Chester Woods Caution

I went out on Chester Woods Saturday evening for a little fishing. The shoreline ice was gone at that point but I knew that the ice in the middle would be better than questionable so I hopped over 2′ of open water onto the existing ice (which proceeded to sink on me) and pulled the one man tub onto the safer ice. As I slowly trekked to where I wanted to be I was pounding the spud and checking the ice all the way. At that time there was a good 5-6 inches in most places where I was walking although there was definately soft ice at 5″ in places too. About 150 (roughly) yards out I noticed a spot in the ice that looked strange so I set the spud on it and the spud went thru a 1/2 inch of ice. This little area was NOT an old hole drilled by another angler, it was a random inconsistency in the ice that you would not notice if you werent being careful. Although the inconsistency was only a foot in diameter, I would not have noticed it if I wasn’t paying close attention and would have gotten wet. At this point I turned around and back-tracked about 50 yards and set up camp.

I made the trek while I still had daylight, I was wearing a PFD, I had picks around my neck and was methodically testing the ice where I was walking with my spud, so I felt comfortable going out. The ice there is not safe. I’m sure there are more inconsistencies than the one I found so if you are determined to fish please be careful! The 1.5″ of slush that was on the ice on my way out made the drag a bear, did no good for the ice and made finding inconsistencies near impossible…especially if that stuff freezes before it melts all the way.

By the way, the inconsistency I found was in the middle of the reservoir in I’d guess 20-25′ of water so how the inconsistency formed is not certain.

Chris

Thanks for the heads up/warning Chris. Much better to be safe than sorry. We need to wait for thicker ice. Now is a good time to go through our ice fishing gear/lures and see what we need and stock up so we are ready for when more safer ice is formed. We all have read reports and know whats hot and what are the ”must have” lures and gear so we know what all we will need to be ready.
Thanks, Bill

PS. Can I put you on the spot Mike [HOF] and ask you just what all has been hot this ice season so far just so nobody misses anything?

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Can I put you on the spot Mike [HOF] and ask you just what all has been hot this ice season so far just so nobody misses anything?

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The Diamond jigs have been the hottest new ice lure this season. The other new item to mention is Reel Weeds. They seem to be best in situations where there are very few or no natural weeds present.
The good old standards are hard to ignore – ratso’s, demon jigs, rat finke’s, jigging spoons, etc.!

Chris, thanks for the update on Chester. Regardless of where anyone goes, I cannot stress the need to be very careful and use a spud bar to check the ice ahead of where you will be walking. Keep your eyes open and be looking for ice that looks different than the normal ice.

Good Fishing,
Mike

You know Mike, if you’d change that avitar pic to one where you are not wearing short sleeves and the trees aren’t all green the weather might oblige us with some ice. I think you are trying to undermine the winter weather with that dress-code.

Hey CT,

You and I have been around for a few years now. After much discussion about this ice season, or lack of it – I think we can blame it on Bill. He always wants to be out on open water in his boat, so he deserves all the blame. I think it was even him that took the picture used in my avatar! Way to go Bill!!!!

Good Fishing,
Mike

I have to plead NOT guilty THIS year. I was excited about the cold hard freeze we had with no snow for a change so the ice could get nice and thick [the way I like it] for a change. Even got out on the ice earlier this year and also on not as thick of ice as I used to have to have it. Used to want 8 inches but this year settled for 4 inches with shallow water underneath. So I have to agree with Tom on this one Mike. Guilty or guilty, how do you plead?
Thanks, Bill

Well, let’s see…. Bill pleads not guilty, CT and I could not possibly be guilty. Must be Ron! He went ahead and became a grandpa just at the time when it should have been getting toward ice season, and missed several prime time first ice opportunities in order to see that new grandson….. Yep, Ron must be the guy!

Guilty as charged!!!!!!!!!!! And to think I use to think that he liked ice fishing. Hmmmm….I bet he bought that new Pak Shack to hide from the ice in instead of using it as an ice house as I don’t think he has been on the ice with it yet.

They are talking 41 degrees today and tomorrow too Tom. Is this Jan or did I miss a couple months and we are in April already. Maybe for my own sanity I shouldn’t mention April again cause that just gets me pumped for open water crappies on Lake Zumbro and eyes on the Mississippi River too. Gotta catch some more fish on the ice first though. Lets hope this colder weather coming starting Sat. will stay for awhile.

Thanks, Bill

Ice, who needs ice? I love open water…Oh wait, did I just think that outloud?

Oops

Andy

Andy, be carefull or RHW will blame these warming temps on you.

C&R You forgot the funny part of your trip to the woods, Come on share it all, Don’t ya think so guy’s?

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C&R You forgot the funny part of your trip to the woods, Come on share it all, Don’t ya think so guy’s?

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Without a doubt share with us Bud. Come on spill the beans.

Ok….After just reading that El Passo, Tx received SNOW I’ve had it with Mother Nature. Either give me thick ice or give me open water on Lake Zumbro and Chesterwoods. A mixture of both just doesn’t cut it. Can’t have ice thats too thin to be on and too thick to put a boat in. Its gotta be one way or the other. Until she gets it right it looks like the Mississippi River backwaters between Wabasha and Nelson for ice fishing or Lake City/Red Wing for open water fishing. In otherwords I need a short pole in one hand and a long pole in the other hand. Have to ice and open water fish on the Mississippi River I guess.

Thanks, Bill

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C&R You forgot the funny part of your trip to the woods, Come on share it all, Don’t ya think so guy’s?

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How about a hint Doug?

I’ll bet that sucking sound [cold water on the gnarlies] and noises similar to a huge mixed drink [ice cubes clinking] came from CW.

Nope, didn’t get wet…. Let’s just say that my Reel Weeds seemed a little too real that night.

Like a brother Doug…like a brother

Chris

Ok guys, On Sat Night C&R texted me he was going to the woods solo.( I couldn’t make it ) We’ve been doing the buddy system because the ICE is ify at best. So when he texted me that he could only make it half way out, I texted him back and said Did ya run into bad ice? And got no reply. So I texted him again with no reply. Now getting nervous about him being solo I called & got no answer. So I got into my truck & drove like a mad man from Dodge Center to Chester woods. ( It’s over a 35 min drive for me ) Knowing that if he was in, I was going to be too late to help him much. When I got to the parking lot sure as heck there was his truck. I grabbed my picks & spud bar & headed out into the dark snowy night. The ice at the ramp scared me bad enough that I hustled over to the walking trail & made my way into the woods. About half way out the main arm there was a light. It was him. As I stood up in the woods & caught my breath & thanked God he was still on top of the ice!! My thoughts changed to well let’s see how close I could get to him without him hearing me. I now let all my time in the woods help me to stalk his shack like a fox hunts a rabbit. ( I felt he needed a good scare as he had just given me one!) Now to the good part. I made it all the way to his shack without detection, So I sat behind him & took my ice spud & pushed his real weeds into his shack like the wind was blowing his stuff around. Soon he opened his one man & took a look around & didn’t see me hiding behind him. Soon he closed it back up & started to fish again. Having all I could do to keep from laughing I decided to do it again & pushed them back in again. All of a sudden he came out to look around, So I hid again. But this time when he turned to look behind him I stood up & said HOW’S it going. I can’t tell ya all what he said but I’m still laughing about it. Chris, Sorry but had to share.
LIKE A BRO

Yup I’m now but at the time I thought there was a crazyman behind me when I first saw you. Those dang weeds kept coming into my shack and the wind was kind of gusty but I didn’t think that it could move the weeds. The first time they “blew in” I just lifted the shack and took a quick look….the second time I was ready to brawl (although I thought Jeffrey Damer was #@#$^&* with me and I was gonna end up in a crock-pot) because I KNEW the wind wasn’t moving them. Then to top it off my eyes were all buggy from staring at the vex and lantern so when I first saw you I couldn’t tell it was you….Dang weeds anyway!

You got me for sure

I gotta thank you for watching out for me…and know I woulda done the same … like a bro

BUT! Paybacks are hell and I’m gonna get you Maybe not today, tomorrow, or even tomorrow night ….but I will get ya’

Like I said I was gonna let the cat out of the bag eventually but you beat me to it

For those of you wondering why I didnt answer my phone, I had my wallet and phone sitting on top of my shack cover in case I broke thru the ice and NORMALLY I will put them back in my pockets when I get to my destination but I must have been too excited about catching fish and left the phone in the cover sitting on the ice.

Ok, that’s the story …..funny you say? I really didn’t seem to think so but everyone else that hears it does

Chris

Well, I’m still laughing,And I know some day ya’ll will get to laugh at me.Pay backs you say, It will be tough to beat that one, I’ll keep my eyes open for awhile.

Great story guys. Tough to beat that kind of friendship.

Yep, great story. I’ve got a few from some of my fishing buddies that should probably never be shared……

Good Fishing,
Mike

Like Ron’s great disappearing act at Newton..

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Like Ron’s great disappearing act at Newton..

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Yes! I still get tears in my eyes whenever I think about that one.

Yeah Mike you did kind of like the “now you see me, now you don’t” routine at Newton. LOL
This is getting down right frustrating. On the TV right now they are saying record highs, mid 40’s today.
Next week a cool down, but still above normal.
Here I have all these icefishing expensive toys and can’t use them.
Looks like we are going to have two first ice seasons this year. The one we started out with and the new one coming, maybe next week.
Regardless, everyone use some caution.

Ron, it sounds like you are at fault for all these warm temps

Thanks for trying to redeem yourself by forecasting colder temps next week though

Forget Mother Nature … Ron is the one that controls our seasons now

Let’s hear some of those stories gentleman!

You don’t want to hear about Ron’s disappearing act. It was truely a low point in his life….er path.

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You don’t want to hear about Ron’s disappearing act. It was truely a low point in his life….er path.

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OH….but we do Tom. Absolutely do…positively do…even have to do… Lets spill the beans about the one who now controls our weather [RHW ].
Thanks, Bill

Doug and Chris, no fish is worth your life. If the ice is iffy then please stay off of it. I hate funerals and in that deep of water you would never come back up with the involuntary gasp that your body does when hitting cold water. NOT worth it guys.
Thanks, Bill

And wheres the fishing report?