Winter Wanderbouts

[Mike89]

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, Mike89 said:

The idea sorta kinda came from you. 

[Mike89]

10 hours ago, Wanderer said:

The idea sorta kinda came from you. 

ouch!!  I think!!  

[Wanderer]

5 hours ago, Mike89 said:

ouch!!  I think!!  

I hope not!   

 

Maybe I need to stop?!

[Mike89]

1 hour ago, Wanderer said:

I hope not!   

 

Maybe I need to stop?!

ya just caught me off guard!!  it's all good!!! 

[smurfy]

Wanderer..........you might need to think long and hard about any advice that Mike89 gives..........he's a known troublemaker in other parts of the world!!!!!!! 

[Mike89]

3 hours ago, smurfy said:

Wanderer..........you might need to think long and hard about any advice that Mike89 gives..........he's a known troublemaker in other parts of the world!!!!!!! 

listen to you !!!   

[smurfy]

1 hour ago, Mike89 said:

listen to you !!!   

[Wanderer]

Tried scouting out another lake today.  When I arrived at the access in a ground blizzard there was an older couple stuck in the snow off to the side.  I parked and unhooked my trailer to help and then proceeded to get stuck myself in the sugary snow under the crust. 
 

The couple’s neighbor came off the ice about then and pulled them out And helped me.  I was ready to drag my gear onto the lake but decided to take a dry run with the wheeler first.  I stayed on top of the crust until I hit the area I wanted to fish then immediately sank.  Backed out of the slush OK but figured I’d bug out and try the basin.  The wind chill was a killer heading back to the access.  Hopped in my truck for a couple minutes when another guy in an F250 with a plow came to the access and got stuck also.  I helped him out but it was crazy how much our trucks had to work to get him out of there.

 

I took the hint, loaded up and headed for home.  Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow.  Why? Well I just don’t know if I have a good answer for that.

[smurfy]

I cringe at the site and thought of slush  way to many bad experiences.

[Wanderer]

16 minutes ago, smurfy said:

I cringe at the site and thought of slush  way to many bad experiences.

I’m still too stubborn to know better.  Plus I just picked up a couple Digger Ice Angels to help bail myself out if I need to.

I almost wanted to have to use them, but not really! 

[smurfy]

59 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

I’m still too stubborn to know better.  Plus I just picked up a couple Digger Ice Angels to help bail myself out if I need to.

I almost wanted to have to use them, but not really! 

 as you age you'll start thinking like me. i was the same way once!!!!!

 

what did me in was one year early ice we had a few people at the cabin. we knew we where going to deal with slush......but holy crap i didnt expect what we dealt with. it was cold so we made tracks with the snowmobile where we wanted to set up. basiclly lost a whole day fishing so those tracks would freeze up. it kinda worked. not far from where we had some tipup fishing i seen a spot not far away...it looked like an artesian well flowing..........

 

to say that was mt worse ever experience ice fishing is a total understatement!!!!

[Wanderer]

My worst was on Burntside in Ely.  Breaking trail across the lake, overloaded, big deep slush field.  Took half the day for three of us to get out of it.  Water deep enough everyone’s boots were soaked except my tall insulated rubber boots.

 

Sleds froze up and had to chisel out the tunnels to move again.  One person in the party became ill and didn’t go out the second day.  Thought it was because he got so chilled.  He went to the Dr after the trip and found out he actually had a heart condition.  Could’ve lost him that day.  That’s my big reason I won’t expect anyone to help beyond what they’re comfortable with.  Some friends are still gung ho but others will say no.  I’m fine either way.  I’ve got enough equipment and enough experience now that I’ll figure it out - if I’m willing to.  Yesterday in that wind and alone; not so much.

[Wanderer]

Tried a shallow pothole lake today that didn’t have slush!!! For real!

 

Landed on some bass before I found the crappies.  Caught 3 before the last one broke my line and made off with my micro rippin rap.  Dang!  Hope I can find another one.  I’ve been leaning on that bait for scouting.  Fish like to look at it and bump it but not usually hook up unless it’s eelpout, pike and now bass.  All I’ve needed was for them to show themselves and maybe hit the closest set line.

 

Those are good eaters in the winter.

 

Found the crappies and had a good bite going just before dark and then they got lock jaw.  30.24 barometer didn’t help and hole hopping at 15 below just isn’t as fun as it used to be so I loaded up.  To be continued another day.

[Wanderer]

We were back out to the pothole last night.  Much more pleasant and a barometer in the 29’s.  In my classic fashion I left the fishy area looking for “other” if not better but didn’t find it.

 

It was pretty well into the bite window when I got back to the sweet spot and it was game on again for a brief period just at dark.  Then the same lazy, lock jaw behavior as the night before.  At about 7pm there was another flurry and my friend hooked into what he called his biggest pike ever.  He figures it was a 40 but it broke off IN the hole and slipped away.  He was confident it was bigger than his 36 he caught last year.  I believe him, he’s a good fisherman that’s always been accurate in his size reporting.

 

My wife and I are loaded up and heading to either Winnie or Bowstring tomorrow, probably Bowstring for the first time ever.  Try something new.  The bite has been as up and down as the weather systems moving through so I’m not expecting too much glory!

 

I was able to get some ultra light rippin raps when I picked up minnows at Da Fishin’ Hole.  Whew, now I can sleep!  The minnows are getting picked over, especially the shiners so I took a couple dozen of “all sorts”.  It looks like a great mix of sizes in shiners, suckers, chubs, red tails, dace and maybe a couple more I haven’t identified yet.  Actually I couldn’t be happier with what’s in the bucket.

 

Batteries recharged - Let’s go!!!!!

[smurfy]

Dang wanderer... That's getting darn close to my neighborhood.

 

Looks to me based on the webcams up there that Geiger's has the best and maybe only road system on bowstring. I look at there cam as well as bowstring shores often. The other one is Williams narrows. Go gettem!!

Edited January 28, 2022 by smurfy

[Wanderer]

9 hours ago, smurfy said:

Dang wanderer... That's getting darn close to my neighborhood.

 

Looks to me based on the webcams up there that Geiger's has the best and maybe only road system on bowstring. I look at there cam as well as bowstring shores often. The other one is Williams narrows. Go gettem!!

Yah, I warned the wife…. 

 

Been following Geiger’s and they’re either the most active resort on the lake or just promoting the most.  
 

Been curious about Bowstring for a couple years.  Sounds like maybe less fish than Winnie but a little better size.  I dunno, we’ll see.  Based on the weather the bite might not come on till Sunday.

[Mike89]

good luck!!!   

[smurfy]

 i dont see no fish pictures yet............

[Wanderer]

3 hours ago, smurfy said:

 i dont see no fish pictures yet............

only been set up an hour!  High standards! 

 

2 perch and 1 pike so far though.  All small but some action anyway.  Once this pizza is done I’m going looking for crappies.

[leech~~]

36 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

only been set up an hour!  High standards! 

 

2 perch and 1 pike so far though.  All small but some action anyway.  Once this pizza is done I’m going looking for crappies.

So where did you end up going? 

[Wanderer]

17 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

So where did you end up going? 

Bowstring.  All new turf for us.  Don’t even know what colors work best out here so starting from scratch.  It’s clear water though we’re starting with the standards.

 

Didn’t get a lot of advice at the resort but they had a couple other things going on so kinda distracted I guess.

 

2 more snot rockets at pizza time.

[leech~~]

11 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

Bowstring.  All new turf for us.  Don’t even know what colors work best out here so starting from scratch.  It’s clear water though we’re starting with the standards.

 

Didn’t get a lot of advice at the resort but they had a couple other things going on so kinda distracted I guess.

 

2 more snot rockets at pizza time.

Any slush around? 

[smurfy]

24 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

Bowstring.  All new turf for us.  Don’t even know what colors work best out here so starting from scratch.  It’s clear water though we’re starting with the standards.

 

Didn’t get a lot of advice at the resort but they had a couple other things going on so kinda distracted I guess.

 

2 more snot rockets at pizza time.

there are ALOT of them snot rockets in there!!!!!! matter of fact long before this new regulation came along, bowstring and sand lake thats attached via river had a 9 fish pike limit.

 

good luch chasing crappies....there nice ones iffin ya can find them.

[Wanderer]

2 hours ago, leech~~ said:

Any slush around? 

Not much.  I set the house on the edge of some but it seems the slush is just under the drifts.  It’s all hard packed out here.  Maybe a foot of snow in the drifts.

 

2 hours ago, smurfy said:

there are ALOT of them snot rockets in there!!!!!!

The wife had epic calamity while I was out drilling in the basin.  She had a pike rush and wound up on the losing end of a “whale” that got into her rattle reel and… her favorite rod!

 

I got a text:

 

 

Now ISO new favorite rod.

Edited January 29, 2022 by Wanderer

[monstermoose78]

On 1/27/2022 at 8:39 PM, Wanderer said:

We were back out to the pothole last night.  Much more pleasant and a barometer in the 29’s.  In my classic fashion I left the fishy area looking for “other” if not better but didn’t find it.

 

It was pretty well into the bite window when I got back to the sweet spot and it was game on again for a brief period just at dark.  Then the same lazy, lock jaw behavior as the night before.  At about 7pm there was another flurry and my friend hooked into what he called his biggest pike ever.  He figures it was a 40 but it broke off IN the hole and slipped away.  He was confident it was bigger than his 36 he caught last year.  I believe him, he’s a good fisherman that’s always been accurate in his size reporting.

 

My wife and I are loaded up and heading to either Winnie or Bowstring tomorrow, probably Bowstring for the first time ever.  Try something new.  The bite has been as up and down as the weather systems moving through so I’m not expecting too much glory!

 

I was able to get some ultra light rippin raps when I picked up minnows at Da Fishin’ Hole.  Whew, now I can sleep!  The minnows are getting picked over, especially the shiners so I took a couple dozen of “all sorts”.  It looks like a great mix of sizes in shiners, suckers, chubs, red tails, dace and maybe a couple more I haven’t identified yet.  Actually I couldn’t be happier with what’s in the bucket.

 

Batteries recharged - Let’s go!!!!!

Da fishing hole in little falls!! We could have met for lunch

Edited January 29, 2022 by monstermoose78

[Wanderer]

15 hours ago, monstermoose78 said:

Da fishing hole in little falls!! We could have met for lunch

Thought about that a time or two.  I pass by your work place a lot.

[Wanderer]

@smurfy

 

Man you’re not kidding about the snot rocket population out here!

 

We made a move and picked up a couple 10-11 inch perch and then the pike found us.  It hasn’t been all bad though; a few tangles that were easy to get out but lots of action.  They’re biting about like perch would.

 

This one went back but we’ve got a half dozen or so that we’ve kept.  Fun catching on the perch rods and not bite offs yet today.

 

[smurfy]

yep, we hit sand or bowstring every once in a while to stock up on picklin material. the one thing i have noticed between sand and bowstring pike, bowstrings pike has a little more meat across the back.

 

did you go out of geigers?????

[Wanderer]

They are good looking pike.  I can see that they have just a little more to em than other lakes.

 

Yep Geigers.  Bowstring Shores on the east side closed their roads today for slush and told everyone to head to Geigers.  The road isn’t nearly as developed as they are on Winnie and chutes aren’t plowed unless you ask for one.  I left my plow at home since the resorts have been complaining about, and banning private plows the past couple weeks.  I wish I had mine here but we’re making due.