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Now. But in a week or two there will be more people at the portage and there will be more skipping!!!!! If the weather stays nice.

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Last two weekends of March are usually high time and into April if the ice holds. There won't be as big of a crowd there until the crick opens up further out.

I still don't know how nobody has been killed skipping there yet....

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About 10-15 sleds there last weekend when we went by, a few skipping, but not a whole lot of open water on saturday. It will only get better.

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I still don't know how nobody has been killed skipping there yet....

Someone was killed up there not that many years back by an airplane.

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Perhaps this year after all the stupidity is over, all the drunks and the people watching them will clean up after themselves?? but I doubt it...

"Ace"

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Terry,

I take it from your comment that there is a lot of trash there when people leave. That is too bad that people have to be that way. Janelle and I actually like to watch the people do there thing on the water. I suppose if people keep trashing the place they will shut it down. There adds another thing that has to be governed because of idiots.

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Someone was killed up there not that many years back by an airplane.

Yes, that was back in 2000. I should have clarified by someone either skipping or racing too/from the site most likely while under the influence.

Once watched a thin, dark haired fellow come down the lake at 80 MPH (not exaggerated) in his truck, hit the e-brake and do eight 360's before coming to rest two feet from a group of parked snowmobiles. Ten more feet and there would have been very serious injuries to multiple people. Not a surprise that was the same fellow who has the record for most all time sled sinkings in a day (8), season, and lifetime.

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I have to agree with ACE on this one....the amount of trash left up there is discusting. All you have to do is visit the area in the early spring right after ice out and you will see whats left. clothes, belts, sled parts, beer cans, ect. It would be fine if people would just pick up after themselves. Not everyone is to blame I know, most are good about it. Its like in everything, a few ruin it for everyone.

Ok im off my soap box for a year

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geez now were all classified as drunks if we are out there...i dont go to meetings so i dont think i am a drunk. i will be out there next weekend and the 2 after that

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Law enforecment, DNR / Sheriff has had a stronger showing lately so that should help. I know they had a hey day handing out tickets last year.

I had the same concerns about litter so two years ago in mid May I took a good look in the water all around there and I only found one beer can which I netted. I didn't look on shore and maybe some other folks had been there and cleaned up by then.

There is usually some litter from Moc Pt to Trout Ck along the trail too most weekends but someone usually picks that up.

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It is my understanding that the locals who have cabins up in that area have it cleaned up right away. Props to them.

From what I have heard a lot of it ends up down the shorelines, especially with the current there. Kinda like the floatila, water ballons ending up down by Ely island and further.

It is fun to watch the skips though, I just hope everyone stays safe.

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Law enforecment, DNR / Sheriff has had a stronger showing lately so that should help. I know they had a hey day handing out tickets last year.

Excellant, I hope they ticket everyone that litters!! There is simply NO excuse for littering.

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I thought skipping was illegal? At least that's what I was told when I was younger. Probably my dad not wanting me to take his sled over the water (not that it stopped me......) wink

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Where do they do the water skipping. I've seen videos but I've never seen it in person. We are heading up to the cabin in about two weeks. It might be fun to watch.

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I thought skipping was illegal? At least that's what I was told when I was younger. Probably my dad not wanting me to take his sled over the water (not that it stopped me......) wink

From page 23 of the Snowmobiling Regs

It is unlawful to:

• operate your snowmobile in a careless, reckless, or heedless

manner that endangers the operator, or property of another, or

causes injury or damage (Intentionally driving over open water,

or water skipping, may be considered careless or reckless unless

done as an event under special permit.)

Your dad wasn't just feeding you a line.

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North of Pine Island. You drive off Moccasin Point. They skip over the river mouth along the north shore of Vermilion where the river comes in from Trout Lake.

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It also says "May be considered careless or reckless" seems like it's up to the officer there if it's a ticketable occurance?

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Yes, there's discretion involved. What might be considered obviously careless or reckless to some isn't to others. Personally, I think it is darn reckless and careless to run a snowmobile that way (especially over deeper water), but I carry around an opinion, not a badge and a gun.

I've photographed it several times outside Ely. It is a lot of fun to watch. smilesmile

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The water skips are a banner weekend for area business. Trails are done, and still every place is full of customers. When I would ride out there on weekdays I wouldnt see any trash at all left on the ice from the weekend before. Almost every truck out there has a trashbag hanging from it. I think for the amount of people out there, they do a fantastic job of cleaning up after themselves. Much better than 10-12 years ago.

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Made it out there today sure was alot of fun watching, Some of those guys are nuts. There was 4 sherrifs out there and 2 dnr I did not see any tickets given out to the skippers. Here are a few pic's.

waterskipping049.jpg

waterskipping047.jpg

waterskipping037.jpg

waterskipping030.jpg

waterskipping050.jpg

waterskipping045.jpg

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Excellant pictures. Very interesting stuff. Thanks for posting.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
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