Ely - Babbitt Fishing Reports - Lake Conditions Too.

[Steve Foss]

Mike, thanks for the added detail. I knew what you meant but wanted to make sure others understood as well.

Does your flasher have dual beam capability? Not sure how that works. Do you get a switch included with a dual beam ducer, or does it have to already be part of the existing flasher unit?

[Mike Stark]

i think it comes with a switch....im saying that because the picutre of the dual on vexilars site has a switch in it...i think you just bolt the switch to the case and your good to go.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, Mike.

[caseymcq]

How is driving around after the latest snowfall? Still good to go with 4x4's?

[Great Outdoors]

It's not too bad if you take it slow, but bring a shovel just in case.

If we get a 4-6 inch snowfall in the near future, a 4x4 pickup will have some problems getting around.

[Mike Stark]

made it out again today...skunked again.....well lakers at least...caught one pike...yep foss...a pike...you were some what right about the pike...i still have no doubt in my mind that most of the fish im marking are big lakers...know i realize that some may be pike...this pike came in a smashed it...the others i marked today came in and played a little cat n mouse with me...a couple even gave me a little nibble. fished from 11am to 6pm. run n gun all day. targeting BIG fish. fished 6 differnt spots. had one flag..but the rainbow got dropped...marked a few others...they were tight lipped. beautiful day on the ice...fished out of the back of my explorer with NO gloves...it was nice.

driving was fine...no issues in my explorer.

[Steve Foss]

made it out again today...skunked again.....well lakers at least...caught one pike...yep foss...a pike...you were some what right about the pike...i still have no doubt in my mind that most of the fish im marking are big lakers...

Well, I have a lot of doubts in my mind. There are good numbers of pike in shallow water on Bside. Unless one sight fishes in shallow water and sees that the big red bands on the Vex are lakers, well, one is just guessing that they are lakers. On the 20-foot scale on the electronics, EVERY decent fish looks really big. Ya gotta see it with your eyes to know it.

I may be picking up an underwater camera in the near future. If I do, we'll see how many of these big red shallow bands on the Vex are lakers and how many are pike.

[Mike Stark]

ok....they are all pike... more for the rest of us.

[Steve Foss]

I have no doubt some are lakers some of the time, because we catch lakers in shallow water some of the time. I just am not ballsy enough to assume MOST of the shallow big red bands I see on the Vex are lakers when there are nice pike in the neighborhood.

[Mike Stark]

you have your ways and i have my ways ....its all just fishin.

[Steve Foss]

Excellent point, Mike.

[caseymcq]

you have your ways and i have my ways ....its all just fishin.

Sounds like a country western song

[Mike Stark]

maybe im spending all my time doing the wrong thing

[caseymcq]

Could be a sideline of work to support your other habits.

If any of you trout slayers are out there today maybe I will see you.

[Mike Stark]

i have to work today. hopefully i can get out on sat/sun.

[lakerunner]

I have picked up some very nice pike on the reef that is on the northerly end of Van Vac landing--heading towards Blueberry (I believe). Last year during the bash, a friend and I setup over that why--we used the camera to look onto the top of that reef and were suprised to see slimers munching down perch. No lakers that day but several very nice pike.

[Steve Foss]

I'll have a camera next week and am going to start exploring with it on Bisde. It'll be a lot of fun looking those fish in the eye! Actually, I'm a lot more interested in scoping out the bottom materials/contours of my usual haunts. I know lakers eat/live over all bottom types on Bside, since I've caught them over a wide variety of bottoms, but it'll be nice to get closer look. May be able to fine tune a few things further.

[caseymcq]

We spent half a day out on the lake Friday and a better part of the day today. My buddy had the line on his tip-up bit off twice. I caught one that was about 19". It was a stocked fish. Agressive little bugger.

[Mike Stark]

i got one 12iner today and one other looker...SLOW day.

[ripstick]

I wonder how deep a carmera would work on the lake. Ihave found you start getting in to the 30' range not much light. With that kake being clearer than most who knows. Good luck steve and let know how you did.

[caseymcq]

Depending on light (sunny / cloudy) and snow on the ice I have had fairly good luck with my camera. With ideal conditions I have had good pictures down 50+ feet.

[finnbay]

I agree. I've had a cheap camera on Burntside down 50 feet in the winter and could see rock formations. No fish came by, but the rubble and boulders within a few feet of the camera showed up fairly well.

[Mike Stark]

spent a few hours at a proven spot today...didnt even mark a fish.

[caseymcq]

It's not too bad if you take it slow, but bring a shovel just in case.If we get a 4-6 inch snowfall in the near future, a 4x4 pickup will have some problems getting around.

G.O. meant to say if you are driving a Dodge have a shovel and you may have some problems getting around.

Maki - I was out Friday and Saturday. The GMC went anywhere and everywhere I wanted it to with no problems. I was off the plowed roads AND I even caught a trout, so no skunked season for me.

[Mike Stark]

there are some deeper drifts now. it was tougher on the explorer today but still doable.

[Great Outdoors]

Good job, Casey, and you don't have to thank me for plowing a road so the GMC could get through.

I also stuck around to be sure you made it out, since I left almost an inch of snow on the road and figured you may need a tow!

Did you catch the fish where we talked abut in the shop????

[Steve Foss]

Good job, Casey, and you don't have to thank me for plowing a road so the GMC could get through.

I also stuck around to be sure you made it out, since I left almost an inch of snow on the road and figured you may need a tow!

Did you catch the fish where we talked abut in the shop????

And the Irish/Finn GMC/Dodge smackdown continues!

[caseymcq]

I stuck to one of the spots you had showed me earlier, a place I have affectionately dubbed Maki Reef (since it has no name on any map I have ever seen). I wanted to stick to a proven spot to make sure I didn't go through another season fishless.

[Steve Foss]

I stuck to one of the spots you had showed me earlier, a place I have affectionately dubbed Maki Reef (since it has no name on any map I have ever seen). I wanted to stick to a proven spot to make sure I didn't go through another season fishless.

Leave it to Maki to put you on a spot that is proven to land 19 inch lakers. I think you and I need a day out on the lake together, Irishman. We have a lot to catch up on anyway. Call it a mandate.

P.S. -- In your avatar, why is your crotch all black?

[caseymcq]

Leave it to Maki to put you on a spot that is proven to land 19 inch lakers.

I think you and I need a day out on the lake together, Irishman. Call it a mandate.

Better landing 19 inch lakers than no lakers. I am a novice laker fisherman... I'll take what I can get. I have a good bit more time to put in before I am into the same league as you big-tine laker guys.

And thank you... the "mandate" bit made me laugh out loud. I would definitely be up for fishing with you. I always have a good time. Let me find some time I can shoot for taking a day off in the middle of the week and I will have my people call your people.