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2020 - Upper Red Lake Fishing Reports (URL)


Rick

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welcome, if we dont get any snow and the temps get a LOT colder i suppose it is possible, but very unlikely. seems like a good way to bring in the new year. have fun and be safe.

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The open areas are most likely from the ice sheet moving around due to the wind. I see that the opens areas that I saw out from the north shore few days ago are closed back up from the ice sheet drifting back with the SW winds.

Buddy is slowly working his way out with his road stakes and dragging the snow down but it is very slow progress.

As I was looking across the lake from the shoreline Shorty stopped by in his minivan and offered me a ride out there. grin For those of you that have not heard the story. It was when the crappie boom first started and I was marking a road out to the cribs from Hudec's for ATV's and snowmobiles. It was still thin ice and I was very nervous. Life jacket on, ice tongs around my neck, a chisel in one hand and a 15 foot wooden pole in the other hand with a 20 foot rope back to the plastic sled with the stakes. I was tiptoeing along the 2 1/2 miles out to the cribs with the chisel going through the ice in 2 blows someplaces swearing that I would never do this again. I hear a rumble behind me and when I look here comes Shorty in his minivan. shocked He drives past me on his way to the cribs where he fishes for 1/2 hour and then drives back past me towards shore. grin

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Kelly or Johnny - How many inches of ice before you feel comfortable putting your sleepers out? Coming up the 27th-30th and need to know how much ice to pray for!!!

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We like 16 to 18 inches before we start having people out on the lake overnight. Any less ice and any low front coming through or wind can crack up the ice and move the ice sheet around. Trying to drive across cracks with only 12 to 14 inches of ice scares the #$!! out of me. I think we will be in very good shape by X-Mass time the way the forecast looks.

I talked to Buddy this morning and he had 5 to 6 inches of ice at the last sandbar. 4 inches out to 2 miles and 2 inches beyond that. THere is a major crack at 2 miles and the ice sheet is still moving there.

I did get to see Buddy do some great acrobatics this morning. He wrecked his wheeler out there yesterday so I borrowed him mine and he is not too used to it. As I was watching him from shore with the glasses to make sure he was OK the drag caught a rough piece of ice and stopped him dead! Over the handle bars he went and was sent rolling across the ice. It was a good thing he had a helmet on because if he would have been knocked out or hurt it would have been tough to find anybody else crazy enough to go out there and rescue him. crazy

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That is good to hear... I meant that the ice is forming and the forecast looks good, not that Buddy took a spill. smile I have off from Christmas eve to January 2nd, and always plan a 3 day trip up there. 2 years ago, I brought my wife up. Last year I brought up my 6 year old son and a buddy. This year I am planning my wife, 7 year old son, and 5 year old son. A regular family vacation!!! God I love starting traditions...

All you guys up there, thanks for the ice reports. I know us guys down here post an abnormal amount of questions (some not so smart). But for me personally, it is my substitute for being there. I will be watching this forum religiously for the next 3 weeks, so thanks.

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luv2fish....there are plenty of lurkers here that are just watching the daily ice reports. Lots of us are getting excited to go out, nervous our trips will be impacted or a little bit of both.

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Chrismack... I know my weeks are getting boring when I look forward to going to the URL forum and seeing if there are any updates. It seems like the last 2 years it has always been iffy if I make it up there.

Funny story... 2 years ago we go up after Christmas. My wife and I had just bought my Ice-castle and this was my maiden voyage. I go out of Hillman's and had been reading all the reports. Everything looked fine to head up, trucks and wheelhouses were being let out that week. The whole drive up I am reassuring my wife that it is safe, and we will be fine (her first ice fishing trip). I was telling her that there are 15+ inches and all we really need is over 12". As I get up there and buy my road pass they comment that the road is in great shape, just check the depth as you go off the road. So we pick a path off the road, drive a little off and stop. I drill a hole, and think.... hmm that went through fast, I really like this Nils smile . I then proceed to check the depth and measured 12", tops... I think you could hear the puckering sound, cause my wife immediately knew I was nervous. Ended up fishing having a great trip, catching some fish, and having zero issues.

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kelly you said 4" of ice, so are they bitting yet?

As I said, FOUR INCHES of ice. This is URL not a little pond. FOUR INCHES is not very much when you are 1/2 mile or more from shore and a fish isn't worth drowning for. I haven't seen anybody out beyond the last sandbar except Buddy working on his road.

“proceed to check the depth and measured 12", tops... I think you could hear the puckering sound,”

I think it was back in 1986 or 87 when we had very thin ice and a bunch of snow cover so it would not freeze better. The only way to get roads made was to start from an established road with a V-Plow mounted on a very light vehicle and make a loop out into the undisturbed areas with the throttle wide open as fast as you could go blowing the snow cover away and when the ice broke under you the V-Plow would carry the vehicle until the vehicle crawled out onto good ice again and then go back to the established road. My Dad had our V-Plow on his little CJ 5 and Buddy had his “Bug” running then. One day as they were making another loop with both vehicles they realized that they had not broken through the ice for a few hundred feet so they thought that they were on good ice. They eased to a stop a 100 feet apart and got out to check the ice. When Dad got the chisel out of his Jeep he realized that his boot was untied so he stood the chisel up in the snow in front of the plow so he could tie his boot. The chisel never stopped, right to the bottom. That was a loud puckering sound too. Buddy finally sank his “Bug” that year.

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Ya Kelly, as I was typing my post I realized that you guys would laugh a bit at me (don't blame you). My only excuse is that I have only been ice fishing for 5 years, and that was my first time out with my new rig.... so nerves were SUPER high. And 12" made me scared...

On another note, I had the chance to meet you last winter Kelly. It was a pleasure talking to you for the few minutes on the ice road (and meeting your dog!). Thanks again for plowing us a spot that weekend. I will be up there with my 2 young boys, and wife on the 28th. Maybe I will run into you again. They still going to sell that barbecue at Hillmans? Might be a good getaway for my wife 1 night.

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This is what I posted just 2 1/2 hours ago.

Originally Posted By: goosehunter kelly you said 4" of ice, so are they bitting yet?

As I said, FOUR INCHES of ice. This is URL not a little pond. FOUR INCHES is not very much when you are 1/2 mile or more from shore and a fish isn't worth drowning for. I haven't seen anybody out beyond the last sandbar except Buddy working on his road.

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luv2fish....12 inches of ice would be a little scary but it depends on the ice everywhere else. I am hoping for 16 or 17 inches of ice for my trip in Jan. If the snow stays south and we get 2 weeks of cold it should be ok for 2010.

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anyone seeing 4wheelers out there yet? planning to come up this weekend and can handle the walk but a ride would be nice. smile

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At 2:00 PM this afternoon the only people I could see on the lake were Buddy working on his road and Jon fishing north of the mouth of the river. Buddy has tiptoed his way out to 4 miles now with 4 to 5 inches most places but one area was less then 3 inches. With the cold night we gained about 1 inch of ice which is good. If the ice freezes down to quick, like 3/4 inches a night it gets what the oldtimers called “brittle ice”. It doesn’t flex any with weight on it but just breaks. The cold night also contracted the ice which caused some cracks to form. Jon took the snowmobile around the shoreline and spent the morning and early afternoon trying to walk out from the north shore. Every place he tried it was too dangerous. He ran into very thin ice, water on the ice and numerous cracks. One crack was about 10 feet wide with open water all the way across runs from the mouth of the river towards Gil-Bar. The north side of the lake always seems to have the worst ice and is the last part of the lake to get decent ice. It is my feeling that that is from water from the bog water seeping into the lake and small springs feeding warmer water from under the bog all along the north side. Jon was finally able to get out fishing north of the mouth of the river where he limited out on walleyes and threw 2 back that were too big for the slot. Nothing bit until sundown.

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4wheelers are venturing out to first break where there is around 6 inches. not sure what "break" you are referring to but from where I go the first break is only a quarter to half mile at best. check posts from battleriver1.....good source of info.... think I am walking this weekend just to be safe.

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I didn't talk to Buddy today but he said he had 5 inches there the day before yesterday. His road will have more ice then the area's around it due to him keeping the snow drug down where the road is. I will check with him tomorrow to see if he is letting wheelers and sleds out. Tonight is supposed to be -13 so that will make some ice, but, more cracks also.

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Everyone, be careful out there this weekend. 2 weeks ago we were in the 40's. a couple 16 inch walleyes are not worth going through. Maybe I am chicken but this weekend might be better to walk out there and then wait till next weekend to use the 4wheelers.

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I second that. Everyone be very carefull. This cold weather is making ice but more cracks also. DO NOT go blindly tearing across the lake. Slow and carefull. Hillman's and Westwind are letting wheelers and sleds out now. Talk to them before you go out for the latest info. Buddy is out working on his road but his Mom says he has marked out to 5 miles now. 5 to 6 inches of ice most places but some areas with only 3 to 4. If the marked road has orange/red markers across it it would be a good idea not to go beyond there as Buddy has found something that concerns him I see that Morts and Rogers have posted that they expect wheelers going out this weekend but again talk to them first. Be carefull everyone. Me, I'm staying right on shore unless we have to go try rescue someone.

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New to this site, thank everyone for the info and tips. I will be taking my first trip to the URL jan 7-9 and cant wait. Been spending money left and right for it lol. any tips on what to fish and lures and bait that works for you would be great. we are going out of rogers. Again thanks all for great posts.

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you should be saving money left and right instead of spending it. Make sure you have enough money to make it worth your while i.e. beverages, food, bait, tackle, gas, nice place to stay. Get yourself some red jigs then tip'em with fatheads to catch walleyes. Don't be afraid to move around a bit its a big lake and fish like to travel to find food. We would only sit in one place for an hour catch a few then move to a new spot.

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you should be saving money left and right instead of spending it. Make sure you have enough money to make it worth your while i.e. beverages, food, bait, tackle, gas, nice place to stay. Get yourself some red jigs then tip'em with fatheads to catch walleyes. Don't be afraid to move around a bit its a big lake and fish like to travel to find food. We would only sit in one place for an hour catch a few then move to a new spot.

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Buddy was out on the lake when I swung by Hillman's but Shorty says the road is staked out to 7 miles now. About 6 1/2 inches of ice.

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