Vermilion ice conditions and fishing reports/ winter 2014-15

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I finally got out on the ice this afternoon after checking the ice in a couple of areas.

I found around 6 inches of ice out from Mckinley Park and 7 inches to 9 inches in the area that I fished.

I got set up in about 14 feet of water at 2:30pm and fished until 5:00pm.

My first fish was a fat 23-1/2 inch walleye caught at 3:30pm! The bite was steady until 5:00pm. I iced 7 walleyes and 5 perch. Kept 3 walleyes and 4 fat jumbos.

Pike suckers,fatheads, and rainbows all got hits.

The best bite was on the rattle reel.

Cliff

[fishingdad]

Nice Job Cliff!! Did you have any company out there or were you the first of the year to find them?

[Cliff Wagenbach]

No one even close to me! But, there are others out there also.

The walleyes are biting well.

We iced 5 walleyes and 10 jumbos this evening!

Cliff

[TomWehler]

Time for DNR freezer checks!!

Have fun but do Be safe Sir Cliff.

Keep on rocken!

T

[Esox62]

Made it out also and had 6-7 in where I was. Fished 2-5 they are biting for sure. Landed 6 missed as many and watched them com in and look quite regularly. Fat 26in was my biggest

[JerkinLips]

I fished out from McKinley Park Wednesday and Thursday and had 8½" of ice. Caught only 5 eyes (15", 14", 13", 11" and 10"). Took the snowmobile out to Birch Island on Friday (9½" of ice) and did not catch a thing. Had only two bites in 33 feet of water.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Dec, 4

Drove my truck out to my fish house today! 13 inches of good ice where I am at!

The walleye and perch bite is still going strong.

14 to 16 feet of water using jigs and rattle reels baited with rainbows is still working best. Shiners are a good second bait choice also.

Cliff

[live-2-fish]

Cliff,

How much snow do you have up there in God's country?

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Not much. A couple inches, tops.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Only about 2 or 3 inches of snow on the ice.

Very good travel conditions!

Cliff

[bsmitt]

Hi Cliff any idea about ice conditions out of Glenwood Lodge?

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I have not been up in that area but think that there is probably at least 12 inches of ice there by now.

Cliff

[CigarGuy]

About 7" ice on the Partridge River. Fish must be out in the main lake

[JerkinLips]

The big girls are eating, but I'm still hungry. Caught 17 walleyes over 3½ days on Vermilion; 6 slotters (19-21"), 9 dinks (10-13") and only 2 eaters (14-15"). I got so desperate for a fish meal that I even kept a couple of "poor-man" walleyes (11-12" perch). It was fun catching the big girls (including double 20-inchers pictured), but I would have traded a couple of them for some 16-17 inchers (I had one up to the hole before it spit the hook out). Fished in 26 FOW. Rainbows were best at the beginning, suckers were good in the middle, and today large shiners were the best. 8:30-10:30 was the best bite. no bites from 12:00-2:30. Not much of an evening bite until last night at 4:30 when I missed two good bites, got the double 20-inchers and a 14".

[CigarGuy]

Nice job JL! I'm quickly becoming an expert on the west end eliminating fishy looking spots! If you guy's want to know where the fish aren't...just ask me . Tried 3 spots today, only a few small perch and a 30" pike. Ice varied from 7" to 11". Any of you guy's the one's we saw on one of the points going into Head O Lakes Bay? Were going deeper tomorrow. I'm on my seasonal lay-off, so my retired neighbor and I will keep looking for a keeper walleye!

[splakeshaker]

Hey guys. Just curious if there is a walleye decent night bite on vermilion?. I live in two harbors and would love to do an overnight if it's worth the time cost and effort. If it isn't i can change plans. Thanks

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I have never had much of a night bite on Vermilion. Not to say that it does not happen on a rare occasion!

Cliff

[splakeshaker]

Thanks cliff.

[neptune]

Any Update on ice conditions? I will probably be up there sometime after Christmas. Staying in Greenwood Bay as usual and don't travel too far from home in the winter.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Ice conditions and travel are mostly very good.

I just got home from checking in the Big Bay area and found 15" to 16" of ice out as far as Potato Island. Very little snow on the ice now.

Saw one pressure ridge that was about 8" high out by Potato.

Lots of truck on the ice out from McKinley Park.

Cliff

[JerkinLips]

Had another good trip on Vermilion. In 2½ days, I caught 13 walleyes (including the 26" and 21" slotters pictured), 3 perch (10-13"), and a 26" northern. I caught the 7" walleye immediately after the 26". It is fun watching the fish come up through the clear ice. Best bite was from 9:30-noon and 3:30-4:30. Had 11" of ice on the north side of big bay. The lake is still covered with a 1" layer of snow, but turns to slush where previously driven over.

[neptune]

Nice fish JL. Would you mind sharing what depth and bait worked best for you?

[JerkinLips]

I was fishing in 27 fow, 12" off the bottom. Best action was on a flat glow white jig head with a shiner. Caught a few fish on pike suckers on a small red jig head (which I lost in the 26" northern). I think I caught only one fish on rainbows.

[53orbigger]

Anyone have any current ice/snow updates? I am leaving for the cabin in the morning and it would be great to know if we can drive the truck across Big Bay to the Mud Creek area. If we can't that means less stuff since we have to transport it all by snowmobile.

Thanks

[SkunkedAgain]

I have no clue about Big Bay but where I was on a small bay there was over a foot of ice, no slush, and only an inch or so of compressed snow. The travel conditions are excellent for both snowmobiles and ATVs

[Cliff Wagenbach]

53,

There should be plenty of ice up to Mud Creek.

Only about 2" of snow and 16" of ice on the North side of Ely Is. a few days ago.

Cliff

[JerkinLips]

Fishing slowed down for me this week. Caught only 3 fish Monday (13" & 11" walleyes and the 21" northern pictured), 8 fish Tuesday (15", 12", 11", and 9" walleyes and four 11-13" perch), and got skunked Wednesday. Wish I had kept some of the perch to get a full meal. The northern had one of its gills hanging out as seen in the pictures, but seemed to be very healthy as I released it. On Wednesday I couldn't fish in my normal 27" FOW spot due to the high wind, so I ended up in only 18 FOW and didn't mark a fish all day. I did have a good bite at sunset that I missed, and then missed another bite 30 minutes later as I was picking up. Maybe this is an evening bite spot, but I had enough for the week and had to head home. I had only 12" of ice in my normal spot, but had 18" of ice in Wednesday's spot only 200 yards away.

[TomWehler]

Looks from photos an reading these posts you both have had nice relaxing times, a few fun fish an peace an quiet.

Good stuff.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Keep on Rocken!

Tommy

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Travel conditions have changed on Vermilion this week. We got around 8" to 10" of new slow that is blowing and drifting now.

Still able to get around with my truck but it will be hard traveling with ATV's now.

Great for snowmobiles on the lake and trails though!

I moved to a rock reef last week that topped out at 26' and have had a good walleye bite in the mornings and evenings on the Rattle Reels baited with pike suckers. Also caught one 32" pike an eel pout, and a couple of jumbos.

Very cold here this week also! Averaging around -20 most mornings!

Cliff

[redneckdan]

What about an ATV running front and rear chains, think it would work okay?