Winter goal..

So I have been chasing around some goals lately.

My summer goal was to catch a muskie for the first time which I managed to accomplish on Minnetonka.

This winter I would like to tackle the beast that is the lake trout. I have never target them before and they look like an absolute riot to catch. There is a Catch… I have a 1 year old daughter at home that takes up much of my free time and surplus funds so I am looking to do more of a diy type of trip or hook up with some guys that don’t mind showing a newbie the ropes. I have all the equipment I need I think for the most part outside of some tube jigs.. just need some guidance. Not looking for any secret spots or anything just a nudge to help get me started in the right direction. I have no idea how to even go about sifting through lakes to find them outside of superior let alone their behavior etc. It’s a species I am totally unfamiliar with outside of eating them.

Some other goals:
30+ walleye
40+ pike
Fish Lake Superior in summer
Fish sturgeon bay
Make it out to Lake Erie during ice season
15+ crappie through the ice (wife caught a 15 3/4 and has never let me live it down.

And lastly… and you might laugh but… catch a walleye when the ice is so clear you can see it swimming under the ice. Always thought that looked cool but never experienced it firsthand.

Mike

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Your last goal reminds me of the time a friend and I were on very early ice on French Lake … say in 1990 or so. Just after Thanksgiving, maybe even before. A couple or three inches of clear ice and we walked out in search of crappies. I had one rod down and we walked off to check another one. When we returned, the bobber was under, so I set the hook on something much larger than a crappie. I assumed it was a pike, maybe a bass. As the sun was setting, we had a lantern burning and we could see the hooked fish swimming back and forth below the ice. It obvously wasn’t a pike … we figured for sure a bass. A big bass. We got kind of careless with it, not too worried if we lost it. But when we pulled it onto the ice and it laid there for a couple seconds, we both realized it was a walleye. Big walleye with a huge belly, shaped like a bass. We hooted and hollered for a while and drove it over to the closest bait store to get it weighed. I think it was 8.5 lbs … not the largest, but it was by far my largest at that time. Yeah, seeing them swim under the ice is a good goal to have. Just be safe getting there …

ive never been lake trout fishing, but would love to try it. there are a few episodes of IDO were they walk out from Duluth and get into them (just an idea’r) the clear ice story is great….i have one too. last year i was up on Mille Lacs with the little lady and she likes to clear the snow away from the hole that she is fishing. so i was out punching holes bummin’ around and i heard her scream she had one on. so i ran over and started to help her out (at the time she had a broken wrist) so as im fighting this fish i knew it was big and because she cleared all the snow away from the hole we finally saw it……27″ pig. we got her up outta the lake, took a few quick pics and back she went…..it was definitely a memory maker!!

Congrats on the musky! I too would like a laker this winter(if it comes), and I more than hear you on the time/money constraints. I wonder if @Ben Putnam would be willing to give you some input here? He took the plunge on a big move(https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/big-move/), but I always enjoyed reading about his laker fishing out of Ely.

Sure wish I could help you on the 30″ walleye and 40″ pike!

-Rev

Depends on where you are located, I can get you onto some really nice shallow lakes in the southern part of the state for some incredible clear ice walleye action (assuming the snow holds). I’ve had nights where I can see the eyes glowing from my headlamp before they even bite. I am in the same boat you’re in, my first child is due this early spring and time and funds have already become a constraint getting the house ready for the little one.

Big crappies, spend some time on the north end of Upper Red in the early season. Lower end of upper red in the shallows would also be a good opportunity for some monster Pike, but they are pretty elusive out there.

You could probably kill two birds with one stone ice fishing Erie and finding a 30+ Walleye.

I also have a bunch of Ice fishing goals. One you didn’t mention is finding a 14″+ or 2lb+ Perch. Spent time last year searching and came up 1/2″ short…

Spend some time going through the Lake Trout forum on here, and you should find some lake inspiration. Lake Erie and the 40″ pike are on my list also.

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I also have a bunch of <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>Ice fishing goals. One you didn’t mention is finding a 14″+ or 2lb+ Perch. Spent time last year searching and came up 1/2″ short…

I guess I would add to the list, catching decent size (non-laker) trout through the ice. This is a good list!

I am located in the SE metro so not a far jaunt to the southern part. That sounds like fun and I would definitely take you up on that offer.

Also, as far as the perch I would like to make it out to devils lake and chase some jumbos someday!