Ely - Babbitt Fishing Reports - Lake Conditions Too.

[leech~~]

Hey Ben,

Nice talking to you out there on the ice. At least the clues I have point out that it was you stopping by to chat on Saturday. Didya get any walleyes for your bud?

It was a fun three days even though I was a whipped puppy by Friday night. Not 'nuff sleep.

It was good to see our whole crew hook up multiple times and everybody got pictures - cept me. I did catch 5 over the weekend (largest maybe a 3) had some chasers and lost my picture fish on Sunday afternoon. It was a HOT fish that blasted up 20 feet to nab my spoon as it was free spooling down. Just didn't get it pinned good I guess.

Leech stole the show with his 35 & 1/2 incher. HNTNBUX got his PB also. The 28 incher on the left. Always happy to see guys get their best.

Another weekend, more good memories and laker lessons learned.

Nice pic of J's fish! I guess we should have stayed by him instead of running all around the lake! Huum, what did he know that we didn't!

[Wanderer]

Upset stomach from nachos = patience to stick it out in a place where there's no company.

[leech~~]

Upset stomach from nachos = patience to stick it out in a place where there's no company.

Well, it looks like just what the Doctor ordered worked. Take two Lakers in the morning and call your buddy with a camera!

[gritsnham]

Great pics and reports guys cant wait to finally get back up that sweet lake and chase lakers again. This thread definately helped fuel the itch and I will make the drive up very soon!

[Murdock26]

Hello all. Just wanted to post saying I will be out fishing Burntside for lakers this coming weekend. A buddy and I will be out in the thermal X fishing so if you want to stop by and say "Hi"

[Eric Smith]

Nice fish guys! Can't believe that 35 only weighed roughly 8 lbs. Pretty fish though. We caught a few nice ones out there too, a 6 pounder and a four. Yesterday was slow though, had three chasers.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Burntside was not kind to me at all this last weekend. Spent all day Saturday out there and caught 1 fish that was about 12 inches, and one guy in the group caught one that was around 20 inches. Then I went out on Monday morning and my buddy got one that was 22 inches.

Did get my limit of streamers, as well as, a few long distance releases from the "Aquarium" though!

Can't wait till next month now when I can get to my honey hole and do some real laker fishing!

[Steve Foss]

Tyler and Eric, welcome to HSO. Great to have you here! And thanks for the report, Eric and Brule.

Brule, you guys always kill the streamers on opener. I keep threatening to fish for them through the ice, but when there's the chance for lake trout, those streamers just seem to fade from my mind.

Let me know when you're coming up for lakers, Brule. If I'm not booked up, it would be fun to pass the time and drill some holes. This new IceGator I've got is just too sweet!

[Eric Smith]

I'll be out this weekend for lakers again, crappies until then. Steve, I went for streamers last week and I must admit it was a good time. Caught a few nice brookies and rainbows but, it doesn't beat having a big laker chase your jig on the flasher. Take care and good fishing!

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Brule, you guys always kill the streamers on opener. I keep threatening to fish for them through the ice, but when there's the chance for lake trout, those streamers just seem to fade from my mind.

Let me know when you're coming up for lakers, Brule. If I'm not booked up, it would be fun to pass the time and drill some holes. This new IceGator I've got is just too sweet!

If it wasn't for the convenience of basically rolling down a hill to get to the lake, fishing lakers would trump the streamers for me, too. But, it is a hootin' good time, and I love having a pile of them to make into fish cakes.

I'll keep ya posted when I head up there again!

[gunther274]

I sold my car and i am now driving my girlfriends vehicle. Yes I understand that it is new and all, anyway we dont view ice the same. She does not think it is a place for vehicles. So I must comply with the rules as it is not my vehicle. I fished b-side a few times last year with no luck. I want to get out and catch a laker, and I was just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for some decent spots that can be walked to. PM me if you wish to share anything. Thanks!

[Johnny_Magellan]

Quick question for whoever can respond. Me and a couple friends are looking at coming up to Burnstide the last weekend of February to try our luck at some lakers. I've been on the lake on open water, but don't have much of a clue when it comes to the hard water. Is the end of February typically any good for getting on a bite? Thanks.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

The end of Feb. and March are very goog laker times. The later in the season the better!

Cliff

[NoWiser]

Cliff, I know this is a little off topic, but I also have a question about fishing trout later in the winter.

Do you usually target them in the same areas as January, or do you fish a different type of structure as the season progresses?? I fish right across the border in Canada twice a winter. Once in early January and once in mid-late February. I fish the same areas, but the fishing is much better in January for us. We go from averaging 6-8 fish per person, per day to probaby averaging 2-4 trout per person, per day in February.

I know Burntside differs a little because of all the smelt in the lake, but I'm just wondering if I need to be looking at trying some different types of areas when I head up there again in a few weeks. We usually target the prominent points in the lake, as well as sheer rock faces and steep drops off islands.

Thanks,

NoWiser

[Eric Smith]

Got one small one this afternoon on Burntside, came off bottom in 52 and hit a darter. Didn't mark much other than a few that chased a airplane for a few seconds. How's everyone else doing?

[Mike Stark]

foss you got mail.

sounds like you had a good day last sat.

[Steve Foss]

Two good spots are right off the Van Vac landing (just walk out bearing right until you find 40-55 FOW and set up), and about half a mile walk out the Passi Road public landing out the Echo Trail. You bear left off the landing and follow the land until it ends (you're actually tracking the north side of a long narrow point). When you get to the end of the point, take a left and you'll see a permanent shack. There's a giant reef that only sticks up above ice a little bit (a few boulders visible), and it forms a giant letter C, with moderately steep breaks all around it down into the 55 foot basin. Fish the breaks or where the breaks level off at the basin floor.

Both these spots are commonly fished, and that's because they are easy to get to and they hold fish. Van Vac was flooded with permie shacks last year because the slush was so bad early, but this year ice/snow conditions are about perfect, so those shacks are scattered all over the lake, and there's very little fishing pressure and only a couple shacks off Van Vac. I've caught fish up to 12 pounds there, and have had some of my fastest action on Bside there as well. It's not so good when there's a lot of traffic.

You can also walk off the access at Burntside Lodge and hit some very good trout water in about 1/4 mile. You'll see shacks there, too.

If you feel like driving a bit more, you can go up the Echo farther than Passi Road and take a left at North Arm Road. The public access a few miles up that road may be accessible by car (haven't been there yet this winter) because we've had so little snow, but if it's not, you pull over and park at the wide spot in the road, and head out bearing right until you get to the first main point and find 40-50 FOW. Nice fishing right in there. Or you can bear left and work your way out into the bay that makes up the northern tip of the North Arm and fish that bay.

These are all well known spots, so you'll likely find some company around you, although tomorrow's weather is supposed to be so foul that I expect most anglers will be staying home except for those with permie shacks.

Good luck out there!

[Steve Foss]

Today was a lot tougher. Only one laker and one pout landed between three guys. Laker was a nice 5 lber landed by Moose Track, and I got a pout and one laker hit. We all saw fish and they all chased, but half-heartedly at best. We thought the dropping barometer and approaching storm might counteract the stiff east wind that's been blowing for a few days straight (wind from the east, fishing is least, wind from the west, fishing is best). But that didn't happen.

Here's a pic of Jim with his laker (unclipped).

[Lee Lane]

Who forgot their tip up on the 20ft reef up the north arm? I thought I found lost treasures but it was frozen solid in the hole ...way too much work for me for a tip up!!

[Steve Foss]

On Burntside, January and March are best, with February still yielding plenty of fish but not at the same pace.

I fish all the same bunch of spots the whole winter season. The fish are still there, it's just that there seems to be a lull in activity in February for a few weeks. We see just as many fish on the electronics in February. But there are more lookers and fewer takers.

NoWiser, the types of structure you mentioned are classic laker structure and will hold traveling and feeding fish on Burntside.

[Steve Foss]

Wasn't us. We were up the Arm for awhile today but didn't leave anything behind. Was that you guys out in the big bay in the gold pickup? We saw that group, a couple guys on an ATV who didn't stay long, and one guy on a sled towing a portable who was still there when we left.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I second Steve's views!

I usually fish the same type of spots all winter.

In March I do seem to get more fish up closer to the ice though!

Cliff

[Lee Lane]

wasnt me I was in my wifes 1999 white chevy blazer.....Its my new laker portable....Im lazy and I can fish right out of the door and its so easy to move I might sell all my fish houses!

[gunther274]

Thanks alot Steve, I appreciate it. And to clarify, is this where all the Ely area stuff goes now?

[gunther274]

One more question, can you park at the very end of the north arm road and access the lake right there? It dead ends right at the lake if i remeber right..?

[Steve Foss]

can you park at the very end of the north arm road and access the lake right there?

[Steve Foss]

Today was a better day. Hard fishing with the strong wind and rain/sleet, and the fish were NOT hot, but I was able to get a few to go.

Got a 4 lber that acted like a walleye and wouldn't come more than two feet off the bottom. After about 20 seconds of lift/fall and jiggling, it finally hit the Jigging Rap. Had a 1.5 pounder that came up a little higher but took several attempts to finally go. Then got a 7 pounder off a live golden shiner/tip-up set a foot off bottom. I moved the tip-up about 15 feet away from me after several big red bands were suspended a foot or so off bottom but wouldn't hit. One came up, ignored my Do-Jigger spoon and 10 seconds later the flag popped.

Of the 15 or so fish I saw on the Vex, and that I believe were lakers, only two came up very far. These fish were neutral at best. I was with Moose Track and his buddy again today. Alas, they did not land a fish, though they saw several and had a couple fun chasers.

The four

The seven

[Mike Stark]

nice fish foss....your on a roll!

[Spearing Machine]

Beautiful fish Steve!! Looks like your having decent luck up there after this weather finaklly stabilized a little. I am going to try extra hard to try and get up there over my spring break (last week in March).

[leech~~]

Nice 7 Steve! Now save us some!