Here is Monica with a nice fish in the slot(26″) Almost won her 5 bucks but one of the other guys ended up with a 27″ both the big ones hit a fathead under the bobber. Hope to see them again in a couple years 
We had good luck on fatheads under the bobbers this weekend but that seems to change everytime I am up there. I would say for suckers 4-6 inches a #2 hook is plenty big. Even a #4 would do. I try to leave the hook pointed about 45 degrees towards the tail. Start lower on the minnow and end it up higher towars the back when you bring the hook thru. Seems to help the hook from going back into the minnow. Make sure you have a good low vis line. I use florocarbon leader line out there and see alot of people use the vanish but I have never tried it myself. Good luck out there!
I was hoping to catch up with you guys sometime but we ended up out on the lake all day saturday. Monica and I stopped over at Hunters for breakfast and we found Brian and was able to meet Bobber. Good to meet you Bob ! We didnt get back till after 8pm and by the time we ate dinner she was bed time.
We did end up with a limit sat of nice 16-19 inchers and Monica wooped me on the big fish. I had two buddies who were out there with us and they were 1 fish short of there limit the last time I talked to them. 1/8 oz spoons took all the legals. Every fish that hit the bobbers were slot fish. It was the 1st time I had seen that. We had a few in the slot but over half the fish were legal eaters 
3:30-6pm right on top of the flats (23-25 fow). The base of the flats were holding some perch and small eyes but the tops were alot more active!
Me and Monica are heading up tonight!!! Hopefully I can track you guys down. Did you rent a shack at fishers???? I am staying at the warf up on shore at a buddys shack. Theres a nasty crack running west from big point that we might have to wait till am to check out but if we get some gps cords for the bridge I might run the wheeler over tonight when we get there!!!
Mike, I have had the same idea. Plenty of whities to keep you busy Im sure and maybe a bonus eye or two. Never know till you try eh! If this cold keep up shoot me a pm and maybe we can run my wheeler over there and check it out! Walking it is ok but its further than it looks with some snow down on the ice.
Thanks for the heads up Buck! Looks like I will have to slid mine down a bit. Too many rules Seems to be a good setup though!
I started running a harness and small blade about 8″ above a treble this year and it has worked great. I forget what company makes them but theres some real nice glow paint coated trebles we use. Green has been the best. Put a small glow spinner above that treble and it seems to help more than hurt the rig. Looks alot like a drop shot rig. I have olny used this while running shiners and usually downsize to a bare hook with rainbows or fatheads. I use 10lb p-line for a leader line.
Marty, I am with Mike on the beer 
Monica and I started making wine this last year but I have not tried beer yet. We need to talk That beer was goooood. Me and Rootski were right next to Dennis where they were taping. I know alot of guys gave you some crap but it was all in good fun I think.
Another thing we found nice about up there was you dont have to fish the community areas to put fish in the boat. Steve caught a few nice fish the last day and we olny had a handfull of boats around us. Looking fowarward to getting back up there
Congrats Mike I look foward to seeing ya down there!!
I was out in bayport this morning and might just head back out on the ice tonight after some eyes. I will be down there sometime though. Hoping tomorrow pm! Waiting to hear how you guys did She was pretty iced up to the south last time I looked but its warm out there
Thanks for the update.I just stopped down at the lions levee launch and she was froze straight across 
The olny open water was the very end of the wingdam that sits right in the middle of the island/park. Hope that warm weather softens it up a bit! There was about 2 1/2-3 inches down here along shore and looked to be a good inch + out in the main channel.
She was froze straight across this morning 
I will take a look at it tomorrow but if there is too much ice by then I might be out on the Croix this weekend. Digging out the ice shack tonight and charging the vex…. I will check it out tomorrow and report what I see.
I went out last night and had to launch out of 494. To be honest I wasnt going to go after I seen the winds down there at 4pm. At about 6pm there was 0 wind so I hooked up the boat and off I went. The launch is now wide open and a few good wingdams. No fish but that was sorta my fault. After busting everything out of the launch area the whole river was one big mass of floating ice heading south. The area should be cleared as of now but will more than likely freeze up a bit after this next little cold spell. If it were daylight I think the area is very fishable but navagate with caution. There is lots of ice floating around!
Lions levee is totally froze over but I will go after it if conditions are right. Will keep updated on that location. Also was down at bayport yesterday and there is a solid sheet about 1 and a half to 2 inches of ice all the way across. Were going to need some time out there yet but sure was a nice base to start.
Mike I will be back down at 494 by friday. I will be done about 4pm friday and might just head down to break some areas out for everyone looking to go saturday if needed. Also hoping I can get my launch cleared out down here in St Paul Park for this weekend but it might be too late 
Thank you Mike!!! I had fun and it was just a perfect night to be on the river. These last few night might have been the last like it the way it sounds. Thanks again for the seat and a good night of chasing some eyes!!!!!! I still cant believe that 26″ almost broke 8 lbs 
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Red Green. I knew you reminded me of somebody – yes, there is a similarity.
I have to admit it was a good joke –
By the Way – Great Tip too.
Turk, I remember another tip you gave me that I used making an ice pole from a broken long one and there was duck tape included in the mix there Now I missed that Red Green show too but sure was another great tip
Mike that was happening to me a couple weeks ago and trimming the baits helped. I would take the head piece off the ringworm and use a lighter jig. If theres no wind a trimmed ringie and a 1/8 oz weight pretty easy to feel. Add some wind or dark though and I am terrible with that little of weight
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Just remember to pick up the marker before you leave to the next spot….
Ha!! been there a few times now. Had two drift away from me the other night and just dead out forgot to get them. You can never remember why you left your cat box in the boat till you need a 5 oz weight and an empty pop bottle 
walzer 
nice fish. Gotta love P2!
It was getting pretty slick down at Lions on P2 sunday about 7am. Lots of duck hunters though. Must have been a race that spot Good tip Turk. Also helps the guy behind ya!
WOW! Congrats on a great fish guys. 
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Joe, isn’t it time you changed that avatar??
John
I would John! but to be honest I dont know how to. Must be the catslime It might be hard to believe but Brian K helped me change it last time and I hate to hurt his feelings… 
I have heard them called mirror carp also. I have been catching a couple suckers “redhorse” lately but this is the first one of these that I have caught since drowning crawlers as a kid. Thought it was a buffalo at first but once it hit the surface you could see the scale pattern…. Pretty cool! The suckers have been hitting the baits but this guy took a foul hook…
Sorry to make this one longer but this is a good post!!! The best help you can give sometimes is depth, related structure and presentation! If you want to help. Half the battle is learning the fish you seek and putting your time in doing it. It can be the most rewarding part most the time. Like said there are the usuall areas and they wont be hard to find but other areas people have put alot of time into finding. Thats where you want to be carefull…. Pictures and posting on the open net can put a few extra boats there. It may not bother you but some others that fish it may. And they might have put alot of time into finding that bite. PM’s work best when in doubt.
Everyone I have met here at IDA are great people and helping and sharing is what its all about. But you also have to remember that lots of people view that dont regester on. Potental damage can be done pretty easy some times. I dont think here but its always something to think about!
Bob, sorry to hear about this. I just read this and hate to ever hear about this stuff I will keep an eye out down here. Thats really a shame and I hope it does not slow what you have been doing. Thats a great shop you have down there!!!!
Here is another shot of that big girl….. 
I bet you could get away with a fly rod and plastics on them wing dams. I have one of them white streamers you are talking about with at all time along with some rabbit hairs. I have actually caught fish with them while we were in the right spots for them. Up on mille lacs we were on a great bit with leaches while fishing smallies and them rabbit hairs (super leech) would have caught fish for sure!!! once there wet there is no problem working them with a 7+ ft spinning rod. One of them things on the list to try! Good to hear your twisting it up a bit Steve! You never know sometimes.
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I like it when an old timer makes a report. There is always some sage to it.
Old timer? Sage? Jeez Gundy you’re making me feel, well, old.
Steve… That pretty funny. He’s got a great point though.. thats a great report!!!!!!
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The eagle hovered over us like a seagull waiting to be fed. He came really close to us and sat there in the air for a few seconds. What a sight!
Wasn’t that awesome I bet if you held that fish up in the air she would have came down and taken it right from your hand. I have never seen an eagle so tame to sit right over our heads hovering like that. I bet it was olny 25 feet over us at best. Pretty cool. Next time down I might have to save some sheepie snacks in the live well
Steve! Dave hit it right on the head. I use fathead just like you show them there but usually I hook most by the tail. Fatheads seem to work better earlier in the season by far over cut bait. And we caught a few walleyes also witch solved the dinner issues for the night too
But like dave said you need to keep tention on the line while its dropping and once the bait hits bottom I usually drag it a couple feet to free the minnows away from the sinker. I try to toss the rig about twice the distance from where I want the bait to lay so you dont have to worry about that tangling problem.
Dave… Thanks again for the offer for the open seat Hopefully I will be the one pulling anchors for ya!
Im with you on that one Mark! but I dont know if it would stop them I was heading thru the kinni narrows tuesday and there were a few guys fishing the north end with olny about 40 feet between them and we watched one of them crusers run full tilt right between two boats. We watched the boat come into the “no wake” thinking …. When is he going to slow down… theres not too much room there for him. Well he never did 
Them guys had to be pretty pissed
