Highbanks access/road were in great shape from what I can tell this weekend. As long as the sun don’t melt the snow covering the lake up, it will be good for another 2-3 weeks easily.

Sure thing, I’ll give them a buzz.
Thanks.

20″ of ice after 5 days of 50+ and above freezing night temp is going to be more like 12″ to me. It not about ice melting all the way down, it is that for all them cracks, it not refreezing back up weakening the whole system.

I would advise caution anywhere in the Metro and south. Unless it your local water and you know it well, best to be safe. I know I be pulling sleds on Sunday, it gonna be 50+, pulling a 100# sled is gonna be a breeze with all them standing water.

Fish a lot of ND waters and I noticed that they have similar problems to MN. You go to a particular body of water or bay and it nothing but 15-22″ pikes all day. You drive 30 minutes, hit a different area and it 24-30″ pikes every once in a while…

I have caught and ate plenty of them bigger pike (make great meatball for the kids) but never seen a smaller pike in it belly but I have seen eyes or perch. However, the same can be said for walleyes, saw plenty of smaller eyes and perch in them larger fish as well.

Anything south of Mille Lacs will not be good after this weekend. Looking forward to the late ice sled pulling experience here in the metro…

I believe the Sienna and a few other models are getting a new redesign which is why the older models are being sold at clearance deals… I seen the new ones at Cabelas. Not sure if they will live up to the old ones but only time will tell.

Try the journal thing for a year until I found out that I that I remember most of the details I am writing down. Also, it hard to pin point and record every info (temp, bar pressure, wind direction, bait/lure, jigging cadence,….) and I don’t want to be chasing last year bite when it might not be working. I think Joel Nelson posted something about this in one of his articles or answers to question.

A true giant. The ruler seem a bit off starting at ~1″ but still a giant…

When I go fishing, I try to take only what is needed. Hate to hull a scale to weigh my fish and a tape measurement to measure it to make sure it legal… Why can’t it be left alone and manage on a lake by lake basis. I love the idea of trying to promote selected harvest but when you slam the books and say, instead of 10 crappies, (for example) it going to be 5… how is 5 10-12″ crappie enough for a fish fry when u have a family of 5. Im a big guy, I need my protein…

Would also love to see more investment done to local metro areas lakes and not them nothern lakes. I don’t see why millions of dollars are spent at places where majority of the population is not. Anything within 30min of the metro would be nice. Love seeing them stock walleye but when it a lake 4 hrs away from here, doubt I be able to get there and utilize them resource.

I would hope they would consider the metro area and those lakes that are filled with smaller fish. Less fish being harvest would lead to just more smaller fish and not help grow anything big. There are so many lakes where pressure are low but fish size haven’t increase due to over population.

Also would love to see less pikes in the central MN area lakes… Hammer handles are crippling these lakes and lead to nothing good.

I would suggest hand auger for less than 10″ of ice. Anything more and it too much for a work out. Granted in my past I drilled through 20+ inches on a hand auger but it something I would not go back to.

Safety is a big thing but when things are going good and you are in the mood, everything seem to go a bit chaotic. I’m sure they were aware of it but everyone has been there and done that before.

Ice fishing is not a cheap sport. However, you don’t need to spend thousand to make it fun. I started out on a budget of $500 per year investment into the sport bc I started in college and was working a part time job. First year was an portable ice house, heater and hand auger with couple cheap rods. The following year was a LX-5 and finally got a power gas auger on the 3rd year. It will take time before you have everything but as many stated, ice fishing is a hobby/sport and these kind of things will take funding. Just build it slow and you will have everything you need a year or two.

The body of water shown on the show are not something that I will go to and try but they do give information of how to fish local lakes. Granted, I plan a weekend trip or two a year and put in an extra tank of gas to make it there but 9 out of 10 times, it is worth the drive and investment.

From my three rods I had built from TB, the weight that you saved going with it seem to help alot on feeling the bite.

Beside being less in weight and ice up less, I think that about it…

Thanks, might be heading that way comes this weekend for some panfish action.

Dying to try out the new rod this year.

Did you check how thick the ice was? Nice gills…