Rice Lake Ice

[cstang04]

I heard from a friend that people are parking on the ice by fishers resort on rice lake. i dont know if it is true or not but i am going out tomorrow to find out i will post another topic if i find any crappies.

Happy fishing

chad

[borchawk1]

I was out on Rice on 12/28. I fished the bar that sticks out into the main lake from the big shallow bay on the SW side. Lots of company w/about 6" of ice. I'm guessing by now there's got to be a good 9" w/ how cold it's been. I saw plenty of eye's on the aqua-vu but only caught one 18" and a small snake. There were probably 15 portables w/ 4-wheelers set up in 15' or shallower, I don't know if they did any good. I saw fish in 17 and 23'.

[Ishmel]

I was on Rice on 12/28 also - in the same spot. We caught 3 eyes, right at dark. My brother-in-law was back the next day and got skunked. Plenty of good ice, but it's a tough walk from the SW access.

Good luck

[The Chemist]

Unbelievable but I sat from our cabin and watched vehicles anywhere from 4-wheeler to 1/4or 1/2 ton pickups venture out of Fishers. Took my 2yr old out for ~ 10minutes before the sun went down on Sat. He gat a perch and a 8" walleye.

[Borch]

Yeah, some people are brave(dumb/lucky). Saw a pickup, van and station wagon parked together by a fishhouse in the middle of the lake. There's 12-13 inches there. A friend of mine drilled a lot of hole on Friday and found 13 - 8 inches on the lake. Made me glad I left my Astro van parked on shore. Anyways it's a nice 20 minute walk(god knows I need the exercise).

Fishing has been pretty good. Kept 9 nice crappies with my son Friday. Kept 13 crappies and a 15" walleye on Saturday.

Good eating!

[The Chemist]

Where were you fishin at? Due to no license on the 4wheeler and the lack of snow for a snowmobile I opted to fish in front of our place. Couldn't se pullin the kid down to the point not knowing how good we would do.

[Borch]

Between the points and outside the village. Fish in 24 - 28 ft of water. Be there before it gets dark until arounf 7 pm or so. Fish where 3-6 ft off bottom. The kid should have a good time.

Best of luck!

[Guest]

between the points on rice has been producing a few eyes every night from about 4-7pm anywhere from 15" to 21". we were in about 20+ ft. of water fishing 1-3ft. off. We have been driving full size trucks out, but last night was a little scarry with the warm weather. No bites last night either. how's crappie town doing over there? best of luck.

[Guest]

Crappie Town is still pretty hot, but has slowed down some. I know several people in Crappie Town and they are still reporting great fishing but it is taking them a little longer to catch the same amount they used to. Personally I have not wet a line on Rice this year, but I was out there to check things out.ScottS

[Borch]

Now I have fished Rice a lot but which of the 3 major villiages is considered crappie town. The one to the far east bay, the one in the middle hole by the bar or the one between the points? There sure is a large group in the east bay this year. I know it drops real fast and getes pretty deep there.

[The Chemist]

Crappie town is the middle one. People are starting to fish the point out from Fishers more because of last years ice heave. We have a cabin between Fisher's and Morningstar(?) and the number of people out from us has grown in #'s also. Anyone know what is being caught?

[Guest]

Good one Borch!! That is the same Crappie town I was referring to. The area that traditionally has the largest number of houses. Cedar Island has one too, any guesses where it is. Yep, West of the Big Island.ScottS

[Borch]

I was out on Rice Sunday during the day looking for crappies. We were checking ut the deeper holes looking for them(found some but you were lucky to puck a couple before they were gone). Any rate, those driving cars and trucks on the lake beware. In the middle sections of the lake we found a couple spots with 7-8 inches of ice. And the change in ice thickness was dramitic(13-14 inches and 30 ft later 7 inches). So the lake is not safe to cruise around. We have some guy in a car spinning doughnuts near us. Luckly he stop and turned before he hit the thin spot.

As far as fishing things have slowed a bit for me at least. Went out Friday night and kept 5 crappies and a 20" walleye. Funny thing I've noticed this winter. Maybe it's just me but all but one of the walleyes I've caught this wniter have been on crappies rods. They swim right past a person jigging or a fathead/shinner and hit the crappie minnow. Sometimes raising 6 ft off bottom to do it. I know the fish we caught a full of bug larvae so that might have something to do with it.

Good Luck!

[Sartell Angler]

my bro and i ventured out in the storm last evening and parked on the ice in front of fishers. managed to get 25 crappies, 15 of which were eaters. they hit so lightly that most people would struggle to see the bite, and if they did, they'd have to set the hook hard, and do it immediately or there would be nothing there. they just seemed to mouth the bait. anyways, i'll have more reports this weekend because i have a 5 day weekend coming up, so that is a definite recipe for fish!!!!!!!!!!

/S.A. -keep it real

[fisher13]

I fished Rice on Saturday 1-19 and didn't have much luck. We ended up catching our share of small perch, but we ended up with no crappies. I guess we missed the bite by a couple of days. People are driving trucks but we decided not to. We found ice that was still only 8 or 9" thick.

[The Chemist]

I'm trying Needle Point for the first time this year ice fishing and was wondering when exactly is the bite? I used to fish the crappie hole but haven't for a couple years. Other lakes have caught my interest(Horseshoe, Long.) I've been out 3 times and only got a 5" crappie. But I've had to go in w/ the kids right at dusk once and the other times were in the morning 10am or so.