technical questions.

[northerndave]

Are you going to need electricity run to that base camp trailer?

How about sewer service? I been thinking about building a honey wagon on skis to pull behind the snowmobile. Like a 300 gallon tank or so?

Fix you up with one of them fancy blue water fiberglass out houses.

If I get enough of them out there I'll hire a few kids to run run sleds around with pumper tanks.

[HookedUp]

Couple of commnents but unfortunatly I'm a little slow today and am struggling with a few more questions. Here goes:

Good call on the Babe Winklemen glasses, I'm gonna have to get some. I tried the Oaklys out of my golf bag, I couldn't see any fish but was surprised how many golf balls were down there. Taking the ball retriever with on the next trip but I'm worried it might not be long enough, think I should bring the auger extension? Is it worth the extra wieght to bring with?

Stay away from the potato bread, potoatos float so you will end up bumping into any ice flows in the crack.

I tried out the electric hand warmers on the auger and they worked pretty good but my second battery was not fully charged so I had a tough time restarting it. I hooked some jumpers up to my Marcum and it was enough to get me started but I did get a lot of interferance on my flasher, have you ever experienced this while jumping your auger? I'm gonna get a thumb warmer for the throttle but the only one I can find is for Jiffy's and I have a Strikemaster, will it work or do I have to get a conversion kit?

Any updates on the road conditions, are they letting you walk out yet or do you still have to drive?

It looks by the reports people are starting to move to deep water, whats working best Downriggers or Leadcore? If I move out deeper will I need the drift sock or isn't the ice thick enough? Should I bring it with just in case or isn't it worth the hassle?

Finally, this one has been bugging me for quite a while but I never wanted to bring up my ignorance but you have all been very helpful so I'm gonna ask the question. Last year someone posted they caught some suspended fish while fishing LOW, how did they do that? I thought you would have to fish HIGHER to catch suspended fish, it seems like if you fished LOW your bait would always be beneath them? Am I missing something?(no I wasn't talking in class but I don't think this was covered, it's not in my notes.) Were they probably using gummy bears and the delicious scent was floating up to the fish?

gotta go, the mail man just came and I am expecting a Cabela's catalog, they've only sent two so far this year and it is already January 6th!

[northerndave]

Does that blue water freeze?

[northerndave]

I think jegs or Summit sells a kit, an adaptor plate to fit that jiffy thumb warmer on the strikemaster diesel.

Are you running a pony motor or just glow plugs and an electric starter?

I'm assuming the suspended fish were probably tagged as such by the DNR. They were likely disruptive in school and reprimanded with suspension.

Those were the answers I knew off the top of my head, I will have to think hard about the others.

I hope this helps.

[HookedUp]

Thanks Dave, you might be right, now that you mention that I think I remember in the post the suspended fish were caught talking about HP.....

I already checked on that kit but that is only for the Strikemasters with the Solo motors. I might have to fabricate one myself, can I use aluminum for the base? I'm thinking the aluminum will save me some weight and I can bring both the auger extension and drift sock on the next trip.

No pony motor but would that take care of my electrical problems? I found some LED lights to replace the head lights that I wrecked but the dimmer switch isn't working, any ideas? Should I post this question on the equipment forum?

I might be interested in that minnow kennel program. If I bring my minnows in do I need to bring my own food or will that be provided?

Anyone else get a Cabela's christmas catalog today? I got one and the plastic wrap was taken off, I think the mailman may have borrowed it for some bed time reading.

[Boar]

It depends on the size of Your minnow.

[HookedUp]

Dave, not sure if you ever got clarification on your dolphin noise through the loud speaker. You are pretty much good to go, I did some quick research and the only thing I found is that you must release any dolphins you catch. You can take pictures and lenght/girth measurments before letting it go. Hope that helps.

I would scrap the wind turbine idea, the shadows from the blades spook the fish and the tree huggers will be all over you if a gull flies into it. Too bad, I could have used the power to run a charger booster to refresh my batteries and unhook the boosters from my Marcum, would have taken care of my screen interferance. Don't feel bad, you've executed a lot of good ideas, we all hit a roadblock sometimes, I still can't get that dimmer switch to work on my auger lights.

[northerndave]

I would go titanium or carbon fiber for the thumb warmer mount.

It sucks that your dimmer switch broke, the wipers only have one speed on my custom strikemaster so I'm thinking about retiring it.

I'm building a new hole cutting rig, it uses two 70cc swedish chainsaw engines that drive four 60 inch bars running 3/8 pitch full chisel chain. The bars are custom sprocket tooth bars and they are 10" deep. The bar arrangement forms a cutting box. The idea is to make a plunge cut with the whole rig and it cuts a 10" sq ice block that you can push down under the ice.

I'm still working out the bugs, it's a lot of fun but it's a little dangerous.

[WhiskeyPete]

Hey guys, which direction are the fishing swimming in the lake so I know what side of the fish house to fish on?

I did some research on this and walleye travel clockwise before noon and counterclockwise after noon. However, perch are the opposite. If you have your limit of walleye you must face the other direction to target perch or risk being fined by the DNR.

[UPnorthFISHING]

my head is ready to explode with all this new info and ideas...i dont know where to start

[northerndave]

I'm tapped out on smart talk for the day, I think.....

[Twisted]

I'm tapped out on smart talk for the day, I think.....

I know better. Not even close......

[highlife4me]

Hey Northern Dave,

I don't think your 10" square hole cutting machine is going to work. I have only seen round skimmers, no square ones. Sorry.

[wahoo]

I have learned more today about fishing than in reading all the In Fisherman mags since they were first published. Thanks fellow fishers. i think trying everything may be pricey but I already have leadcore line and downriggers. Now, if I can just figure out how to remove the diesel from my truck for use ice fishing and get it back in for pulling my boat, I'll be OK.

Thanks for a much needed thread!

[Boar]

Heading up next weekend to set up the camper, bringing my trail cam, cant wait, mudd minnows should be moving this time of year.Got the desiel, leadcore, wind turbine, handwarmers thubmbwarmers, blue water, jiffy, strikemaster, jumpercables, found my shrimp rut calender for the moon phase, talked to the dnr about burbot ball regulations, good to go there, Boy who everthought ice fishing was relaxing, so much preperation, kids are gathering spagnummoss right now, its tough going but their troopers. I think all i need to do now, oh cr ap gota get the downriggers an the big cannon balls, all mst forgot. Whew! Just one more thing, A can of peas. Se ya guys up there Later boar

[HookedUp]

Good News! I figured out the dimmer switch on my auger, it turned out to just be a blown fuse, not sure why I didn't check that out right away.

HighLife- I think Dave's hole cutting machine is going to work. The beauty of his design is the need to only deal with the one square block vurses all the shavings from the round augers. No dipper required.

Wahoo - instead of taking the diesel out of your truck you might want to consider just hooking your auger up to the PTO. Depending what direction your auger spins you may have to use an extra gear box.

Boar - your a man with a plan! I didn't see gummy bears on your list, make sure you take them in case the Mudd Minnows aren't running.

NorthernDave - not sure if you caught my previous post in regards to your speaker with the dolphin sounds, if you did, I hope it helps answer your question. I'm going to try that idea as well. Do you know who caught that walleye mounted on display by the river in Baudette? I was wanting to talk to the guy to figure out who his taxidermist was. Thinking if I used your dolphin sound idea and if any of the Dolphins I caught were hooked to deep to survive I would take a chance and keep one. I know you are supposed to throw them back but if I could get that guy to mount one for me it would look great in my front yard, better than those pink flamingos that are there right now. Do gummy bears work for dolphins and if so, any special color?

[HookedUp]

WhiskeyPete, that was great research on the fish direction, you didn't happen to see which direction the Dolphins are swimming?

[northerndave]

I also have some walleye sounds recorded but I cant hear them. Only walleyes can hear them.

I'm trying to come up with something fun to do out on the ice in case the fish arent biting. When the DNR took my ice dipper with the 34' long handle they also took my yard darts, I really don't think that was right.

They were mad about the tips being sharpened, which is rediculous because how else are you supposed to get the darts to stick when you are playing lake dart hockey?

Now I have to think up a new game.

[WhiskeyPete]

Ask NorthernDave. I think they only travel at night, so I don't have any knowledge of their travels. If a guy could get a camera and a light source to 28' you may be able to catch them moving early mornings. I wonder if a trail cam would work if I put it in a ziplock bag?

[Boar]

Wow thanks Hookedup that would been the whole trip right there. I know a taxidermist that'll do a dolphin for ya under the wire but thats only on tuesdays. The white gummies r best for them for their ability to reflect sonar better than brightly colored ones, those are less dense, dolphins have about 10 micor meters of an inch separtion. I actually have a dolphin harnness where I can suspend a dolphin verticaly in the water an thru interpetation of the clicks an whistles via the HD sonar screen for Vexilar can produce a 3d image on their new camera, but not very portable, an ya gota stay portable. Boar

[northerndave]

I vacuum pack my trail cams in clear bags and sink them to 28' with downrigger balls.

Which is a lot of work if I'm only fishing 20'

It's a good thing I have a lot of auger extentions.

[Boar]

Cat flipping is a blast any one ever do that? You insert a transmitter in the cats...... velcro it to the cat in the handy dandy trans mitter strap. You have to puch ten hole person of 10 inch diameter. then give each person play a remote, the first person tto start has to run to the resort an back inthe fastest time. the he stats playing buy using the remote control, can use Wii remote to flip, launch, spin, cartwheele his cat into any of his existing holes. if the cat lands in an opponents hole it counts against him an he now has to run back to the resort again. Its alot of fun. the winner is decided by the most cats in his holes an the loser by cardiac arrest. All day fun boy. Boar

[Boar]

Say how come were not fishin'

[WhiskeyPete]

Say how come were not fishin'

"How come were not fishin'."

Okay, I said it Jeff, now what??

[northerndave]

.

Say how come were not fishin'

I got my finger on the pulse... my ear to the ice...

And being a west sider for the most part I'm holding off on the treck east with the skid house because... I got a feelin, the west side is almost ready.

So, I have a tire I should change on the ski dozer... and to fill the rest of the weekend I have a 69 plymouth roadrunner out in the shop that is in the middle of an extensive restoration. And that car is calling for some attention.

Plus I actually did drill a bunch of post holes in my yard with my ice auger so I do need a new blade for real.

LOL!!

[Boar]

My neighbor did that this two summers ago, actually got a ice rod an here i am hole hopping in his yard thought he was gonna pi ss his pants. Pete we go fising bud. Id like to se the west side open up soon gona be to much pressure out east if it donsent go soon. Mybe everyone will go east an then we can have south tip all to our selves.

[northerndave]

Sorry for that post, what I actually meant to say is I am building a wind powered, automatic hole pumper to set up outside of the fish house. This will keep the wave action going inside the house for some awesome bobber fishing.

[WhiskeyPete]

Jeff--all my dolphins got out of the tank and frozen last night. Do frozen dolphins work as good as live? Should I use the whole dolphin or just heads??

[northerndave]

Frozen dolphin must come from a certified and licensed bait shop.

[Boar]

A wind generated hole pumper, FREECKING AWSOME! I know iget tired of that from time to time, just not up to it, you know "have a headach" Actullay pete the best way for tipping jigs with dolphin is to remove the male claspers an make sure they are back in phermaldahide at 20 for 18 -24 hrs