I have been away from the websites for awhile but this post angers and frustrates me. Why can’t people respect a fishery??? Walleye season is two weeks away for God’s sake! I have a few years on me and have witnessed the meat hog days but this is disgusting! Enough said!

Kelly’s comment to Buddy as he was standing on the ice and shivering: “So Buddy, did you see any crappies while you were down there?” – Priceless!

If you want to read a great book about the Waskish area and featuring Jonny’s great grandfather you can get the book “On the Trail” at the local Food and Fuel.

I have seen them in action many times and all I can say is that if they ever decide to mount a camera and make a video the “Deadliest Catch” better watch out. Can you imagine Kelly, Buddy, and Jonny starring in their own show?? Throw in Foster and his seal hunting escapades and you have a sure-fire emmy award. Throw in some shots from Hillman’s and the WestWind Bar and the stories Kelly could tell from the “Crappie Bonanza” days and you would have a captive audience. When does the first film shoot begin????

Tim, I wasn’t referencing people like you. In some cases the resorters don’t ask but if they do ask you how many days you’re going to be on the ice I would tell them and pay the daily rate. It would be pretty embarrassing to have to call someone for help with a 2 day old road pass sitting on your dash. I think in the past nobody asked how many days and people payed when they accessed the ice for the first time and that was it. People would run into shore the next day for whatever reason – bait – something to eat or drink- and expect to get back on the ice without paying again. Some resorters now ask you how many days you are going to be on the ice and charge you accordingly. All I’m saying is be honest and pay the going rate as it is cheap when you look at all they go through to maintain the roads and help those in trouble. It bothers me when someone knowingly trys to bypass the system when they say they are going to be up there for one day and pay for that day when in reality they are there for several days.

I hope a bunch of people read this thread so they can see what an outfitter/operator has to do to give his clients a first-class fishing experience. I cannot understand people who complain about the cost of a road pass and try to weasel their way out of paying for every day they are out on the lake regardless of whether they go to shore or not. If you are staying with an outfitter and have problems in the middle of the night they will bust their butts to rectify the issue. That one picture of the doors open on the cab of the plow truck says it all. How many of us would be willing to do something like this on a daily basis? I know I wouldn’t. Thankfully there are others who are willing to do it so I can concentrate on fishing and having a good time. By the way – How’s the back holding up Jonny?

You got the adrenaline pumping now! I never tire of looking at pictures of slabs.

Doesn’t Buddy have one of the same genre, only cream color for the side accent color?? This must be a great rig for early ice.

Thanks for the update Jonny! As usual your posts are informative and helpful to those wanting to access the lake. I am hoping you miss the brunt of the storm so that more good ice can be made. We are “taking it in the shorts” down here. I have move at least 12 inches of snow as of 1000 a.m. today and more on the way. Most of it has been wet and heavy and I am hoping things will cool off a few degrees but it doesn’t look like it will happen.

Well said. Doc and I will be up the second week of January and ready to do battle. Hopefully we have not lost our jobs as “forward scouts”. We finished up pheasant hunting in SD last week. It was a good year! Have to spend some time with family for a couple of weeks over the Holidays and then “Katie bar the door” Thanks for all the information and instruction you do on this website.

There was a posting again today in the paper of a cougar moving east through the Metro area. First sighted in the Blaine area and most recently in the Stillwater area. I have seen dogs running loose on URL many times. I would hate to see someone lose their close companion. I hope Kelly is keeping a close watch on Fred. I just got a new box of milk bones for the fish house and would hate to see them go to waste. Come to think of it – I might put my money on Fred if it was a 1-1 match.

If you are depending on us as forward scouts your operation is in trouble I think if you look at Doc’s picture carefully his smile might be more related to the amount of VO consumed rather than his fishing skills, However, we do like to have a good time and not take things too seriously

Hmmmmmm… Do I detect a budding author???? Since Kelly won’t write “On the Trail Part Two”, maybe a fourth generation URL’er should take up the task. Seriously, I don’t know how you, Kelly, Buddy and others have the nerve to do what you do – especially at early ice time. As I grow older I get more cautious. I remember a couple of years ago when Doc suggested we jump the pressure ridge to get to the crappie highway. I was driving and said, “let’s think about this for a minute”. We ended up looping around to the North instead of taking the short cut. Best decision I ever made. Good Post Jonny and thanks for the updates.