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Posted

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

Should be ok.

I only have chains on the rear of my AYV.

Cliff

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  • Cliff Wagenbach

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Posted

Pressure cracks are starting to show up on Big Bay now with patches of slush under the snow close to them. Hope we do not end up the same as last winter! That was a nightmare!

The drifts that are out there are hard enough to walk on too!

Cliff

Posted

The drifts are very bad on Big Bay. I didn't encounter any slush, and the water didn't come above the holes I drilled, so slush shouldn't be a big problem yet. Fishing was very slow for me. In the 1+ days I fished before a family medical emergency came up, I caught only a 9" walleye and four 10-12" perch. Did miss several other bites.

Posted

Any advice on where to find 'pout on vermilion? I caught a little one on whiteface yesterday. I brought it home, boiled it up and my wife loved it! She wants me to go find more!

Posted

Pout can be caught all over vermilion but the best population is usually in the deep water close to rock and bite best close to dark and after dark.

The North side of Ely Is is where I have caught most of the better sized ones at.

Cliff

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

I was out fishing in big bay last weekend and it was pretty slow. Although I can’t complain for my first time icefishing the big v.We were fishing 25-34 ft and caught 2 slot walleye(21&24),some dinks(8-10 in.), a few jumbos, a pike and a tullibee. Always fun to take the sleds out and do some fishing though! We have been going up to vermilion for 15+ years but just built a year round place for snowmobiling and icefishing! Just wondering how others were doing and what was working for them. Also I plan on heading up their later this year after walleye season. Does anybody have any tips on crappie and bluegill late ice? Thanks

Posted

Reid,

The walleye bite has been slow the past 3 weeks for most of us, usually is this time of the year.

It is usually more productive to do like you did and get on a new un-fished spot away from the crowd late in the season.

The crappies are biting well if you get in the right spot!

You will have to find your own spot though because no one will share that info. because it is just to hard to locate good crappie spots, and once located, the crappies can be fished out easily!

The bright side though is that there are more crappie then ever on the East end of the lake and they are averaging 10" to 12" in size!

Look for steep rocky drop offs close to shore, islands, and reefs. If there is a mud bottom close by, that is even better! Usually they are in 30+ feet of water and hanging very close to the bottom. Hard to spot at first but once you spot and catch a few they are easier to recognize on the flasher.

Cliff

Posted

I'm heading up to a cabin on Birch Point this weekend. I'm excited to try ice fishing Vermilion for the first time. I do feel a bit overwhelmed and under prepared but thankfully we have sleds and can stay mobile. On Sunday we might head out and chase trout on a nearby lake but if we can find them on Vermilion that will be tough to leave! Here goes nothing.

Posted

Thanks for the response cliff. I understand about the secrecy of crappie spots. Half the fun can be trying to find them! It's just nice to get pointed in the right direction. I do have one crappie spot in mind, but I am afraid the snowmobile trail runs right over it

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Winter walleye season finished very slow for me. Caught 6 walleyes (9-14") and a 15" whitefish over 2½ days. Didn't catch a slot fish since December. Typical late winter fishing. Lake trout fishing the rest of the winter.

Posted

Winter walleye season finished very slow for me. Caught 6 walleyes (9-14") and a 15" whitefish over 2½ days. Didn't catch a slot fish since December. Typical late winter fishing. Lake trout fishing the rest of the winter.

Same for me!

I pulled my wheel house for the winter yesterday.

I will be chasing crappies and maybe a couple of trips for stream trout for the rest of the winter and maybe a late trip to L.O.W..

Cliff

Posted

I will be heading up to Vermilion on Friday with a bunch of Boy Scouts. We are staying at Camp Vermilion on Wakemup Bay. I have never been to Vermilion before. Brining my usual ice fishing gear that I use on Lake of the Woods. Hoping to put the boys on some fish for their fishing merit badge. Any suggestions on where to drill some holes? I see a reef just to the west of center island. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Posted

Merry-go-round reef is just NE of Center Is and should hold a few walleyes.

NE Center Is should also have a few walleyes there.

This winter set lines have accounted for most of my fish so tip-ups or bobber rigs will probably be your best bets.

Fish 25' to 36' of water. Pike suckers and Rainbow chubs have been my best bait. Pink or red hooks.

Cliff

Posted

You should be able to find fish closer to camp on the South Shore. The staked snowmobile trail goes just to the South of Merry Go Round. Check some depths from 15 to 35.

Good luck stay warm.

Steve

Posted

Headed up to Vermilion for the first time the last weekend of this month. I'm dying to catch some eelpout as I have never caught one before. My buddy wants to catch some tulibee. Are eelpout and tulibee fairly easy to catch on Vermilion? How do you all think travel on the lake will be by that time? I'm worried that once pike/walleye season ends, roads will few and far between?

Posted

Roads are already starting to disappear now that a lot of houses are being pulled off of the lake. Travel is getting tougher for trucks also now the we got about 4 or 5 inches of new snow a couple of days ago. The wind has been blowing steady and there is a lot of drifting.

E-mail sent also!

Cliff

Posted

I greatly appreciate the info you sent me Cliff. Are there any other lakes in the area that we could catch some nice eelpout on?

Posted

Your best bet for pout would be in Trout Lake, which is North of Vermilion and in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Nice pout there!

Cliff

Posted

I read about Trout on another posting and it definitely sounds intriguing. I don't mind walking but I'm a little confused about just how far the walk is? Sounds like we can drive to a certain point and walk from there? Where is the best place to find information on how to get there and where to park? Call the DNR or is there info on the web somewhere? Sorry for all the questions but if I'm going to make the trip (4+ plus hours), I want to make sure I have my ducks in a row. Thanks.

Posted

solocamzman.

You can access Vermilion at Moccasin Point landing, drive your truck to the Trout Lake Portage and walk into Trout from there. The portage is about 3/4 mile into Trout, walk straight North across the small bay from the portage to the next short portage, when you cross that portage you can go either right or left to either of the points. Fish in 35' to 60' of water.

There is a good chance that you will also catch lake trout at both spots!

I like to use jigging spoons on one rod and a tip-up.

Light northern suckers and shiners have always been my best bait in Trout.

Yellow, white & silver have been my best colors.

The Pout will be within 1' to 6' of bottom. Trout can be anywhere from right on the bottom to right under the ice.

A flasher is critical!

Good fishing!

Cliff

Posted

I was up on Trout lake February 7 and driving out from moccasin point was tough going if they got anymore snow you would be better off snowmobiling out to the portage

Posted

Solo guy do you have a truck? How far do you walk after that? No roads on Trout (BWCA) Are the bruiser 'pout cruising near shore or on rocky hump a half a mile out? Just sayin'

Posted

Thanks once again for the feedback Cliff! 3/4 of a mile walk isn't bad. I just hope I can make it to the BWCA boundary in a Subaru forester this time of year! Thing is a tank but it's downfall is ground clearance

Posted

Thanks for the info sheephead2. I'll keep that in mind. And for you th64, well, I'll deal with you later lol. Cut me some slack. I'm trying here!

Posted

If you have snow shoes I would bring them along! grin

Cliff

Posted

I'm a lake walker for access to my cabin and was up last weekend. All of the recent snow has been dry plus the winds have blown a lot of it around, so while there once was good traction for walking it is now somewhat deep powdery snow. I walked in snowmobile tracks without my snowshoes on, which was doable but I still sank through. Snowshoes would have been a must if I was making new tracks.

Personally I wouldn't have driven my truck off-road, but that's just me. Maybe your car really is a tank. Bring a shovel just in case!

Posted

Thanks once again for the feedback Cliff! 3/4 of a mile walk isn't bad. I just hope I can make it to the BWCA boundary in a Subaru forester this time of year! Thing is a tank but it's downfall is ground clearance
No ground clearance will be a problem as there is no plowed roads to the portage!

Cliff

Posted

Thanks for the info everyone. Sounds like I won't be making it to trout. Wish we had access to a sled. Guess we'll venture elsewhere. I'm definitely bringing snowshoes and a shovel!

Posted

You could check with Mike Stark on Burntside Lake.

He rents fish houses there. Not sure if they are catching any pout though.

218-235-1902.

Cliff

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

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