I go up every year camping up above the dam.Late spring we try to hit it b4 the skitters get out to heavy.I dont know if I can say its better or not.My biggest sturgeon came from north of the dam and most our smallies are bigger than what you usually catch south but may just be my luck.
The best thing about that area is most of your best spots can be fished from shore with a campfire going and a cold one in your hand
I cant wait for spring

Also the English river system in Ontario.I have looked everywhere and found nothing with any detail.THANKS

I second the Croix

Well we left the tips at home hoping to get into more crappies but there were some flags going in the area looked mostly like hammerhandles.
I have never fished that body of water for muskie but do plenty just a few miles south.If I knew how to post a pic I have one of a 44 in I caught last june.Awsome color never seen one really like it.

Anytime Beachman,
We will have to do it agian……but leave that cat at home

Brian you were right.

Its a good thing I didnt see this post earlier.

Last year people were fishing from the edge of the ice right at the end of the season.The olny thing I worry about is other people seeing them and think its ok and trying it when its not safe .I hope they never try to stop anyone but the bottom line has to be safty.
good fishing guys

WOW, Im wondering if I should even post any reply to questions asked anymore.
The question asked was about the ice and not if it was safe.Anyone who read my reply should get the idea it is not safe and worth exploring.Im just giving an answer to the question.I spend 2-4 nights a week where I fish and olny seen one other person out there in the last three years.So am I worried about people taking over my area or unsafe areas.No I am trying to give people the information they asked for.
About the eyes-current that holds year round not just the hardwater season but take it as you will just trying to help and give info

I fish a couple areas south of catfish and south of there.Its a lot more narrow and more tricky than the area you are talking about.I cannot report on your area but we have checked ice in years past and nothing ever stays consistant.You can find 12-18 inces of ice in one area and move 20 feet away and have 6-8 if not open water.with all the snow I would not try any new areas now,I would like to say its much better up there but sorry I dont know.I do know that most the current is up in the top half of your depth if not the top 8-10 feet,works like a thermo-clin(my spelling sucks)and can move from 5 ft down to 20 ft down and also work vertically and will move in and out from shore.Thats usually where I have my best luck with eyes.The problem is that variation in the bottom structure will make a huge difference and will draw warmer water into that current and keep thin in areas.Wish I knew more about the hudson area but I stick to afton and south trying to learn as much as I can.I am on my way out now Hope I dont get stuck in that snow

I will be out all weekend hopefully and will have to make my own path agian, how is driving off the main path.

No reports lately,Anyone fishin
I just started getting back out on the river this last week but havent seen a person out in my area.Find the right area and it might be on fire.You always have to be safe but I never fish in a crowd and seem to have better luck.
Good luck this weekend

Went out last sat and sunday afton area.Fished crappies at a old sunken car and some brush piles we found last year.First three fish out were crappies after that we pounded bluegills.First time on the river I got into that many gills throug the ice.Tried for eyes near sundown saturday and had no takers,last year at this time we were doing pretty good on eyes,keep seeing them on the graph but
the mudpuppies have been beating them to the bait

thought I would make it out there tonight but have to work Any one catching legal eyes yet

TOMB are you talking about the afton state point just upstream of trout brook? olny way is to park at the state parks main lot and walk down.Its about a mile and there are a few stairs but can be worth it.Further up north its all private access.

THE BUFFALO THEORY
A herd of buffalo can olny move as fast as the slowest buffalo.And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first.This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.In much the same way the human brain can olny operate as fast as the slowest brain cells.Excessive intake of alcohol,as we know,kills brain cells.But naturally it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first.In this way regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.

Thats why you always feel smarter after a few beers

ritt first thing I would check is shallower structure.I have been out twice looking for walleyes in deep water and came up emptyhanded.I think if you are all by yourself try drilling a few more holes on that point or find another in the area and work the whole point.I have not been down below the kinni yet but there is a couple great areas on the wi side (sand and rock points)that did pretty good in the fall.Being near deep water is good but dont limit yourself to the tip of the point.There is one point in the area we fish alot during soft water that drops down to 40feet but most our fish are cought around 8-12 feet.The fish may not be holding there but sometimes you can get skunked on one of those rocky points and someone 10 feet away is eating walleye for dinner

What section of the river were you on? were you on the tip of the point or a break on the north or south.What are you going after?maybe we can help.

You can fit 10-12 at the beach and there is room for another 15 trucks on the right just b4 you turn left into the park by the beach.I have seen people park there b4 dont know if there is any problems parking there.

I would like to stop by and meet you guys but I have a date with the big pond.But if things dont go as planned (has happened)I may stop by.For the most part I give up on the bayport area now and spend most my time down in afton by myself.If I can make it down there I will thanks for the invite

I just picked up a legend hand held half for using on my boat.Brian you said yours is hard to read while running your boat.I mostly need it for marking spots,troll speed,ect.Just got it and everything is real easy but wont have it on the boat for a while.What kind of problems did you have ? just reading the screen or the unit not getting a signal while moving ?

Count me in
cant thank ya enough

Thanks Turk, I forget how many people read throug our post.My intent was not to encourage anyone to try and go fish the area but just to inform.There is olny a handfull of people who fish there and know the ice but never trust it.I will limit post on this area.Its unfishable now and will be for a while but will keep sending post on bayport.
Thanks agian Turk

I found the same thing south of catfish.I didnt venture to
far because it was already dark but I will be out saturday.
I dont know if it will be bayport or afton but if any of ya see me stop and say hi.I fish out of a custom portable its a 8 by 4 and blue and usually have my yellow lab with.Good luck this weekend and be save.

I was down at the Wakota bridge and there was a tug boad down there breaking all the ice on the ol miss.Crazy watching how all the ice breaks up.Olny 1-3 inches but he would be pushing out the channel and there were pieces bigger than a football field busting across from shore to shore.pretty cool
thanks for the report Turk

I am heading down to Afton tonight to test the ice.Has anyone seen it today at all.Our slush shoud be frozen good enough to walk on by now but I hate to find out the hard way .I will try and send in a post by morning on what I find.

Beach Brian how it going.I met you out on the river that night we had the wind funnels up in white bear.I had the lund rebel with a yellow lab jumping around in it.I didnt fish that area till the last 2 months of the season.I have private access south of there and dont know if I would drive around windmill.Hopefully by this weekend I will be out there fishing and will send some reports.Rattle spoons are my favorite but usually combo it with a pimple.Im not sure of what size but 1st ice I will use my biggest ones.I will let you know on sizes once I see a fish on the other end.

Lindy,all we use are spoons.Some days they hit anything and some days you have to find what they want.What works best for me is deadsticking on spoon 3-4 feet of the bottom and jig a rattle spoon of the bottom.Most fish come into the vex
looking at the rattle spoon but then shoot up the 2nd spoon and hit that one.Works with just a minnow head or a full minnow on the dead stick.
anyone seen how the ice is doing lately?

I fish just south of catfish bar drive a gray toyota pickup.
There is the the large open area of water south of the point but most the ice around it is ok just need a spud pole with.I will be out there a lot this year because there is no croud anywere out there.On the other side of the open water is St Marys point and there gets to be a few people out there some days.I drive my truck out over the sand flat off shore on the mn side but dont need to drive far from where I come on.Can be some bad areas around out there so I wouldnt go exploring unless you know the area good.Great for walleye,few crapies,and a bonus muskie or sturgeon of spoons every now and then.Great fishing just need the access.I usually get out there every week and will try to update on whats going on.

We are on the Minong Flowage about 25 miles to the west of Hayward.Got there friday and the ice was hard yet but by sunday it was getting ugly.

I have been finding the same pattern just south of afton.
You can bounce your jig around for half an hour with nothing
touching it and five minutes later there is a handfull of crappie in the livewell.I figured it was active schools of fish pushing into the minnows feeding.Most spurts of fish have been the same species at a time at the same size with a few odd ones here and there.Thats what I like about the Croix you can catch anything at any given moment on one rig.
?Any word on the kinni Spent the last week in a tree with the bow but will be back out on the water this weekend

Thanks for an update

Count me in please! I live olny 20 minutes away and dont fish the area (spend too much time on the croix)be nice to learn something about the area
thanks

Jon J
Cant thank you enough for the offer.It was too nice out this weekend to wait, so I had to break down and pull out the plastic for some new gear.Has I am sorry to hear about your dads bad run of luck with these a** holes.After hearing that I didnt feel as bad,at least my truck and boat was still at the launch.
Fishing slowed a little for me this weekend.The walleye
are getting smaller (olny 1 legal)and crappies have slowed a little to but still getting a few in areas.Maybe it will pick up a bit when the water starts cooling again?