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Posted

Thinking about planning a trip up there for the weekend of Jan 17-20. Is this too early to be able to get out on the ice with vehicles?

Posted

Well you never know what the weather will do, but last year we drive out at Morris Point the day after X-Mas when we came up. It was not the most comfortable ice to be driving on especially with 4 inches of water on top and you could see right through the ice no problem. Check with the resorts, but I wouldn't think it would be a problem.

Posted

In ice fishing as in life there are no sure things. That said, if they're not driving out on LOW by mid Jan. it will be a first! I wouldn't worry if I were you. Come on up and good luck fishing. Ol'Sneller

Posted

MN Big: Well last year I was driving my Kawasaki Mule on the ice December 10. Several Resorts were pulling their houses out using Compacts that weekend and before Xmas I saw several full size units on the ice. Adrian's marks the road and Brian was driving his pickup marking the trail mid December...The next weekend was in full swing with everything on the ice. January should be no problems... Kaz

Posted

well, in that case I was thinking about Dec 27th-30th too but thought it was too early. I might have to take a second look at it

Posted

MNBIGBEAR-<P>It all depends on how this winter will shape up really. We've had one of the warmest Septembers on record in awhile. Does that mean the warmth will continue or does that mean its going to snap and we're going to get cold weather. I think it will be one of the extremes but I'm not sure which one.<P>Last winter was pretty early, Red Lake had 7+ inches Thanksgiving day out 2 miles onto the lake. I believe the year before I was up out of Zippel Bay on LOW around Christmas and we had 4-6 inches of ice and it had broken up badly before we got there. It was a little sketchy out there. Its pretty hard to say.<P>I would say later half of December would be a reasonable expectation but it is impossible to say.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Hey MN big; If you want a forsure on ice travel I recommend snow mobile or four wheeler. This would depend on snow or not. But if you want to get out and be mobile. Its the only way to go up here.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Wanderer
      Naw, I just pushed up my glasses.         
    • leech~~
    • smurfy
      🤣 did your nose just grow a bit!😏🤭
    • Wanderer
      I hope to be fishing….  It’s so rare that I get to go, I hate passing up the opportunity. 😉   
    • leech~~
      Since the Vikings are never in it. We use it for an excuse to make some fun stuff!  Last year was a bit light. Hot cheese bean dip, hot wings and pepperoni cheese bread! 😋
    • Hookmaster
      That snow and the 15-25 mph winds on Thursday with higher gusts will be nasty drifting. I didn't go to LOW (can I say that in the this thread?🤫) this week because of it.
    • smurfy
      Who's watching the big game Sunday? More importantly what's ya'all cooking!   I like good football si I'm tuning in. Food... yea no clue yet 
    • Wanderer
      Hard to see em well enough to tell.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing is strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Most anglers are targeting deep mud with others fishing structure if available where they are going out of.  There are fish in both areas.     Some ice roads are now extending more than 16 miles out, with over two feet of ice reported in most areas. Resorts and outfitters continue increasing weight limits. As a rule, fishing continues to be very good with consistent action for anglers.  Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy fresh fish frys and bring fish home.   On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.   On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    You never know when the fish will move through.  Anglers fishing the entire day normally have success.  Electronics are a big help as well. On the Rainy River...  The morning and evening hours are the best for fishing walleyes. A jig and minnow combination has been a good presentation.  A jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is still producing some big fish through the ice.  There are two sturgeon seasons on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, a catch and release season and a harvest season in which you can keep one fish per calendar year.    The harvest season runs from April 24th – May 7th and July 1 – Sept. 30. The catch and release season runs May 8th – May 15th and Oct. 1 – April 23rd.    Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing remains good at the Northwest Angle.  Resorts continue to move their fish houses staying on fish.  Some fish houses are set up on structure while others are targeting deeper mud flats.    Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, pike, and tullibees.  Good numbers of big crappies are still being caught in select areas and hard sided fish houses are available to target them.  Check with a NW Angle resort for info.   Jigging one line, deadsticking the second is effective.  Some days the jigging line is hot, other days the deadstick.  Some good colors have been gold, glow red, glow white, wonder bread, pink, chartreuse and orange. Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.  
    • JerkinLips
      Same story, different day (Monday).  Caught several small walleyes (biggest were 14 and 15 inches) with the best bite from 2-5pm.  Caught my record walleye this winter at 6½ (inches, not pounds).  Was wondering why the bobber kept going down a couple inches for several minutes until I finally reeled it up.  Fortunately it was just hooked in the lips.  Having a lively minnow definitely improved the action.  I put down a pike sucker for the first time this winter and got an immediate hard bite.  When I went to set the hook, the line broke just above the hook.  Don't know if it was a northern bite-off or just weak line by the hook.  May try some pike suckers next trip.   Ice conditions were very good except for heavy drifting (even with very little fresh snow).  Didn't see any vehicles traveling off road except for snowmobiles and a tracked SxS, although there weren't many people out on the lake.  Water came up around my house about 1½ inches but froze very quickly with the cold weather and no snow on top.  Will probably have to block it up again next time up.   Good luck fishing and be careful of severe drifting of snow, especially with the 3-5 inches they are predicting for Wednesday night.  
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