Ely - Babbitt Fishing Reports - Lake Conditions Too.

[lakerunner]

I had my best day ever on Burntside on Saturday. I got a late start (I think I left GO's around 10:30). All of the usual spots had people on them so I headed off of the beaten path. I put 2 fish on the ice within one hour! Both fish came out of the same hole on a deadstick--I forgot my tip-up. The first one was 28" and it came off of a smelt that I had snagged while jigging. The second one was 25" and hit the smallest frozen cisco that I had. With both of them, the bait was right on bottom. As I didn't have my tipup, I just sent the bait to the bottom, let out a couple of more feet of line, and then propped up my extra jigging pole in the snow. I was actually able to see the second one, slowly nibble/pull away when my rod was slightly bobbing before he yanked it down. With both of the fish, I quickly saw them on my Zercom and then they took off, next thing I knew my deadstick was almost through the hole--it was about 20' away.

On a slightly different note, I have pictures that I would like to post and/or make into my avatar but I can't get them to load off of Facebook (eventhough Photobucket says that I can). Steve (or anyone else for that matter), can you give me a hand?

[Mike Stark]

nice work lakerunner...glad you got a couple nice fish! sorry cant help you with the pics...dont know anything about facebook.

foss should be able to help you out.

[leech~~]

I had my best day ever on Burntside on Saturday. I got a late start (I think I left GO's around 10:30). All of the usual spots had people on them so I headed off of the beaten path. I put 2 fish on the ice within one hour! Both fish came out of the same hole on a deadstick--I forgot my tip-up. The first one was 28" and it came off of a smelt that I had snagged while jigging. The second one was 25" and hit the smallest frozen cisco that I had. With both of them, the bait was right on bottom. As I didn't have my tipup, I just sent the bait to the bottom, let out a couple of more feet of line, and then propped up my extra jigging pole in the snow. I was actually able to see the second one, slowly nibble/pull away when my rod was slightly bobbing before he yanked it down. With both of the fish, I quickly saw them on my Zercom and then they took off, next thing I knew my deadstick was almost through the hole--it was about 20' away.

On a slightly different note, I have pictures that I would like to post and/or make into my avatar but I can't get them to load off of Facebook (eventhough Photobucket says that I can). Steve (or anyone else for that matter), can you give me a hand?

lakerunner, when you were fishing right on the bottom, did you have a jig on or just plan hook?

[Steve Foss]

Pat, great to see you rolled with the unexpected and put a couple fish on the ice in short order. Good one!

There's a thread stickied to the top of the Photography and Photo Sharing forum about how to post pics. You have to physically load them into Photobucket or a similar Web host site before you can post them here, but check out that thread. Should lead your right through it. As for transferring photos from Facebook to Photobucket, no idea. Never tried it. You may end up just loading them from your computer onto Photobucket.

I was out today with a husband/wife team. It was fairly slow, with only a few fish coming in, but they were all hot. Here's the best one of the day, a 30-inch 9 lb, 3 oz. Came from 35 FOW off a shore breakline.

You don't need a lot of fish to make a laker angler happy, as long as one or two are GOOD ones.

[lakerunner]

leech, I just tied one a smaller (I don't know the size though) circle hook and put a couple of splitshot on about 18" or so above it. The smelt was probably swimming a little but the cisco probably sat right on bottom.

All of my jigging was done 10-20 feet off of bottom. The fish that I did mark stayed though pretty close to bottom and weren't in the mood for chasing at all. And they didn't stay around long--maybe 30 sec or so.

Maybe it was skill, maybe it was luck, maybe it was cuz of all of the hours in the bank to the laker gods, but never the less; I said more than a few words of thanks to the great man upstairs.

[Great Outdoors]

Fished Burntside the last two mornings, two lakers.

A 5 pounder yesterday, a 7lb 2oz today.

Plenty of ice, but the slushy/icy mix on top was interesting.

Trucks should still be okay this weekend, just watch where you drive if going through any narrows.

Bring good rubber boots for the bash.

[leech~~]

leech, I just tied one a smaller (I don't know the size though) circle hook and put a couple of splitshot on about 18" or so above it. The smelt was probably swimming a little but the cisco probably sat right on bottom.

All of my jigging was done 10-20 feet off of bottom. The fish that I did mark stayed though pretty close to bottom and weren't in the mood for chasing at all. And they didn't stay around long--maybe 30 sec or so.

Maybe it was skill, maybe it was luck, maybe it was cuz of all of the hours in the bank to the laker gods, but never the less; I said more than a few words of thanks to the great man upstairs.

Lakerunner, thanks for the feedback. I've been thinking about the "just leave it lay on the bottom" thing and how to make it as inviting as possible for them without a lot of hardwear sticking out like bigjigs, or to big of hooks. Just a nice mouth full of meat to pick up and run with!

[DTro]

When I was up there the last time, I spoke with a local who told me that he and his buddy were out with a camera one day and tossing smelt on the bottom and watching the trout come by and swipe them up one by one.

[JerkinLips]

How much water is on top of the ice? What percentage of the ice is covered with water? The water always seems to disappear before the ice goes; it must drain back under the ice through openings since I can't believe that it would all evaporate.

[Steve Foss]

Check out the Burntside Bash thread on the BWCAW-Duluth board for a current water/snow/ice report.

[Great Outdoors]

You WILL have water on the ice Friday and Saturday, guaranteed!

Whatever snow is left has water underneath it.

ATV travel with chains will be fine, snowmobile travel?????????????

How much water will be determined by the amount of rain we receive!!!

Could be 2-6 inches, maybe more.

[chaffmj]

Go are you going to be around for the Bash? You are never in your shop or so it seems. I hope you are right about trucks and driving cause I don't have one of them fancy pope mobiles. Hope to se you.

[Steve Foss]

Mike, getting around on the ice with trucks should be no problem on Saturday. The issue is access, and whether Van Vac will be OK to access the lake with trucks. It's 6-5 right now and pick 'em. I think it might be OK, but if it's not, Wolf Lake Road and Passi Road accesses are in better shape than Van Vac.

[leech~~]

When I was up there the last time, I spoke with a local who told me that he and his buddy were out with a camera one day and tossing smelt on the bottom and watching the trout come by and swipe them up one by one.

I think we maybe on to something here, but wouldn't be able to try it out until next year the way things are melting down.

[Great Outdoors]

Mike,

I'll most likely be around early in the afternoon, stuck in the shop until then.

[Steve Foss]

The old-timers say laying a dead cisco/smelt on the bottom is the best way to catch a big laker. They are piscatorial vacuum cleaners. I haven't had luck with that yet (unless you count eelpout). All my tip-up fish have been suspended to varying degrees. But I keep trying!

[chaffmj]

Where can we get frozen ciscos or some other kind of bait this time of the year for B-side?

[Casey Sunsdahl]

Dave @ Vermilion Fuel and Food in Tower still has ciscoes and I think even a package of smelt yet..

[chaffmj]

Thanks Casey. Do you know how late they are open? I am headed up late tonight, might not get to Tower till after 10.

[Great Outdoors]

Mike,

We have ciscos. I should be there by 7-7:15 Friday morning.

[chaffmj]

Great GO! Ignore my other post in the B Bash thread then or post again there for others!

[Great Outdoors]

I posted this on the other thread, but I'll tke a spin on Burntside about 5 tonight, and give an ice/water/slush report.

[Crickschop04]

Will the cleaned smelt they sell down here in supermarkets work for lakers?

Maybe just fillet a side off to tip a jig?

[Great Outdoors]

I don't see why they wouldn't!

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Will the cleaned smelt they sell down here in supermarkets work for lakers?

Maybe just fillet a side off to tip a jig?

Something to consider though is that those smelt have been cleaned and rinsed of a lot of their oils and 'stink'.

They may work for ya, but I would think that same fish that are going to chomp on those would be aggressive fish and probably just as easily chomp on a bare jig.

Personally, I'd save your money!

[Redlantern]

Great Outdoors, which shop is yours? I might be heading up tomorrow for this bash and probably could use some fresh ciscoes. Mine have been in the freezer way too long.

[Mike Stark]

great outdoors shop is call great outdoors...it is right next to mikes liquor/front porch

[Steve Foss]

Crickschop, Bruledrifter is right. If Dave at Vermilion Fuel and Food in Tower is out of them when you drive through, you can get some frozen cisco here in Ely when you hit town. You can get them at Babe's Bait right at the western edge of town as you come in from Tower, at Blomberg's C-store a couple blocks past Babe's, at Great Outdoors about half way through town on your left, or at Lucky 7 C-store, a couple blocks past Great Outdoors on your right.

For today's ice/snow report, check out the Bside Bash Final Details thread over on the BWCAW-Duluth-North Shore forum.

[Great Outdoors]

The ice off the Van Vac landing isn't too wet, but the rest of the lake has a lot of water on the ice.

It's still navigable with a truck or ATV, but you'll get wet on an ATV, so wear some waterproof gear.

This was at 5 this afternoon.

[Redlantern]

Thanks Mike, sometimes the obvious eludes me.