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Weekend and Burntside Report 3/11


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Well, It was another weekend of fishing!!!

Started out Saturday morning around 7 am fishing Splake and Rainbows. Myself and 3 other guys ended up doing really well catching 14 trout by around 12:30 in the afternoon. We saw way more fish down there than we caught- it was really a blast! Unfortunately, we did have to deal with some clowns setting up 15 to 20 feet away from my father-in-law's portable. mad.gif Some people are just plain rude!

From there, we were off to fish crappies. We ended up catching 6 of them for the 4 of us with a few getting off at the hole. Pretty slow fishing-we stayed until around 6 pm.

This afternoon, Great Outdoors and I headed out from the "Top Secret Access" on Burntside. We fished from 34-46 FOW and had a handful of lookers on the flashers, but no takers crazy.gif That water was murky again in alot of areas! Most of the fish were near the bottom. The snow is really melted down out there, so travel should be ok for the last few days of trout season.

Take Care,

Justin

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I was really hoping you were going to have an awesome report frown.gif I was thinking of sneaking out tomorrow now that the snow has settled so I can take my truck. The couple times I've been out there this winter I have had the same thing as you guys, all lookers and no takers. Someone needs to remind this fish just what species they are so they start coming in and try ripping the rod out of my hands!

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I wouldn't let that stop me from one last try at catching a laker. The weather is going to be great-get out there and give it one last try. If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I would be out there!

Jim, did you catch anything on the reef today?

Justin

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Nope, never even saw a fish, then moved back to where we were yesterday, same thing. frown.gif Not much activity, but travel was easy with 4WD, but very wet. The water was running into some of the holes like a gutter in town after a hard rain. Gonna try again tomorrow. grin.gif

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

I'm heading up in the morning, can STF come out an play grin.gif

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Frank, you know I can't come out to play. I hardly ever get a day off from Mon-Thurs as it is. Let alone with no advance notice.

And I'm so disgusted with the stupid DNR that fishing and shelter licenses expire with a couple weeks left in the laker season that I rarely spend the jing for the husband/wife license, two trout stamps and shelter license after Feb. 28 in order to fish the end of laker days. Of course, if I was inclined to go on panny raids like some others, I might drop the bucks, but if I can put it off until May, I will. I don't know whose shnit-for-brains idea it was to make these licenses expire when they do, but I guess that's why our tax dollars pay their salaries — to make them smarter than we are.

Uh, sorry, and yeah, I DO feel better now. grin.gif

Guess I'll see you during garage days, Frank, which I'm planning for the first weekend of May (the weekend before spring opener.)

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Steve frank and I will be out in the am. sorry we missed you on this one next time grin.gif.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

You know, I heard a rumor from a very re-lier-able source something big was going down on B-side today. This informant(which shall be nameless) stated that if you were to situate yourself off an island with a knife reef in say 45' of water that you'd be in the best place to see what might be going down. I thought you being a reporter might want to know. Your chance to be embedded with Twigs finest on a story as ground breaking as "Whats in Al Capone's Vault"! Oh well you can't be 2 places at one time(or can you) and Ely will need your to report about the helpless cat in the tree.

I'll bring my camera just in case and I'll report the events and only the events as they unfold.

Who knows maybe I'll get a Pulitzer like yours. grin.gif

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Steve,

Yeah, the license timing isn't good, maybe the best time would be about April 15th, same as taxes. Most fishing is done, wouldn't have to worry about shelters because the ice is getting questionable, and it is alot of money to be putting out for a few more days of fishing with the current February 28th expiration. mad.gif

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I'm heading up this morning too. I'll have to keep an eye out for you guys.

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Well? Any biters today????? My MN lake trout days are over for this year. I am heading up to Ontario this Friday for 3 days of BIG laker fishing and hopefully a few walleyes. Really excited for that!! I am really interested to hear if you guys broke the Burntside stalemate out there. You have 2 days left and counting. Good luck everybody-let us know what's happening!!!!

Jim, hows the ice holding up? Is the snow melted off there yet? I wish I could get out there with ya for the last hurrah-stupid work! frown.gif Hopefully there will still be good ice when I get back to fish crappies...Maybe try my "Top Secret Crappie Slaying Grounds!" grin.gif

Later and Good Luck!

Justin

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Lotsa ice on the lake in the middle, lotsa water too, up to 8 inches! smile.gif Water is just pouring through any drilled holes and ice cracks, big time. The holes we used two days ago are as much as 2 feet wide. I cracked the ice coming off the lake with the truck, and don't think I could get back on safely. shocked.gif Looks like the Polaris 6x6 gets the nod the next two days.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Bring waterproof boots!

Theres an average of 4" of water on the lake. Drill a hole in a low spot and it'll look like you flushed a 8" toilet. After a few hours it'll be a 12" toilet. We put in off the VanVac. There was some eroding of the ice there but looked to fine, that could change. We used the Pasi road landing to get of the lake, being shaded I think that landing will hold up a bit longer. I'd guess 30" of ice and still in good shape. Still with all the water and draining you have to expect holes to open wider.

Fishing was so-so. I got blanked, marked lakers but could not get them to go. We had a new guy along, with my borrowed rod and #7 custom painted Swedish pimple he managed to ice two lake trout and broke off a third at the hole. Fish and pimple gonzo.

But what a day to be on the ice, fishing in a sweater and no gloves. The laker ice gear will be put away for another year.

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I also got skunked yesterday. I saw 4 or 5 on my vexilar that even came up to my Swedish Pimple and bait, but no biters. But seeing them come up to my offering was still exciting. I'll have to go back next year when there is more snow than water on the ice. I learned the hard way that waterproof boots work up until the water is deep enough to sneak in through the boot's tongue. I'm lucky I remembered to bring extra socks and boots, otherwise it would have been a grumpy ride back to Duluth.

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what i have done when you get lookers is drop a wiggler or waxy down, they take and every time. i got up there four times this year and with four limits under my belt i learned alot. only one fish on real laker bait six on wigglers and a 3 1/2# on a waxy and two pound line. thats my two cents.

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Thanks for the tip on the rubber boots- that could have been a disaster this weekend without them!

Well boys, the clock is ticking. One day left-Let us know what's going on!!! Hey Jim, is that ice still holding up good for vehicle traffic?

Later,

Justin

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The ICE was good yesterday but be-careful getting on the ice and off a lot of H2O at the landings. I will see every one at the 2008 BASH.

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Catfishhunter, did you ever try that jig/spoon I showed you at Fishermans Corner?

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used it to bring in a few fish but never hooked one on it. out of all the big baits i tried the tube realy got them going, thinking of trying smaller sizes next year.

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The ice was like night and day, yesterday 3-8 inches of water and draining, today, all frozen on top and it wouldn't have hurt to own some ice grabbers for the boots. The Van Vac landing had a big water hole right off shore, and the Top Secret Access had a 12 inch hole still draining 20 feet out, and the ice appeared to be only a foot thick. Needless to say, the Polaris Wheeler was the vehicle of choice today. I'm giving it one last shot in the morning from 6-9, then throwing in the towell. Had one good hit today, but didn't have it on for more than 5 seconds frown.gif

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WOW!!!!!!! A FOOT THICK?!?!?!!! Holy cow...It sure doesn't take long for the ice to start going does it? Did you have any biters there today? Tomorrow afternoon we are heading up to Kenora...I will let ya know how we did when I get back on Monday night.

Next ice season Jim, We are going to hit that lake HARD once trout season opens up. Those fish will never know what hit them!

Later,

Justin

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