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

[Wanderer]

Funny.

If indeed that is the spot (looked like it to me too), that's where I was thinking of taking you (Darrin) and your Dad during the Bash if you hadn't already picked a spot.

[fishnhuntnboy]

Definatly not by blueberry island. I was far from it. I have yet to fish blueberry island and have never fished it. I thought about it but never been there or where to go. Maybe i outa try it?

[Wanderer]

Well geez, it looks just like it. I mean with the rocks and trees and maybe a cabin. How many places like that could be on one lake????

Keep finding those spots dude!

[fishnhuntnboy]

haha yea really. you could prolly really mess up some people if ya say yea its the cabin with rocks and trees lol.

Yea will be try a couple new spots all this week. Going to try and be out everyday hopefully.

[pauljpollock]

fishnhuntnboy,

Congrats to your buddy on a his laker! Keep on pluggin' Yours is coming.

[gritsnham]

Nice fish I gotta finally make it back up there since 1 laker was all it took to get me hooked. Hopefully sometime in the next week or so.

How is the travel as far as driving out right now??

[Great Outdoors]

Darrrin,

These guys have no clue where you are fishing!!

Don't give them any!

Make them stay awake nights!!!!!!!

[fishnhuntnboy]

Oh i wont give it away Jim. No worries.

Gritsnham..travel is just fine. You can go anywhere in a truck. The snow is only like 5-6 inches deep with about 20in of ice everywhere i have been....hey were you and your dad the ones my dad and i talked to at the bash early in the morning???

[Steve Foss]

Darrin, cool that it's not Blueberry, which is a very well known and popular area to fish. For every well known laker spot there are 20 that aren't broadcast. Sooo much great laker water on Bside, sooo little time.

[chad stromlund]

Went out for a couple hours after school last night. Lost one fish half way up, and iced a 21 incher at about 5:45. I was only out for two and a half hours. Pretty good action in a short time. Anyone else having any luck?

[thedeadsea]

Anybody going to Burntside tomorrow? Thinking I might go up there. Was considering Trout but with the downgrade in the forecast I would rather be able to drive right out in the comfort of my vehicle.

Steve

[Steve Foss]

Five guys fishing, four flags, three fish, two on tip-ups and one on jigging rod. A slow day, one of those times fish weren't moving much and the subtle presentation of tip-ups carried what load there was. We had a few lookers on the graphs with the jigging lures, including one pretty aggressive fish, but only the one taker. Fish were 5 lbs, 3 lbs and a dink, all stockers with clipped fins.

It ended up being a very pretty sunny (if cold) day out there in God's country. Thank God the wind stayed light at -20 this morning. Tomorrow it's supposed to be -20 as well with stronger winds. C'mon March!

[fishnhuntnboy]

sounds like a good day there steve...it was a beautiful day to be out fishing. it would have been better if i caught a fish but oh well...thats when you switch to the beer! lol

[thedeadsea]

Steve F,

Where were you at today? I was out from Van Vac in a black portable.

I had one strong bite on a shiner and it dropped it before I could set the hook. I left at 2:30 though as I went out crappie fishing on Vermilion (where the fish were biting).

Steve

[Steve Foss]

We were over near Miller/Lockhart islands.

[caseymcq]

Any idea or estimation how thick the ice was/is? How was driving?

Did you hear me give you a beep when you were headed into the gas station Friday morning?

[218RIDERZ]

TRYED BURNTSIDE BUT ENDED UP GETTING LOST AND DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO FISH.ENDED UP GETTING 1 LAKER

[Steve Foss]

Nice fish, 218!

Casey, I didn't recognize you, but did hear the beep and see the truck. We had about two feet of ice, and there was about 8 inches of snow on it. Driving was easy.

[KG243]

I might be making a trip up to Burntside around March 18th. What are present lake conditions as far as ice thickness? Can you get around in fourwheel drive ok? How is the lake trout fishng that time of year? Any help is great!

[Wanderer]

KG,

According to Steve's post, currently there is about 24 inches of ice with 8 inches of snow on top. If your 4x4 can go through as much or more than a Toyota 4 Runner - you're good to go.

We're thinking of being up there March 21st and plan to keep checking the conditions on the forum here.

With that said, I don't expect to have issues with ice travel at that time. But you don't know until just before.

And I sure HOPE the lakers will be biting!!!

[thedeadsea]

I had about 18" of good ice out from the landing near the fish houses straight out from the landing. As others posted you can drive almost anywhere provided there aren't deeper drifts and we don't get any snow between now and then.

Steve

[Rymann]

Sound like you guys have had a bit of luck latley, good for you guys! Nice fish 218. We went out today on the south end of Blueberry, had a couple thumps but nothing would commit. Got one Eelpout as we started to pack up. Got out at about 130 and left about 6ish. Anyone know how safe the driving is out that way, I wanted to off to the north end of Blueberry tomorrow, but Doesn't look like anyone has drivin around that area. This was me and my buddies first time out for lakers by the way!

[KG243]

Thanks, I am just getting into this laker fishing, and this is kinda of a spur of the moment trip. It will be my spring break! I need to make sure my new jason mitchell trout rod works good!

[Steve Foss]

I wanted to off to the north end of Blueberry tomorrow, but Doesn't look like anyone has drivin around that area.

Rymann, I've driven through the gap between the north end of Blueberry and Ripple islands four times in the last week, as recently as Friday. It's as good there as anywhere for trucks. I'm sure my tracks are still there since we haven't had any snow or strong wind over the weekend.

[Rymann]

I did see your tracks out there and followed them for awhile on the sled. Thanks Steve. I am going to go out again today after class, thinking about trying a new spot, heard they are doing decent up by the north arm of the lake. Sorry if I don't know my areas well I am new to this lake.

[Steve Foss]

Ryan, if you get addicted to laker fishing and start exploring, you will find lots of good spots in a hurry!

Other than the huge map you can buy through the Minnesota Bookstore in Mpls, the best map you'll find of Bside is the one in the Sportsmans Connection book of maps for St. Louis County. They're $25 at Holiday.

Look for humps near deep water, main lake points that slope into deep water and narrow areas between islands or islands/shore that remain fairly deep. The aforementioned spot between Blueberry and Ripple is one such deep narrows, and there are many others on Bside. My spots tend to range from 35 to 55 feet deep.

The fact that some people have been doing well up by/on the North Arm doesn't mean the North Arm is "the" place to be or that there's a hot bite there, simply that they were on a good spot when the fish got active. There's so much structure on the lake that's not even on the giant 6-foot map that people who have been fishing it for decades still stumble across unmarked humps, reefs and points.

[Casey Sunsdahl]

can i find that bookstore on line like to buy a map if its ne good.. all i have is the small white plastic one

[Mike Stark]

yeah the bookstore is online...just google it..i got a map from them earlier in the year

[KG243]

What jigs have been working up there this time of year?

[Steve Foss]

What jigs have been working up there this time of year?

KG, it's no different in March than it is in January or February. There's a whole gamut of typical lures that produce when fishing Bside lakers. Common lures include Jigging Raps, Chubby Darters, airplane jigs, smaller tube jigs (bass sized) and the whole variety of jigging spoons like Swedish Pimples, Buckshot Rattle Spoons and Slender Spoons. Typical walleye sizes tend to work well on Bside.