If your looking for a cabin, there are a couple of good choices outside of hotels.

Glacial Lakes Lodge
http://glaciallakeslodge.synthasite.com/

Lynn Lake Lodge
http://lynnlakelodge.com/

Hey Guys,

I’ll chime in here later this morning, just got out of a meeting. Lot of work to do on this bill to make it palatable for both the landowners and the sportsman.

This is only a short-term fix bill to get the waters open as there is not time at this point to deal with the dozen of other issues such as taxes, special fees, etc.

There are a number of places you can stay. Getting a wheelhouse the last week of December may be questionable. We’ve finally gotten the temps to drop here, but we’ve had several days of high winds and some snow that’s not helping make good ice. We’ll see what the next few days bring including the snow that’s supposed to dump this weekend.

As far as places to stay, the SD Glacial Lakes website is a great place to start.

http://www.sdglaciallakes.com/lodging

If you looking for guides, these would be good choices.

Wild J’s Fishing Adventures – Joey Craft
http://www.wildjsfishingadventures.com/

Dakota Prairie Angling – Eric Brandriet
http://www.dpangling.com/ice-fishing.html

South Dakota Guided Fishing – Jarrod Fredericks
http://www.southdakotaguidedfishing.com/

Waubay Lake Guide Service – Cory Ewing
http://www.waubaylakeguideservice.com/

Brandon,

I run a StrikeMaster 6″ Lazer Synthetic Ultra-Lite auger on a Dewalt 20v Max Brushless Drill. I’ve been using a Kovac II Ice Master Adapter the last couple of winters and have had no issues.

http://icemasteradapter.com/

Mookie, that’s an awesome plug for Maple Lake but I have to ask… the pizza. When I was at Otter last year, they brought in pizza for us that was oozing with cheese and tasted incredible. Is there another pizza place or do you think that was it?

Mookie Blaylock wrote:

Your not going to find Maple Lake east of the cities. Its an hours drive north west.

Good catch Mookie. Yes, it’s northwest of the cities, southeast of St Cloud. Must have had something else on my mind when I was writing that.

Candofish,

First, you could check the Otter website under dealers and give those a call in your area to see who has one in stock. If that fails, the Rhino Monster Boxes can be purchased directly from Otter. They are made in Maple Lake, Minn which is northwest of Minneapolis and would save you on shipping.

https://www.otteroutdoors.com/dealers/

Hey Evan,

Our XTH Cabin & XTH Lodge hubs are 4-sided and the XTH Resort hub is 6-sides. Trying to get the whole hub in a photo can play tricks on the shape. There are a few pictures used across all three hubs that show the roof of the 6-sided Resort.

The guys already hit it… But the Digger Auger mount (IMHO) is hands down the best mount out there for an ATV or Sled.

http://diggeranchor.com/Auger_Carrier.html

Ny wrote:

from what I am seeing online looks like the Otter Cases are discontinued….

The Otter Sportsman case is not discontinued, or that we’ve been told. If you can’t find them in stores, you can purchase them directly from Otter.

http://www.otteroutdoors.com/iceaccessories.html

And only the Otter ATV Gear has changed name to Rhino ATV Gear.

Your welcome guys. Here are some other random thoughts…

-Poinsett: The perch bite was awesome in late Dec/early Jan. It’s received the most pressure of any lake in SoDak this year with days where there are over 500 encampments on the lake.

-Dry No. 2: While I’ve been fishing it this year, it’s nowhere as good as past years. This has been the #1 most pressured lake in SoDak the last 3 winters and has taken a pretty good pounding. There is a 50 team tourney on Dry 2 this weekend, so plan on it being extra busy.

There are great fish in all the lakes I’ve mentioned including Bitter & Waubay. If your looking for perch and fish near crowds, stay on the outside edge and figure out which way the perch are headed. Get ahead of the school and stay ahead of them.

And as Chomps already said… burn gas! Drill Baby Drill.

Welcome to South Dakota Ryan.

As most have suggested, make sure to stop in and talk to Doug at Sportsman Cove in Webster. He’ll give you the latest update plus load you up with bait.

As far as lakes go, Bitter and Waubay are both good lakes but have been pressured pretty hard again this year which has affected the bite. We have also entered the mid-winter blues so that means… drill baby drill!

While a lot of out-of-staters (this is not a knock) tend to gravitate to Bitter and Waubay, don’t over look some of the smaller and less pressured lakes such as…

-Dry No.1: Walleye
-Goose: Walleye, Perch
-Indian Springs: Walleye, Perch
-Lynn: Walleye
-Opitz: Walleye, Perch
-Pickeral: Walleye, Perch
-Reid/Round: Walleye, Perch

As far as lures, the best advice is use what you are most comfortable using. Lures are designed to catch fisherman, not necessarily fish. It’s a matter of figuring out what the fish want for breakfast. Eggs today, Pancakes tomorrow, French toast on Friday. Here are some of my go-to lures.

-Ultra Light Rippin Raps: Tip the bottom treble with some spikes for perch
-#2 & #3 Jigging Shad Raps: Tip the bottom treble with some spikes for perch
-#5 & #7 Jigging Raps: Perch, Gold, Chartreuse for walleyes
-Rattling Spoons such as VMC Rattle Spoon or Lindy Rattling Flyers. Gold, Red, Chartreuse all work well.
-Spoons such as VMC Tingler, Tumbler, Flash or CJS Slender Spoons. Tip with spikes or Minnow heads. Gold, Red, Chartreuse all work well.
-Small Jigs: Gold & Chartreuse work well.

Best advise, watch how the fish react and change it up if you can’t get them to strike. I always keep three rods rigged with a variety so I can get back down quickly while they are still there.

Good Luck!

Definitely agree with the sizing differences. I normally wear XL in just about everything. I have the Predator bids in XL and they fit perfectly. And I went with the Climate Jacket also in an XL. Should have went up in size to a 2XL. I normally have a hoodie on so the jacket is tight so I don’t zip it up.

Jon,

Couple of lures come to mind from the last few seasons as well as this year.

Spoons such as Tinglers, Tumblers and Slender Spoons in colors Red, Gold, Orange and Chartreuse have worked well. Tipping them with minnow heads or red spikes works well.

Rattle Spoons such as Lindy Flyers and VMC Rattle spoons in similar colors have also produced well. Tip them the same.

Ultra-lite Rippin’ Raps have also produced. For perch and crappies, I’ve been adding 3-4 red spikes to the bottom treble. The Glow Perch has been my go to for walleyes and smallies.

And of course my old standby has really gotten a workout this year. Jiggin Rap and the Jiggin Shad Rap (#2 & #3) have been working exceptionally well for me. Same thing for perch and crappies, I’ve been adding 3-4 red spikes to the bottom treble. I really like these since this fish fast, meaning I can get back down super fast, staying in the zone and move with the school.

Biggest factor is drill, drill, drill until you find red marks. Once you find red marks, its ‘game on’ determining what they want.

Riley Struxness wrote:

wondering if anybody could explain or tell me what to purchase to fix it thanks

You can purchase fabric repair patches from Otter for those unfortunate mishaps.

https://www.otteroutdoors.onlineofficesystem.com/details.php?prodID=97

Michael Boyack wrote:

I am also wondering for those of you who have multiple houses, what do you have? Am I on the right track with having a bigger hub and a 1 man?

Multiple houses is not unheard of by any means and is just like multiple rods, lures and every other piece of fishing gear you own. This year I’m running three different shelters, each with it’s own purpose.

Otter XT Hideout 1-man for early ice or for when I need to scale down and stay super mobile. Used about 15-20% of the time.

Otter XT Pro Cabin 2-man. I’ve used this size for 17 years and can handle loading, unloading and setting up with ease by myself. It’s a great size for 2-man and an extra roomy 1-man. This is my main shelter and may get used 70-75% of the time.

Otter XT Hub Resort 6-8 man which will get used when I have the whole family out on the ice or when I have a group of guys join me. There are time where I can see this being used as a central warming place. This will get used 5-10% of the time.

Hope that helps.

Here is an interesting article written by Todd Heitkamp, owner of Dakota Angler who is also a Meteorologist with U.S. National Weather Service.

Fishing & the Affects of Pressure Changes:
https://www.facebook.com/dakotaangler/posts/10153523508849580

For checking the extended weather forecast such as wind, temp and pressure, I like using the Graph tab on Intellicast.com. It’s about halfway down is Extended Forcast under the Local tab. You’ll have to set your location.
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Forecast.aspx

gbfan10 wrote:

I am leaving for a trip Wednesday and had a cover located at Fleet Farm in Plymouth. When I got there it was already gone. ANy ideas how I can get one before Wednesday?

Depending upon which direction you are headed, Otter is located in Maple Lake, MN. You might try calling customer service and see if you can pick one up directly.

Give Customer Service a call at 1.320.963.6480

nhamm wrote:

Being a complete newb to ice, is there any benefit to having both? Will be hoofing it until I can drive out.

I would certainly keep both. For early ice, I use a Strikemaster 6″ Lazer Synthetic Ultra-Lite. I have it on a Dewalt 985 cordless drill with an Ice Master adapter.

This setup keeps me super light when walking out. Once the ice is thick enough and I’m driving the ATV, I still use this setup until the ice begins to push 16″-18″. I still keep the In-Line Handle in the sled for when I leave the batteries at home on the charger. Never happened before…

Once I’m driving and I either run out of battery power or the ice gets over 18″, I switch to my Strikemaster 8″ Lazer Mag.

Having both gives you lots of flexibility. I’ll never be with out two-augers again.

If your looking for a run & gun shelter that is built tough, take a look at the new Otter XT Hideout. This is a full thermal shelter, narrow profile sled with wing/arms that give you a shoulder width of 39″. Great for wide shoulder guys.

The shelter weighs under 60# and the best part is the pole are NON-telescoping and due to the extension of the wing/arms, the shelter opens up to nearly 9′ long giving you enough room to run 2 holes.

http://www.otteroutdoors.com/OtterHideout.html

You want a good heavy spud or ice chisel to do the work for you and be able to drive it thru weak ice.

Rapala has a new 62″ (5′-2″) Chisel that breaks down into 2 pieces with a hitch pin. This bar has plenty of weight and length.

http://www.rapala.com/rapala/new-arrivals/ice-fishing-accessories/62-chisel-2-piece/MPCH2.html?cgid=rapala-new-tools&start=2

X2 to what Josh posted on duolock snaps. I also use a size #1 for spoons, rattling spoons, Rippin Raps and other similar types of lures.

When it comes to jigs, I always tie direct.

Here’s a picture of the XT Lodge and XT Cabin at an anlge with just the wind pole in place. I find that I fish in this manner quite often.

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queenswake wrote:

Is 1200 overkill? I am wondering if 600 is enough when people in hubs like the Fatfish 949i with the 300 denier say that it’s plenty warm in there.

For clarification, Denier is a unit of measurement that is used to determine the fiber thickness of individual threads or filaments used in the creation of textiles and fabrics. It would not be the measurement for warmth which would be determined by the quilted insulation layer.

Basically, denier would be attributed to the durability of the exterior shell fabric. Both the XT (600 denier) and the XT Pro (1,200 denier) are fully insulated. While the XT Pro has some great features, you might consider basing your decision on which seating systems best fits your needs.

Individual seats and the added features best fit my needs, where as a bench system would fit the needs of say a parent with small children.

Don’t overthink it, select the Otter shelter that has the features that best fit how you fish.

That’s also a good point. I measured mine while it was at rest, but I supposed if you push it all the way up against the tub it would be around an 1″.

I know on my truck I measure exactly 76″ and I’m smashed front to back, so the pivot on a Lodge has to be taken off. I moved to a Cabin to make sure I fit in the box without taking anything apart.

icenutz, I can double check mine when I get home, but I believe when I measured it in the past is was something like 5″.

Curtis Shumaker wrote:

….am wondering if I should hold off. I hate buying something if the next year they are rolling out a cool new design next year…

This would be a great year to pick up the XT Pro Lodge. Lot of great refinements and changes to the Pro line this year. ThermalTec fabric shell, rear access door, grey sled with pre-located drill holes, and a new trim-lock design that allows you to adjust the fabric tension.

If you have any questions, shoot me a PM.

Tonka, yes I’ve checked out a number of other forums and searched past topics. I have a fairly good idea of which way I’m leaning, but wanted to hear the good, the bad and the ugly about all of the inline brands.

When it comes to panfish, I prefer fishing with mono/flouro in either 1# or 2#, so drag is important to my style of panfishing. I’m not a big bells & whistle guy and try to keep fishing simple.

Good info guys. I have a couple of new custom pan rods being built and I’m debating upon which in-lines to pair them with.

Keep the feedback coming… I rarely see anything about the Wright & Mcgill or the Frabil inlines.

Awesome! I wasn’t able to make it last year and heard it was a great time. I’m thinking those dates will work this year.