Burntside bash

[Chode2235]

I am very seriously considering coming up for the bash this year. I spent the last couple years in Ohio, and have been wanting to come up and catch some lakers and meet some passionate ice fisherman.

I assume that you are all welcoming to a new guy. Problem is I dont know much about fishing lakers, or about the bash. Sounds like a lot of fun. Hopefully you can all tell me what I need to know, or point me in the right direction. Thanks.

[Steve Foss]

Chode, lots of accomplished laker takers on this board. They all will welcome you to the Bash and answer questions and be generally helpful. Good fun and catching fish are the goals. The former happens every year. That latter happens more some years than others, mostly depending on the weather. There'll be a lot more chatter on lakers as the winter approaches.

[Kallista]

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Kalli,Tami,Hunter's Mommy,Whatever name you go by these days

(you really need to post why you chose your name under EXPLAIN YOUR NAME),

I am getting really pumped to meet all you FM'ers. I met a couple last spring at the Swap in Saginaw but I was only there for a few minutes. Now I just have to get a couple of things at Gander. I have already started buying some ice jigs. I bought something I haven't seen before called a Tiger Eye-The Original Glowing Glass Jig-they should work great but probably not on Burntside.

Lisa

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I have 12 brothers, i am the only girl, my aunt in Scotland wanted my name kallista,my other aunt in Germany wanted my name to be kallista as well.. my mum had another idea, Tammi, so i was named tammi lol.. but my aunts and others call me kalli, under protest i think.. so on the forums i use kallista, ..So many sing a song that is from the Tammy movies.. you know the one.."Tammys in love" ...So after a but, i thought about changing the name on here to Tami but i cant figure out how to do it.. I thought how funny would it be walking up to "Big Bad Fisherman" and say why hello there big bad lol so after some thought, i figured i better let others know my real name is Tami.. and most have a nick for the forums....Now i am sure theres a lot more names others can think of for me lol.. but we will leave that alone..

But Lisa you can call me whatever you want too LOL..

But Tami is fine

[Kallista]

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Kallista, I cant believe that you started this post already. I think last year it didn't get rolling until after deer hunting. Well your forgiven what else can a person do with all this rain but dream of frozen lakes and lake trout. I sure hope I can make it this year. Last year I was all primed for it and then work got in the way.

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Sir Yukon

I am innocent i tell ya...

[Wade Joseph]

I'll be back! Im gonna catch one on a fishing pole if it kills me! This will be my third year, lucks gotta change soon!

[Catfishunter]

I could't hook a fish my first season. Second season (last year) I never left without a limit. My only tip is to down size your presentation, most my fish came on bugs and six pound line. Bring on the the bash

[caseymcq]

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Ken, what would a winter laker Bash be without Finlanders?...

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Classy

I am sure Mr. Maki will eventually chime in on that one.

[JustinG]

WELL, ITS ABOUT TIME!!!! Glad to see that I am not the only one dreaming of ice fishing!!! Lake Trout fishing is a blast-I can't wait to get out there!! This year, I will definately be coming to the Burntside Bash. The past few years, I have always had something going on that weekend. Not this year- Wanderer and I are going to dish out some punishment on those fish!!!

Hey Steve, If you need help with anything this year, let me know! I would like to help out with anything you may need to make this event the best bash ever! Don't forget, I have a nice prize to donate to the cause. Let me know if you need help!!!

Hey Kallista, Don't listen to Steve!!! An Irishman + Small Lures = Small Lake Trout!!! Don't forget to get some goodies for "Big Game Hunting"

Later,

Justin

[Steve Foss]

Justin, thanks for the offer. We actually haven't had a single discussion among us about the details of this year's Bash. It's been such a number of years in a row since chunkytrout kicked off the inaugural Bash six years ago that the Bash seems to have become a well oiled machine that needs little priming. I thank you for the offer and the prize. I appreciate both of them. We'll see what needs doing closer to the date. I know that, with no greens to nurse, you'll be looking to nurse some ice.

And, Justin, pay attention to Catfishunter. He caught lakers with his small presentation on a dead afternoon when almost no one among the 80 anglers could raise a fish. And they weren't little fish. That tracks with my experience on Bside. You CAN catch lakers there with large lures. No doubt about it. But you can almost ALWAYS catch lakers there with smaller lures, and on some days smaller lures are all that'll get them to go. Both the 12-lbers I've caught through the ice on Bside were on walleye-size flutter spoons tipped with a bit of smelt, and there have been many, many days that I've jigged the larger lures, thinking that larger lures will rule out smaller fish. Well, they often rule out LARGER fish on Bside, too. Not always, but often.

That selection for smaller lures has changed the way I fish Bside over the five years I've fished it. I think because lakers prey mostly on smelt, and the Bside smelt are stunted, that smaller lures most often (not always) are the ticket.

I spent a fair amount of last winter ignoring smaller lures. After catching scores of lakers through the ice on Bside over more than 1,000 hours on smaller lures, I decided last year that I was only going to target the big girls with big lures. Well, that lasted for too long. I went back to the No. 9 jigging raps and walleye sized spoons and got bit, and bit, and bit. Including the second 12 I've gotten through the ice on Bside, and also including two five-fish days.

It started in the winter of 2001/02 when I had just moved to Duluth and had a yearning for new water and new fishing. I spotted Bside on the Sportsman's Connection map book and drove up. I'd read all about the In-Fisherman method of big tube jigs and big airplane jigs up in Canada, and I was all ready to rock. Luckily, I also brought my walleye lures along. I fished 3/4 of a day on Bside after studying maps, and found lots of lookers that I was sure were lakers on the Vex. No takers. I tried everything, but "everything" meant tubes and airplanes four inches or longer, and tipped with meat. Nada. After continued aggressive lookers but no takers, I downsized and got bit immediately. Once I downsized, I landed three fish within two hours to end the day, the largest about 3 pounds.

I've experimented widely with sizes and jigging techniques since that day so long ago, but have found that smaller generally still is better on Bside. Like I said, it's not written in stone and it's all a crap shoot, but that's been my experience when jigging for winter Bside lakers.

[JustinG]

Just trying to give you some good natured smack talk, Steve!!!

Yup, you are definately right- a person needs to be totally open minded when fishing Lakers. Different presentations are an absolute key to catching them. Then again, when you think you have it all figured out, its time to throw reason out the window and try something else...and sometimes that doesn't even work!

Later,

Justin

[Steve Foss]

Oh, JG, sorry. Didn't realize it was the smack goin down this time. Uh, homey.

[Great Outdoors]

What would the bash be without Finnlanders???????

That would be like a day without sunshine, IMHO!!

[Wade Joseph]

Finlanders, Irish...geeez, all you pure bloods. Here I am basically heinz 57 with my mix of Sioux and Cherokee Indian, German, Brit, Turkish and Syrian blood. I feel like a mutt at the AKC show. No big deal, I still love to fish, ain't too bad at it and will preservere.

I WILL CATCH FISH THIS YEAR (clicking heals) I WILL CATCH FISH THIS YEAR.

[Xplorer]

Holy Schmolly, there's already over 40 posts for this years Bash and its only the middle of October

So for those keeping track, the official countdown as of today is 101 days til we are sitting/standing/laying/riding around the frozen ice of B-side looking for lakers!

Hey Chunky, I'm thinking of pulling an on-ice stay this year as I dont think that I'll be bringing up Jr. this time, you up for it???

Let the Laker-speak begin

Oh, and since we're talking nationalities, I'll be the German/Italian/???????? mix at the Bash

[Down Deep]

If the Bash is scheduled the last week-end of Jan. That week-end is open so far. Can you get from Ely to Burntside via snowmobile? How far is it by trail?

[Powerstroke]

Oh lord. I can't believe the Bash talk has already started. I was determined to get there last year and I made it. I caught my two fish on sunday when it was -10*F. Thats laker weather!!

You know I will be there again.

[Steve Foss]

Ely to Burnside by Sled is easy. You pick up the trail across Shagawa either at Grand Ely Lodge or Semers Park (it's staked) and you cross Shag, cross a short portage, cross Little Long Lake (taking a branch of the trail to the left before you hit the end of Little Long) and another short portage and then you're on the east arm of Burntside, and you stay on the trail heading west and it takes you within 100 yards of Bash HQ, which has been on the ice offshore from the Van Vac public landing on Bside's south shore.

[Catfishunter]

Thanks for the compliment stfcatfish. I got some more odd tricks up my sleeve this year.

[Chode2235]

is this a formal bash, or do I just show up. I guess the question is where can I find out more information. Also, should one reserve a hotel room early?

[Steve Foss]

Chode, it's informal. You just show up. Usually it starts at 8 a.m., and we have a prize drawing later in the afternoon. It used to be an actual tournament, but we scaled that back and made it more fun and less competition, so now it's just a big bunch of people getting together to learn about laker fishing. Best to get a motel reserved early because it's the same weekend as a really big snowmobile run through the area.

There will be lots more details as we get closer to it, but that should help you get started.

[Northlander]

If you're relying on Northlander for laker advice and locations you're in trouble.

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Lakers? I thought this was a walleye event. Harvey I was disapointed we didnt catch any walleyes and all we caught was lakers. Man those looked like good walleye spots too.

Keep that spot under your hat. Stfcatfish will be trying to buy it off ya.

It should be a good time as long as we get decent ice and weather like we had on Friday last year.

[Steve Foss]

Oh, cool, Steve, if that spot's so good I won't have to show Tom any of my spots.

[Wade Joseph]

YOU GUYS GOT SPOTS?!?!

All this time I just been drilling holes and dropping my lure down. Maybe I need to drill more holes.....

[Surface Tension]

I've got a spot remover and will share.

We mention this all the time. The Burntside Bash is an open invite to everyone. So come along and don't be shy, stop in and join us.

[Kallista]

Just follow Northlander and Catfish and keep a eye out, then you will know where their spots are.. I can see it now, the night before hiding in the brush along shore waiting and watching to see who walks out where, after they are gone slip on the all white cover alls and shimmy out on your belly pulling a arger in tow and drill a hole and claim it as yours the next morning lol..

[Steve Foss]

Kalli, that's one reason I don't fish much at the Bash. Spend most of my day around headquarters helping out other people. Frank (Surface Tension) and I did get out for a few hours on Bash day together last year.

[Northlander]

Kallista dont follow me. My crew did a lot of searching on Friday, because the weather was beautiful that day, and found a area with a ton of smelt. We spread out and popped a bunch of nice lakers in that area. Like they say. "Even a blind squirrel can find a nut every once in a while".

I caught 3 or 4 lakers last year and now Im sure I will have to pay the B-side laker gods for a few years before I get another.

If I were to pick 2 guys to follow it would be Stfcatfish and Surface Tension. Those guys are always on fish up there.

I just hope I have a wheeler or snowmobile for this years bash. Lots of water to cover up there and its a awesome lake to explore.

Cheffrey ya still got them 2 spots on your GPS? May work again this year ya never know. Looked fishy to me.

[Steve Foss]

There's soooo much good laker water on Burntside. A spot that looks good on the map (deep water nearby, strong shoreline point and/or humps around) almost always IS good, and for every spot you see on those poorly detailed small maps of the lake, there are another 10 you can't see from them.

Even after five years of hitting Burntside hard for open and hardwater lakers (pike/muskies are the only other fish that interest me much anymore so lakers are almost all I do when the season's open), I always know that somebody at the Bash is going to turn up at HQ at the end of the day with a limit of nice fish taken from a spot I've never even fished.

I've only found one spot in all that time that I consider nearly surefire. I found it two winters ago and had two five-fish days there, including a 12-lber and an 8-lber (and another 12-lber a friend caught there), and have never been skunked there in the last two years in winter. In summer, I haven't raised a single fish there. Go figure.

And I firmly believe there are many, many other spots on Bside at least as good. This is such a great lake, it's been a pleasure learning a little about it. And with LOTS more learning to come. Knowing it well will be the work of the rest of my life. Can't wait to get back to it. C'mon ice!

[chaffmj]

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Knowing it well will be the work of the rest of my life. Can't wait to get back to it. C'mon ice!

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ST Cat,

Can we wait until next week for ice. I need this weekend for my last shot at fishing on Big Lake.

[Steve Foss]

Sigh. OK.