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Early Ice - Angle?


New Yankee

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I know none of us have crystal balls, but here's my question. A couple of my Southern buddies can make it up to ice fish this year, but due to a multitude of issues, the week of December 10 is the only opportunity.

I understand that can be pretty early for the resorts on the South Shore and Rainy. Does, with ever thing else being equal, the NW Angle have resort safe ice any earlier than the South end?

Again, I understand that a dozen different variables will affect this, but we were wanting to put our best feet forward reservation wise for that week.

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I think, due to current, that the angle is probably a little behind the south end, as far as making ice goes. Anyone else?

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Re: Early Ice

I live on the Rainy river just upstream from the mouth so I can't speak to the situation at the Angle however if you are able to get on and off the ice yourselves i.e. walking, snomobile, atv then you probably will be able to fish that early here. More years than not there are locals walking out on the bay by Thanksgiving or soon thereafter and catching fish. Of course, as you say, there many variables and no two years are exactly alike. Lodging would be available as would snomobile/atv rentals if needed. Hope this helps. Ol Sneller

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WCT - yeah, figured if push came to shove (and hopefully not crack and splash blush.gif) we could do that, beats working of course. May have to break down and get a portable suitcase house for just that reason....

I appreciate the responses, and am open to advice!

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I've fished the NW angle several times in the timeframe you are looking at.

Sometimes, some of the outfitters will have houses out in Moose Bay around Brush Island. There is decent fishing to be had there.

We now go with wheelers and portables, and have not had much touble getting out around 4 Block and Little Oak most years, but you must be careful, and watch those early pressure ridges.

You are gonna have to keep an eye on the weather conditions, and stay in touch with your resort of choice to see how conditions develop.

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New Yankee: You may want to invest in some large garbage bags as well. Smelly underwear are hard to dispose of. I know where you are from and I don't think your friends from down south have ever slithered across 3-4" of ice. LOL I hope you are able to make it out early Dec. Fishing can be awesome. Just giving you a hard time on the garbage bags, or was I. See ya up there Bob, Bill

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Hey Bill! You're right about my Southern buds grin.gif. After the responses above I booked at the Bend for fishing Wed and Thursday of that week. You can bet I'll have some rope and a boat cushion!!

I'd have rather gone the first week you're booked, but I've taken that week off for 3 yrs running, so I'll let the others take it this year.

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You know the Bend will treat you right for sure. Sure hope for your sake and everyone else that we get an early freeze. A couple of years ago they were out right around thanksgiving so you should be good to go. I'm sure the guys will have a good time. Sounds like its been a good bite up there all summer. Bill

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New Yankee,

two years ago I made a last ditch effort to fish soft water out of the angle.... the date was Nov. 16th and it was awesome..... One month to the day (Dec. 16) I was fishing out of the angle on 6" of clear ice with a snowmobile....

and fishing was just as awesome. Give Frank Walsh at Bay Store (on Oak Island) a call........ He is the source of the best information.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I wonder if we add ice cubes to the lakes if they'd freeze any sooner??? Man this itch is getting bad..........

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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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