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Caution needed on south bays


TJS

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I was up on Saturday with a few friends. Went out on Wahkon with the Atv's. Driving around that bay is tricky and with any snow it's going to be dangerous. There are a lot of ice blocks that have not been pushed back into the holes from "some" of the spear fisherman and some of the holes are not being marked. I have been told that Isle is the same way. Please use caution when out there. As far as fishing, small perch was all I found and there are a few areas with a nice layer of slush under the ice.

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Even augered holes after a big warmup can be super danger for walking and little ones!!!8 inchers can get wide fast to 12 or inches or more!c63

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cove bay also has alot of ice blocks on the ice. seeing all the houses on vineland bay, i would guess that it is also littered with ice blocks.

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I don't get why people just can't push the blocks under the ice. It's alot easier than getting them out! That dump drives me nuts! It's not that hard.

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Pulling them out and replacing them at the end of the day and marking your hole with a stick is the best way, it freezes up so fast it's crazy when you put the block back, even if it doesn't freeze up immediately at least the block is back in the hole if someone steps on it. I cut a hole out there on Sunday and the weeds were too thick so I moved off a few feet to the edge. When I left that first hole was already froze completely solid and it wasn't crazy cold, maybe 15-20 degrees. Pull your blocks out and put them back and mark with a stick, it's the only way. If you have a permanent and your hole freezes over you should still auger a hole in the spear hole to mark with a stick and hit your block with a chisel a few times to make a bunch of small pieces.

I could never push the block under knowing in leaving a huge open hole, marked or not it's not the right way to go. The problem is too many newbies to the sport that don't know any better, they actually think the block is supposed to mark the hole. Everybody needs to educate these people so if your out and see someone spearing don't be afraid to go up to them and ask that they replace their block and mark it with a stick, ask them if they have room for one more to sit and watch if it's something you've never done, might be hooked for life smile

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Pulling them out and replacing them at the end of the day and marking your hole with a stick is the best way, it freezes up so fast it's crazy when you put the block back, even if it doesn't freeze up immediately at least the block is back in the hole if someone steps on it. I cut a hole out there on Sunday and the weeds were too thick so I moved off a few feet to the edge. When I left that first hole was already froze completely solid and it wasn't crazy cold, maybe 15-20 degrees. Pull your blocks out and put them back and mark with a stick, it's the only way. If you have a permanent and your hole freezes over you should still auger a hole in the spear hole to mark with a stick and hit your block with a chisel a few times to make a bunch of small pieces.

I could never push the block under knowing in leaving a huge open hole, marked or not it's not the right way to go. The problem is too many newbies to the sport that don't know any better, they actually think the block is supposed to mark the hole. Everybody needs to educate these people so if your out and see someone spearing don't be afraid to go up to them and ask that they replace their block and mark it with a stick, ask them if they have room for one more to sit and watch if it's something you've never done, might be hooked for life smile

+1

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You don't need to pull the block of ice out, just fill it with snow and place branches in it. If you see branches sticking out of the ice, you should know not to step there.

Actually the Minnesota Darkhouse & Angling Association says to just push the block under the ice.

"Usually, Lundeen said, the practice of pushing the block of ice under the surface is easiest because the ice bobs after being cut free.

“It’s actually so much easier. Why lift the block on top of the ice? That thing is heavy,” he said.

http://news.dnr.state.mn.us/2014/12/11/keep-safety-in-mind-when-enjoying-darkhouse-spearing/

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Yes OLE thats what i was always told also. When i was a kid i use to watch the same couple guys spear fish every year,they would invite me in to watch down the hole with them. I loved it. These two guys ALWAYS PUSHED THE ICE BLOCK UNDER THE ICE. Then marked the hole with branches or a small pine tree.

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I pull mine out and push them back in. The hole freezes up much faster that way. I have no problem with someone pushing it in though.

Bottom line is block needs to be off the ice and the hole needs to be marked no matter what.

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I pull mine out and push them back in. The hole freezes up much faster that way. I have no problem with someone pushing it in though.

Bottom line is block needs to be off the ice and the hole needs to be marked no matter what.

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I pull mine out and push them back in. The hole freezes up much faster that way. I have no problem with someone pushing it in though.

Bottom line is block needs to be off the ice and the hole needs to be marked no matter what.

I agree, just as long as the block isn't left on the ice.

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Watch out if you go spearing on the south by lybacs!! He blogged that if he sees one more unmarked spear hole, he will drive by every spear house with his plow down to scare everything away!! I understand his frustration, but he thinks he owns that section of lake. That would be considered harassment!!! That is punishing everybody, for the bad actions of few. Yes, there are a few idiots out there, but saying you're going to put the plow down and do a drive by to every spear house in your area is taking it too far, imo

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I read that too Ryan and I agree, that's not fair to everyone else. I imagine if he decided to put the plow down to scare fish, that those fisherman would have some words for him. Probably not legal to harass fishermen like that either.

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I can see how he would be frustrated with this also. If he has clients come in and someone hits one of those after they use his access he is the one that will get the blame. It's just so easy to push the block and mark those holes.

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Just imagine a guy and his son spearing together for the first time following all the rules and all of a sudden this guy comes with plow down and scares everything away! if it happened to me I would most definitely be videoing it and sharing it with the local game warden! and he wonders why times are tough for him when he talks like that. People see it and go on to the next resort.

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He has every right to be frustrated. Im an avid spear fisherman and it makes me down right mad when guys leave blocks on the ice and holes unmarked.

Harraasing others who probably are being responsible is not the way to handle it. Acting like that is not only immature its illegal.

Hopefully its just a bunch of big talk.

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I agree 100% he has every right to be upset. Nobody would want their customers to hit an unmarked spear hole. But making the threats he has against innocent people trying too enjoy themselves is not right, and like MJ said, illegal. I hope the co sees his threat and has a word with him.

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Not only that but why would I want t potentially give him business in the future with an attitude like that?

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+1 MrKlean. That's no better than the idiots leaving the open holes. Just what we all need, another moron

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I have not speared in years so don't know, is there anything in the Reg's now on how to handle the ice blocks? If not, this is just the kind of thing that ends up being some kind of regulated rule spelled how by the DNR in the Reg book because Sportsman can't agree and follow the same safe process. frown

When I did spear, I just pushed it under and marked the hole with a branch when done which sounds like most of you guys do.

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There are no regs that pertain to marking spear holes or leaving blocks on the ice.

I don't want to get in a big debate but there are regs against littering on the ice. By the looks of it regs do not stop littering.

Tough to regulate those that are on the low end of the intelligence or courtesy scale.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

There are no regs that pertain to marking spear holes or leaving blocks on the ice.

I don't want to get in a big debate but there are regs against littering on the ice. By the looks of it regs do not stop littering.

Tough to regulate those that are on the low end of the intelligence or courtesy scale.

I agree, MJ. I was just saying that when things like this can't be worked out, more freedoms are lost with more rules and laws. frown

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You are exactly right Leech. As usual it will be a handful of clowns that get useless regs put on the rest of us.

It's still no excuse for a resort owner to harass people.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
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