Lake Osaka can be a hot spot…..I’m not sure of when in the winter…. I like the backwater areas around Wabasha, MN. If you are willing to move around a bit, you can find everything! From 10″ Perch to pound+ crappies to solid northern & gills! The local bait shop can always point you to a hot bite in the area.
I had heard 3.24 pounds. Unless we are looking at two different fish!
I bought a Striker Ice jacket (Floating) a few years ago. It cost me $79. I have not seen it for close to that price since. Glen’s ARMYNAVY Store in Grand Rapids has had some good deals in the past. Jackets, Clothing, Ice Augers…….There was another place in the Twin Cities that was very low priced……but I can’t find the name. If I do, I will pass it on.
JoeMX1825 !!!!!! I have the same problem! It seems like those 51 Slims are always the first jackets & pants gone!!!
Doug is a great source of info! If something picks up while you are there, he will point you in that direction if you wish. I think th choice of Reetz Lake is a good bet, too. We have never seen many boats there, but we always here about reports from there. Opitz is not bad either. We caught plenty of walleyes there, and I did catch some very nice crappies there over the past few years. Few crappies, but nice sized crappies.
You know, Deertracker……you guys that work for a living really wreck things for those of us who are retired!!! Sorry about that! maybe…..when you win the lottery!!!!
The wind (and downpours) can be the only problem!!!
Tom, I had heard the bite had picked up recently. Some of our locals have done well on more than one trip! Keep up the hunt! And enjoy a few for supper!!
Glenn57!! You mean athletes won’t have to shoot up any more?!?!? They can just grab an extra burger from McDonalds and still have those ‘home run pipes’?!?!?
There is a gentleman in Golden Valley, MN, on Craig’s List that makes several nice looking boxes in various sizes in prices between $50 & $100. Check him out. He is pretty quick and builds a nice box. Mine holds six rods firmly & comfortably.
HI, Chirp! I have been out in the Wabasha Harbor three times. The last time was a week ago. There was about 12″ the day we went. I know that in the past, when I was worried about the ice, I and my friends would walk out on the docks, and drill from there until we found how thick the ice was. Some days, we would just sit on the docks and reel in our tons of sunfish & crappies & perch. Unfortunately, this year all we have seen are the 3″-6″ perch and/or the 4″ sunfish. It has been one of those years. Have you had any luck any place?
Total: 18.1 lbs. Biggest fish: 7.7 lbs
Steve, that is exactly what happened to me about five or six years ago! Some of my friends would make a trip to South Dakota just before Christmas. They would show me picture after picture of perch, walleye, sunfish, & crappies that they had caught in two or three days. It was unbelievable! As soon as I retired, I joined them. (After about a 30-40 year gap in between ice fishing trips!) I loved it instantly! Bought a shack at Fleet Farm, along with a Vexilar, and now I love ice fishing more than summer fishing. I this year added an Ion auger to my Arsenal, and will continue to get excited whether I am fishing with my buddies and/or my grandkids! Just wait until you get to ice fish in April! (Two years ago, on the Mississippi Backwaters.) and it is surprising how many places you can fish!
And, unfortunately, I didn’t notice this until it was time to go!!!!
Sly, I just got mine after Christmas. I wondered, too, about the reverse feature. But, just this week, while drilling out a couple of old holes, I found I was getting hung up. I assume it was due to the old hole not being vertical like it was supposed to. Or it could have been unequal freezing as it sat unused. But by popping the reverse, I backed out like a pro! Just passing on the info. Everyone probably knew this already! Keep drilling!
I am near-sighted, too. And I now have bi-focals. I found an outfit at the Minnesota State Fair that will take your glasses & cut to fit polarized lenses. I have both a dark pair & an amber pair. I love them! In fact I have the same two pairs for my other set of glasses. I don’t remember the company’s name, but they were in a booth at the East end of the coliseum. If you haven’t found anything you like by then, check them out.
THIS AUGER HAS BEEN SOLD AS OF FRIDAY, JANUARY 29.
I have switched to a chubby darter and/or rippin rap when things slowed down before. A couple of times, the fish would still come in, but weren’t interested in either. So I switched back to a spoon & live bait & nailed a few. Other times, I had big perch hit both the CD & the RR. when they stopped, the spoons picked up a few more. I learned that sometimes……it pays to experiment!
Good advice to check with Doug at Sportsman’s Cove! He has put us on fish a few times when our own efforts failed. I was just out last week. The Cold Front that ended late on Tuesday made things real difficult. Waubay produced good numbers & action until about 10:30 on Wednesday & Thursday. The perch were some real footballs, too! We managed a few 20″ eyes & some 13″+ perch on both days. Good luck!
A few years ago, I found a couple of director chairs at a garage sale for fifty cents each. I have used them for shore fishing, ice fishing & deer hunting ever since. Trying to get up from those stools or three legged chairs was a problem for me—–it slowed me up! And I found for ice fishing, these chairs made it easy for me to slip down to one knee to deal with the fish in my hole quickly. And these sit more like a normal chair height, so the stiffness isn’t as severe!
I talked with a couple of my friends who have had Ions for three years. I have even used one a couple of times & was pleased with the performance, weight, and ease of use. Even knowing that, I looked at as much information as I could find. Today, I just bought one from Glen’s in Grand Rapids—free extension shaft, free shipping. It ended up being about $70 cheaper than conventional prices. And now that we have ice……look out fish!!!!!!!
Shortly after Christmas, Fleet Farm will have a huge sale on ice fishing gear. Keep an eye out for the flyer. Craig’s List is great for just about any gear you might need, too. Talk to the people ice fishing where you fish. Some are quite secretive, but others are very good at sharing everything they know! (And some of them ARE that good! Not every ice fisherman is just hot air!) and keep watching the IDO Show….you won’t regret it!
It sounds like the ice on the bigger lakes is poor, but some of the smaller lakes had some good enough to walk or drive an Argo on. But….the warm weather is making it spotty. We cancelled our trip until January. Hopefully, there will be SOME ice by then!
1/2″ or less in the Bay Point Marina in Red Wing. River level is up about 1′-2′. Last year I was ice fishing & catching gills & crappies in the same area!
And I would have to agree with Brian……..nothing could look much better than a 14 pound SPAM turkey! And think of the leftovers…….fried SPAM, SPAM soup, SPAM hash, SPAM hot dish, SPAM sandwiches! Maybe even a SPAM omelette!!!!! Happy Thanksgiving to all the IDOers!
There is a gentleman in Byron (near Rochester) who teaches classes in Rod building. I don’t remember his name, but he works with some of the Ag departments in area school (Wildlife & Fish type classes…. natural Resources……and if you contact one of them, they may know the name. Or you may try Mitch Burfeind, who teaches at Minnetonka High School. He may have even taken the class! They usually do open water rods, but I would think that an ice Rod could be done just as easily & just as well….to your specs!
These guys are good……..but…….can they fish? And……did they eat most of the bacon wrapped Spam?!?!?
My son-in-law has an IBA Dairy supplies route, so, after deer hunting with me a few years ago, and then watching me cut wood with my farm work boots, he gave me a pair of Muck’s for Christmas. I have ice fished, cut wood, posted during deer hunting, shoveled snow & done just about everything outside in weather from -35 degrees to 75 degrees in complete comfort. I can drive my manual transmission vehicles with ease, walk on uneven slopes without feeling strained, and I have NEVER been close to cold. Mine are not the Artics, they are just the basic Muck Boot for farm chores. They are a great choice in my book!
I am planning another similar trip after another colleague retires on September 30! He, too, enjoys the casual approach to fishing & visiting. I will try to remember to take some pictures this time!
She is quite the lady! And she never slows down. At a casino a few years ago, she walked by my machine & said, “We might as well go eat supper!” As I got up to join her, an older man said, “it looks like it’s tough keeping up with your wife!” As he smiled. I replied, “It is. But this is my mom!” We both laughed. This happened to my brother once, too. I never thought we looked that old, until someone said that it was her that looks so young! As long as she can catch walleyes, she is excited & happy. Anything else caught is a bonus!
