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Posted

Been heading out here lately. Close to home fishing spot for me. Been finding a big school of crappies on the ridge of the 40ft hole closest to the boat launch, suspended from 35-30ft of water. A bunch of eight inchers. Fun if you want to get on some fish and keep the kids entertained.

Posted

Thanks for the report!

Posted

Hi thought id contribute as im sure others are in search of that metro honey hole. Out from 7-10 on Johanna a few 6-8" crappies bite was slow. Lots of fish mark but very slow to bite. Near 40' and almost all suspended. Will try moving around next time though im sure could be better as i was further away from most shacks. Ice is plenty thick over 24"

Posted

Hey Nigel and LRO, welcome to HSO.

How deep was the snow on Johanna?

Posted

LRODEMEY, I had the same experiance. 6-8" crappies that were slow to bit.

Ice thickness is past my ice scoop. Snow is about 6-8" in some parts. Got stuck the other day, but had a helpful fisherman help me out. Going to head out again in a bit, I'll let you know what I see.

Posted

The snow depth can vary pretty quick from all the blowing snow the other week. 2-8". There are trucks out there that don't seem to be having trouble getting around. A couple weeks ago I could drive off the beaten path, but now my Trailblazer has too low of a clearance to just blaze trails around the lake. Fishing was slow. Marked one fish, turned out to be a lone small crappie, drilled 8 holes in a circle pattern around that mark, and didn't find a school. Drilled more holes off the circle pattern, still nothing. It was still good to get out for a bit though.

Posted

Snow is pretty bad if you don't have a 4x4 and clearance. Fished sat. Caught quite a few all between 6-9in between 30-35ft. Fish were all suspended between 18-22ft on waxies. Not bad if u want a couple for the fryer.

Posted

How is the water clarity?

Posted

Pretty clear. I don't know exact depth, but when you pop a hole, the water doesn't stain the snow around the hole. To be honest I never thought to look at my flasher and see what depth I couldn't see my presentation anymore. You can see your jig go down, but snow cover and ice thickness makes light penetration limited, so It's hard to tell.

fishkaholic is right though. There is a beaten path, but beware if you go off it. Also, there is a path that was plowed close to the boat launch for people to walk/skate/or whatever, but its turned into a trench of sorts. There is vehicle traffic going through it that is matted down, but the snow is pretty high if you choose to not follow the tracks.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • 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~~
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    • 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.    
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