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Lake Superior Ice Conditions Feb 2019


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I have heard it's been slow out there. I went out last week for the first time this year and only had 3 chasers in like 8 hours, 1 was landed. I also didn't use a house, I jumped all around from 70-140ft. I marked quite a few schools of cohos/herring out suspended in 140ft, but all I had were big laker lures. I might give it another shot tomorrow.

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Nice looking Redfin Chris !!! Was going to try last Saturday but the weather spooked me. Maybe next weekend.

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Thanks Jim!

I was really hoping for coho or some herring which is why I wasnt out deeper, but was happy when this one slammed a jig/paddletail.  Smoked up great!  Never did mark any schools shallower.  Thinking of heading out on Saturday or Sunday again, after all this rain were supposed to get. Going to need the cleats for sure. 

Quite a few sleds and 4 wheelers heading out from McQuade last week.

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Heading up first thing in the morning! Anyone been out, or heard if the bite has gotten better?

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Nobody has ever caught a trophy fish from their couch!! Good luck tomorrow JB!! Keep in mind that if the depth is increasing and you haven't 'moved', you might wanna call it a day... Or... Hope you 'troll' to a better spot! If rescuers insist you leave your stuff behind, put your tackle or trophy catch under your jacket. Be safe- have fun!!???

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Nicely done...good to know you can try fishing that shallow. That slab will taste good...enjoy!

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
27 minutes ago, biff said:

Nice, looks like a stocked seeforellen brown.

 

Not blocky enough for a Brown, the heads to pointed. Coho.  

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I was actually thinking the same thing. It has a clipped fin. I assumed coho though, because the mouth was super bony, and his scales were going all over the place. I believe WI still stocks cohos. Had it not had a clipped fin, I would have released it just to be safe. 

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I’m not an expert on trout identification ( not yet at least) but from comparing it to photos of cohos and browns I’d have to say it’s a brown. That kind of checkerboard skin has me saying brown. Nothing wrong with that though browns put up one heck of battle!

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I don't think anybody on Lake Superior stocks Coho's anymore. Wi even quit stocking kings. WI started stocking seeforellens on our end a few years back and you see one occasionally caught shore fishing for loopers etc. Speaking of loopers, I know they quit stocking them but there should still be a few year classes left out there. I haven't heard anything about them this year. Anybody got any loopers this year?

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Look at the way its laying on the ice... I'd have to call it dinner. Look at how it has scales.... I can tell you that it ain't no darn eelpout or sturgeon. Whatever you caught, JB, excellent catch! Way to think outside the box to connect on a beautiful salmonoid. 

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
On 3/18/2019 at 6:22 PM, biff said:

Nice, looks like a stocked seeforellen brown.

 

You guys might be right?

From our very own LHarris on another site.

 

Seeforellen heritage

image.png.bddadaad2afd1f80071a2304000ac6c0.png

Not a seeforellen heritage

image.png.9501b5742f8484b5e56751c38b2ab7e1.png

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I checked out the Wisconsin fish stocking records. No records of any coho stockings. And it looks like seaforellan browns are stocked in big numbers on even years. Annually up until 2014. 

 

Well, that’s still my first fish through the ice on the north shore! And it’s my first brown trout out of Lake Superior (although I did catch a little one out of a tributary many years ago). 

 

Thanks for all the feedback!

Edited by JBMasterAngler
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Is anyone think the ice will be fine this weekend i was thinking about coming up on Saturday.  We were thinking breighton Beach or mcquaid.

Edited by Ramone Lariviere
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I just checked the Two Harbors webcam, and it’s still frozen. However, the ice cutter was in the background carving out the shipping lanes. Personally, I think the ice season on the big pond is over!

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To my surprise, I seen people ice fishing at  the mouth of the Lester, French, and Knife rivers early Monday morning. Will be interesting to see what things look like when I go back that way tomorrow evening.

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There is open water just outside the breakwall in Two Harbors ,,,, Wind dependent the ice should be fishable around the Lester/Brighton area ,,,, We had a pretty good east wind that broke up the ice near open water saturday ,,, There isn't a lot of ice time left on Superior 

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Drove along the shore yesterday evening. Still someone out infront of the French River. Ice was very dark, and not safe looking at all. Couple people were shore fishing at the mouths of the Baptism and Split Rock Rivers. Another couple guys going after steelhead on the knife. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Got a report that the parking lot at McQuade was full a little after 7 this morning ,,, Lots of boats launching at Two Harbors on the web cam

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I was watching guys trolling around all those little icebergs out there from my office window. It’s also seems that many chunks of ice were moving out to the lake as the evening wore on

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • mulefarm
      With the early ice out, how is the curlyleaf pondweed doing?
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   The big basin, otherwise known as Big Traverse Bay, is ice free.  Zippel Bay and Four Mile Bay are ice free as well.  Everything is shaping up nicely for the MN Fishing Opener on May 11th. With the walleye / sauger season currently closed, most anglers are targeting sturgeon and pike.  Some sturgeon anglers are fishing at the mouth of the Rainy River, but most sturgeon are targeted in Four Mile Bay or the Rainy River.  Hence, pike are the targeted species on the south shore and various bays currently.   Pike fishing this time of year is a unique opportunity, as LOW is border water with Canada, the pike season is open year round. The limit is 3 pike per day with one being able to be more than 40 inches. All fish 30 - 40 inches must be released. Back bays hold pike as they go through the various stages of the spawn.  Deadbait under a bobber, spinners, spoons and shallow diving crankbaits are all viable options.   Four Mile Bay, Bostic Bay and Zippel Bay are all small water and boats of various sizes work well. On the Rainy River...  Great news this week as we learned sturgeon will not be placed on the endangered species list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.     The organization had to make a decision by June 30 and listing sturgeon could have ended sturgeon fishing.  Thankfully, after looking at the many success stories across the nation, including LOW and the Rainy River, sturgeon fishing and successful sturgeon management continues.   A good week sturgeon fishing on the Rainy River.  Speaking to some sturgeon aficionados, fishing will actually get even better as water temps rise.     Four Mile Bay at the mouth of the Rainy River near the Wheeler's Point Boat Ramp is still producing good numbers of fish, as are various holes along the 42 miles of navigable Rainy River from the mouth to Birchdale.   The sturgeon season continues through May 15th and resumes again July 1st.   Oct 1 - April 23, Catch and Release April 24 - May 7, Harvest Season May 8 - May 15, Catch and Release May 16 - June 30, Sturgeon Fishing Closed July 1 - Sep 30, Harvest Season If you fish during the sturgeon harvest season and you want to keep a sturgeon, you must purchase a sturgeon tag for $5 prior to fishing.    One sturgeon per calendar year (45 - 50" inclusive, or over 75"). Most sturgeon anglers are either a glob of crawlers or a combo of crawlers and frozen emerald shiners on a sturgeon rig, which is an 18" leader with a 4/0 circle hook combined with a no roll sinker.  Local bait shops have all of the gear and bait. Up at the NW Angle...  A few spots with rotten ice, but as a rule, most of the Angle is showing off open water.  In these parts, most are looking ahead to the MN Fishing Opener.  Based on late ice fishing success, it should be a good one.  
    • leech~~
      Nice fish. I moved to the Sartell area last summer and just thought it was windy like this everyday up here? 🤭
    • Rick G
      Crazy windy again today.... This is has been the norm this spring. Between the wind and the cold fronts, fishing has been more challenging for me than most years.  Panfish have been moving in and out of the shallows quite a bit. One day they are up in the slop, the next they are out relating to cabbage or the newly sprouting lilly pads.  Today eye guy and I found them in 4-5 ft of water, hanging close to any tree branches that happened to be laying in the water.  Bigger fish were liking a 1/32 head and a Bobby Garland baby shad.   Highlight of the day way this healthy 15incher
    • monstermoose78
    • monstermoose78
      As I typed that here came a hen.  IMG_7032.mov   IMG_7032.mov
    • monstermoose78
      So far this morning nothing but non turkeys. 
    • monstermoose78
      Well yesterday I got a little excited and let a turkey get to close and I hit the blind!!
    • smurfy
      good......you?? living the dream..in my basement playing internet thug right now!!!!!! 🤣 working on getting the boat ready.......bought a new cheatmaster locator for the boat so working on that.   waiting for warmer weather to start my garden!!!
    • monstermoose78
      How is everyone doing? Holy moly it’s chilly this morning I stayed in bed and will hunt later today when it warms up.
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