I purchased a SM electric last year. It has an 8″ auger. I love it for what I do and for you I think it would work well. It comes with an adapter to hook up to a 12V battery if you need to. It can be connected to your truck battery if that would work better. It DOES cut slower than my old gas auger, but I sure like the fact I don’t mess with any gas/oil etc. I run it with the regular battery that I also use with my depth finder. I just rotate with 4 batteries to make sure I always have one charged up. With your situation with having a warm house, I think a truck 12V would work great.

As you might guess from my name, I LOVE to canoe. I have often pondered if I like the small rivers I canoe in Iowa, or the big lakes of the BWCWA better?? No real answers, it is what ever I can do at the time. Of course being able to canoe and then FISH is the best, but I enjoy canoeing even without the fishing. Fishing just makes it better. I think some of my life time highs have been in a canoe, a family member with me, and life is grand.

Great thought – I will have to give that a try – thanks.

I have had hearing aids for over 15 years (too much playing in a band). The first ones I bought, I just went cheap and I got by. After them breaking down and not working on a regular basis I replaced them this year. I went to an Audible Hearing Center and I was very happy. Any good hearing aid place will do a check of your hearing for free and find out what you need. With the digital hearing aids now, they are smaller and work great. I had my person set me up with different settings for various situations I am in. I even have an outdoor setting that helps cut the wind noise. I did NOT get the remote as I can just push a button on the back of my hearing aid to change settings. Yes, this hearing aids were expensive, but WOW so much better than the previous “cheap” models I had before. I got lucky that my insurance covered part since I had met my deductible this yeas – also planned on my part. Good luck

opps that was the northern – here is bass

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I am just back from my 34th year of canoeing in the BWCWA. What a wonderful area. I am sure you will enjoy the great scenery and hopefully fishing. My trip went well. I have had better fishing on trips, but also worse. Caught enough walleye for our one fish dinner and enough small mouth and northern to keep everyone happy happy happy. Another year without seeing a moose, but plenty of other wildlife was seen. Enjoy your time in Ely, eat some ice cream at the Chocolate Moose for me.

I have fished that lake a few times, but I have not targeted walleyes. I mostly would fish for bass and crappies. I have caught some dandy bass and crappies on Hubert. There are some nice weed drop off areas right out from the public landing that I have done well for crappies. When I have stayed on the lake I have fished for bass early in the day up in the many reed beds with spinner baits and if it is really calm I use texas rigged worms. I have also fished on the North end for crappies as there is some great weed edges there also. Where are you staying?

Looks like Dan must be either moving somewhere warm, getting married, or having a child since he is selling all his ice gear -LOL. Just kidding. I keep checking my wallet to see if I can help you out.

As a person who works in advertising, I can tell you, the money goes where the people go. I worked in newspaper until that started to die and I moved to TV. Now I am seeing the same thing with TV. As long as YOU keep going to web sites, there will be ads. That is how they make money. Yes, even our lovely IDO site here as ads. Sure people have complained about ads since they started, but they sure must work or companies wouldn’t be paying BIG $$$ for them. For all that say they don’t work on you — how much of the stuff that you own is advertised somewhere, somehow. HMMM I would guess over 95% of it. Even as a TV ad guy, I still fast forward commercials and hit the skip ad button on the internet, but I understand that is how the business world works. As all things in life, I try to find the good things about it and don’t sweat the other stuff. Hey, another reason to GO FISHING

My freakiest experience with an owl came as a young high school guy out sitting in a deer stand with my bow for the first time. I had heard owls calling all around me. I happen to be wearing a TALL rabbit fur hat that was given to me by my grandfather. Sure enough, an owl flew so quietly I never heard a thing, but he plucked that hat right off my head and landed on the ground out if front of me and tore the hat to shreds. Not sure why the owl would think there was a rabbit up in a tree, but he got my hat anyway. I love to hear them calling back and forth. We had a Bard owl family in my tree in town one year. Babies sat in the apple tree and even made it up to our porch. My daughter was young then and she wanted to pet them. I pointed out Momma owl in the tree and told her the petting would not be good idea.

I finally wore out my old OLD 6″ Jiffy lite last year after 12 years. I decided to make a change to the REGULAR Strikemaster electric this year. Since this one has an 8″ bit compared to my old 6″ I don’t think I lost much weight in the exchange. Since it uses the same battery as my VEX, I just decided to purchase another battery so I can rotate my batteries is one goes dead while I am out fishing. The Strikemaster book says this auger can drill 24 holes through 24″ of ice on one charge. I NEVER got that many holes cut this year on one charge. I still really like the auger since I carry it 24/7 all winter long in my vehicle and I don’t worry anymore about gas etc. I am mostly a mobile fisherman, but I do have a permanate on a friends pond and now I don’t have to wait for the fumes to leave before I go in and fish. I don’t think I would go back to another auger.

WinnebagoViking wrote:

Never one of those but I had a muskrat come up my hole once. Almost had to change my underwear after that.

I too have had the muskrat up the hole experience – I am not sure who scared who??

IA DOT turned down their request to put up the memorial. Hard to believe that I need to praise the Iowa DOT now.

Well when I was younger (in the late 60’s) our science class was all about the coming ice age from use spray cans. I even remember the Time magazine article with the cover photos being a frozen planet. Who knew ????

I live in a small town in Iowa and I have had problems with coons and cats. I got a live trap from our local conservation district and set the trap with cat food to catch the cats. After I caught 4 coons, I ended up catching 4 cats also. The coons I took out in the country and shot them. Cats I took to the local police dept and I am guessing they had them put down by local vet. The last few nights I have seen a few loose animals again, so my wife says I need to go get the trap again.

I fished Sunday afternoon in the WARM weather and still had over 26″ of ice in Northern Iowa. snow was still deep. Yesterday all the snow was gone of the pond, but there still lots of ice so I think I have some time. I only have to worry about the edges and getting the house off.

I just went with a pulley system hung from the top of the garage. I run four equal length lines from the corner of my otter to a big ring. The hook from the pulley goes through the ring and UP she goes. Had to get a multiple pulley system like a deer gamble to get it up there, but it works slick. I load everything in the otter before I hoist it up. I think the systems mentioned here might be a bit easier to set up.

I have owned 2 Mister Twister knifes and I LOVE them. I clean lots of pan fish since that is all I eat, so I need a good knife. I tend to replace the blades often just to keep them sharp. First knife handle/motor lasted almost 8 years, and I am now running #2 for 4 years. I won’t switch.

For all the years I have gone, I have outfitted myself, but Canoe Country Outfitters in Ely has helped us with permits, tow boats, and sleeping in the bunk house. They area a great local family that have been good to us, even though we don’t use their gear.

All good suggestions – I am still looking around for the perfect spot. I just had heard about a reserve area. Thanks

Thanks for all the great tips. Mille Lacs might be a bit scary in my little boat, but maybe the small bays are the ticker. I will look up the guide services you all recommended. Thanks for your help and keep the ideas coming.

I was up two weeks ago on the South end and as stated, travel on the lake is sketchy this year. In the past I have stayed at the Red Door, but sounds like fishing has not been very good any where this year. When the resort owner actually tells you things are off, you know it is bad. You can catch VERY tiny perch, but walleyes are tough. Good Luck

Thanks for all the help and suggestion. I am still not sure what we are going to decide. Is there and area that is “hot” now. I have never fished the South end so any help would be appreciated

Thanks for the update. I will be coming up for family thing on Jan 18 and we need to fish the South end. Keep us posted on what is happening.

If you are still looking – there is a Harrison Truck Center right at the Clear Lake/Mason City exit off I-35. I do business with them and they have let me park my truck there when I head north. Send me a PM if you want me to arrange this for you.

Thanks for the help – I will check back in a few weeks to see what is happening. Hoping we can get a few perch/walleye to go. Since we only have 1 day, it makes it tough.

Mike – I live within 45 mins of CF, BUT I am headed to Brainerd to fish for awhile. Normally I would be glad to fish with you. The river is still pretty high in the CF area, but some of “ponds” in the area are OK. If you don’t find a boat mate, just look up George Wyth park and you can fish around there on the “lake” or ponds. Also on the South part of CF there are some ponds called Prarie Bridges or Prarie Lakes ponds. There are some great bass on the South pond and easy to fish from shore if the weeds have not grown up too much yet. That’s all I can offer.

Tom – when I came up from Iowa last fall to fish with my nieces son (you gave me some tips) the washer guy was at the Fisherman landing then also. I found it strange that they were at a private landing???

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Bruce, my parents, age 72 & 73 decided to get hearing aids for themselves at Christmas. My siblings and I were having my doubts about mom and dad as we know they are starting to age and fears of dementia starting to settle in. They would always ask the same questions over and over as well as not being tuned into most conversations.
They spent $4500 each on Audibel hearing aids with remotes and are so happy. It has been a major improvement for them. Mom has said over and over that they waited too long and now rarely miss a thing! I know they are expensive but well worth it. My 2 cents.

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I got my first one 5 years ago and now have one for each ear. I am tagging this Audibel post as I do NOT have Audibel, but WISH I did. I went with a cheaper version because they had a connection with the business my wife works at. I have now tried Audibel and it just makes me want to have those. Cost are high, but quality is there and the service is great ( at least in my area) Don’t put it off, you are missing more than you think you are.