Ice on Ripple?

[Guest]

Are people driving on Ripple through the pay access? How much ice out there? Anybody having any luck with the crappies? I haven't been out there in a couple of years because my success on the lake had dwindled but I would like to try it this weekend.

[MnIceman]

FishB4Work: I usually fish Ripple with a boat in the fall. The last time I was on Ripple from the pay access was about 5 years ago. We paid at the box and drove out on the ice. After we were set up and fishing for about an hour this guy in a pickup drives up to us asking how the fish were biting.We only had 2 and told him we just got set up. Then he looks at the address on my fish house and comments that I'm from Cambridge. He starts complaining about all the none locals and accusses us of not paying to get on the lake. There were 4 of us , we told him that it was a public lake and we paid at the access.He got mad and left. When we finally quit fishing at 10 p.m.and drove to the access we found a saw horse blocking it with a sign on it saying "Locals only" on both sides. Well there was no other way off so one of the guys got out of the truck and moved the saw horse. I drove by, he got back in and we drove away while someone in the house was watching us. I've also heard that if you park on the edge of the road and walk out some people have returned to broken windows on their vehicles. There are some nuts living up there that are pretty selfish. Just a warning from past experiance. We never had any contact with those people before or since and the conversation was pleasant until he got p/o'd and we did not say nothing other than it was a public lake.

[Guest]

Wow! Interesting story. I can't say I've ever heard of any troubles out there. Didn't make it out there this weekend. The crew was having too much fun. The next time I get out there I will put on my best Aitkin resident impersonation though. I hope that would be local enough. I wonder what would've happened if you had been from North Dakota or worse yet Canada.

[Guest]

I fished Ripple this past weekend (18th 19th) and believe me there is plenty of ice. I **** near buried the auger. There is plenty of ice. I'm not sure about the pay access, I parked on the side of the road on the Southwest side of the lake and walked on. No one broke into my vehicle. The fishing was not great. Too cold to move around much to find fish and it was my first time out on the lake. Hope this helps

[ackotz]

FishB4work...

You need to let the DNR know when things like that happen. If it isn't a private lake, those people have no right to threaten or intimidate you in any way. As long as you're not violating or offending anyone (like leaving trash, being drunk, driving unsafely or urinating in public, etc.) it's "your lake as much as theirs", as much as they don't like it. Hey, the state taxes you pay assure you that right, plus , I think the licensing fees give you that right too...