Ice-In

[SkunkedAgain]

I've never seen a tall bobber like that - pretty neat.

 

It will be interesting to see how the lake reacts to the warm-up over the next week. 

[Wanderer]

2 hours ago, SkunkedAgain said:

I've never seen a tall bobber like that - pretty neat.

 

Pretty sure that’s a Thill float.  I haven’t tried one yet but thought about.  Kinda cool.

[Brianf.]

4 hours ago, SkunkedAgain said:

It will be interesting to see how the lake reacts to the warm-up over the next week. 

Oddly, these mid-winter warm-ups, with all the anticipation they tend to produce, have never been good for me.  This weekend was no exception.  Suprisingly poor fishing. though could be I was fishing suprisingly poorly.   A few lookers and even fewer biters.  The great weather conditions were the main consolation. 
 

This whitefish was one of the few highlights.  Got a handful of decent eater perch, a few small smallies, plus a 19" and 22" walleye.  

[JerkinLips]

Finally made it back up after a 3 week break.  Vermilion was covered with a light coat of snow when I got up on Tuesday.  I didn't find any water or slush out from McKinley.  We got a light dusting of snow Wednesday night but the high winds today blew most of the snow off the lake or into occasional drifts.  The picture from the landing and the lake surface were from Thursday afternoon.  I had 13-15 inches of solid ice where I was fishing.  No water came on top of the ice where I drilled holes.  There were only about a dozen permanent houses left out from the park and most of them were just past the little island before Birch Island.  There was a lot of vehicle traffic heading out there, including full size pickups and SUVs so I assume that path is in good shape.  It looks like there is a pressure ridge just past Birch Island.

 

Fishing was pretty good for late season.  Caught a lot of 9 to 13 inch walleyes but no slot fish.  Best I caught were 17, 18, and 19-3/4 inch eyes.  I did catch an 8 (as in inches and not pounds).  If you hold it close to the camera it looks much bigger.

 

On the negative side, I came across a bunch of trash (including a quart of oil) that somebody left when they removed their wheel house.  It only took me 5 minutes to chisel their wood blocks out of the ice and clean their mess up.  It got a little cold working out there in the high winds.

 

[JerkinLips]

Finally made it back up after a 3 week break.  Vermilion was covered with a light coat of snow when I got up on Tuesday.  I didn't find any water or slush out from McKinley.  We got a light dusting of snow Wednesday night but the high winds today blew most of the snow off the lake or into occasional drifts.  The picture from the landing and the lake surface were from Thursday afternoon.  I had 13-15 inches of solid ice where I was fishing.  No water came on top of the ice where I drilled holes.  There were only about a dozen permanent houses left out from the park and most of them were just past the little island before Birch Island.  There was a lot of vehicle traffic heading out there, including full size pickups and SUVs so I assume that path is in good shape.  It looks like there is a pressure ridge just past Birch Island.

 

Fishing was pretty good for late season.  Caught a lot of 9 to 13 inch walleyes but no slot fish.  Best I caught were 17, 18, and 19-3/4 inch eyes.  I did catch an 8 (as in inches and not pounds).  If you hold it close to the camera it looks much bigger.

 

On the negative side, I came across a bunch of trash (including a quart of oil) that somebody left when they removed their wheel house.  It only took me 5 minutes to chisel their wood blocks out of the ice and clean their mess up.  It got a little cold working out there in the high winds.

 

[JerkinLips]

Here are the pictures that didn't download last night.  If you head out this weekend, good luck fishing, be careful of ice conditions, and please pick up when you leave.

[SkunkedAgain]

8 hours ago, JerkinLips said:

On the negative side, I came across a bunch of trash (including a quart of oil) that somebody left when they removed their wheel house.  It only took me 5 minutes to chisel their wood blocks out of the ice and clean their mess up.  It got a little cold working out there in the high winds.

Some morons just shouldn't be allowed out on the ice. Thanks for pitching in to clean it up.

 

On the bonus side, is it a quart of oil that you can use?

[SkunkedAgain]

8 hours ago, JerkinLips said:

On the negative side, I came across a bunch of trash (including a quart of oil) that somebody left when they removed their wheel house.  It only took me 5 minutes to chisel their wood blocks out of the ice and clean their mess up.  It got a little cold working out there in the high winds.

Some morons just shouldn't be allowed out on the ice. Thanks for pitching in to clean it up.

 

On the bonus side, is it a quart of oil that you can use?

[JerkinLips]

37 minutes ago, SkunkedAgain said:

On the bonus side, is it a quart of oil that you can use?

I think it was opened so I don't think I would trust it.  I will find use for the wooden blocks however.

[JerkinLips]

Was back Tuesday-Thursday this week after I discovered that walleye season ends on Sunday, February 25th.  I thought that the season has closed the last day of February in recent years.  I see that I fished on Monday, February 28th two winters ago so lucky I didn't get busted then.

 

The ice was in very good shape.  I found 15-18 inches of solid ice in the areas I checked.  There was no standing water on the ice and very little snow as shown in the 3 pictures of the McKinley Park landing from Thursday afternoon.  When the temperature was below freezing, the ice was very slippery.  When it warmed up mid day it wasn't as bad.  The landing was starting to deteriorate today, but with the cold weather on Friday it should freeze over.  It may start to get bad again by Sunday when it warms up.  Full size vehicles were still driving out close to Birch Island so apparently that path is still good.

 

Fishing was very good for late season.  Most of my walleyes were again 9-12 inches, but I did catch a 21, 24, and 27.  I was lucky to catch my limit of 14-15 inchers today to bring home for a meal.  The walleyes preferred small rainbows, but also liked lively chubs.  I caught four fish on the same small rainbow today when I was running low on small ones.  I finally gave up on that minnow when I went 20 minutes without a bite.  I had 3 rainbows come off the hook on their own; one when I dropped it in the hole and the other two when I dropped them to the bottom.  I think that happens when you hook them in the soft part of their body.  I caught my first tulibee of the winter (15 inches) and it really stunk up the house.  I also caught a lot of perch for the first time this winter.  I only caught 1 perch the previous 14 days I fished, but I caught 11 perch in these 3 last days, including six that were 11-13 inches long.  I wish I liked to eat perch so I could have kept them.  The hardest bite I had this week was by the pictured 8 inch walleye.  This little guy grabbed that full sized minnow and pulled it quickly to to bottom of the hole.  (However the 27 inch walleye did peel off a bit of drag bringing her in).  Morning bite from 830 to 1230 was best.

 

If you venture out the last weekend of the season, good luck.  Be cautious of ice conditions since the sun can really melt some holes in the ice this late in the season.

[SkunkedAgain]

It looks like it's ATV/SxS season on the lake. Snowmobile season is on temporary (or permanent) hiatus.

[JerkinLips]

44 minutes ago, SkunkedAgain said:

It looks like it's ATV/SxS season on the lake. Snowmobile season is on temporary (or permanent) hiatus.

There were a lot of ATV/SxS running around the lake but I found it quite slippery even with AWD engaged.  I did see a couple of snowmobiles crossing the lake.  There is enough snow to keep the slides lubricated, especially when the temperature is above freezing.  If your track is studded that would help traction and slide lubrication.

[SkunkedAgain]

I walked into my place late Friday night. It was beautiful - a full moon, no snow and single digits so the lake was making all kinds of noise, wolves howling, and the kicker.....no wind. The only difficult component to walking was the ATV and snowmobile impressions left in the ice. Every once in a while my foot would catch a rise in the ice and I would stumble and almost fall. Besides that, it was a perfect night. Unfortunately I had a schedule to keep, otherwise I would have started a midnight bonfire to stay out and enjoy the evening even longer.

[CigarGuy]

57 minutes ago, SkunkedAgain said:

I walked into my place late Friday night. It was beautiful - a full moon, no snow and single digits so the lake was making all kinds of noise, wolves howling, and the kicker.....no wind. The only difficult component to walking was the ATV and snowmobile impressions left in the ice. Every once in a while my foot would catch a rise in the ice and I would stumble and almost fall. Besides that, it was a perfect night. Unfortunately I had a schedule to keep, otherwise I would have started a midnight bonfire to stay out and enjoy the evening even longer.

Do you park at The Landing or have someplace closer? That would be a hall from The Landing!

[SkunkedAgain]

For years I used my neighbor's access that's located in the channel to Black Bay. That was great. After they sold, I would walk from the Landing. I don't mind it as it's a nice 4.5mile walk, as long as the snow isn't too deep or slushy. However, my wife and daughter never wanted to do that so then I bought a bunch of used sleds again.

 

However, one of our own on this forum lets me park at his place just down the road from your place. I still have to sled out into Ritchie Bay but if I walk, as I did on Friday, it is obviously much closer than The Landing.

 

Ideally I would get a small sliver of access property somewhere in or near Black Bay.

[CigarGuy]

I'm lucky that my neighbor has a road going down to the lake that he lets me use both winter and summer. Have you ever talked to others who have land access? How about the resort in Black Bay? You would think for a fee, you could work something out.

[SkunkedAgain]

I've talked to neighbors here and there when the opportunity presents, but have never made too hard of an effort. 

 

The only people in Black Bay that I'm aware of with a plowed road in winter are Laura Cain and the big rental, now owned by White Eagle. I've haven't seen Laura in over 10yrs - since I last helped Ken put some chains on his plow truck. I've talked with Shawn who rents out his island in Black Bay, but his access isn't plowed in winter. Seems like a nice guy.

 

I met your neighbor once, I think when I was over sharing a beer with John Leschisin - admiring his new cabin build near you.

[SkunkedAgain]

I've talked to neighbors here and there when the opportunity presents, but have never made too hard of an effort. 

 

The only people in Black Bay that I'm aware of with a plowed road in winter are Laura Cain and the big rental, now owned by White Eagle. I've haven't seen Laura in over 10yrs - since I last helped Ken put some chains on his plow truck. I've talked with Shawn who rents out his island in Black Bay, but his access isn't plowed in winter. Seems like a nice guy.

 

I met your neighbor once, I think when I was over sharing a beer with John Leschisin - admiring his new cabin build near you.

[CigarGuy]

I take my sxs all the way down Phillips Rd. road to Cains driveway and turn around at the entrance to Laura's and her son's Brian's driveways, Brian bought Davey Crockett's old place.(I think that was his name). You see them fishing on his dock at the beginning of the narrow part of the channel heading in Black Bay. They have the only 2 driveways that are plowed during the winter down Phillips Rd. My neighbor, whom you met, used to plow his boat house road so we access the lake easier in the winter for ice fishing, but he doesn't ice fishing much anymore, so just sleds down that road. I think I know who lets you access the lake, nice of him. I'm surprised more people in Black Bay don't use their places in the winter. I'm heading up in the morning!

[SkunkedAgain]

There aren't a lot of cabins in the bay to begin with, a whole other bonus! For the folks on the south side of the bay, it's an access issue as well. People in general are less likely to go in the winter when you don't have road access, because now you introduce ice conditions, snow depth, darkness, cold, and other factors into the trip. While I have always enjoyed those challenges, it is much different to drive up on a Friday night and pull up to your place versus get there at 10pm, unload machines and gear, and go across the lake at night with gear in tow. I love it. My wife hates it. My daughter is in the middle.

 

Enjoy it up there.

[BWpineisland]

My wife is in total agreement with yours. I love the quiet and remoteness, my wife hates the ice travel!

[CigarGuy]

Looks like there's plenty of ice still in Spring Bay! Kids snowmobile racing.

[SkunkedAgain]

That's great. You can tell that people are racing out there but I've never seen it happening.

[delcecchi]

I thought snow machines didn't like bare ice?

[JerkinLips]

3 hours ago, delcecchi said:

I thought snow machines didn't like bare ice?

They love it if they have studs and sharp carbides.  I have studded my tracks ever since rolling over on the Vermilion River many years ago.  Was cold riding to Voyagers without a windshield.

[leech~~]

14 hours ago, delcecchi said:

I thought snow machines didn't like bare ice?

Those are race sleds they aren't going far!

Snowmobiles don't like bare ice for a few reasons. 

1) liq cooled motors need snow to cool, unless you have a fan motor. (I only run fans for ice fishing)

2) track wear slides need snow to lubricate or they can melt and stick to the track and wear out fast. (Done that)

3) as JerkinLips stated without carbide on skis and studs on tracks you don't have much safe control on glare ice.