Are you feeling it??? Gotta be close!!!

[Tom Linderholm]

Where and when will the first safe ice be on? Boulder, Rice, even Fish? Or is it going to be one of your private ponds?

I am so ready to get out its starting to really get to me, works been keeping me entirely to busy to even enjoy the fall bite. With open time in the near future, it's ice or bust and if it's the latter my Artic Armor is ready for the test.

[Catfishunter]

I'm not ready for freeze up yet but in a week or so I will be looking forward to it. 32 degree and lower is fine with me.

[Steve Foss]

Just give me another week and a half to finish the deer hunting season and I'll be ready for ice! I'm already going through ice fishing equipment to get ready. So far, so good. Looks like the only thing I'll have to pop for is a new battery for the Vex. This will be the 10th season for the FL8-SLT. Got about five years each out of the two batteries so far.

Deer first, walleye/pike next, then LAKERS!

[Down Deep]

I got the snowmobile ready and pulled out the Otter. I have to have some work done on my auger as it kept loading up and stalling at the end of last season. Other than that everything is ready to go. Boat is still water ready, but I'm tied up the next two weekends with a trip to Green Bay to watch the Vikes and a paint job on the kitchen. That should just about get me to freeze up and then the wait for 6 inches of good ice.

[gunflint]

I got ice on our bay this morning. Anyone who wants it can help themselves.

[threeball]

I've never caught a laker through the ice. I've noticed, though, that it seems very popular.

Whats the big deal?

[Steve Foss]

Quote:

---

I've never caught a laker through the ice. I've noticed, though, that it seems very popular.

Whats the big deal?

---

The most nakedly aggressive fish through the ice in all of North America.

[Capt.Blaine]

Not too often you can see a fish fly up from 50ft so fast at your bait it leaves a green trail on your Vexilar. It’s just like seeing a deer walk by my stand for me. Your heart starts beating faster and all of a sudden WAM your fighting a very large and aggressive fish.

[finnbay]

Ah, they really aren't all that much fun. Like fishing perch. I don't think you need to waste your time fishing for them. Especially on lakes that I fish - which I can't identify for you. No, I don't think you'd enjoy it. STAY AWAY!!

[Steve Foss]

Yeah, yeah, that's it! NOBODY fish lakers!

Ken, you can tell ME about those lakes, right? OK, you could tell me about them but then you'd have to kill me. Hey, I pay child support - I'm dead already.

[Lisa Almquist]

Quote:

---

The most nakedly aggressive fish through the ice in all of North America.

---

Oh great thanks for getting that excitement level up another notch since the Burntside Bash isn't for 80 more days! Dang you Catfish guy! but that's ok bring on more!

[Steve Foss]

Lisa, I'd be happy to bring on more, but that's the most succinct way I've found to describe lake trout. Want more? Gotta try it first hand!

Once you tease up your first 10-pounder and feel it slam your lure and pull out foot after foot of line, once your rod thrums with the head shake of pure power, once you get that fish to the hole for the fourth time only to see it make a 30-foot run for the fourth time . . . well . . . you may be able to get the hook out of the trout's mouth, but you'll never get the hook out of your own.

You'll throw all your walleye tackle into whatever muddy hole you're used to fishing walleyes in. You'll divorce your husband and let him take the kids. You'll pay him $4,595 monthly in child support and will buy a Suburban so you can spend the rest of your life like a Gypsy chasing rumors of the latest hot laker bite. You'll become careless of personal grooming, and those unfamiliar with laker fever will point at your dirty Carhartts, your thousand-yard stare and stringy hair as though you are a bag lady, but they will not understand. No, only a handful of fellow addicts will sympathize with you. But that sympathy will be small consolation. You'll get support from us but that doesn't mean we'll share our best spots. It's LAKERS, after all.

In short, you'll never know what hit you. And pretty soon, you will only care about one thing.

How's that? Better?

[JustinG]

Wow Steve- Lay off the Ludes, man!

Just one problem there, Steveo- Those "fish' you call "Lakers" on Burntside are pretty wimpy! Now, when you get a real Lake Trout over 20 lbs. on the line, then you've got something! Just ribbin' ya, man!

Lake Trout fishing is more addicting than crack cocaine. It is unlike any other kind of winter fishing...It will give you an adrenaline rush like seeing a huge buck in the deer stand. Like hunting wild Bengal Tigers or something. There is really nothing to compare it to. Once your hooked...your hooked.

Robinson Lake was almost completely frozen over early this morning. It kinda opened back up again, but it won't be long!

Justin

[Steve Foss]

Ludes? What are ludes? We don need no steenkin ludes, we got lakers!

[JustinG]

Sheesh man...Quaaludes! You should be old enough to remember them, right?

Well, maybe with that earlier comment I should have said "Wow Steve!-Lay off the coffee, then take a lude" instead! My mistake!

Justin

[Steve Foss]

Justin, I got it the first time. Was just ribbin ya, man. And hey, you spelled the full name right. Maybe you're older than I thought. But not as old as Great Outdoors, who probably would have though you'd misspelled the word "lube," and that you were talking about changing the lube in the lower unit of your outboard.

[finnbay]

[Down Deep]

Most of the places I fish for lakers is only accessible by snowmobile. Two to four guys head across a frozen Canadian Lake at 50 MPH all dragging an Otter. We cross an almost impassable portage trail to a lake that is only reached by float plane during the summer. 5 billion people in the world and we are the only ones on this lake today. Many times we are not quite sure where we are and we are greatful for GPS. We sink hole after hole and sooner or later the Marcum shows a flash and we drop our lines. Sometimes we get lucky. Other times it is to no avail and we move on and drill more holes. But when the stike does come there is no fooling around. It is fast, hard and with purpose. I cross his eyeballs, the hook is set and the Fireline goes tight. The rod is bent and the drag is clicking away. If I'm patient and careful enough to guide the fish into my hole I get what I came for. The fish is on the snow. It's a nice six pounder. The skillet will be full tonight.

That is laker fishing to me.

[JustinG]

Quote:

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But not as old as Great Outdoors, who probably would have though you'd misspelled the word "lube," and that you were talking about changing the lube in the lower unit of your outboard.

---

Or Ben-Gay because Great Outdoors is pretty old and his joints get sore after fighting those cigars all day!

[Great Outdoors]

JustinG

Don't let Steve kid you, he knows (or knew) what ludes are before he blew out the brain cell (that's right, singular!!!!)

Them old Hippie wannabees are all the same!

[Great Outdoors]

And as for you JG

Sore from fighting those cigars!!

You're still stinging from the crushing defeat in our Walleye contest last summer, aren't you??

Just for that, no more autographed pictures for you!

If only the forum members could have seen you bringing a photo for "the Fish Master (me)", to autograph.

Justin was like a Labrador retriever, kneeling at my feet, photo in his mouth like a mallard, waiting for me to acknowledge him.

My God, it was SO pathetic!!!!

[Kallista]

I am scared of TGO he sets traps......lol

So Justin, i hear your trainable?

[ditchpickle6996]

Ok guys,,, the ribbing is great but once you get to the part about "kneeling at each others feet" it's time to find another forum!

[Lisa Almquist]

Awful mind picture seared into the brain! Ewww....

----Dumb Question Alert----

Does Ditchpickle mean an Arctic Cat(my kid told me that!-so I might not believe him) or something else? It cracks me up every time I see your name. I wish I had picked something more original!

[ditchpickle6996]

Lisa,

Yep sure does,,, although I've gone the way of Ski-Doo/Can-Am lately. (kept the name for now) You can give your son an "A" for today!

pickle

[Northlander]

Anyways getting back to ice fishing or at least thinking of it. The Otter and Nils are ready to go as are all the rods.

Lots of ponds, ditches etc. frozen this morning.

I always get the itch for Ice Fishing once Cheffrey puts on his Wild Game Feed up at Grand Superior Lodge. Its this Saturday so now I guess I will be putting on some "Insulation" for this ice season.

MMMM! Wild Game and Ice Fishing talk. What could be better?

Oh I know, some South Shore Brew to wash it down.

Anyone else going to it?

[Wellesy]

After a serious lack of open water fishing (too busy) I'm going to the cabin at Lake Vermillion on Saturday to retrieve my Otter and the Jiffy...get them ready and back to Duluth. Rods have been checked and checked again. The Marcum has been charged up. Only need to stock up on a couple colors of varmints and buckshots...any ice on Fish yet?

[Tom Linderholm]

Reservations are filling up Northlander, just so I get you in how many on your table?

I just got off the phone with Bo from South Shore Brewery he was just finishing filling the the barley kegs for Saturday.

Working on the fixings as we speak, wild boar is braising in apple cider. Rabbit Gumbo is working. Rattlesnake is finished being butchered

and sausages are finished! I would have to say the kitchen smells pretty darn good today.

When this weekend is over my schedule opens up for the next 2 months. BRING ON THE ICE!!!

[Wellesy]

What are you making out of the rattlesnake I dare ask?

[Tom Linderholm]

I going to call it "snake bit" quesadillia's. Cuervo, cilantro & lime braised rattlesnake, rattlesnake beans, margarita scented sour cream and charred corn salsa.