upper red lake Upper Red Lake Fishing Reports by Cookie

[bturck]

sounds like you are getting excited for the hard water season. its really not that far away. lets hope this winter is more friendly than last year

[ozzie]

glad to hear a report from you cookie!! hope all is well!!

[cookie129]

Last year was the worst I have ever experienced. UF DA. That 30 below just kicked my butt. Sounds like the sweetheart wants to wet a line this weekend. that should be a enjoyable day. We have a week of awesome weather coming

[magnum mike]

What channel do you monitor on the VHF? I might be calling "Imagine That" if the wind isn't blowing too hard. No duck hunting this opener with the weather that's coming. Wild Bill told me the other day he is packing halibut to trade me for ducks.

[cookie129]

You can call mew on my cell 218 556 6197. Sounds like a good trade ummm duck,medium rare.

[blue_healer_guy]

Mag, would you know what redrum means. Just trying to find an old buddy down in 56096.

[magnum mike]

Sorry healer, no bells ringing for that

[cookie129]

Its that time of year .Dug the houses out of the woods last week. 4 feet of snow had blown in off the lake. I had to have david come over with loader as there was just to much snow to move. I think what little snow we have had all ended up on our lake shore.

Blue thunder two arrived friday evning and we got her unloaded. saturday we spent the day working out a few bugs and installing the plow. It was then time to give her it first test moving houses and plowing. It did not take long two find another hiccup with the rearend,we were able to add some gear oil after having to drill a hole in the cover as the filler plug would not budge. It seems fine now but will have to keep a eye on it..

Round two and we were off with florida .I took it out past the first break and then came back for old minnesota. I took old minnesota out to 8 feet of water where we measured 16 inches of clear ice. Then Jeff and I set her up for the evning bite. I got jeff and shell chick set up just before dark. It was a bit slow but we managed 5 with 3 being keepers before I came off the lake. Lets hope the rattle wheels kept them up all night.

The guys in the cabin over the weekend have done welll and have had walleye for dinner two nights in a row.They were going to fish well after dark last night so I will see how they did later this morning. Man were there people on the lake yesterday had to be 200+

I ll have montana out on the ice later today and all three houses will be ready to start the season

[bturck]

Much better year than last year with the slush and ice problems, you folks deserve some good times. Good luck with your season, and Blue Thunder.....

[cookie129]

Kellie and I fished the evning bite last night in old minnesota . Our goal was to watch a movie and catch dinner. It was slow but we only need two for a meal. We packed it after dinner when a pop in the ice scared kellie. I told her it was a baby crack but she did not like it.

Headed out on hillmens road in a bit to scout a new location for the up and coming weekend. We got a dusting of snow last night and I imagine it will all blow in on our lakeshore when the wind picks up.

[cookie129]

Headed over to hillmens to help clean up the snow and build the burm to the south of buddy's road with blue thunder 2.

Things started off well as I pushed the snow to the south. Just as I was arriving at the end of the road blue thunder died? Odd I thought and she fired right backup. A few minutes later and again she died? Darn another hiccup. Seems likes its not getting any fuel. I kept at it for a couple hours with it dying off and on the whole time very frustrating. I decided to limp her home before Buddy had to tow me. After taking a look the fuel pump lines are next to impossible to get to arrrr!! I headed to blackduck for a fuel pump and today will try and replace fuel pump. I have until Friday to set up the houses as all three are rented Friday night. I did not talk to any fishermen out of hillmens so no fish report .I did talk to Phil a local and he tried a new location with poor results allthough he was not fishing out of hillmens

[cookie129]

Well things worked out and after buying a fuel pump the problem appeared to be the fuel filter in the carb.

I gave her another good workout yesterday with only killing the motor once. I did discover I lost my spud bar for my railroad jack. That sucked as it was heavy duty and worked well. Today I will be headed north with the houses and get on hillmens road. I'm looking forward to helping Buddy this season, lets hope mother nature is a bit kinder then last year.

I'll have to check on Hoagie and his buddy this morning as I got home late last night and did not have time to drive out and see how they were doing. It would be nice to leave houses where they are for this up and coming weekend since they have not been fished where they are but the sooner I get north the better as ypou never know what mother nature will dish up. Buddy said I could bring the red baron onto the ice but I will wait for now as long as we do not need her

[Fish Tales]

Hey cookie coming up this weekend like going out of hillmans havent seen a post about road conditions out of hillmans. Wondering how far out they have a road marked any info would be great. Thanks.

[Drama King]

I am planning on making a trip this weekend, hopefully to URL. It is about 6 hours up there from my house. Debating on bringing my 8x16 wheelhouse but am skeptical about the weather and ice conditions. How comfortable should we be with driving on the ice? We are open to any resorts.

[Fishalittle]

Had 17" of ice on Hillmans road last weekend. I will be there this weekend with 1/2 ton and 16' ice castle....just don't do something stupid....like drive across an open crack or go wondering off all over.

Now banking the houses....could be a challenge!

[Drama King]

If we come up, we would contact a resort, have them tell us where to go and just put our house there for a few days. No plans on moving around.

[fishing tech]

We fished between Hillmans and Beacon's over the weekend. We were on atv's going out from a private cabin and fished on both sides of the pressure ridge. We did very well. ice ranged from 8 -15 inches. Fishing where there was no or little bit of snow seemed better.

There was a few dumb a$$es flying around in pickups so we wanted to be away from them if they decided to take a swim. Slow down!!

[Fishalittle]

Which side of the ridge was that 8" area. Maybe be nice if you would let the road operators know about that spot if they don't already. I WOULDN'T like to find that spot with my truck!

Just a thought....

[fishing tech]

East side just north of the Tamarac river out about to the first break in about 7ft of water. First spot I checked I drilled 6 holes 1 was 8" the rest were 10-12. by Monday 12" was the min I found. we were on atv's I doubt any road traffic would be there as we came out of a private cabin.

[cookie129]

BuddsY has his road straight as a arrow and wide enough to land a plane. The road is marked 6 miles but there is a major pressure ridge at a 1 1/2 miles. and I have seen nobody cross it at this time and I beleave if you talk to hillmens when getting a road pass they will tell you DO NOT cross at this time. Buddy has 4 stakes across the road before the ridge.

[fishing tech]

Someone drove by us on Saturday morning I believe in a black chevy or gmc truck kind of checking out the ridge. Maybe Johny P.? Then on Sunday a side by side something with tracks did the same thing. We crossed the ridge on Saturday afternoon and with the ice movement we had a hard time finding a place to get back over at about 8pm. Again we were on atv's not trucks. Did not attempt to cross Sunday or Monday as it was newly flooded and unstable.

[Boreas]

Saturday morning I believe in a black chevy or gmc truck kind of checking out the ridge. Maybe Johny P.?

And why would you say it was Johny P? You are fishing over seven miles from his operation, you are actaully closer to Rogers Resort than you are Johny P, maybe it was Brad Hawthorne, bear paw or JR or another outfitter OR maybe, just maybe, it was Buddy Hillman in his black GMC or in his track machine checking the ridge off of his road. Or a guy in a black truck?

[fishing tech]

The guy looked like the picture he had for his avatar at one time. Wasn't fishing just driving around. Sorry, maybe I should have said some nosey a$$ was spying on us. lol

[Boreas]

It is just odd how Johny's name always comes up in Cookies topics even when he is not even close. Reason I find it funny is Johny was out fishing with clients and visiting with us in the afternoon at the cabin (seven miles away) on Saterday and still has yet to take anything bigger than a snomobile out on the lake as he doesnt have very good ice by his landing, but somehow his name was brought up in this particular thread again.

[fishing tech]

Again sorry.

[cookie129]

My guess would be Buddy Hillmen. He studies the lake everyday and knows where every bump, crack and fish are. Might even be looking for a spot for a bridge. We still has 4 miles of road to make once we cross that ridge. I will be digging my bridge out of the woods next week incase he needs it.

[cookie129]

I gave blue thuinder2 another good workout yesterday. All three houses are now on the other side of the burm. Gene and a buddy are arriving this morning for old minnesota. Talked to Hoagie and his buddy they had there 6 and were still fishing. I told them they were not allowed to fish with 6 so they gave me a nice 16incher I brought home for a fish sandwich for lunch, Lettuce tamato tarter sauce on a dried out hoagie bun and it was one of the best fish sandswiches I ever had.

After lunch went and had Gary the farmer I work for weld a couple broken welds on my plow and then prepped old minnesota for Gene. Pang is coming for florida and montana friday evning. Kevin and his buddies will be up friday and staying at the cabin . They are going to do some extra scoutting for me so will see how that goes.Lol

[Fish Tales]

Thanks cookie for the info nice to no what to expect will be heading out this evening.

[bturck]

You just wanted afish sandwich, as they most likely knew they didn't have to quit fishing because they had their 6 eyes. Gfeat way to get lunch....

[B-man715]

You just wanted afish sandwich, as they most likely knew they didn't have to quit fishing because they had their 6 eyes. Gfeat way to get lunch....

Yup, crappies and perch and pike all despise fat heads right