2024-2025 Vermilion Ice Fishing

[CigarGuy]

  On 2/18/2025 at 6:10 PM, SkunkedAgain said:

I'm not a big FB user, but have an account for checking the Vermilion pages or a few other organizations that I'm involved with. I'm generally not a social media fan. However, social media can be great for helping to reunite people with lost items. I can't believe all of the lost dog/cat posts that get posted.

 

Next time give your son the hand auger! I still don't own a gas or electric. I never have to mess with something that doesn't work, and if I ever get cold I can just drill another hole and get warmed right up. Plus there's a sense of relief when you reach the bottom and then accomplishment when you break through. Unlike the starter cords on a motor, the auger doesn't seem to bother my crappy shoulders.

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Haven't owned a hand auger in ages. Three feet of ice, couldn't imagine hand drilling a bunch of holes. I have an old gas auger you can use, if you can get it going .

[JerkinLips]

Ice condition didn't change much in the last week as shown in the McKinley Park photo from today.  The holes in my house froze all the way down in the last six days; 40 inches of ice now.  I drilled my two holes 24 inches and cleared the shavings out before reaching water.  Much cleaner way in a permanent house.

 

Fishing was pretty good today.  Caught two 24" walleyes, including the 5#-7oz fatty pictured.  Also caught a 19 incher.  Best bite was from 11 to noon.  Much better action with chubs than shiners today.  Never tried the pike suckers I had.

 

Good luck fishing the last weekend this winter.  Going to be very windy Friday, but drifting shouldn't b a problem since there is no loose snow on the lake.  Saturday and Sunday look to be very warm.  Still about 35 houses left out from McKinley Park.

 

[JerkinLips]

What a difference a day makes.  Fishing was very slow today.  Biggest I caught was only 13 inches.  Marked a lot of fish but couldn't get very many to bite.

 

The wind was very strong today and did cause a little bit of drifting, but travel is still good on the latke.  Just avoid the snow banks and drifts.  Saw one house get pulled off the lake, and didn't see any new houses come out before I left the lake at 4pm.  Lots of snowmobiles and trailers in Tower.  At least the city and lake will be busy with those.

 

Good luck fishing if you go out the last weekend of the winter season.

 

[JerkinLips]

Beautiful day on Vermilion Sunday for the last day of walleye season.  Lots of people were fishing in portables, or out in the open.  Was entertaining watching many of the wheel and skid houses being pulled off of the lake.  Checked half a dozen spots where wheel houses were removed and didn't find any trash at all.  Sounds like people are getting the message.  I may go out on the lake when the snow is melted to do a further check and cleanup if needed.

 

Fishing was average for this time of the year.  Had a decent bite from 2pm to 4pm when I caught my biggest eye (pictured 22 inch).  Decent finish to a good season.  Now on to lake trout fishing.

 

Hope everyone had an enjoyable and successful ice fishing season.  Going to be a long time before this year's open water season.

 

[leech~~]

  On 2/24/2025 at 5:22 PM, JerkinLips said:

Beautiful day on Vermilion Sunday for the last day of walleye season.  Lots of people were fishing in portables, or out in the open.  Was entertaining watching many of the wheel and skid houses being pulled off of the lake.  Checked half a dozen spots where wheel houses were removed and didn't find any trash at all.  Sounds like people are getting the message.  I may go out on the lake when the snow is melted to do a further check and cleanup if needed.

 

Fishing was average for this time of the year.  Had a decent bite from 2pm to 4pm when I caught my biggest eye (pictured 22 inch).  Decent finish to a good season.  Now on to lake trout fishing.

 

Hope everyone had an enjoyable and successful ice fishing season.  Going to be a long time before this year's open water season.

 

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Sounds like a nice last day.  I like how you photoshop a different shirt on that same picture the last few years!  

[smurfy]

At least he's got a shirt on! 

[leech~~]

  On 2/24/2025 at 10:19 PM, smurfy said:

At least he's got a shirt on! 

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Well, that's not getting 10 years old now is it! 

[smurfy]

  On 2/25/2025 at 12:38 AM, leech~~ said:

Well, that's not getting 10 years old now is it! 

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not fer some of us!!!!!!!!!!

[mbeyer]

i'd like to read about your lake trout trips....do you post them somewhere?

[Hookmaster]

That is one chunky 22" walleye!!

[JerkinLips]

  On 2/25/2025 at 12:22 PM, mbeyer said:

i'd like to read about your lake trout trips....do you post them somewhere?

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Currently just to my Facebook family and friends.  I could start a topic on this fishing forum but it could be quite boring.  Didn't catch a laker on 3 trips to Burntside last winter.  Did have good fishing on Vermilion-Trout in the BWCA in early January but that can be very difficult travel.

[leech~~]

  On 2/25/2025 at 5:22 PM, JerkinLips said:

Currently just to my Facebook family and friends.  I could start a topic on this fishing forum but it could be quite boring.  Didn't catch a laker on 3 trips to Burntside last winter.  Did have good fishing on Vermilion-Trout in the BWCA in early January but that can be very difficult travel.

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Like Muskys and casting, Lake trout can be the fish of 10,000 Jigs!    

[SkunkedAgain]

I don't doubt that in most seasons, but spring fishing reduces that to the fish of 1-5 casts!

[Brianf.]

 

Jeff and I fished Saturday and half day Sunday, targeting whitefish, ciscos, crappies, and perch.  The bite was tough for us.  We ecked out a few, but nothing special.  Highlight of the weekend was the sled ride into Wolf Lake and having an eagle swoop in and eat a rock bass we had on the ice.  All in all, not a bad way to waste time.  
 

Edited March 11 by Brianf.

[SkunkedAgain]

Eagle swoops are always a hoot to watch.

 

The snow is mostly gone on the lake. Ice melt made things pretty wet but the ice is obviously still very thick. 

[JerkinLips]

  On 3/11/2025 at 6:05 PM, SkunkedAgain said:

Eagle swoops are always a hoot to watch.

 

The snow is mostly gone on the lake. Ice melt made things pretty wet but the ice is obviously still very thick. 

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Yes, eagle swoops are awesome.  Had one happen when I was duck hunting one year in Stuntz Bay.  Stole the only duck I got that day.

 

Vermilion got very wet over the weekend.  Tower Cafe posted a video of a SxS driving into McKinley Park landing going through water that went over their floor board.  Burntside Lake was frozen nice and solid Tuesday morning when I was there.

[SkunkedAgain]

I hauled a dresser out from my place on Friday. I had it nice and wrapped to keep all of the melt water off of it as it towed behind my snowmobile. When I got to the truck, the entire sled was full of water - so I kept the top dry but the bottom got drenched. I also spilled water into one of my boots as I emptied the sled. At least it was nice outside!

[Mike89]

the best laid plans of mice and men!!!  we have all done something like like that...