After spending the week making stops on my way home from work in the evenings to keep an eye on the ice in a bay I wanted to hit early Saturday morning, I was able to walk out in the dark with confidence knowing I could get away from the shoreline without getting wet. I’ll find a way off after fishing 
There was a solid 3-4 inches early AM. By the time I left (around 3:00pm) 3 inches of ice and a deteriorating shoreline. We need some cold!!!
Tip Ups were key in making it a great day of fishing. My first flag was placed in 12fow with a minnow on a #10 treble, 8lb mono leader and a foot of bottom. I set my second flag at the tip of a sand point in 8fow sporting a healthy shiner. It was now time to fire up the GPS and hunt down some submerged wood in 12fow that was marked on an earlier trip. After arriving to the spot but before there was time to even set up the first flag was up. Nothing better than a beacon shining on a flag in the distance while fishing in the dark The first fish on the ice was this close to 18” nicest eye of the day.
As for the shiner, it produced a 32 and 29 inch pike which were hitching a ride to Sparta 
It felt good to actually have tip up line running through the hands again. The 32 inch girl made 4 nice runs away from the hole. Nothing gets the blood going more than the flash of a Pike through clear ice 
Knowing I was keeping this fish the 5th time at the hole was gaff time. The shiners also fell prey to 4 other snot rockets one at 28 inches, all release unharmed.
Now to the wood pile, all it did was keep me busy and chew up waxies 
I moved around looking for larger nomads but the biggest pannies to take my offering were a few 7inch gills to keep the walleye company. Color or jig did not seem to matter as long as you could drum one out of the wood it was committed. I spent 2 tins on watch fobs. It kept me busy!
I can’t caution everyone enough about the ice conditions. There is some good ice out there but if you don’t know what you are looking at, don’t be a pioneer 
Good luck fishing and be safe!
Bret
Nice fish Bret!! Wish I still had some ice! Great report!!
Atta Boy!
That’s a great report Bret! Those are some great looking fish too.
The way that ice looks…one long step and you slide off the water!
Some say the ice is good around the Mpls/St Paul area, but after the rain and warm temps this last week…I’m workng on getting to Everts for some wet water fishing until the line starts freezing to the guides….unless HOF calls…if he can walk in front of me…I have nothing to worry about!
Nice report and it looks like it’s time for a new avatar there Bret!
Great report Bret. Looks like a blast!!
Thanks guys, and thank you Brian. That was fast
Just a follow up from yesterday, I left the jig sticks at home and surround the sand point with 3 tip ups. I’m glad my face wasn’t close to the first flag after setting the tip up because it sprung into the air before the first shiner even straightened out. To my surprise the top spindle was a blur! First fish on the ice was this 20 inch walleye taken on a good sized bait.
My next flag followed shortly after, still before the sun was showing itself. Second fish on the ice was this 30 inch pike. I caught and released another pike at 29 inches minutes later. That was the flurry of the day. Once the sun hit the ice the snot rockets kept me somewhat busy. I was off the ice before noon with 2 nice fish. As far as the ice it was in better condition today. The top is firm and holding nicely
Bret
Bret, how is the ice holding up down there? Nice pics
Thanks Scott,
The ice conditions are improving with the cold nights we are now having. Things should be in good shape by this weekend with at least 5 inches of ice on the back waters and a solid shoreline
Hi I go to school in La Crosse and I was wondering were to ice fish walleyes. I am originaly from the Wausau area and fish walleyes all the time. I just wanted to get pointed in the general direction on were to fish walleyes while im at school.
Thank you,
Matt Witter
There are some good community holes for Walleyes in the La Crosse area. You will have to wait for some colder weather to improve the ice condition for the two I will list. Also do not get off the beatin’ path because there are some areas that do not freeze up tight.
Pool 8 behind the power plant right in La Crosse is a good spot for through the ice Walleyes. You will find them any were from 12 – 30fow. Again, do not be a pioneer in this area if you have not fished it. When it starts getting fished you will see the path people are using. Stick to it!
The other area that is good and not as tricky to fish is the bay created by the long wall at the Dresbach dam. Until we get extreme cold do not venture out past the long wall! This area also holds some very nice pike. You will be fishing in 4-8fow, also remember this is the MN. side and you cannot use a treble hook (unless it is a lure) and you are limited to 2 lines!
Hope this info gives you a start!
Bret
I have fished this area(power plant) a lot in the spring/summer/fall but have never had the stones to fish it in the winter. With all the current moving through there does the ice really get firm enough to fish? I have always though it would be good especially for pike in that little bay off the backside of Taylor’s Island. I have caught several gators over 35″ in the spring there jigging for ‘eyes.
We need it to get colder than it has been but yes, the bay does freeze up and get ice fished! Again, this is no area to be a pioneer!