Well, I thought I would let you all know how it went. Pretty disappointed in our results! Was up there from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. We were fishing in 26-30 feet of water in SE corner of lake out of Macs. I feel like we worked hard, hardest I have worked fishing. We drilled holes N,S,E and W of our house we stayed in and I want around with flasher trying to mark fish. Nothing during the day or when we were awake really.

BUT, here is when it got really frustrating and our inexperience caused epic failure! First night we had a fish on a rattle reel at around 2am and then the 2nd night had 2 on from 3-4am. Embarassing… we got all three of them hooked and pulled them up. As soon as we got them out of the hole (with all three), the line snapped on the rattle reels and we lost them. They got bigger each fish as we went. The house was prob a good foot above the ice and the last two walleye we had on the ice but not in the house. They were the biggest walleye I have had my hands on (not saying all that much). We were reaching for the gills to grab them on the last two and both times they slipped through our hands. I am guessing the last one was 6-7lbs, based on seeing it and picking it up for a split second.

So, it was a major disappointment, but we had a great time. I would have stayed up there for another full week if it wouldn’t have lead to a divorce in NC. I can’t wait to go up and try again. Crazy that we didn’t get anything on tip-ups or all the jigging we did. Just rattle reels late at night. I am sure it will be a good 3 years before I get to hit the ice again, but I can’t wait. I have a bunch of lures now that I can use then!

North Carolina Andy

larson3, do you fish the morning sun-up bite by Macs and then go to the mud after that? Do you do well in the afternoon up there? Sounds like a good plan.

I checked that out. Thanks Chuck for reaching out to me.

That sounds perfect. I have ordered some perch jigging raps. Not sure what a varmint spoons are, but I will look it up. Thanks!

Macs Twin Bay. So it looks like we will need to treck the ice roads to the North West to the flats. I will talk my buddies into it!

That is great advice, we will do that. Staying on the ice all night in the south east corner. I am going to grab a topo map of the lake right away.

Dumb question- Finding the mudd flats… Look at topo map and find just areas where the depths stay consistent?

Oh I didn’t even know they came with clips. I had to order on-line and send to people I am meeting up there. I didn’t want to try flying with fishing lures in my carry-on. Not sure the policy on that one! That sounds good.

That is very good advice for me. I was thinking that, but I need to remember it!

One other question… Tie right on to the slender spoons and if using darters??? Any thoughts on that?

Wow, thanks everyone for the advice and the welcome! I found the IDO videos on youtube and have loved Sundays for the new videos to come out. I will definately add some flouro to the end of my setups. Will that is one hell of an offer, but I would be way too worried about messing things up. I am renting a flasher (have never used in other ice fishing adventures). Very cool of you to respond! Like I said, been watching every video that has come out and recognize you from there. I would like to catch a few like you did up at Red lake jigging, but wouldn’t mind pulling them in via tip-ups like you did earlier on Mille Lacs! I have been reading a lot of message boards and it looks like simple red hook and shiner is the ticket right now, but I definately want to try the double treble hook setup you guys were using. Thanks again!
Andy