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Posted

Okay, now I'm really puzzled. You said you left Minnesota for Montana 35-years ago but you are back here to fish Leech for walleyes. With all those truly BIG walleyes right outside Helena and you come over here to fish these little doinkers?

Man, my buddies used to yard out 10-12 and larger walleyes all the time from the Canyon.

But as long as you are a happy and peaceful man it's all good.

Most of the family still lives in the Midwest and the family cabin is near Park Rapids. The brothers and cousins do a mantrip every year to open the cabin near walleye opener and try fooling dinner. Can't get consensus on selling in Mn and buying a cabin on the Musselshell, Dearborn or Little Prickly Pear.

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  • hockeybc69

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  • Gissert

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  • slammer

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Posted

I can't believe these ice reports! Still 2 feet plus?!?! Wow!

What is the latest ice-out you guys have ever seen?

Posted

I'm stayin home for the opener. Second weekend for me. If ice off is 2-3 weeks late, I'll gamble that the fishin will be too

Posted

BTL, you can look at the attached for historical data...latest ice out on record over last 25 years on OT is May 4, both 1996 and 1998...so, looks like this type of prolonged winter is not entirely rare but uncommon. I found the info quite interesting, especially related to other lakes across the state. I wont be up until second week of June, but agree with slammer and will gamble that things will be delayed. I guess when the shiners start to show up around the shallows and dock areas the bite will coincide, but that's just my 2 cents...

http://climate.umn.edu/doc/ice_out/ice_out_historical.htm

Posted

Itslike this every 5 years or so.

Posted

I have serious doubts about opener being ice free...especially if there is no major rains...still cutting up to 30" of ice on Monday... sick Every 5 years it's like this? I have never cut that much ice this late in the year in the OT area.. No way do we see that every 5 years....I drove my wheeler off a North shore access and was still churning through snowpack at shore...

Posted

Not even close to every 5 years is it like this....

I turkey hunt the area every year the first week in May, and I dont recall ever being shut out from spring panfishing in the boat during that vacation. Not once.

April 20th is average ice out on our lake.... some years a few days earlier, few days later.... once in a while is it more than a week off that average sure.....

Posted

We came up this morning for the first time and Ottertail is covered with ice. Even where the river comes in is barely open.

F2D09712-9E6A-4E91-9475-7C53EB6B3374-173

But what shocked me was that the water level is still low. Maybe because of the ice is still on but if not we are in trouble.

A6C5D96F-A2FF-409A-8582-0AE9AFFEDBE8-173

Posted

East Battle as of yesterday afternoon. With the temps coming Wednesday and on, this wont be clear for many more days.

IMG_20130428_123736_276_zpsf4860788.jpg

Posted

Wow...looks like my Sunday ice fishing plan is going to be a real likely possibility up there-not sure if I should be happy about it or not... cry

Posted

I made it out last night, the ice is really weird, it is extremely slushy and wet on top. There are really big holes where the water has run down, but why did it stop running. The shorelines on the north sides are pretty much a no go, but one would be able to get out for at least the next couple of days on the south sides. I will be getting my boat out and getting things ready, my ice season is over. Maybe?

Posted

Did a little run around to retrieve ice house blocks before I went fishing last Friday evening. I drove onto the lake, but I couldn't drive the ATV off. eek

No more ATV on the ice anymore. Snow is still too deep and ice is too wet/dangerous..

IMG_20130426_183144_747_zps9515dc0e.jpg

Posted

LMAO! It's funny, cuz its not me!

Posted

That looks like some real man work.

Posted

It does look like some real man work....hopefully you found one and he helped you... grin

Posted

omg............... OOOFFF

Posted

It's going to be close for opener. Ottertail records only go back 25 years. Osakis records go back 125 years. The ice out date for both of them are usually within a couple of days. The latest ice out on Osakis was May 14th or 15th in 1950. I'm to lazy to look it up again. It could go either way for opener. If you do a trip with the boys opener weekend, you will want to bring some additional poker money, or maybe the golf clubs.

We do an annual trip the week after opener. We should be fine ice wise, but if it is like the mid 90's, shiner minnows may be scarce. If the Lilac bush by the fish house at the Nifty Nook isn't blooming, fishing can be tough. This year it might not have leaf on it yet. It will probably also mean a lot more boat gas for the trip to where the river enters ottertail.

Whatever happens 10 guys escaping their wives, kids and responsibilities will have a great time once again. That's all that really matters.

I shed a tear when I heard Ken's bait shop burned down. Where will I buy the latests Hot Jig.

PS...If you keep a big female you should be horse whipped, if she is full of eggs, you should be shot.

Posted

Just got back from OT. Looks like its getting beat up pretty good. Right on schedule for May 10th I think still. It going to be close.

Posted

It does look like some real man work....hopefully you found one and he helped you... grin

You know your phone won't be ringing... lol.

I know you'd appreciate that pic, Gissy.

Posted

Ah just life in Mn. Last year we had spring all winter. No snow. 32plus more often. Then not. Typical mn

Posted

Gotta love that wind and sunshine!

Posted

Went to a favorite spot yesterday where we trap our bait every year. It is a place with a good current and shallow water. Looked around and where you can usually see shiners or other minnows...nothing. Water was very cold to the touch.

Posted

West Battle Lake 4/30/13 and Ottertail Lake around 4 pm

WBL43013.jpg

OT43013.jpg

Posted

Nice pics foo...looks like I might need the canoe to get up on the ice this weekend. It makes a good auger sled anyway.. grin

Posted

Nice ice melting forecast..... frown

Posted

I don't know how your records read Gissert but it is looking to be the latest ice out since before I was born?

Posted

I just took a drive around Otter Tail lake. The most open water was at the South end where the Ottertail river goes out and the West side where the Dead river enters. There was also a lot of open water where the creek from Balmoral enters the lake. Next week looks like nicer weather.

Posted

Pleasant - never seen SOuth Turtle this late. My folks had records that I need to dig up. IIRC, APril 21 was the latest I ever saw.

Posted

This looks fun ... i think by monday maybe tuesday

full-20305-32698-2013_05_0119.57.44.jpg

Posted

Yikes, that access looks like disaster.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • carlsonmn
      That was a better study compared to last winter when they setup the vertical tube nets and tried to release exhausted fish from being studied and expected them to be able to swim straight down a 3' hoop net.     That lake's crappie population from this latest video was pretty deep at 40-50', and no doubt from those depths that is barotrauma for most.  That is deeper than most crappie holes but certainly how some are. However from helping give fish a good release from the 35' and less range and tracking them with live sonar most of them swim at a shallow angle back to the depths and I watch them rejoin the school and be active.  Uncut Angling's video helped counter some of the initial narrow findings.  
    • SkunkedAgain
      If you fished with me more often, you'd never have to make this statement...   38" of ice - love it. I'm really going to have to dig around for my auger extension. I don't think that I've needed it in over a decade.   Too bad nobody has a locomotive chugging across the ice to do some logging, like the good old days.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing remains strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Resorts and outfitters on some parts of the lake have ice roads extending over 16 miles staying on nice schools of walleyes and saugers.  Many fish houses are over deep mud.  Some are on structure.  It is always fishing of course, but overall, February has been very productive for most anglers.   Extensions are being used on ice augers as the ice continues to thicken.  The thick ice this year will be good for the extended ice fishing season Lake of the Woods enjoys with fish houses out through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14th and a pike season that never closes. Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with a good number of jumbo perch in the mix this year.  Some big eelpout are also showing up.  Anglers are reporting plenty of fish for fresh fish frys and usually extra fish to bring home.   The one-two punch of a jigging line and deadstick is the way to go.  On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.     Lures with a light have been working well in the stained water.  Please remember, in MN, lures with a light or water activated light can be used as long as the battery is mercury free and the hook is attached directly to the lure and not as a dropper line.     On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    Some days, mornings are better, other days, it's the afternoons.  There is no distinct pattern, they could come through at any time. On the Rainy River...  The start of the day and end of the day have been best for those targeting walleyes on the river. A jig and minnow or a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Some big sturgeon being iced by ice anglers targeting them.  It is a catch-and-release sturgeon season currently.   Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing has been strong in the islands area of Lake of the Woods. Resorts continue to move their fish houses around, staying on the best schools of walleyes.     Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch with an occasional pike or tullibee as well.     Big crappies are still being caught just over the border.  Fish houses are available, check with a NW Angle resort for info on crappie fishing.   Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.    
    • leech~~
      Maybe you should put rattle wheels down, if your going to sleep for 6hrs! 🤭 😆
    • JerkinLips
      Monday was my worst day of winter fishing on Vermilion in the last 4 years.  Caught only one 14" walleye in nearly 8 hours of fishing.  Missed two other bites and was marking very few fish.  Maybe the fish were taking Monday off after a big weekend.   No more water came up on the ice under my house.  Think it was because I haven't banked snow around it for a couple of weeks so the bare ice around the house is getting very thick.  I measured 38" of ice under my house and the Ion barely made it through even with the extension installed.  Needless to say I banked around the house this time.  Another lesson I learned today is don't drill holes if ice is frozen on your blades.  I did that on one hole and it didn't center properly and drilled at an angle on the edge of the opening.  Hope I can correct the location and angle on my next trip up.   Not much change in the surface lake surface conditions.  The drifts may be a little higher and are definitely harder.  There are still a few bare ice spots on the lake.  Very little activity on the lake today.  There are about 3 dozen houses from McKinley Park out to Birch Island.  Another person pulled there house off today, and I am sure many more will pull theirs off this coming weekend.  Only 13 days left of walleye season.    
    • leech~~
      A good start for never picking up a bow!   IMG_1910.mp4
    • leech~~
      Um, #metoo   leech~~ Author 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders Posted January 26 My whole goal for the rest of this season.  Is to watch KC lose and Taylor cry!  🥳
    • smurfy
    • Wanderer
      Smurfy is happy.
    • Dash 1
      Great looking food. So far not much of a game and I thought the halftime show was worse I've seen. 
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