Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Recommended Posts

Well, after eight inches of snow in two different systems and shoveling the whole driveway area (twice) in two days, I figured it was time for a little fun.

Old snowmobiles being what they are, I was ready for a little wrestling with the track and plugs and carb on the 1980 Yamaha Exciter 440, but I just cleaned the plugs, shot a little starter fluid into the air intake and she fired up and ran (on last year's gas with Seafoam in the tank) just like always. Track spun sweet with no burning of the clutch belts, and I was off.

Man, that first face full of powder when I ran her around the neighborhood was just the right welcome-to-winter tonic! Um, just where IS that darn snowmobile helmet? grin.gifgrin.gifgrin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup, I hear you Steve.

I got my old Honda 4 wheeler running like a top last week, but with all this new snow, it may be time to start thinking about the snowmobile, too. My permanent shack is taking up all the room in the garage right now. Had to give it an "Extreme Make-Over". It is finally ready for paint now. Anyways, My 2004 Arctic Cat F-6 has not left the garage in 2 years now! I think that is my next project.

Who knew fishing could be so much work?

Justin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:

after eight inches of snow in two different systems


Wow-it's just a regular winter wonderland up there for you Elyites (or Elygians or Elyhovians)! I think we only have about an inch here in Carlton. We have some major work to do on our snowmobile-she's got some pretty nasty parts to be replaced.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I AM a bit worried about the new ice. All this snow isn't doing it any good. I'd have preferred no snow for the next week and cold temps, but last I checked I just didn't have any pull in the weather department. wink.gif

Anyway, an outdoorsman (and outdoorswoman) has just gotta take whatever comes and make the best of it, eh? grin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not to worry Steve, it's light powder. tongue.gif

Now if it was wet and heavy, we'd have a major problem! frown.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jim, things aren't too great out there. The snow has been pushing alot of water on top of the ice already. I set the Otter up and drilled 2 holes and after 45 minutes, I was almost in need of a canoe. There is alot more weight to the new snow than I thought...the ice was slumping under my feet. I am all done going out there until I can drive my wheeler or sled and the ice is MUCH safer...like 6" at least! Be safe out there, people!!! Stay far away from snow drifts along the edges!!!!

Justin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve,

I'll be at the office from 9??? until around 10 am, then to Duluth for some legal business and minnows.

Hope to be back in Ely with bait unloaded by 3:30-4:00 at the latest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Justin,

How much ice on the lake??? confused.gif

That much water with light snow, couldn't be much over 3 inches. mad.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, GO. The bait is what I'm interested in. Considering the good ice report I've gotten from a few of my fave spots on smaller lakes or small bays on bigger water, I may actually start fishing Friday so will need bait Thursday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:

Old snowmobiles being what they are, I was ready for a little wrestling with the track and plugs and carb on the 1980 Yamaha Exciter 440, but I just cleaned the plugs, shot a little starter fluid into the air intake and she fired up and ran (on last year's gas with Seafoam in the tank) just like always. Track spun sweet with no burning of the clutch belts, and I was off.


I was wondering what the heck was going on. First this strange rumble heard all across town, then the fire dept and EPA combing the neighborhoods. grin.gif

Glad she's up and running. The beast awakens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got my sleds fired up this last weekend also. Ran the fogging oil outta them and cleaned up the plugs. Still need to go over it and give it a good greasing, but did replace the windshield I broke up in Ontario last year. Not enough snow for a run around the neighborhood yet tho.

Anyone have any advice on straightening out a ski?? I bounced off a boulder and whacked a red pine last year (same "incident" as windshield) on a bush trail coming off a lake in Ontario. I have the old style steel ski's on my Indy trail. I had planned on heating it up and trying to pound it out straight. The only damage is about 6" on the outside ski edge, and the metal support above. Its gonna have to be fixed on the sled, cause I really dont think that i can get the ski off anymore (its a '96).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Xplorer, I think I have a spare ski from a 95 xcr in my back garage. I will verify I still have it this afternoon, If I do it is yours if you want it. I have not decided if I will make the Fish lake event, but if anyone is coming down to the ice fishing show this weekend, I only live a few blocks of 35w in circle pines.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Chris, hope the ski Dave has will work for you.

I've straightened the rolls at mid ski but the supports weren't bent. The ski should come off. Usually the bottoms of the skies rust out by now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Viking,

Just got back from a few days of R&R in Vegas (if you can call it that wink.gif ) so just seeing this.

If you still have it I sure would appreciate it. I would imagine I could find a few cold ones as a "donation" smile.gif I hope that i can get the old ski off the machine, i dont think that its ever been off before. I know when I've replaced skegs I've never had it off.

Thanks for the offer, and let me know how the search went. If you found it I'll figure out a way to get it.

Frank, I've been lucky to have been able to store it inside all these years, and even tho the rust is really starting to acculmulate, the sled is in pretty good shape yet. Always made sure to give it a good cleaning before putting it away for the summer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do have the ski, and you can have it. I am thinking about coming up to Superior next weekend to kind of check on my boat, the weekend of the 15th. If you know someone that will be in the cities before let me know and they could stop by and pick it up.

You may get lucky, if you spray them with wd a couple days early, they may come right off, otherwise if it snaps off, you can punch it out. Northlander has my phone number if you need to get hold of me, otherwise I usually check the site a couple of times a day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave come on up this weekend and bring the sleds. We can fish and sled around fish lake a bit. Im sure you can get a Cabin still with Tim at a great price. Let me know and Ill get ya hooked up if you decide to come. Im staying at Huighbanks with Ripstick Fri/Sat nights. Going to be a good time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Viking/Dave,

Muchos Gracias smile.gifsmile.gif

I dont know anyone that will be in the Cities before then, but I will be around all next weekend, I can certainly get over and pick it up wherever you are staying at. Depending on when you are coming up friday I might even be able to meet you on the way up, I live just outside of Cloquet, just minutes NW of Black Bear.

If you accept NL's invitation and come up this weekend, I am hoping to be out on Fish saturday at the get-together also. I will have my 5 year old with since Mom is out of town this weekend, so if it ends up too cold, I would just drive up and meet you there.

Thanks again, I truly do appreciate it!!!

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
      Nope not me.  May want to go nextdoor and ask around?  
    • smurfy
      Looks to me like Leech brought his chair home!!😅😆
    • 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
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.