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Alex or Shammy ice report


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Last Sunday the west end bay was froze over, but the rest of the lake was open. After last night it might have skimmed over though.

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I own some property a few miles south of Alex, and I drove by the east side of Alex on my way there today. The lake is iced about 350-500 feet from shore going out, but a majority of the lake was still fresh in the center. It's probably going to be another two weeks or so before it's safe to go anywhere on it.

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I'm hoping to get up there on the 8th... So by all means keep the ice reports coming!

Thanks Guys!

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I was told that there were houses on Fishtrap and Alex. Didn't see them, just what I heard at work today.

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Anybody know the conditions of the ice on Alex?

Or does anyone have the number of the bait shop on the west end?

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Dances, its named Lakeview------great people will help you out. They have business cards right on the counter..here it is 218-575-2153

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We fished on shamineau on saturday there was probably

4 1/2" definatley some water coming through with all the snow piled up. Marked lots of fish but they were probably the most negative fish I had ever seen. Although I pretty much figured we wouldnt get much going out in the middle of that storm.

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Cool Thanks Guys!

If any body has any more reports on the area please keep em coming... I'd much rather go that way this weekend than battle the epic crowds that are sure to fill the bays of Mille Lacs.

****

Say... Another question... I know some bait shops in the area (Like the one in Randall) stop carrying Minnows in the winter... Does Lakeview keep minnow tanks stocked in winter?

I assume Probably Yes... But I've been proven wrong on that before, and the last thing I want to do is travel and hour and then find I have no local bait!

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Dances,

I usually get my bait in Randall on my way through at the OK tire and bait. Maybe once they were out of shiners, but they usually have a good selection. I forget the gal's name, but she is very helpful and friendly. She lets me sort the minnows if I want to.

EJ

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If I remember right they do, but the BP station on 10 and cty 3 is an option along with Hillside Sports in Cushing on Hwy 10.

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Quote:

We fished on shamineau on saturday there was probably

4 1/2" definatley some water coming through with all the snow piled up. Marked lots of fish but they were probably the most negative fish I had ever seen. Although I pretty much figured we wouldnt get much going out in the middle of that storm.


Where about did you fish? East or west access?

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I cabin on Alex year round, and I can personally vouch for the Lakeside Store having bait year round. The owners of that place are just awesome.

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Quote:

I cabin on Alex year round, and I can personally vouch for the Lakeside Store having bait year round. The owners of that place are just awesome.


This year I'm putting my wheel house (Really just a hard to move perm/camper conversion) on Mille Lacs... But next year I'm thinking about parking it on Alexander... How is the area for break-ins wise etc...

****

As it stands right now my buddy and I are thinking of fishing out of Thoroughfare bay on Saturday... Though he personally refuses to fish on less than 6 inches of ice... And my newlywed wife has pretty much made me vow the same.

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Quote:

How is the area for break-ins wise etc...


I haven't had any experience with break ins up there, but I do not have a fish house on Alex. I am more of the "tip-ups in front of the cabin/sit on a bucket over a hole" kind of ice fisherman up there. So far, no one's stolen my bucket!

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So far, no one's stolen my bucket!


Must not look fancy or new enough.;) Seems people these days would steal a bucket! Maybe they just can't get enough $$ from the pawnshop for a used bucket any more.... Of course, it would be tough to steal a bucket from someone who is sitting on it.

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FishTrap seems to get hit yearly with break-ins. Usually kids or folks with hillbilly heroin habits....

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I drove by the east side of Alex today on the way to my property, no fish-houses up yet that I could see. Actually I didn't see any sign of human activity on the lake period (no snowmobile tracks, no people standing on it, etc.) Plus the whole area around Lake Alex has about 8"-12" of settled snow, which is really keeping the ice from thickening.

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Did a cruise of the lake this weekend... East side, had 6 houses out on Sat Morning... Judging by the looks of things, Sat was the first anyone ventured out... North end by the blue port... 1 house sprang up that I could see around Mid Afternoon...

I fished the west end...

The guys at the Lakeview, really really took good care of me... Tires on my truck were low from the cold... The guy pumped up my tires with his own personal air compressor...

Gave us awesome advice on bait, and location... maintained a clean road out of the bay... Checked on us during the day to see if we needed anything... And they even had fresh slices of pizza ready at 6:30 when people started pulling off the lake.

I tell you, I've stopped there before "Just to grab a pop" etc... But after how well they treated me on Saturday, in the future even if I'm launching out of the East end, I'm still making it a point to go to the west end to give them my business!

I'm a very shrewd and critical guy when it comes to the places I shop... And I tell you, I could not give them a bigger thumbs up!

****

As for Ice conditions... West Bay had 6 good inches, with 2 inches of frozen slush... I heard from one guy that the main lake had 4 with 2-3...

I even caught some soft pops and thuds during the day that told me the lake was still slowly making ice.

My "Guess" is that all of Alex should be good to go by next weekend.

(But of course always proceed with caution.)

****

As for the fishing... I think I screwed up and set a little shallow in 15 feet of water... I think the hotter bite was deeper... But I still sorted out some sunnies and some table fare crappies for the pan...

Things were starting to heat up at prime time and then an army of about 15 people started setting up perms and drilling holes for portables...

Who waits until Prime time to pop holes and haul gear on sleds and wheelers...

Guys were setting up right on top of me... And I'd just get these flashes of Red and Yellow on the vex as the fish would spook, and high tail it...

Ultimately Prime time was the worst bite of the day.

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i think im gonna go to sham on saturday and maybe try alex for crappies on sunday. ice seems to be good since there have been portables on the spot i want to go on sham so i think i will give it a try. if i do good on sham i might just return sunday.

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Yeah I was going to come up on saturday and fish Alex... But my Buddy's gramma is dieing, so he's out... And everyone else with a house is busy...

Sucks... Here I am with an Auger and a Vex... And a green light from the wife...

No house or partner to fish with.

This whole thing where I've got an auger and Vex and my friends don't but they have shelters so everything should work out... Isn't working out.

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Quote:

Can I interest you in a bucket?

These kids today; I don't know......
wink.gifgrin.gif


Thanks for the offer... But I worked out a different plan...

Instead... I bought the wife flowers, and took her out to dinner last night. (I got my bonus check... Then offered to spend this weekend with her, doing all the stuff she likes best.)

Which apparently earned me enough brownie points, To burn my last vacation days at work so that I'm now going fishing on the 23rd... The 26th... And then putting the wheel house out on Mille Lacs and I'm going to live on the ice from the 29th to the 1st of January... Wife is coming up to stay in the wheel house and celebrate the new year on the ice.

Not a bad turn of events... I just have to suffer through 2 weeks of not fishing and talking about feelings shopping and holding purses, and decorating stuff...

But once I get through that "Payment in advance" then I'm looking at a stretch of 11 days where I work 2 days, and fish 6!

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had a pretty good day on sham i guess. two keeper walleyes, bunch of perch and a little northern. wingnut i didnt see u out there...

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didn't make it out cuz i had to go to brainerd with the wife and kids. maybe during the week i'll get out. how was the ice? did you take a wheeler out or snowmobile?

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ice was good. 8-9 inches. i dont have a wheeler of a snomobile so i walked. there was like 5 inches of good clear ice and like 4-5 inches of the white ice. people were riding sleds accross the lake. it was plenty safe were i was. im going out right now for the evening bite, i dont know if ill be able to get out during the week because of school but i will try.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • jparrucci
      Very low, probably 2 feet lower than last year at ice out.
    • mbeyer
      what do they look like this spring?
    • SkunkedAgain
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    • mbeyer
      MN DNR posted April 13 as Ice out date for Vermilion
    • Brianf.
      ^^^45 in the morning and 47 in the evening
    • CigarGuy
      👍. What was the water temp in Black Bay? Thanks....
    • Brianf.
      No, that wasn't me.  I drive a 621 Ranger. 
    • CigarGuy
      So, that was you in the camo lund? I'm bummed, I have to head back to the cities tomorrow for a few days, then back up for at least a few weeks. Got the dock in and fired up to get out chasing some crappies till opener!
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
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    • Brianf.
      Early bird gets the worm some say...   I have it on good authority that this very special angler caught no walleyes or muskies and that any panfish caught were released unharmed.        
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