Burntside Lake Fishing Reports---Lake Conditions

[chaffmj]

Quote:

No prob. MANY days left on the ice this winter, and so far we'v had 26 trout in 7 outings.

Steve those are great numbers. I need to get my knee working and get out there and try to catch something. Keep the reports and pics coming.

[Great Outdoors]

Leech,

He may have been praying for a fish, but he should have turned up the amperage a bit, 'cause it only resulted in an Eel Pout!!!

[Steve Foss]

Definitely a tougher day today. Out by myself, I hit three long-proven spots (two of which I haven't had any luck on yet this year and wanted to rule in or out as client locations) and didn't see a single laker (gasp!) until about 2:45. Was able to ice it after a full 5 minutes of cat-and-mouse and trying two or three key triggering techniques. About a 6 lber, and released it. No clipped fins. Again, the huge majority of what we've been catching out there this winter are not clipped.

Always nice to keep the smell of skunk off on a hard day of experimentation. Especially when sussing out spots instead of just doin what we've been doin.

One inch of snow overnight was all, and travel is still easy peasy. Only put the truck in 4x4 in a couple places. Eight inches of snow was the deepest I found, and most places have 3-6.

[simey1]

we were out Sat. afternoon and got 1 25in. We went in shallow for the evening thinking we

might get a walleye. At 6:30 this beauty hit my line. I didn't think trout bit at night.

[Steve Foss]

Lakers do bite at night, of course. I was fishing walleyes on the extreme east end of Bside in mid December this season and caught a 7 lb laker after sundown on a tip-up. Many others have nailed lakers at night.

The legend is that lakers, as sight feeders, don't feed at night. Really?

[Barack]

The mine pit that has lakers in the area pretty much hit after the sun goes down. Years ago I caught a laker jigging for walleyes in mid july in 20fow on the canuck side of basswood. Full moon madness or something. I've also caught walleyes on tipups fishing 80fow with bait suspended 50 feet down.

[lispeej]

Sounds like a lot of fun!

[Mike Stark]

Nice fish Dan!

I have caught them at sunrise/sunset but never at night. I have also never really fished for them at night either. I would say the majority of lake trout anglers do not fish at night. Seems like most anglers on Burntside pack it up around 4pm. I have fished until dark on Burntside and have not had much luck.

[Wanderer]

That's a 'Bute, simey!!

We've only fished after dark a couple times and didn't have much luck. We're usually on the lake close to first light and stay out till dusk. By the time we load our gear we usually bring, drive back to the shack and eat some dinner it's been a full day. Gotta sleep sometime.

[Shane Z]

Steve- Do quite a bit of laker fishing in open water but haven't done much in the winter. Any tips on what what type of structure to look for this time of year?

[Steve Foss]

Steve- Do quite a bit of laker fishing in open water but haven't done much in the winter. Any tips on what what type of structure to look for this time of year?

I think winter lakers move around as much as, or more than, they do in summer.

Traditional laker travel/feeding zones include sheer walls (hit or miss), main lake shoreline and island points tapering into deep water, deep troughs between islands that connect larger bays, and humps with deep water nearby. If you can find a good-sized hump in deep water close to a steep shoreline drop, that'll be even better than isolated/single humps. If you can find tapering structure that includes a breakline, then a flat, then another breakline, that's very good too. Saddles as part of points can by good as well.

We typically target 40-50 FOW, but won't hesitate to drill holes all around the structure and fish shallower and deep as we hole-hop.

Some of these micro structures can be hard to find on a map or nav chip, depending on the lake. On Burntside, for example, both chips are poor, and would often have you drilling rock instead of ice. Even the huge 6 foot x 3 foot map you can get from the Minnesota Bookstore is inaccurate in many areas, and does not contain some key structures.

I find most of my winter spots while fishing in open water and putting in waypoints. All those spots go on two master maps I have of the lake for future reference.

Since you laker fish in summer, I'm betting you know some of the structure on whichever lake(s) you focus on pretty good, and may have those waypoints recorded. If so, that's a great starting point.

When winter laker fishing and sussing out new spots marked in summer, I drill lots of holes on and around it and take depth readings before I start fishing. A boat is a great way to find and mark structure, but sometimes it's that extra drilling that leads you to a spot on the spot that's not on the maps. Sometimes, 20 feet away from the best SOTS can make a world of difference.

As for lakers at and after dark, when I'm guiding winter lakers, we're usually off the water by 4:30-5. If someone is interested in a combo winter laker/walleye outing, then we stay until full dark and use a combo of standard walleye tactics in shallower water than we target the lakers. I have only had a few trips like that so far, but we've caught a couple lakers that way as well as the walleyes. Bside has a good population of 'eyes, and some really big ones.

I think someone who loves pout should put a permie shack on a good laker/pout spot and spend a season full of nights in there and get back to us.

[Shane Z]

Thanks Steve! We will be going up Sunday Morning.

I've always been a strong advocate of using minnow heads for walleye ice fishing. Have you had similar luck with minnow/cisco heads for lakers?

[Steve Foss]

Thanks Steve! We will be going up Sunday Morning.

I've always been a strong advocate of using minnow heads for walleye ice fishing. Have you had similar luck with minnow/cisco heads for lakers?

Happy to help.

I think there are two schools of thought on that. Some believe that the smell/taste of a minnow head will trigger reluctant lakers to bite. Others believe it's lure action that tends to trigger reluctant fish, and tipping vibrating/action/thump lures with the minnow head deadens the action.

I'm from the second camp. When I started fishing lakers I tipped with minnow heads like everyone else but, over time, quit doing it, and my catch went up. I do tip jigs with meat or plastic for lakers. In that case, the jig itself has no action to be impeded by tipping it.

Bottom line, do whichever you have the most confidence in. If you are confident, your head is in the game, and that's especially important when you go a couple hours in a row without seeing a laker. They come in with little or no warning, and being right on top of things and focused lets you react instantly when a fish comes up underneath your lure. Won't matter if its a highly aggressive fish, but fast response can be vital for neutral/negative lakers that are not hungry and are just chasing out of instinct.

The more confident you are in your presentation, the better you'll do.

[Murdock26]

Holy nice laker SImey1!! What was the length on that tank? What a healthy looking fish

[simey1]

thanks murdock...it was 30in., my problem is, I don't get bragging rights. My wife landed a 30 incher earlier this year. I think the real battle will start now.

[Steve Foss]

Bside travel is still easy for 4x4s.

There are a couple short roads off the Van Vac landing heading out straight and to the right, and a much longer road heading left (west) that goes to a bunch of scattered permie shacks. Plenty of good trout water within 100 yards of those roads.

But any truck/SUV with operational 4x4 will be fine this weekend. Only about 8 inches of snow on the ice, really thick ice, and no slush. More snow along shorelines and neckdowns, of course.

Tough day today. I only saw 8-9 lakers, and was able to get two to go, a 2 and a 7. Not unexpected the day after a front moves through. Pretty often ya really gotta work for them in those conditions.

[Great Outdoors]

Like Steve said, still OK for 4x4 travel on Burntside.

But if we get 6 inches of snow, or more, travel will be reeeallly tough without snowmobiles.

[leech~~]

If we get a ton of snow before the Bash. Do you think someone could plow out a little cirle up in front of Van Vic so everyone could get down on the lake for it?

[Steve Foss]

If we get a ton of snow before the Bash. Do you think someone could plow out a little cirle up in front of Van Vic so everyone could get down on the lake for it?

Yes. But maybe you want to keep Bash details in one of the Bash threads.

[laker1]

Talking maybe up to 10 inches for the Burntside lake area thru Monday on the weather update.

[Steve Foss]

We'll see how it goes. The NWS has overestimated every snowfall in the Ely area so far this year. They say 2-4 inches, we get 1/2 inch. They say 1-2 inches, we get a dusting. Etc.

Of course, this probably will be the one that's smack on, and we'll be on sleds for the next month.

Hmmm, taking a group out tomorrow but nothing Sunday. Might have to get out there on the sled. Usually do really well when the snow is falling.

And a little snow will cover up all that blood on the ice.

[laker1]

I agree 100% with you Steve.

But the closer it gets they keep raising the total amount expected.

Who knows we might not get anything,but it is picking up steam-will see?

[Steve Foss]

I agree 100% with you Steve.

But the closer it gets they keep raising the total amount expected.

Who knows we might not get anything,but it is picking up steam-will see?

Right on. It's all about where it tracks.

[leech~~]

[quote=leech~~If we get a ton of snow before the Bash. Do you think someone could plow out a little cirle up in front of Van Vic so everyone could get down on the lake for it? [/quote

Yes. But maybe you want to keep Bash details in one of the Bash threads.

Oppsy!

[Barack]

Travel is easy going yet another foot of wet snow will slush up the lake good. Ran into little slush today. Another foot and you'll have to chain up or put da new Cheng Shen 3 inch paddle lug tires on. Fishing was ok today a run at 10:00 and another at 4:15. No biguns yet all the 24 25 inch year class.

[son_of_fishlein]

First day of 3 day weekend with my dad and uncle today, about 7-8 lookers, no takers. 3 tip ups, mixed dead shiners and live, no flags, jigged spoons all over, no bites. Mostly fished rock pile n of burntside lodge. Thinking about listening point area tomorrow, should we be worried going w/sw from van vac, or e/ne from Sw access? Never driven out from there because of the river. Plenty of lake, so little time. 6th or 7th time out here and our luck has gone stagnant. Tomorrow is another day, good luck to everyone else! Hope it rubs off on us, my uncle is 0-3 yrs so far...

[Barack]

Follow plowed road to south you'll see a set of tracks peel off towards tamarack resort. Stay on my truck tracks between the narrows. Look at your map theres a better spot across the lake to fish from heavy metal point. Or meet me at van vac at 630am I'll put u on a decent spot.

[son_of_fishlein]

Thanks for the offer, we didn't get out of bed early enough. Trying NE tip of Long Island for now

[Steve Foss]

Thanks for the offer, we didn't get out of bed early enough. Trying NE tip of Long Island for now

Hope you had a good day today! We were fishing within sight of you all morning. Yesterday I fished three hours in the morning and landed three fish from 5-9 lbs. Today was a struggle. We only saw four-five fish, had one to the hole (got off right when I was ready to reach down for it), and caught a pout.

Tomorrow, back at it in the falling snow!

[Great Outdoors]

Saw both Steve & son_of_fishlein with crew while cruising with the tracked Polaris Ranger this afternoon.

Doesn't appear as though many were doing very well today, or for the last two weeks for that matter.

Maybe it'll pick up when the lake gets snowbound, slushy, and travel becomes next to impossible.