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Portavilla Report


Portavilla

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A few cheers in the camp today the guys way out did better and in 8' we did good also. We picked up half the camp and spread them out over a mile and we will see how it goes. Tried to get some guys to fish them last night but the group was three sheets to the wind and no one fished them last night or in the morning finally rallied the troops for the day bite. It went well and we pick some more up tomorrow.

What does not make sense to me is we have a lot of bait fish under us but not a Walleye to be found, so today we just spun a beer bottle on the road and it proved to be the most effective method so far. We went places that made no sense and found good fishing. We tried interrogating a couple of Walleyes for nearly an hour but they wouldn't break not a word, just glassy eyes and blank faces.

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We went up tues the fourth did not mark a fish out of the house went mobile hit some spots in 15 to 17 fow got limits each day with some perch mixed in did not make it to the center bar. Gold and loud was the lure of choice the fish liked it moving fast hitting hard had action all day thanks portaville for the nice clean and warm shack we will be back soon.

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We have finally broke the chain and are setting houses in some of our favorite spots about 3 miles out and the fishing there has been very good. I am now in range of our normal homeland and something worthy of planting the flag. The guys were busy icing Walleyes and we are busy moving. For the first time in awhile it was all cheers and no tears, regardless there is always beers.

Tomorrow we will be popping up houses and trying to beat the exodus from shore. Durning the exodus we have been base camping some and spreading out other and fishing in rotations until we can get everyone set. I was going to try to get my 3rd shower in but it will have to wait.

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How thick is the ice three miles out from rogers? Is it basically a well when you pop a hole or not flooding too bad after the cold??

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Where we are there is good ice and you have to cross some questionable areas but by the weekend the road will be in good shape. You just can't take off blindly where ever there is deep snow most likely the ice is thinner. We are dealing with the same flooding issues we had in by shore just catching a lot more fish and not hugging the trees.

We let it flood, freeze, plow off the snow and hike up the houses. We then bank up the snow where we want it to break and back off the trucks and it raises the houses up. Same stuff as every other area we will be in this year. If you are coming up with a wheelhouse you most likely will have to get a spot plowed. The sport has changed from tennis shoes to boots.

The road goes three miles out not three miles from the the access along shore this is an area we have always done well on. What we were getting in our best houses in a week we are now getting in a evening. More work but worth it.

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Thanks for the information. I guess I will be bringing the blocks again to keep from freezing down too bad.

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PORTAVILLA - Do you guys rent 6 man sleepers?? My friend says a group of six of us will be staying with you sun-tuesday. Im assuming we will just have two houses.

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We do have 6 mans but I would have to look under the name of the reservation to see what was booked. Are January lead time on a 6 man is close to 120 days advance booking. February's lead time is shorter, without a name I can't help you.

Fishing was real good today and everyone was catching fish. We can't move fast enough and some guys have been taking turns going out while we have been making are moves. The guys have been real good about breaking it up so everyone gets some action. It's been fishing and fisherman at there best.

In are war with the Walleyes we did not have as much time to spend with are guests as we would of liked to this past weekend. Most of them understood that things had to change for everyone else. Again thanks for there cooperation during the time we spent trying to find a safe ice passage. It was a total resort effort. Everyone was trying to get through and Jerry made it happen.

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Chris will the flooded spot in the main road be safe to go across in the AM?? Came acrosss it tonight after a great day and was a little conserned. Again thx for breaking out farther we hada blast. See ya tomorrow!

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That area is getting reworked today. Jerry said he was going to reroute the road there. It was getting pretty beat up from exodus. I need to get my big plow across and I didn't want to yesterday it would of tore it up worse. The road is a work in progress and is under construction at the present time. Thanks to everyone for staying to the west yesterday so the road can be widened.

The ice south of the crack is what concerns me the most. The road is building ice everyday now and the ice in that spot is good but if you think you will get hung up don't cross it.

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Portavilla, we are coming up Sunday and renting a 4 man house from you. Really looking forward to the trip. Just a couple of quick questions, we are bringing up some portables also and wondering if we will need an extension for the auger?

Any must have jigs?

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Chris another question for ya. We have a group coming up next Wednesday (1/19) and are wondering if a one ton diesel is going to be a problem now that you are expanding your operation to some new areas.

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Extensions are not that expensive. They are actually pretty cheap compared to the amount that u will spend on gas to get to the lake and back home because you couldn't fish because your auger didnt make it through the ice.

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With most places being short on ice- I think you will be o.k. at this point, unless you plan on parking in the deepest snow you can find and drilling through a house that sits 2' on top of that.

I haven't heard of anywhere with more than 2' of ice yet on red.

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You shouldn't need an extention we have had one house out that the motor hits the floor in the house, but that is by far not the norm.

Driven with one ton trucks. I am probally the wrong guy to ask, I just spent the day with my one ton diesel with a 1700lb V-plow driven 25-30 miles an hour back and forth to the center bar all day. I am probally not the smartest card in the deck.

PS I was glad the day was over, my nerves are on end.

,

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The fishing today was better for those that got in yesterday as it was more of morning bite. Fatheads prevailed as the bait of choice and a gold and red northland buck shot with a pink bottom was the go to jig of the day. More fish were caught jigging than dead sticking and they had to be teased. The perch bite has still been good with everyone getting some bonus fish.

I plowed so much road today all I can see when I shut my eyes is flying berm.

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Everybody got limits plus yesterday, just one guy I haven't talk to. We were up until after 2:00 AM getting things ready for the weekend. Jigging was most effective with fatheads or tipped with a minnow head. Everyone reported marking quite a few and some teasing needed to be done. The hot jig of the week I bought out at the resort and passed a few around.

We still need to get our portables out to the bar. I am still recommending guys bring up portables for running around fishing especially on the Center Bar. We are not set up on the Center Bar we are in our normal haunts and we can finally get on with our normal rotation.

The Center Bar has been producing very well and have yet to talk to a disappointed fisherman. There is a lot of deep snow so you need to be plowed in or stand on the outside and watch. Bobs is the only outfitter I know of on the bar at this time, they are in there normal spot we all honor and have a good exit route. Most outfitters don't go on the bar with these conditions because we can't get out fast enough. If I had one or two wheel houses and bad weather we could get off before being blown in. It will be peppered with wheel houses and portables for awhile.

The last time I was on the bar with this much snow a bad storm came and when the panic and exodus started it reminded me of pictures of the Iraq army leaving durning the war cars, trucks stuck in the snow, and debris everywhere. Unfortunately I was on the north side. We stayed cool and fished out of our new formed igloos but I won't forget that dig out. One, two houses no problem, 22 that's nuts.

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Hey Chris how were those cabbage rolls I gave ya a couple weeks ago? Might make it back up there one of these days.

Robert

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We are on Center Bar fair day yesterday but real slow this morning. Chris is right lots of snow. Thanks Chris for plowing us a spot.

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T-minus 20 hours and i should be jigging on Red via Portavilla 6 man. Looking forward to fishing center bar, 2nd trip of the year with Chris and 1 more to come.

Chris do you have any of the 6's out around the center bar area? or should we yank a porta with us, typically we bring em, and they just end up staying in the truck because you seem to always have us on fish smile

I'm guessing we'll be up around 10-11am reservation is under corey lienen - let me know if you need anything

Shack dog veteran

Mike

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Monday evening my buddy and I were staying at the Royal Shooks hotel browsing through fishing reports on FM. For some reason something about Portavillas stood out and was the place we wanted to fish Tuesday.

On Wed I finally met the Portavilla poster who goes by the name Chris for the first time at the lodge. My buddy and I had fished Tuesday on Rodgers road (portable) with decent success...30 walleyes. Chris suggested without hesitation to go out to the center bar. They had just broke trails out there Tuesday and said we would be the first and do a little pre fishing before they moved the fleet. I was really surprised by his offering of such information to just portable guys.

We ended up catching 170 walleyes (catch and release) in 3 days between the 2 of us. We were catching so many that we didn't even measure the slots. We'd take a look at the fish and decide if it was picture worthy, or quickly toss her back. We were averaging around 35 fish by 2 pm...after that the bite was on. We did our best as you suggested on FM and when we met with buckshots tipped with a head.

So the moral of the story when Chris says they are biting, get there now. Chris can't say enough good about your FM posts and the advise you shot our way the other morning. You created life long memories and the best Mn fishing I have and probably ever will see. Thanks Chris...will be calling about sleepers this summer for next years ice!!!

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The weekend guys for the most part did good with some venturing off to the bar. We had guys on the bar catching anything from a few to over a hundred. I am still telling everyone to bring portables and tip ups there is some great fishing with a little work to it. Our houses are spread out and a couple were slow but most did well. We are in the middle of it all and only plan on moving a the couple that was slow tomorrow. We are close to a lot of good spots and it's kind of up to the fisherman.

We put some units out on the bar and let some of the guys fish in them. Some had to learn that winning does not get ya access, if your the kind that is excited to pee in a bucket or out running tip ups and the like, and we see that your trying then we made them available. Winning gets you the house we left on shore kind of a time out. Pretty girls and bribes does not cut it either, save the pictures. We are just looking for fisherman or guys that are up to have a good time. The Walleye sunny bite is out there and some guys find it.

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Chris,

We are coming up in a week and taking a 4 man rent-n-go. I assume we will be able to get out to the center bar..? If so I'd like to put in a bid for a spot to be plowed out there. wink What depth of the center bar is producing the best? You can wait to answer that in person if you must! See you the 27th!

Thanks,

Krull and Stendel

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We plow in are rent and go guys when they come out of Rogers Resort and we will wait to answer that question on where to go.

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