Burntside Fishing/Conditions Report...(updated-3/30/09)

[218RIDERZ]

THANKS. I'VE LOST SO MANY FISH ON THE TIP-UP OVER THE YEARS AND NEVER WAS ABLE TO ICE ANY. NOW THIS YEAR I GOT ADDICTED TO LAKERS AND ICED MY FIRST TIP-UP FISH ! I HAD TO DO THE TROUT DANCE FOR THE TROUT GODS. IF YOU GUYS WOULD OF BEEN OUT THERE AROUND 11:30 YOU WOULD LAUGHED SEEING THE TROUT DANCE !

- SORRY FOR MY LOUD SLED.WE WERE GONNA TRY AND MOVE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF "DEAD RIVER" BUT WHEN WE GOT OVER THERE, THERE WAS AROUND 4-5 INCHES OF WATER AND THE ICE LOOKED QUESTIONALBLE.

[Mike Stark]

well this is what my rod looked like after i set the hook on a nice fish.

went to set the hook and crack...rod breaks into 4 peices...i grab the line and start to hand over hand the fish...i see it below the hole...looked real nice...then watched my jig pop out of its mouth. this fish was well over 10lbs. heck maybe it was 15lbs...it did shatter my rod.

had three other lookers. they would come up, take a look, and away they went.

no water left on the ice all firmed up. made for easy walkin.

G.O.,

you got any rods left? i need to pick up a new one.

[Great Outdoors]

Just a few, be there in the morning.

[Far-I]

Hey Steve, mike, G.O. or anyone, i still have yet to ice my first laker and have been focusing on streamers instead. i'm giving it another shot on saturday and am wondering if anyone would be so kind enough to leave me a msg with a tip on where to fish bside. i have a some ideas, but those haven't gotten me too far yet, [email protected] thanks in advance for any well wishes and/or advice.

[thedeadsea]

Mike, you need to get one of those pool cue rods when you are chasing lakers! That one had to get your blood going!

Steve

[Steve Foss]

Far-I:

I've been avoiding fishing Bside most weekends this season, but may be fishing Monday and/or Tuesday (walking out). Just depends on a few different things.

Shoot me an e-mail if you'd like and if you're free one of those two days and we can figure some things out. Mstark might even like to join in. Old guy like me's gotta bring a young man along to drill 4,984,559 holes (oh, um, I mean 22 holes).

E-mail's always in my sig below.

FWIW, I've probably landed 30 trout (some big) since 2003 on the model of HT Polar Lites series rod that blew up on Mike and has blown up on others, and I'm wondering how many of you guys rip the Roland Martin hookset and yell: SON!

Sharp hooks and a sharp tug are all it takes. The laker does the rest. I've seen $80 custom built laker rods blow up on the hookset too.

[Surface Tension]

Broken rods, if you keep within the 90+ degree angle line to rod relationship a rod won't likely break. That will allow the rod to bend as it was intended. The nature of making a laker chase sometimes puts your rod position in an awkward angle. Horizontal is fine, when you start lifting the tip then set a hook, the rod is being compressed. That'll shatter a graphite rod. Best way to avoid that is keep the rod tip down and reel up when making a lure flee instead of lifting your rod.

[Great Outdoors]

Far-I,

Stop in the shop anytime until 4 today, and we can figure something out for you.

[Mike Stark]

i dont think i set it any harder than i ever do. he just came up smacked it and i raised it up. im going with this fish was just so big that when i set the hook my rod shattered

im heading out again today. going to check out a couple other spots in that area. i would be up for drillin a few holes with you sometime steve and far 1.

[email protected]

[Mike Stark]

GO,

ill be in the shop soon...you there?

[218RIDERZ]

MON OR TUES ? I THOUGHT LAKER SEASON ENDS ON THE 28TH ?

[Rymann]

Hey guys!!

It's been awhile since I have been on and posted. I see you guys have been doing alright and landing some fish! i have only made it out about 4 times in the last 2 weeks, by no means have I been hitting it hard like i intended to do but hey I am still trying some. I have been doing better each time I am out and have had some on and lost a couple at the whole, I guess I am just paying those laker gods you guys speak of. Myabe one of these days I will hit pay dirt. Just wanted to drop by and see how it's going, safe travels it's slippery out!!

[Leaddog]

Nope, ends on the 31st.

...on another lake this winter had one hit a spoon breaking the rod between my hand and reel. Caught many on it before that one hit, hands were low at the time. Had a firm grip on the handle felt the hit started raise to set the hook and found myself holding just the reel by its handle (still attached to the rest of the rod) and rod handle still in my right hand. Stunned, I realized what happened, grabbed the slack line way to late to still feel the fish.

...at least you got a glimse!

[Mike Stark]

was back at it again today...10-4...no broken rods and no lakers...missed a nice fish tho....it hit hard, i lifted the rod, the rod bent in half, and the jig popped out. i changed out to a different jig head after that. there is really no doubt in my mind that this was another nice fish. there was a lot of weight on the other end when i lifted my pole up.

only four days left.

[Mike Stark]

i did find a sink hole or drain hole...it was about the size of a 4wheeler...look out for em....lots of ice around it tho. ice still looks good. some areas are cloudy and others are clear...it changes from hole to hole. nice dusting of snow on the ice but still kinda slick in areas.

[Mike Stark]

The rod is 34in long.

The fish was ready to go.

fished for 10hours today. paid off. lost one 6-7lber at the hole and landed this brute. 32in and fat. im thinking around 13lbs. i missed it the first time it hit...but when i put the bait back down he came crusing up for it and with no hesitation BAM. this fish did not want to come up the hole....seemed like it took forever. most likely my last FULL day of laker fishing...ill be out tomorrow but if its going to be a blizzard i may not last another 10hours.

[chaffmj]

Nice fish man! Thanks for the pics.

[Great Outdoors]

mstark83,

A real beauty, keep this up and you'll have your own fishing show!

What time did you catch it??

[Mike Stark]

3pm....the one that got off at the hole was around noon.

o yeah and i iced a 5lb pike around 6pm on the tip up. too bad the season is closed...would have been good eating

[Steve Foss]

Great job, Mike. Looks like you're on a consistent pattern.

[Leaddog]

Mike,

Nice fish! Sure was dreamin of lakers last weekend, the season was done then for me (4 long weekends can't complain.) But, heard a turkey gobble so I'll get over it. Seeing how your season has gone, guess I'll need to walk the auger over next time, gather a few tips firsthand. Thanks for tips you sent.

Get out there today, ice one for those of us stuck far away at work.

"I've finally decided my future lies beyond the BROWN brick road." Unknown Musher (sorry Steve)

[Steve Foss]

Well, dogs leave YELLOW roads too, buddy.

[Lee Lane]

Nice fish Mike!! wish it wasnt a [poor word usage] blizzard outside ..id be driving up there! This weathers been a JOKE.

[Leaddog]

That's true.

Just checking if you were paying attention.

[Wanderer]

Nice end to the season Mike!!!!

[Lee Lane]

Mike, are you laker fishing out of a 8inch hole? I personally know of a 15lber that came up an 8inch hole but [PoorWordUsage] that would hurt if ya got one that wouldnt fit.

[thedeadsea]

Way to go Mike!

[pauljpollock]

Nice lakers Mike! I haven't been on this forum in a while, but it appears you've found a good pattern....very good! Congratulations on a great end of the season...Now you're just as hooked as the fish you caught!

Paul.

[mikesdad]

well it's been fun lurking in the dark all year! I'm Mikes dad and i live in southern Illinois. I can't tell you all how great it has been reading your blog or what ever it is. I got a chance to come up and caught a nice laker on trout. Mike is my youngest and I wish him the best. It's good to know he lives in such a freindly world where you all do your best to help. that is of course without giving up too much. i will be up again in late may with mom and the rest of the fam. i love your place. take good care and keep fishing. mikesdad .ps if i knew how to post pictures i would post the smallest ever caught laker on burnside. i told mike mike it takes skill to catch the little ones. i would of course rather have the luck it takes to get the 13lb'rs.good luck with your turkey and what ever you up to.thanks for the conversation.

[Mike Stark]

thanks everyone for the congrats. i feel very lucky to have ended the season the way i did. i spent many long days on burntside catching nothing. day after day. but this last week has been some unbelievable laker fishing.

yeah lee...that is an 8in hole. iv thought about drilling multiple holes together but if i did that i would run through a tank of gas everytime I was out. i have heard though that Surface Tension got a 28lber through a 8in hole.

i went out one last time today. had one looker and missed a fish. the fish came in on the vex and gave the big plastic minow a bump then went away. i sent down a smaller spoon to see if that would get em going but the laker was no where to be seen. so i send back down my big plastic. as its going down the hole i see some flashing red bars going up the vex. at the time i thought that my vex was doing strange things...it does that sometimes. so i close the bail and start to real up...im not feeling the weight of the lure..strange...then i real up enough to feel the fish and try to set the hook...nothin. the strange red flashing bars on the vex was a nice laker screaming up from the bottom to eat up my plastic on the drop. i have never seen a fish move so fast on the vex. it came up to about 3feet under the ice. that was my one chance. o well. cant complain. im lucky to have caught the fish i have.

thanks to the folks who helped me out this winter. Great Outdoors, Steve Foss, and a special thanks to Lee Lane.

today was the last day of ice fishin for me this winter. heading to denver for a week to hang out with an old friend then off to illinios to visit family and friends. i hope that the ice is not safe enough to fish when i get back at the end of april. laker season is over.....come on open water!!