Gitche Gumee Ice?

[leech~~]

With all these cold temps, could it be this year we can get out there for some Lakers?  I really miss fishing for Loopers by the French when it froze up as well.  I'm thinking middle to end of February if these temps hang in there.   

[Kettle]

I've never had the guts to fish superior in the winter. 

[leech~~]

3 hours ago, Kettle said:

I've never had the guts to fish superior in the winter. 

Let's just say my smaller balls then I used to have, keeps me closer to shore and not jumping cracks with my porty, anymore. 

[monstermoose78]

I would love get the cohos through the ice.

[Wanderer]

I did the looper steelhead thing in front of the French River once.  It was fun. I got one looper but the sight fishing aspect of it was the most fun.

 

We saw a couple guys limit on steelhead up close to shore and learned the black fly was the way to catch ‘em.  We didn’t have any.

 

My first 40+ hour day that I can remember.  Went to work Friday morning, Van Halen concert Friday night, too jacked up on the way home to call it a day so we loaded up for the North Shore.  Fished all day, drove home Saturday night.  
 

Those crazy kids…

 

Chequamegon Bay and the Apostle Islands have always been a want but an undone deed.  The wander spirit has faded from my old traveling buds.  They like to stick to what they know now.

Edited Wednesday at 11:40 AM by Wanderer

[Wanderer]

Gotta love META, right????  Naw, they ain’t tracking’… 

 

[leech~~]

14 hours ago, Wanderer said:

I did the looper steelhead thing in front of the French River once.  It was fun. I got one looper but the sight fishing aspect of it was the most fun.

 

We saw a couple guys limit on steelhead up close to shore and learned the black fly was the way to catch ‘em.  We didn’t have any.

 

My first 40+ hour day that I can remember.  Went to work Friday morning, Van Halen concert Friday night, too jacked up on the way home to call it a day so we loaded up for the North Shore.  Fished all day, drove home Saturday night.  
 

Those crazy kids…

 

Chequamegon Bay and the Apostle Islands have always been a want but an undone deed.  The wander spirit has faded from my old traveling buds.  They like to stick to what they know now.

Au, yes the black fly, aka the looper bug.  I remember the first time I was introduced to it.  There must have been 20-30 guys out in front of the French on the ice. This one guy was running from hole to hole and pulling fish, but he was also breaking off a lot.  When I finally got close to him, he said he had 2lb line and just the bug on the end and jigging.  I think I had about 6lb line and some jig with waxies.  I jumped in my Suv and buzzed up to the bait store in Two harbors "which is closed now" to get new line and bugs.  By the time I got back and fishing again the bite must have been over!  Spent the rest of the day laying on the ice staring down the hole, ton's of fish went by but not bite!!    

I used to get up at like 3:00am to drive up from Brooklyn Center, fish until dark and drive home.  When I had more of the wander spirit.  Heck I remember when I had no brains or money in the spring, getting up at like 2:30am, driving up and fishing every stream for about an hour that I could get to from Duluth to Grand Marais.  Then driving all the way home the same day.  

Edited yesterday at 02:17 AM by leech~~

[smurfy]

2 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

Au, yes the black fly, aka the looper bug.  I remember the first time I was introduced to it.  There must have been 20-30 guys out in front of the French on the ice. This once guy was running from hole to hole and pulling fish, but he was also breaking off a lot.  When I finally got close to him, he said he had 2lb line and just the bug on the end and jigging.  I think I had about 6lb line and some jig with waxies.  I jumped in my Suv and buzzed up to the bait store in Two harbors "which is closed now" to get new line and bugs.  By the time I got back and fishing again the bite must have been over!  Spent the rest of the day laying on the ice staring down the hole, ton's of fish went by but not bite!!    

I used to get up at like 3:00am to drive up from Brooklyn Center, fish until dark and drive home.  When I had more of the wander spirit.  Heck I remember when I had no brains or money in the spring, getting up at like 2:30am, driving up and fishing every stream for about an hour that I could get to from Duluth to Grand Maris.  Then driving all the way home the same day.  

why didnt ya "leech" some of them black flies from the guy!!!!!

 

awe come on....wanderer would of said it too!!!!

[leech~~]

1 minute ago, smurfy said:

why didnt ya "leech" some of them black flies from the guy!!!!!

 

awe come on....wanderer would of said it too!!!!

Cuz like I said, he was breaking off a lot and they were like gold at the time.  Guys an't giving up anything when combat fishing, I'm sure he pissed off some folks running around jumping in and out of open holes. 

[Wanderer]

9 hours ago, smurfy said:

why didnt ya "leech" some of them black flies from the guy!!!!!

 

awe come on....wanderer would of said it too!!!!

Hey now, that one is all you!  Haha!  Don’t make another thread septic.  

 

9 hours ago, leech~~ said:

Cuz like I said, he was breaking off a lot and they were like gold at the time.  Guys an't giving up anything when combat fishing, I'm sure he pissed off some folks running around jumping in and out of open holes. 

 

Yup, the Looper Bug.  I couldn’t remember that catchy name for it.  2lb test is a little crazy, especially for the line quality back then but I can see that being a thing too.  Such clear water.  Looking down the hole watching the fish swim around and them looking back at you.  The further out I got, the easier it was for them to see me.

 

My one looper charged in when my jig was just below the ice while I was laying face down like you said.  It hit basically right in front of my face.  The fight was me rolling over and pulling it out of the hole.  That was shortly before the guys in the shallows packed up their little black shelters and left with their fish.  
 

So, by the end of the day I learned: black looper bug; light line; conceal movement; and/or fish shallow.  And then never went back.

[leech~~]

3 hours ago, Wanderer said:

Hey now, that one is all you!  Haha!  Don’t make another thread septic.  

 

Hey, he seems to like starting pissing matches, everywhere! 

[smurfy]

2 hours ago, leech~~ said:

Hey, he seems to like starting pissing matches, everywhere! 

 oh yea.....like your a picnic on the beach!!!!!!! 

[leech~~]

22 hours ago, smurfy said:

 oh yea.....like your a picnic on the beach!!!!!!! 

That's cute. My mother in law had all those little sayings.  Her favorite was "Life's a betch then you die"  so cheery. 

Edited 7 hours ago by leech~~

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, leech~~ said:

That's cute. My mother in law had all those little sayings.  Her favorite was "Life's a betch then you die"  so cheery. 

Grandpa added: then you marry one, then you die, then she has all your money.  

[Kettle]

4 hours ago, Wanderer said:

Grandpa added: then you marry one, then you die, then she has all your money.  

Where's the sad emoji? Then she marry's some guy named Steve who doesn't know how to run your boat

[Wanderer]

43 minutes ago, Kettle said:

Where's the sad emoji? Then she marry's some guy named Steve who doesn't know how to run your boat

How’d ya happen to pick the name Steve??!!