Burntside Lake Fishing Reports---Lake Conditions

[Steve Foss]

Well, after three quality fish in three hours Friday morning, we only hit one yesterday, and today was a bit better. We saw more fish today than yesterday, for one thing. Fished a shoreline point that eased its way into one of the lake's main basins this morning, hitting 35-60 FOW and saw half a dozen fish, landing a 2 lber. Took a gamble and moved over the noon hour to a steep wall structure dropping into 90 FOW. Between bait rigs and jigging we had the wall covered from 15 feet to 100 feet offshore. Didn't see a fish at all until it started snowing about 3:45, then had three come in quick succession (or one come in 3 times). Nailed one, a 6 lber. Headed in for the day about 4 p.m. Could very well have continued to get fish as the snow intensified after 4, but had things to do.

All four spots we hit over two days (including Friday morning's fast action), from the main lake to the North Arm, are proven producers. None of the fish we saw over the last two days were particularly hot, and the two that came on jigging lures required substantial triggering. As far as Friday's fish and aggression went, they were all that and a bag of chips.

I'd really hoped the NWS would have its head out of the dark place and would have forecast this snow right. I was thinking we'd be fishing in snow all day, and I've consistently done well in snow. Alas . . .

We'll see how much snow we get. NWS is down to 3-7 total. If we get 3, no problem still for 4x4 travel, since there was 8-9 inches in most places before the snow. If we get 7, it'll be getting tougher, especially if/when the added snow load starts producing slush. Even 3 more inches could start the slush. I've been all over the North Arm and the three main basins of the primary lake in my truck the last week and haven't seen any yet. We've got 2 feet of excellent ice in most places. And we have strong wind with this now, so it may blow a lot of it off the open areas, filling the neckdowns and shorelines and leaving the main lake basins OK. Hey, I see a glass half full, not half empty. Fingers crossed!

However, there are good roads plowed a bit east and north, and particularly west, from the Van Vac landing. The west road goes through the narrows and branches, one arm heading north to the north side of Waters Island, and the other branch angling off toward Dollar, going between Dollar and Long, and branching again before ending at a couple permie shacks NW of Dollar/Long.

There's also a somewhat short, branched plowed road off the Burntside Lodge access, which serves several permie shacks. There's no ice road plowed off Passi by the Dead River. That location has been the Dead Sea, and there were no permie shacks or plowed roads up there as of a few days ago. I haven't access the west end of the lake, but there's generally an ice road off the landing near Tamarack Resort there. If anyone has coherent info to share on ice roads off that end of the lake, I'm sure people would appreciate it.

There's a lot of good laker water within 200 yards of those roads.

And there's always (GASP!!!!) snowmobiles. I think Jimmy is fantasizing about 16 inches of new snow, so his Maki Traki will be the only vehicle able to navigate Burntside, and he'll have the whole lake to himself.

We're now at 34 fish in 10 outings on the season, with the largest a 32.5 inch 11.5 lber. We are about half way through the season. Not quite half way based on calendar, but half way based on typical March ice conditions the last several years.

Good fishing, everyone! And please be careful out there. Safety first, fish second.

[Steve Foss]

Four inches overnight at the house, with less than another inch expected today. Gusts to 25 mph. Blow that lake clear!

[Great Outdoors]

Stevo,

If we get 25 mph winds and another inch of snow today, it ain't blow the lake clear, it'll make many areas impassable with some serious drifting!! ('cept for my Lil Tank, of course!)

[chris63]

Steve,we are comming end of the week.Will we need more than a 4-wheeler to get around?Will be on small out of the way lakes.The guy were staying with only has reports about snow depth in the woods as he's not much for fishing in winter.He uses wood to cook/heat so he is busy outside just not on the area lakes.c63

[Steve Foss]

Steve,we are comming end of the week.Will we need more than a 4-wheeler to get around?Will be on small out of the way lakes.The guy were staying with only has reports about snow depth in the woods as he's not much for fishing in winter.He uses wood to cook/heat so he is busy outside just not on the area lakes.c63

I'd say wheelers are getting marginal now. We had 8-9 inches on Bside before this last one. But I don't own one and have only limited experience with them, so I'm not sure.

[chris63]

Thanks Steve!Niether of us own a sled so we will try to make The Yammy4-wheeler work other wise we'll hoof it!c63

[Wanderer]

Put chains on it if you can. Once you get chains on a wheeler you pretty much have to get stuck on the frame to stop it.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Not sure how much snow has accumulated on Burntside but you would not get 50' off the landing on Vermilion with a wheeler even with chains!

Cliff

[Steve Foss]

Well, took the sled on Bside this afternoon to check conditions. Stopped at locations all over where I usually fish and did not find more than a foot of snow, and no slush so far. But I ate some snow through the intake and either scored the left-side piston/cylinder or trashed a ring, or both. Only running on right-side cylinder, almost no compression in left-side cylinder. Dead Polaris.

Good news is Bside is still driveable with 4x4 and clearance. Aside from what I found on the sled, how do I know? I called chunkytrout, who met me at the VV landing and gave me a ride home so I could come back in the pickup to get the sled home. I was able to go anywhere off the plowed roads I wanted, including the relatively deeper snow in a narrows where the sled broke down, though I had to keep up some momentum. So 4x4 is still do-able. Definitely bring a shovel. If the guys plowing the roads don't cut exit pulloffs anywhere, once those plow berms freeze up tight folks will need to knock them down to get off the roads.

I'm not saying it's going to be a breeze to get anywhere in 4x4, but based on today's experience it's workable. And darn lucky for this guy, since the sled is shot for the season.

And thanks so much to the three guys from Iowa snowmobiling across Burntside who helped me lift the sled into the truck. Locals had been driving by for an hour on the nearby plowed road while I labored to get the sled lifted in the truck by myself. It took perfect strangers to help me out. Otherwise that sled would still be sitting out there. So, NO MORE Iowa jokes from this Minnesota fella.

I'll be pulling the head off the Polaris tomorrow in the shop to check out the P&C. Got a line on a good looking piston/rings kit for not a ton of money, and if it's just a scored piston with not too much transfer onto the cylinder, I'll order the kit, clean up the transfer with muriatic acid and a Qtip. Guess we'll see. One thing I'm happy about. This 92 488cc motor is WAY easier/simpler to work on than my Stihl chainsaws!

[chaffmj]

Quote:

I called chunkytrout, who met me at the VV landing and gave me a ride home so I could come back in the pickup to get the sled home.

Chunkytrout always helpful. Tell Mike to come to the Bash if he isn't already coming. Haven't seen him since last spring when the Mrs C moved away from Central. It would be great to see him on the ice. He is the one who started me on my laker addiction.

[Barack]

Be carefull driving around. friday i had 28 inches of ice sunday same spot had 19. Also found only 12 inches on the southwest side.

[Steve Foss]

Chunkytrout always helpful. Tell Mike to come to the Bash if he isn't already coming. Haven't seen him since last spring when the Mrs C moved away from Central. It would be great to see him on the ice. He is the one who started me on my laker addiction.

He is my best bud in Ely. We have each others' backs at all times. He knows of the circumstances of this year's Bash. And he knows that, as the seminal force of the Bash, there is a place for him at every Bash. Will we have a chunkysighting?

[leech~~]

[quote name='chaffmjChunkytrout always helpful. Tell Mike to come to the Bash if he isn't already coming. Haven't seen him since last spring when the Mrs C moved away from Central. It would be great to see him on the ice. He is the one who started me on my laker addiction. [/quote

He is my best bud in Ely. We have each others' backs at all times. He knows of the circumstances of this year's Bash. And he knows that' date=' as the seminal force of the Bash, there is a place for him at every Bash. Will we have a chunkysighting?

[Steve Foss]

Huum!

Please, everyone, accept my sincere apologies for enabling an off-topic after discouraging the same type of post from leech. Mea culpa.

[leech~~]

[Steve Foss]

We worked hard today to get sluggish trout to go active. Saw about 12-14 on the day, but they were hard to trigger. We ended up with two, the largest the skinny 7 lber in the pic. Just under 30 inches, but mostly head and tail. Good flesh on it, just no depth. Maybe in 7 years it'll be a 15!

We fished two spots, but checked out two more, for a total of four. We were able to get around wherever we wanted in 4x4 pickups. At most a foot of snow on the ice, and that in somewhat sheltered locations. Still able to break through the plow berms along the ice roads. Saw no slush whatsoever, but probably there is a bit in sheltered bays where wind blew in lots of this last snow.

Gorgeous day on the ice, too!

[Mike Stark]

Had a good day on the lake with my folks today. Ended up putting three on the ice. 25,24 and a little guy. 30-45fow. One came on a tip up with a rainbow and the other two were caught on northlands rattle bait. We had some other marks and a couple other flags. There is some deep snow out there. Saw some trucks off the plowed roads. No worries for snowmobiles tho. I'll post some pics tomorrow.

[Mike Stark]

Here are some pics from the other day. One interesting thing that I found when I cleaned the fish was that two of the fish had pea sized rocks in their bellies. They must be sucking bugs off the bottom.

Catching was a little slow for this trip but fishing with the folks was great.

[lispeej]

nice!

[fishkid]

[Steve Foss]

You came from Alaska to fish Burntside? Now THAT'S dedication!

[fishkid]

lol gotch ya couple of the lakers we got up here this past weekend

[simey1]

Nice pics Mike. That is very cool that you take your folks out when you can. I need to raise my game up to your "slow day" standards. I was wondering if you switch baits often during the day or do you stick it out with 1 or 2?

[Mike Stark]

Nice pics Mike. That is very cool that you take your folks out when you can. I need to raise my game up to your "slow day" standards. I was wondering if you switch baits often during the day or do you stick it out with 1 or 2?

thanks simey1. i was talking about the trip as a whole. that was a good day of fishing on burntside for us. we fished a couple other days and got nothin.

i usually stick to just a couple types of baits. rattle baits and spoons. those baits are what i have the most confidence in.

[Steve Foss]

i was talking about the trip as a whole. that was a good day of fishing on burntside for us. we fished a couple other days and got nothin.

i usually stick to just a couple types of baits. rattle baits and spoons. those baits are what i have the most confidence in.

Regarding bait choice, that's my experience, too. Fish the baits you are confident in. Confidence keeps you focused and in the game instead of yakking and being distracted. You never know when there's a laker sitting out of the cone of the ducer, just watching. And if you can't yak and jig aggressively at the same time, my message is talk less and jig more.

While rattle baits and spoons are not my confidence lures, they are Mike's. I have my own. When lakers are lip locked, it doesn't matter what you put down there. When they are aggressive, they'll hit whatever you put down there. On Bside, the large majority of the time they are neutral, so fish with what gives you confidence, and learn how to trigger them.

[Barack]

Had a good weekend landed 17 fish kept 2 eaters. The biguns are starting to hit. If anyone catches one with a #6 kaylee hook in its throat thank me for not even touching the fish i just cut the line on the 10-20s Driving suxs when you get in a old rut nothing but sugar snow under the crust u break threw

[Steve Foss]

Well, another 4 inches of snow and we'll be about done with 4x4 trucks going wherever we want. The guys and I made it well up into the big bay of the North Arm today, and we didn't find any slush, nor did we bog down, but we definitely had to keep the rpms up. About 12-14 inches of snow in the narrow part of the arm, and the old ruts from other trucks made it tough to keep momentum up.

Main parts of the lake are a bit easier to get around on when off the plowed roads.

After going gangbusters the first month of the season, we'e been hitting a relatively dry spell the last few days. We've fished only spots that have been consistent producers, and have seen fish every day, but most have been somewhat sluggish and hard to trigger. We were able to get a 2 and an 8 on Saturday, but had a harder time Sunday and today, with no fish Sunday and only one today.

We've been targeting 35-80 FOW, with detours into 15-20 and 90-100 FOW.

Back at it tomorrow!

[Steve Foss]

Well, another 4 inches of snow and we'll be about done with 4x4 trucks going wherever we want. The guys and I made it well up into the big bay of the North Arm today, and we didn't find any slush, nor did we bog down, but we definitely had to keep the rpms up. About 12-14 inches of snow in the narrow part of the arm, and the old ruts from other trucks made it tough to keep momentum up.

Main parts of the lake are a bit easier to get around on when off the plowed roads.

After going gangbusters the first month of the season, we'e been hitting a relatively dry spell the last few days. We've fished only spots that have been consistent producers, and have seen fish every day, but most have been somewhat sluggish and hard to trigger. We were able to get a 2 and an 8 on Saturday, but had a harder time Sunday and today, with no fish Sunday and only one today.

Back at it tomorrow!

[leech~~]

Had a good weekend landed 17 fish kept 2 eaters. The biguns are starting to hit. If anyone catches one with a #6 kaylee hook in its throat thank me for not even touching the fish i just cut the line on the 10-20s Driving suxs when you get in a old rut nothing but sugar snow under the crust u break threw

Barack, you seem to be the man out there when many of the old dogs are having a hard time finding them. 17 in a weekend, do you ever bring a camera with you? It would sure be nice to have seen some of those dandys!

[Great Outdoors]

The B Man, is at times, fishing with lures that no one else is using. Taking that into consideration, and Mike Stark finding stones in the trout bellies leads me to think Barack is onto to something.

I'll be giving it a try one of these days, even though it's not my cup of tea 'cause it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks!