15 an hour pounding in stakes or a hand drawn paper map to be gospel. These places do their best to run a business and help people access a lake that is never going to be 100% safe.

The concept of staking out walking paths onto partially frozen lakes and charging access is a risky proposition in a litigious society though. Nobody wants to take responsibility for their decisions. Everyone is looking for a way to blame others for their poor choices or lack of planning…and this could present a ripe opportunity for someone in today’s messed up society.

bigcrappie wrote:

They are planning an Ice/water rescue right now, You will have to leave all your gear on the ice sheet only taking people off. Crazy how much $ will be sitting there in gear from 200 people.

I don’t have much empathy for people making decisions like this. That’s the game of roulette they choose to play, and now they will live with the consequences. They’re lucky to be leaving it with their lives to be honest.

Evidently JR’s has a bridge up, so no water rescues today. With luck and a shifting wind tonight I’ll still be out Saturday morning…may not be by wheeler as we hoped, but eh, what are ya gonna do?

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

lol it is normal. but its crazy that it is normal. I haven’t gone to red in a few years because I don’t care much for the crowds and it seems like its gotten progressively worse the last 5 years or so.

Exactly!!

Too bad the good old days (4 years ago and more) are gone when you could call any place Tuesday before Thanksgiving and rent a house on shore Thursday night for $20-$25 per head and included power at no additional cost.

Francis K wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gitchi Gummi wrote:</div>
lol it is normal. but its crazy that it is normal. I haven’t gone to red in a few years because I don’t care much for the crowds and it seems like its gotten progressively worse the last 5 years or so.

Exactly!!

Too bad the good old days (4 years ago and more) are gone when you could call any place Tuesday before Thanksgiving and rent a house on shore Thursday night for $20-$25 per head and included power at no additional cost.

Yeah those were the days!!

Francis K wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gitchi Gummi wrote:</div>
lol it is normal. but its crazy that it is normal. I haven’t gone to red in a few years because I don’t care much for the crowds and it seems like its gotten progressively worse the last 5 years or so.

Exactly!!

Too bad the good old days (4 years ago and more) are gone when you could call any place Tuesday before Thanksgiving and rent a house on shore Thursday night for $20-$25 per head and included power at no additional cost.

This is exactly what we did and it was that exact price for a big bunk house shore shack.

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>bigcrappie wrote:</div>
They are planning an Ice/water rescue right now, You will have to leave all your gear on the ice sheet only taking people off. Crazy how much $ will be sitting there in gear from 200 people.

I don’t have much empathy for people making decisions like this. That’s the game of roulette they choose to play, and now they will live with the consequences. They’re lucky to be leaving it with their lives to be honest.

I’m going to guess not a single one asked for your empathy.

We have stayed at the AmericInn in Blackduck the past two years and are doing it again next weekend. Fairly cheap, 40 minute drive to Red, and you can fish Blackduck if Red sucks or is just stupid with all the people, as the hotel is literally across the street from the lake. Like Bearcat said, if you can get away from people you can catch fish. We will see how it goes this year.

Are you crazy Mahto. You are playing roulette with your life. SMH (Sarcasm)

The people being rescued or better yet the resort can pay the rescue team fees. Why should county and state tax payers be responsible?

Ripjiggen wrote:

Are you crazy Mahto. You are playing roulette with your life. SMH

Why? If you’re talking about the ice separating I’m not going up this weekend. I’ll be at the show all weekend. The next weekend I’m going up.

Fixed it. A bit of Sarcasm Mahto.