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

Posted

Thinking about heading out to prior early
tomorrow for the first time ever, and looking for a few tips. By reading some of the posts it looks like sand point is the place to be. can anyone give me directions on how to get to that spot coming from the Bloomington area? What have they been biting on and and should I stay to the left or right of the access. fished Nokomis last weekend, iced three small eyes and thats it. Over the last two years I can't catch anything over 12" in Nokomis.

Posted

DPROSE, 35SOUTH TO 42 WEST. LOOK FOR THE H20 TOWER ON LEFT . YOU CAN GET DOWN TO THE LAKE FROM THAT ROAD THRU THE PARK.I THINK THE ROAD IS CREST. I'VE SEEN SHANTYS ON BOTH SIDES, SO WHATEVER TURNS YOUR AUGER. MOST OF THE EYES I'VE CAUGHT HAVE BEEN IN THE 12-14 RANGE. I KEPT A COUPLE BUT LETTING THE REST GO TO GROW UP. GOOD LUCK!

Posted

Coming from Bloomington, don't go down to 42 on 35W........Big shopping day at Burnsville center.....too many lights between burnsville and Prior Lake anyway.

Take 169 South to County Road 18 (First exit after the Bloomington Ferry Bridge)

South on 18 (Up the hill) about 2 miles (Past Walmart/Sams Club (1st Light)) to the intersection with County Road 42 (2nd Light)

Go straight through this light and the road that you were on (County Road 18) turns into Crest Avenue.

Continue on Crest Avenue about 3 or 4 blocks and the entrance to the Sand Point Beach parking lot is on your left.

When you get in the lot, there is a walking trail to the beach that the DNR fences for driving. You can drive down this road to the beach and park on the beach. Most of the fisherman leave from the beach and walk about a quarter to a half mile East (Left when facing the lake from the beach). You'll see all the shacks.

Posted

anyone going to drive on the lake this weekend, I think she's ready to go..

Posted

I'll follow you !!

From a distance.

Posted

good lord I am not going to be driving across the lake. maybe drive along the shore line a bit, but only if I am 5 feet from shore smile.gif

I agree with wastewater on not taking 35 and 42. Bad day to be going that route.

I myself have had better luck with the crappies on glow demons and waxies. And the glow genz worm with waxies or euro larvae. Have had limited results with jiggin spoons, or plain minnow and hook but will pick an occasional eye or crappie up with them.

DP - you have a two way radio??? I'll be out there sometime Saturday.

Posted

I wouldn't try driving on Prior yet. I was on Upper Prior this morning and was only looking at 6 inches of ice at best. Half slush and half good ice. The lake was making ice up until noon when I left but I wouldn't drive out there unless your on an ATV, etc. Unless Lower Prior freezes faster. I caught 3 dink 'eyes, lost one good one at the hole and saw what I would guess to be crappies suspended 5ft. up, off the weedline. No takers from the suspended marks. I got there at 7:15 and drilled 15 holes. Bounced around going deeper as the sun came up. No action until I moved out to 20-22 ft.

Posted

heck i was out off the sandy point beach and drill out about 9" in the middle of lower..
the dnr says 8" for a light vechical..
how about those guys on 5" on sleds spinning on ice last week, did anyone catch a fish while they were spinning around?

Posted

so is the ice safe for an atv?

Posted

only safe if you are going slow to your fishing spot and then stopping to fish. If you are going to race around the lake, then no. I'd say it's not safe for that.

Posted

Thanks everyone for the info, it will really
help. Korn_fish, yes, my son has a two-way,
I'll bring it and might give you a hollar when I get on the ice.

Posted

I will be out here early Sat. morning and fishing until about 1-2. How is the morning bite?
I'll be parked at the sand beach lot...
Black jeep cherokee w/ fm sticker in back window.

John

------------------
[email protected]
My Hunting and Fishing page

[This message has been edited by big_fish_guy (edited 12-19-2003).]

Posted

dprose, big_fish_guy, mnstrider - I am packing my stuff up right now. I should be on prior in an hour or so.

Posted

THANKS AGAIN GUYS FOR ALL THE INFO, EXSPECIALLY THE DIRECTIONS, NOTHING WORST
THEN SITTING IN TRAFFIC THINKING FISHING!!
GUYS, I COULDN'T MAKE IT OUT TODAY, FORGOT ABOUT PRIOR COMMITMENTS, BUT.....I JUST TALKED MY BROTHER INTO GOING TOMORROW, EARLY MORNING,WE'LL BE IN THE GREY CELEBRITY,I KNOW...I KNOW....GETS ME TO WORK AND THE LAKES AND BACK, PLUS ITS PAID FOR.
I'LL BRING OUT MY TWO WAY AND SEE IF THERES
OTHER MEMBERS OUT THERE. MAYBE WE CAN SHARE SOME TIPS SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ON THE LAKE.
FYI....WAS TALKING TO A COUPLE GUYS TODAY WHILE GETTING MY SHELTER LICENSE AND THEY WERE HEADING OUT TO BUSCH LAKE(BLOOM)FOR SOME CRAPPIE AND NORTHERN ACTION. SEEMS THEY
HAVE HAD SOME GOOD LUCK WITH THE NORTHERN AND NICE SIZE CRAPPIES OUT OF THERE.

Posted

Just got back from prior. Nothing much happening tonight. mnstrider and I punched a lot of holes today searching some areas. Hit the shallows (9ft) for soem bluegills but they shut down about 4:30. did some additional searching about 6 but only marked a sporadic fish. drug my portable back over to sandpoint and a few lookers over there but still no bites.

Wastewater - i missed your call....after I got off the ice I was so tired from pulling that portable back from Koeps bay that I just headed home. How did you all do over your way this morning? I went over to your shak tonight....you guessed it, the wind is taking its toll again.

big fish guy and MN strider....good meeting you both today.

I probably will not be out again until later next week.


Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • smurfy
      😖🙃 pretty certain everyone else here isnt guessing Edwards lake...........goofball!!!!!!!🤣
    • Wanderer
      Up until April 24th? 😉
    • leech~~
      April 25th! DH'O
    • smurfy
      🤣 WELL.......LEECH...... since its free where's your name????????🙄
    • leech~~
      Dang, this is like a free meal on Lakestreet in Mpls.  I didn't know this many folks were still on the site until someone said "Free raffle drawing"  🤣 🤣 
    • SkunkedAgain
      Nah, I'm not changing my guess. It's more fun to make early predictions and see how far off I am.   I'll turn on the hair dryer and see if it helps.
    • JerkinLips
      Because I temporarily changed the rules, and smurfy was the 2nd person to wager a guess, I changed his prediction to April 25th.  Also, since SkunkedAgain was the originator of this competition and was the 1st person to guess, I will give him until Friday to change his prediction if he wants to (although he may regret if the ice goes out on April 18th).  After him, no more "changes" will be allowed on my board.   Lots of "good" open dates available for those that have not predicted yet.  Updated board below:  
    • SkunkedAgain
      https://www.timberjay.com/stories/moccasin-point-upgrade-has-longtime-users-concerned,22802   Moccasin Point upgrade has longtime users concerned DNR hopes to get major remake of key access underway later this year Posted Thursday, March 20, 2025 10:36 am   Marshall Helmberger LAKE VERMILION— With funding finally in place, the Department of Natural Resources is planning to move forward with an estimated $2-plus million renovation of the Moccasin Point landing, and users of the site say they’re concerned about the changes. The landing has been heavily used for decades by anglers, Boundary Waters visitors, residents of nearby islands and other remote-access properties on Lake Vermilion and, perhaps most critically, by emergency responders for everything from fire to medical response. Moccasin Point has also been a protected harbor for private barges loading and unloading as they service the many water-access properties in the area. Sarah Schmidt, who spends summers with her husband Jake at their cabin on nearby Pine Island, said there’s a lot at stake for people who depend on the landing. “A lot of people have designed their dream home around having access to that landing,” she said. “People need propane, they need lumber, and if they need to install a septic system, they need lots of gravel,” she said. For the many hundreds of island or other water-access property owners on the lake, all of that material comes by barge. Moccasin Point is particularly well suited for such use, since it is arguably the most protected harbor on Lake Vermilion, with islands and mainland protecting it from wind from just about any direction. It’s also centrally located on the sprawling lake and close to concentrations of island homes and cabins. Scott Kelling, northeast regional manager for DNR Parks and Trails, said the plans for the reconstruction of the landing are still being finalized, but insisted they will take into account the unique mix of recreational and commercial use of the landing, including use by all three of the barging companies that service customers on the lake. According to Kelling, the remake of the landing will include removal of the old pier and the reconstruction of a new one in nearly the same location. “The new pier will serve the same function,” said Kelling, and will include an additional ramp that will be dedicated for barge loading and off-loading. Kelling said an engineer’s inspection of the existing pier determined it was near the end of its useful life, although Schmidt said she thinks that opinion reflects the DNR’s desire to remove the structure rather than its actual condition. Kelling acknowledges that it’s not the only reason for replacing the structure. “With our redesign it’s just not in the right location,” he said. Adequate parking is another major concern of longtime users of Moccasin Point. Tim Logan, whose family has owned island property near the landing since the 1950s, said plans the DNR had shared a few years ago seemed to show less parking than is typically used at the site. Schmidt notes that during high-traffic weekends, the parking area is frequently full and overflow parking can extend for hundreds of feet along Moccasin Point Rd. She said she counted 163 vehicles parked at the landing at one point last Memorial Day weekend and said there are routinely 90-100 vehicles during the summer season. Many of the regular users of the landing, particularly those on island properties, use the site for long-term parking of their vehicles for days, weeks, or months at a time. That’s unusual at public landings, which are typically limited to day use. Kelling said the DNR is making an exception to that rule for Moccasin Point, given the many varied uses of the unique property. “Overnight parking will be allowed,” he said. Kelling said the current plan will allow parking for a bit over 100 vehicles, which is more than some original plans for the site. “We’re doing everything we can to maximize the parking there, at some considerable expense,” he said. Longstanding issues Kelling said the DNR’s plan for reconstruction is motivated by a desire to “manage the site more responsibly on a number of fronts.” The DNR acquired the site in 2008 and had planned to undertake reconstruction of the landing back in 2013 but lacked the funds at the time to accomplish the work. The funding was approved in 2023 and the DNR has been working on design of the project ever since. According to Kelling, the site has operated essentially as a “free-for-all” for years, with uses and resource impacts that aren’t typically permitted at DNR-managed access points. “There are currently a number of transgressions out there,” said Kelling, including long-term storage of personal property and building materials. He said the site, which slopes toward the lake, also contributes large amounts of sediment into Vermilion during heavy rainfall. “We need to better manage the stormwater,” said Kelling. “Currently, a lot of sediment and other things end up in the lake when it rains.” Schmidt questions whether the change will be an improvement, since the DNR’s reconstruction of the site will convert the existing grassy hillside that currently serves as the site’s parking lot into a paved parking area. Kelling said the parking area will be leveled before being paved and that stormwater will be directed into one of two planned stormwater ponds in order to contain sediment. Schmidt claims the ponds will become a mosquito breeding ground. Kelling said he expects the final design will be completed soon and he is expecting to hold an open house in early summer so interested users can see what’s planned for the site. He expects actual construction to begin sometime in October if all goes as planned. That initial work will include blasting of some underlying bedrock in order to level the site. But most of the work will take place in 2026, he said, and during that period, it may be difficult to maintain public use of the site, although he said use of the site by barges should still be possible, with potentially some minor delays. But he said other users of the site may want to explore other access options for that summer. Kelling said he hopes to have more information on that at the open house later this year. “A goal of the open house is to really share the timeline and alternatives for users,” he said. “They might need to park somewhere else in 2026.”
    • smurfy
      i wanna change mine to the 29th of april...........i've been seeing ice reports to much up that way. 🙄
    • leech~~
      Agreed, but I had a bit of a technicality and had to change.   You!  🤣
×
×
  • 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.