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Ottertail Ice Conditions?


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Sorry to have to keep bringing this up but could anyone tell me what the ice is like on Ottertail.I was hoping to go out tomorrow, but if the ice is bad I hate to drive there just to find out that it's not safe.

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Took a drive around the lake today to find out the same thing. Couldn't believe the amount of big houses out(Pelican Bay break is packed), amount of 4x4 traffic and even some guys parking their trucks on the ice. After seeing this, I am assuming the ice must be good. I plan to walk out to some spot before the sun comes up in the morning.
Definitely will check with Ken at the bait shop before I head out though.

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I fished Otter Tail all weekend off of the Pelican Bay access. I was out with my ATV about 3 miles West/SW and found a solid 8" way out in the middle. Lots of large fishhouses everywhere. ATVs and snowmobiles are running all over in the eastern basin (east of Amor point and beyond). I know of thin ice in the western basin off of Graystone about 1.5+ miles out. Some of that ice never recovered well from the big wind storm after Thanksgiving.

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How was your fishing this weekend? I also fished out of Pelican Bay but was Sat. morning and got skunked. Maybe the evening bite is better? Didn't even really mark anything on my VEX. Fished anywhere from 14'to 27'. Was in with the first village of houses. Found 10"just about everywhere I checked there.

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The bite was very good, Ray. Try to get out away from the crowds. There is so much structure out there that you should be able to find a hot spot of your own. Keep moving until you find them. If you don't see anything on the vex in 10 minutes, get out of there! The bite is all day long and into the dark when you find active fish.

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Thanks for the advice, even though common sense should tell me this, it is hard to break away from where there is action with the assumption that all those people know something I don't. I am going to have more opportunity to get out over the Christmas Holiday and will follow this simple rule. My brother is coming from California and counts on being on the ice as much as possible. It's nice to be able to put him on fish.

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hey guys!
Just wondering if anyone can tell me how the temps are doing up there this week. I'm coming up to my neighbors cabin on Silver lake near Battle lake next weekend and I was just wondering if it has been colder up there, and how the ice is holding up. Is there any snow on top of the ice at all up there? This shouldnt be a problem on a small lake like silver but I am a little nervous after seeing what the rain has made the ice in the south metro look like! Thanks.
Dave

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Big Dave2,
The weather up here is nothing like the cities. Good ice all over, not always for vehicles, but snowmobiles and ATVs not much of a problem. We now have a slight dusting/crust of snow on top of the ice from this week's precip. I've got over a foot of ice on West Battle Lake where my shack is and trucks have been driving out for weeks (only on the section of lake I fish, some parts of WB are thinner ice, like near town!)
I saw a monster of a shack on Silver. Looked like a 2 story from a distance.

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Ottertail ice was still very stable yesterday and and sleet and rain didnt seem to affect it much at all. The only thing it did affect was the walleye bite. It really kicked into gear last night. I caught 12 walleyes kept 4 nice eaters and released a 26 incher that was as round as a football. Biggest eye i have ever caught in the winter out there. Man have the pout ever been biting. My guess is i have caught at least 10 pout this year there ona rampage. Caught some nice jumbo perch in the daylight hours out on some midlake humps. Hope to see you all out there. TC

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Does anyone know if they are driving vehicles on Otter tail. I've got a 3,500 lbs house, that I would like to take out this weekend. If i can't drive my truck i'll have to round up a 4 wheeler.

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Went out to Otter tail today, and caught a nice 2 pounder, and about 4 smaller eater. I fished a little shallow, so the eye's didn't bite till about 4 till 5. I'm going to try it there one more time, and if it slows down, i'm moving deeper!

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I was fishing in 28 feet on Saturday, and the perch action was nonstop from 1:30 to 4:30. I kept ten of them that were 10 inches or better. Most were running 7 to 9 inches. After that I caught and released four small 'eyes. There were a lot of sniffers, but they were bottom huggres and it really took a lot of finesse to get them to just BARELY tap the lure.

Three of the four 'eyes came on a dead stick set on a Rock N Reel with a medium fathead.

I was out about a mile and a half out on the West side, and there was 12 inches of ice.

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I found that if you use a good size shinner, the perch will leave it alone, and the eye's bite on it. U just cant get away from those annoying little perch, O, well it keeps ya busy when the walleyes aren't biting.

Scratch that, I went out today and we were feeding the perch expensive shinners. Had the Aqua view down, and saw loads of perch, and a couple walleyes, caught one 17 inch eye, and a jumbo perch. It's really neat seeing what's going on down there.

[This message has been edited by Brett Meyer (edited 12-24-2002).]

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