fishing reports?????

[bigeyes]

Hi all, I work at Gander moutain in the cities and am hearing lots of reports from guys who just got back from low who said the fishing is unreal. Some reported no time to eat or drink or even fish too lines? One man came in and bought all of our northland rattling buckshots in all(about 20) glow colors 1/4 and 1/8 ounce, he reported 100+ saugar per day in the pine isand area! Another man came in and bought 10 #11 jigging raps in the glow color, said they were tipping it with a whole shinner and catching lots of big fish. Another said the battery operated glow jigs were producing lots of fish? Are these romers or is fishing exceptionally hot right not? What presentations and locations have been hot? I will be up on Thursday-Sunday, does anybody know if I can drive my truck out on the road to 12 mile reef or arnessons reef?

[Lip RIPPER!]

There is a big crack about 1/4 mile from Babblers road. 3 feet wide. He had it planked but it was reassuring when he told us yesterday that about 50 yards from the planks a snowcat is sitting on the bottom from Saturday. The ice is a mess in that area. Check with him<p>[This message has been edited by Lip RIPPER! (edited 01-07-2002).]

[Gonzo]

Fished Zippel Bay three days (Jan. 3,4,5), and the fishing was unreal! On Jan. 3rd six of us caught over 50 sauger each. We used plain hooks, gold jigs, and rattle spoons with a minnow head. On the third day we could only take 10 walleye/sauger between the six of us, and would only keep fish 14 inches or larger. caught two walleyes the whole time, a 3# and a seven + #. Quite a few nice perch came through too. Every fish we brought home ws over thirteen inches.

[Scoot]

Fished straight north of the gap Fri, Sat, and Sun and did poorly. Lots of good reports to the west of us north of the Pines on Pine Island and closer to Zippel. Our middle skid on the house was in tough shape and I didn't dare move the house so we ended up sitting on a dead spot for a couple of days.<BR>Scoot

[Gissert]

We fished out or Arnesens Wednesday thru Saturday. We were just west of twin islands, in about 22-24 feet of water. We caught a lot of tiny eyes and saugers, 4 to 8 inch size. For every ten of those you caught, you would catch one keeper. The fishing was not very good, IMO. The biggest fish was an 18 inch 'eye (not counting the burbots)<P>It was necessary to hug the shorline to nearly twin islands before you could start heading out.<P>There was a good size crack/push just beyond where the houses were by twin islands. It was about a foot wide on Friday, but with the warm weather on Saturday it was 3 - 4 feet wide. <P>I saw some houses that were around Gull rock, and some farther out around Arnesens reef. I was not brave enough to go freelancing with the way the ice was shifting and piling around that area. It would have been way to easy to go into a big crack in low light conditions. The ice is really wierd in that area right now.<P>

[Grumpy]

Two of us fished off Pine Island Thursday 1/3 and Friday 1/4 in houses rented from Borderview Resort. <P>Thursday in about 25 feet we had a fair day. Took home about 12 saugers.<P>Friday was great. Fished in about 27 feet. Kept about 20 saugers, 2 jumbo perch, a 3 pound walleye. Also iced a 8 lb. walleye and lost another at the hole that looked even bigger. <P>

[Wobbler]

Lip Ripper and I fished out by Arneson's. 30 feet of water. We kept 10 walleyes and 10 saugers. We only caught about 40 fish all day but those fish we kept were nice. Everyone around us did not have the action we had.

[Lip RIPPER!]

Another person who had action was my dad when he crossed the crack and unfortunate for him, that area wasn't planked. Should have seen the water and slush fly. Very scary situation!

[Jig O Bit]

With the warm weather coming and some wind, the ice probably isn't going to improve much by the weekend.

[Crappie Killer]

Hey Bigeyes, you asked the first question, so that's who I'm responding to. <P>Before you send everyone up north, you should know that unfortunately not everyone is hammering them like some of these success stories written in these posts. <P>A lot of guys are embarassed to report when they have poor luck, so you won't find their stories in these posts.<P>I however, understand the fish gods, and realize that you don't fill out everytime you venture out, no matter how well you live your life. Buddy of mine and two others fished all day Sunday and brought home 4 little walleyes. Yes, we did move after two hours of no action, but it didn't get much better.<P>Make sure you tell your clients that not everybody comes off the lake feeling like Babe Winkelman.<P>until they hit the Wigwam, anyway.

[Guest]

I've got to credit Gissert with his honesty in admitting catching fish in the 4" to 8" range. But I'm wondering what the heck he was using for bait? Guppies? From my experience those little walleyes and saugers won't bite like that unless they were awfully aggressive. You may catch some below 10" but hopefully they're not that aggresive that small. I'm coming up to fish next weekend and I hope there's some keepers left!