Ely - Babbitt Fishing Reports - Lake Conditions Too.

[leech~~]

Looks like you guys did good this weekend.

What Suits are you "twins" wearing?

[Wanderer]

Thanks guys; hopefully you get some days in this winter too.

Striker Lites are the suits.

Spending half the day open holing it in single digit temps is about the breakpoint to me for going one more step warmer in the Striker line of suits. Otherwise riding the sled and being in and out of the house it does the job fine in near zero temps.

With the passing of the front today the fish changed their mood quite a bit. Lots of lookers but no biters for us. Not surprised. Maybe I should've stopped and got some live bait for today.

[Steve Foss]

Sunday was tougher, as expected for the day after a front moves through. I ended up with two fish, a 3 and a 5, both on live bait set rigs. Had one really heavy fish show up on the Vex 5 feet below the ice. Reeled up to it, it hit, I set the hook into what felt like a rock, and three seconds later the fish was off.

I've worn my Striker LITE suit in below zero temps out in the open in total comfort, even with some wind. It's roomy enough that I can layer properly, unlike the last suit I had, and when things get really extreme the heavier Striker suit is the warmest I've ever worn. I've had the heavier suit out in -20 with breeze and it is an excellent performer.

[Gunflint Guy]

Sunday was tougher, as expected for the day after a front moves through. I ended up with two fish, a 3 and a 5, both on live bait set rigs. Had one really heavy fish show up on the Vex 5 feet below the ice. Reeled up to it, it hit, I set the hook into what felt like a rock, and three seconds later the fish was off.

I've worn my Striker LITE suit in below zero temps out in the open in total comfort, even with some wind. It's roomy enough that I can layer properly, unlike the last suit I had, and when things get really extreme the heavier Striker suit is the warmest I've ever worn. I've had the heavier suit out in -20 with breeze and it is an excellent performer.

Steve, I noticed in some of your photos that you use the type of tip-up that allows you to use a rod and reel with it. It appears you use both the HT Enterprises Ice Rigger and the Clam Arctic Warrior. Do you have a preference for either, any thoughts on which one I should purchase?

Thanks...you can PM if you don't want to publicly say anything.

[Steve Foss]

GG, I just this year started transitioning away from tip-ups into standard baitcasting live/dead bait rigs with flag assist.

Why? Well, my fingers get colder than they used to when I was a younger man, and many of my clients don't know much about tip-ups, so there was a pretty steep learning curve for them. Not so with rod/reel rigs.

I like the Arctic Warriors. They are metal construction and built to last. I also like the HT you mentioned. I'd suggest you buy one of both and see which you prefer. Each seems to have advantages and disadvantages. If you buy one of each and experiment, you'll not be out much $, and it'll be easy for you to figure out which you prefer. In my case, I have to decide which I like best and than buy about six of them, so the $ outlay is higher. Still not sure which I like best.

[chaffmj]

I have never liked using a tip-up just because I would rather fight the fish with a rod instead of my hands. It just seemed more fun to me. I would use them when I wanted to be spread out. Now thanks to you gentlemen I can have my cake and eat it too. Living and learning.

[Steve Foss]

Mike, here's a look at the Arctic Warrior setup. The hole cover is important, for obvious reasons. There are other tip-up/rod-reel combo aids that are hard plastic and cover the hole, similar to thermal tip-ups, but if memory serves they are a bit pricy, and I already had 10 hole covers for my tip-ups.

The Arctic Warrior requires you to velcro strap on a bracket that fits on the AW frame and allows the rod to pivot. The HT does not. I didn't take a closeup shot of the HT Tracy was using on opener, but it's visible in one of the pics of him.

The thing I like best about the AW is the rugged metal construction and durability. The thing I like best about the HTs is that you don't need to make any addition to the rod/reel combo. With the baitcaster in freespool, you just bring the line between the reel and first rod guide down to a little plastic pincher, and the deeper you put it in the pincher the harder the tug it takes to release.

The AW flag has a hook on the tip of the flag wire that fits in a slot on the metal bracket you mount on the rod. With the baitcaster in freespool and with the rod able to pivot, the rod will drop a foot or so when the fish takes the bait, and that releases the flag.

I think I'll prefer the HT because of the lack of setup required, and will take care when storing/moving/handling not to be too rough on them. But I'll continue to use the two AWs I've got, as well.

Who knows, in the end I may be selling 14 tip-ups.

[chaffmj]

Thanks Steve that was very helpful. Is there a date for the B-side bash yet?

[Xplorer]

Picked up an AW yesterday....really like the way it sets up pretty easily. As long as you balance the outfit your going to be using it with before hand it makes it pretty easy. Now I just have to get up to Bside to field test it

PS:Have it setup with my one and only JM laker rod and ambassadeur (sp) 5500. It will take some kind of peformance to get me to abandon my Beaver Dam tho

[Steve Foss]

Thanks Steve that was very helpful. Is there a date for the B-side bash yet?

[Gunflint Guy]

Thanks for the info...much obliged.

[Mike Stark]

i fish pro tip ups are pretty slick too. one downfall is that they are bulky. i caught the laker in my avatar using one.

[Tullibee]

Hey Steve,

Doesn't that baitcaster get a nasty backlash when the fish is taking line?

[Steve Foss]

Hey Steve,

Doesn't that baitcaster get a nasty backlash when the fish is taking line?

Not if the spool is set to the correct tension. Just enough tension to prevent an overrun, not enough so the fish feels much weight.

[chris63]

Steve,careful with those background island shots...........we'll be fishing your "hotspots" in no time.Thanks for all your pictures and endless knowledge you contribute to this site!!!!!!!!!!!c63

[leech~~]

Steve,careful with those background island shots...........we'll be fishing your "hotspots" in no time.Thanks for all your pictures and endless knowledge you contribute to this site!!!!!!!!!!!c63

Hey he's smarter then that! I'm sure he just stopped to take the picture because the lighting was good there for the shot!

[Barack]

Fished burntside Saturday got 4 fish from 11-12 in 27 fow. Was fishing a step drop that goes from 20-80 really quick like. All fish caught on a tiny bead headed nypmh fly with 4 pound test. Site fished Pike in the afternoon over a huge boulder got a few nice ones, now to find moms pickled nordern recipe. Fished slowbank today missed about 10 flags managed 2 nice 4-5 pounders on my favorite luhr jensen red polka dot jig.

[walleyemaster08]

I was just wondering how to get in to twin lakes off of burnside. Do you have to take the river all the way up? Lastly how's the crappie fishing in there? Thanks for any info!

[Steve Foss]

Crappies are OK on East Twin, not as much on West Twin. Size isn't too big, but big enough to eat for sure. I know of no way to get there other than up the Dead River from Burntside or back down to it off the Echo Trail. It's part of the staked snowmobile route. Nowhere I know of to park where the snowmobile trail crosses the Echo.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

I think there's a small spot off the trail by Everett, no?

[finnbay]

Yes.

[Steve Foss]

I think there's a small spot off the trail by Everett, no?

Oh yeah, you are right! One car/truck?

[finnbay]

That's about the size. Very small.

[Improvedarock]

Crappies are starting to turn on big time. Had 34 inches this morning where I was fishing with snow falling.

[finnbay]

Ice is starting to break away from the shoreline. Things happen fast after that.

[cjromano]

Hello all -

Going to be on Birch next week for 5 days. Seems like ice is out - although I don't know for sure. Anyone been by to see?

Any recommendations for early season patterns? I'll post a report once I get back. Thanks.

[finnbay]

Ice went out yesterday. Spend time where the rivers come in - Birch River, Dunka and Stony.

[cjromano]

Thanks finnbay. Seems to me like those areas get a lot of fishing attention. Was on the lake for a week last year same time and did really well on some of the mainlake points. Shallower than you would think. But water will be colder this year.

[Hartley]

Hey Finnbay, was that you that I ran into on the trails near by the Plantation ski trail on May 13th? I was on a mountain bike.

[finnbay]

Yep, that was me! Did the camera give me away?