FinickyFish wrote:

Just hit a lake in the west metro. About 2 inches of slush on top of the ice. Ice seemed fine underneath. Not a soul out there. Bite was great

what were you seeing for ice thickness?

Any recent reports? I’m planning to go out of McQuade this weekend looking for coho’s. Are they still high in the water column?

yes, I launched there yesterday

I have a pair and a buddy has a pair. Overall good for the price, seams on the front pocket lost waterproofness quickly and I did get a large tear after 2 years of use on a leg seam. Upgraded to Simms and can definitely see the quality difference.

queenswake wrote:

Babe Winkelman ran one for a season or two. I think the main downside is lack of nearby dealer support. And also, just a question of why not Alumacraft or Lund or Crestliner, unless there is something specific about Polar Kraft that you can’t get in the other brands.

I’m not opposed to other brands, in fact, an 1875 Pro-V would be my first choice but the cost is hard to justify compared to similar offerings.

The Polar Kraft Kodiak is appealing with 8’6″ rod storage and a larger than average casting deck (I have a Lund predator currently and like the deck space). Storage in general seems good. Alumacraft competitor also could be an option.

Anyone know if Colvill is open now that the water has dropped? Are the docks in?

With this week’s forecast showing below freezing every day and the overnights being single digits many days does anyone have thoughts on if it will be fishable the following week?

what about blade baits and rippin raps?

Is it correct that you don’t need a RABC this year if you don’t anchor or land on the Canadian side? Just have a Canadian license?

walleye

I went up Sat-Sun. Decent action from 7-9am and 3-5pm. Most of the fish I caught were in the 15″ range. red/pink/orange seemed like the best colors.

The st. louis river side – down park point toward the airport.

Do people have a preference for south/west/east/north for mille lacs for either numbers or bigger fish? Or does it all fish about the same? I’m a first timer and plan to make a short trip both sunday and monday to hit the afternoon and dusk window. No wheeler so I’ll be walking out.

I use quickcare and quickleen every fill up. As far as benefits, it seems to keep the engine running strong and smooth.

Any places around minneapolis that sell sport trac brackets?

Thanks for the info! Any chance at salmon from shore this time of year?

If you get a remote area border crossing permit ahead of time you don’t need to call in when crossing on the lake. Costs a few bucks and you need to plan to submit the application a few weeks in advance but it’s the best way to go staying in the angle

Thanks for the advice everyone! I found a used T8 on Craigslist and picked it up tonight. Power trim, electric start, should be perfect!

I’ve never fished pool 4 in the spring – is the landing manageable solo on the weekends? I’m pretty fast at launching/loading my boat solo but hate feeling like I’m holding everyone up.

Anyone having luck this past week? Things have slowed down for me. Last night I only marked and caught one walleye and marked a few crappies but no takers. Last weekend I was on much better action in the same area (weedline near a drop off). Think the fish are just inactive or have they moved deeper?

Vmc Tumblr and slab rap

Awesome, thanks for the info! Hopefully I can get into a few fish before I have to head back to the cities

How has the Duluth area been lately? I may be up there next weekend and will have time to fish Sunday for a bit in the morning. Does the harbor have a bite throughout the day or is it mostly sunrise/sunset? Also, where is a good bait shop near Duluth or Cloquet?

TipUpFishOn wrote:

I found the weed line at 12 fow and set up over 14 fow. The two holes were five feet from each other. Scenario was very similar to what philtickelson posted. I think I could’ve been a couple feet deeper or gone shallower to the weed line and saw fish. This has been at and right after sun down. I drilled a lot of holes, from that shallow spot out to 32′ feet, during the afternoon and didn’t mark a thing. Hope this helps.

You also mentioned you’ve caught smaller fish, where I’ve been I’ve seen most 14″-16″ with a couple around 20″ so not sure how comparable that is to where you’ve been.

Good info! I think I’ll poke around a bit shallower next time out. I usually fish about 4 – 6pm so right in that timeframe. The fish I encountered were all under 14″.

TipUpFishOn wrote:

The last two weekends I’ve been at Harriet. First time out I had a spot picked out after drilling many holes. Picking a spot and staying has paid off. The bite has been good at and shortly after sun down.

What depth has been working for you? I tried Harriet for the first time last Friday and got a few smaller fish in 22 ft. I spent a bit of time shallower at 17 ft. and didn’t see anything.

anyone know how the recon 5 does in low light or night situations?

Michael Saal wrote:

I have one of those big heated dog water bowls I picked up at a rummage sale and I set my minnow bucket in that with a aerator and throw a insulated jacket on top of that in an unheated garage. Keeps them at a good temp.

That’s a good idea! I might have to try that. I’ve been struggling to keep my minnows from freezing out in the garage.

Nokomis was fine yesterday afternoon. The base ice seemed to have held up ok and all the slush is gone.

Definitely a smitty sled. I just built one up this month and it’s incredible how much easier it pulls through snow compared to the otter by itself!

Yeah I was using my spud bar and wearing my life jacket and picks for safety. I just wasn’t sure if the slush should be avoided completely or if it’s ok to travel over when there’s solid ice below it.