Safety Vrs Money

[Guest]

I am still undecided to come up there this weekend to ice fish. Reason being the resorts need the money, so they tell us the ice conditions are perfictly safe. On the other-hand sometimes these resort owners overlook the aspects of safety. Upper red lake seems to all-ready have many conditions going against resort owners. 1. public can only fish 1/3 of the lake. 2. Walleye's can not be kept. So i think sometimes resort owners tell us anything to attract our business. Kind of like a stripper at a bar.
they need money.
So can anyone from the public tell me the true ice conditions? Ice thinkness? Pressure ridges? Open water? For you resort owners I am not giving you a hard time, it is just part of the business.

[GConda]

Ive been all over the lake 2 times this week with my F-150. Didnt find less than 18 inches. There is a bridge or 2 built to get over a crack close to shore. The resort owners are not going to take any chances with your life for 5 dollars! Id hate to see the settlement on that law suit. Just my opinion.

[NINETOE]

Bottom Bouncer , I would bet you dont know any resort owners on URL. Im not one and I dont gain a single thing by you fishing there! I do however have things to lose , so let me say that the anything for money attitude is slanderous at best! Your absolutely right you may only fish 1/3 of the upper lake and thats 48,000 acres! Not too bad huh? And your also right you may not keep walleyes (yet), but if you want you can drive a measley 50 miles to LOW and catch your fill of walleyes and saugers! So lets say that instead of resorts LYING to you maybe they should say have an assn and get together with some unpaid hours and hard work to install some cribs, so that the fish are lured to the side of the lake that you can fish! And while thier at it maybe they could come and help ANYONE who gets stuck and has trouble on the lake! Those sound like good ideas!

OHH thats right THEY ALREADY DO THAT!!!!!!!!

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...GoodLuck.....

[vikingtom]

I don't think there's a lake u catch you're limit every time out. if so where? I don't limit out everytime I go to URL, but I still have a good time and pick up some nice fish. And there ain't nothing wrong with the resort owners either.

[Havin' Fun]

Ninetoe,

I don't think that was SUPPOSE to be a presonal attack on any of the fine people on URL. I haven't met any of you, but just for the plain fact you post on this web site daily speaks volumes about the class of people up there. I think there are a large amount of people in this state right now leary about ice conditions due to all the "breakthroughs" as you might call it. From Rainy to here in DL ect. But unless you live in the north you don't realize there is some very good ice and people won't believe it until they see it. You guys all have a great fishery and are working hard to keep it and I applaud you!!! Question you have to ask yourself is, would the resort owners plow a road themselves if they didn't believe you could drive after they just were there themselves??

[huskminn]

Just wanted to wade in on this post. I have not yet fished URL this season, so I can't comment on the ice conditions. However, I can comment on the resorts....or at least the people who moderate this forum.

Bottom Bouncer, I know you just came on board this site.....you only have six posts so far, hope to see many more from you. Welcome!!

Rick and all the forum moderators do a great job here. Regular people like you and me also contribute a tremendous amount. We all do it together.

The resort owners or people who have a vested interest in business who frequent or moderate the Upper Red Lake forum on this website are great people. They are honest. They are realistic. They know URL better than anyone. They are genuinely interested in serving the people who come to their area to fish. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Kelly-P write the same post over the course of the winter--every time a newcomer to URL asks the basic questions, a thorough, friendly answer is given.

I am not pretending to say that all resort owners everywhere should be trusted or always given the benefit of the doubt. All I can vouch for are those folks who moderate THIS forum and spend their whole winter plowing roads, pulling people like you and me out of drifts, searching for a tackle box that someone from this site left behind (and finding it!) and jumping on the Net at 3:00 in the morning to give an update on what the bite was like last night.

We've been warned many times this year about staying away from the pressure ridges, but we've also been told that everywhere else is fine. I'd say you can take all those comments at face value.....if I didn't have to work this weekend, I would be going and driving on the ice in my full size 4X4.

Don't think I'm jumping on you for your comments......I just felt compelled to let you know how things stand in this forum. Good luck!

[Polar Bear]

Hey Bouncer- Just the fact that Ninetoes is still posting is a good sign that the ice is safe. Knowing his reputation, if there was a single spot anywhere on the lake with bad ice his truck would probably be in it
Polar Bear

[NINETOE]

Polar Bear I have a bigger truck this year and it only plugs the holes up until Kelly can pull me out

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...GoodLuck.....

[Guest]

Bottom Bouncer--
I was at URL recently. We drove a 1 ton van loaded with gear & 4 people. My buddy,his wife,my wife & I. The people at the resort went out of their way to make my wife comfortable with driving out on the ice. She was extremely "paranoid" because of the lack of snow cover on the ice kinda scared her. She has only done this "ice fishing" thing a couple of times. We sat by the road landing watching several vehicles go out & talking with the dudes from the resort there before we actually drove out. She said later that without their being there, reassuring her the ice was safe, it would have been a "no go"! It was "The best ice fishing trip she has ever had!" We fished 2 days and came home with 44 slabbers. Yes I got out-fished 2-1! The best part about the actual fishing was "THE WALLEYES!" My wife had NEVER caught a walleye through the ice. We probably caught & RELEASED 15-18 eyes ranging in size from 8 inches up to a beautiful 25 incher! My wife had as much fun landing that walleye on a noodle rod rigged with 2-lb. test as she did pulling up her share { and half of mine } of the crappies. So what if you have to put the walleyes back! After each walleye she put back in the hole, there was a smile on her face I had never seen before when fishing! AWESOME!! I heard her tell her girlfriend more then once,"I'm just doing my part to restock the walleyes and I'll be back to catch 'em when we can keep a few". It' not how many "fish you keep"-- It is the "QUALITY" of the experience! "Practice Catch & Release"- It does wonders for your trip & self-esteem!!

Later-- Dugan!!!

[jigglestick]

bottom bouncer-- i post on here once in a while, and have absolutly nothing to gain by it.i'm not from the red lake area. north of grand rapids.i just like to get out and enjoy life. i have no intentions of ending that. what you said was absolutly uncalled for. if you think you are being lied to--go somewhere else! i can tell you from personal experience your not. but you probably don't believe that either. i have 3 kids a wife and 5 dogs whom i would miss very much ( whom i would hope would miss me). i'm not about to take a chance on unsafe conditions. remember there is no such thing as safe ice--- but we still go out there don't we. i allways try to insert a little humor into my posts, as domany of these fine folks. but comments like yours tend to piss me off. most of the posts on this url forum are from people not from around there. take the locals words as the truth and you wont go wrong.
if your trying to make new friends - a little tip- keep trying
walk softly and carry a big jigglestick!

[Havin' Fun]

Ninetoe, not quite sure if you think I was defending his comments or not. I've gotten alot of great info from you and Kelly-p and I appreciate it. Your good sh**. I was just trying to tell you that I and all of us on here appreciate it! Anytime your in this neck of the woods and you get stuck, I'll come get ya!

[nibbler]

Well said jigglestick!!!

[NINETOE]

Hammer em' , I can read and I can comprehend !

" sometimes these resort owners overlook aspects of safety"

" sometimes resort owners tell us anything to attract our buisness"

" Kinda like a stripper in a bar. They need the money"

I know everyones brow beat with P.C. , but hey call it what it is!!

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...GoodLuck.....

[fiskyknut]

Bouncer

you could save that 5spot and take it to the local fish market, because it obviously don't buy you alot at your favorite bar.

Is there ever safe ice?

But seriously follow the roads. Don't drive into the pressure cracks. Don't venture off too far away from the pack on your own. You'll be okay as it has been a little colder up here than what you southerners might have seen.

>Beastmaster

I know this is the URL thread but if your interested there's good and bad ice on LOW. The mishaps I know of were the same stupid mistakes made almost every year by folks going the wrong way where they should'nt have been in the first place on the early ice....whether it's a late winter or not. I have been driving 3/4 ton to areas with good ice for over 2 weeks but other spots we've been sledding to cause the ice is so treacherous. I have a house sitting near Zippel for 2 weeks now. With the warm weather over the past few days I'd say we lost an inch at most here. Still a good 16 inches. Over towards Long and rocky points you have the Ridge/Crack situations as these areas do virtually every year, late winter or not. As for the folks who put there pick-up into 4-mile bay a while back???? who in there right mind would have gone that way in a P/U when everyone is doing the OHV thing??

I must say I enjoy the URL post greatly. A wealth of humor and first hand knowledge.

>One last thing for bouncer
Come on up, get away from the burbs or city or wherever and ENJOY.

Kelly, 9toes and the rest of you all keep us in the know as we appreciate it BIGTIME!!!

5am soon, Do I dare drive out again???

Best Regards....Fiskyknut

[Guest]

Hello Bottom Bouncer, I felt compelled to respond as an outsider to URL also. I have only fished URL a few times last year and only once this year. The people I have run into on URL are not only honest but good, caring people in general. I think the skeptisism may come from some other areas in the state where resorts have to attract clients at all costs and don't really have the good "Northern MInnesota Nice" mentallity. I trusted the forum and the resorts last weekend when I fished and plan on it again this weekend. Thanks again guys and gals on URL and I will be seeing you this weeekend.

[Guest]

I was a little concerned about the ice conditions as well but I was up there fishing last weekend with a new full size extended cab truck two days off the lot. We had 18 inches of ice everywhere we punched a hole. It has been a little warm for the past two days and it will be around 30 today. It has however gotten cold enough every night this week to make ice. I sincerely doubt we lost much if any ice on UPL as it is shallow with very little current. It is nothing like the situation on Lake of the Woods or Rainy Lake. As someone who fished UPL over 60 times last year, trust me the resort owners will not tell you the ice is safe if it is indeed not safe.

[hawkeye43]

i thought kelly might have gotten the second truck just for pulling ninetoes out of the holes.. the more i watch this forum its like each one of them is brother and sister and treat them like family. one watching out for each other

[kelly-p]

Bottom Bouncer,
The first word I can think of is stunned.
I have spent a long day on the lake. Full of great times and bad times, and embarrassing times. "Ottertail County" will tell you. I got lost taking him to my own fishhouse.
I met some great new friends today, I spent some time with some great old friends today. I met some people I do not ever want to see again today. It was a day on the lake, the good overrides the bad.
Then "Bottom Bouncer" I come home to your post.
With very post I make my reputation rides.
My reputation ( other then my children) is the most important thing to me.
You have just called me a LIAR!!!!!!!!!
WE NEED TO MEET FACE TO FACE!
You need to come to Upper Red Lake and post of what you find. What I post on this forum is what I feel is safe ice for everyone, the general public. Whether they are used to being on a frozen lake or not. I have been involved in many ice fishing roads through the past 20+ years, never has a vehicle gone through the ice, never has a live been lost to dangerous ice conditions on any road I have been involved in. In fact when has a life been lost on Upper Red due to a bad road??????
I challenge you,,, If you have enough manhood to come out from behind your internet hiding hole to come here and check if I am posting the truth.
I am right here in scenic, downtown, Waskish posting what I feel is the truth. If you think that I am lying then
come to Waskish and lets go out on the lake and see if it is safe, but then you must post what you find. I do not think that you have enough pride to come to Waskish and back up what you say. You like to hide!
I do not think you will ever see me face to face.
You're just trying to hurt some one to make yourself feel better.
Kinda sad isn't it????

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Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[Guest]

hey kelly... if a timber wolf attacked, and ate a bog bitch, and turned imediateley to lick his hind-end.... do you think that was just instinct....or was he trying to get the bad taste out of his mouth????? sometimes dogs don't know any better, rubbin their nose in it a little, helps most of the time, but you and i both know if the dog just keeps rolling in his own ****, and gets it all over the furniture.....SHOOT THE DOG! THANKS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO..PINNOCHIO..SEE YA SOON ....BURBOT

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[lovemyzercom]

The first time I read this I was in disbelief and I don't even live near URL. I was so stunned I couldn't even reply without risking the thing getting deleted due to liberal use of the "french" language! If anyone thinks a resort or a guide would put their reputation on the line (and that reputation is the biggest thing they or any other business has going for them) by lying intentionally misleading people to get them to buy their product, you are NUTS. If you are not from the area and are on this forum for information, then by god you should trust the information, especially when so many people are typing in essentially the same reports. If your goal was to stir the pot on here, I guess I would have to tip my hat and say good job because you certainly accomplished that. Luckily for you, if you do go up to URL, know one will know who you are! Enough said, good luck to all and THANKS to everyone who posts on here and to those who do their best to maintain the lake for everyone to enjoy.

[codeman]

Late last season I had planned to head up to URL and had confirmed it with Kelly on a Thursday evening. On Friday morning there was a message on my coffee pot. Kelly called late that night and said the ice was getting bad and I should cancel. Knowing I would probably chance it and still come up, he called me on Friday afternoon and reaffirmed the fact. He didn't want me to drive all the way up and be denied access to the lake from the various access owners. If the lake ain't safe, they will not let you on.

On an unrelated note, I've been up there many times in the last year and have still not met NINETOES. I'm beginning to wonder if he even exists. Knowing how smart Kelly's dog Jack is, maybe he's got his own internet access. I've seen pictures of Jack all dressed up and sitting in the front seat of the truck. He may even know how to drive. I never did count how many toes Jack has on his front paws. Note to self........

codeman

[GooseSlayer]

I don't think bottombouncer has a clue!I was at URL three weeks ago, I saw Kelly P bustin his a** bridging an ice crack so people [or should I say Whiner's ]could go fishing.I'm fairly new to this forum and this was my first to Red.I was very impressed with the lake,but more impressed with the people I met .I think I have found lifetime fishin friends!As for meeting at the bar to disguss this like men ,Kelly i got your back any time! GooseSlayer

[Guest]

Bottom bouncer, I am fairly new to this forun, but i have been fishing on URL for the last of couple of years. And i know there is no way the resorts are going to put anybody at risk, yeah it may be there money, but they are all great people. And look at it this way, when thier reports say the fishing is good , it udually is, they aren't gonna pull your leg. But think about it, probably alot of the people thay are talking to, or who come in to talk to them are the ones who catch fish. so of course that makes the fishing look so much better.

Noodlerod

[Guest]

The thing I like best about going up to Red Lake is the respect for the lake, the environment and the people. Comments like those of the first person listed on this posting distresses me.... hope he stays away. Love what you're doing with this WEB site, keep up the good work!

[Poutmaster]

I just got back from a weekend on Red. All the resorts and bait shops were very friendly and actually try very hard to help you locate fish. You don't see that in very many other areas in MN. I was worried about the ice conditions, but took the advice of this forum (especially Kelly P and Ninetoe) and still came up. Conditions were excellent and we found 18-20 inches of ice everywhere. Got up there about 5:00 pm on Friday night, and had our limit of slabs by 9:00. Bottom Bouncer - I hope you did stay home this weekend. Thanks to the URL Businesses (and Crappies) I had a great weekend, and I don't think anyone missed you a bit....

[InTheSchool]

I'm not quite a local (only been up here 21 years!), but I do have some URL fishing stories... When I started fishing Red in the Winter everyone fished on the ice w/o houses, power augers etc. There were a couple guys that plowed a mile or so on the lake (you didn't need to go further to get good fishing). Then along comes Kelly P. He starts looking for fabulous fishing. He plows scores of miles bridges pressure ridges and ALWAYS found the best fishing on the lake. When walleye was king Kelly and his son found crappies in the river and looked in the lake. When walleye was king Kelly and his son caught pig northerns wading from shore. If you ever get into the old Sunset Lodge look at the lake map, most of those markings are from Kelly P.

Does he make a buck or two off of the lake? God I hope so. Cause if he quits looking I guarentee you the fishing won't be as good.

Also, West Wind, Hudec's, Hillmans, Roger's and Mort's all try their best to get their customers on fish. If they didn't a place like this forum could shut them down in a hurry.

Go to URL trust the resorts and follow their roads. You'll catch fish more often than not!

[Johnny B]

I admit that I was worried about the ice conditions late last week. However, after reading the reports from Kelly, Ninetoe & Co, I was reassured that the ice would be fine, otherwise we would not have made the long drive from St. Paul.
We arrived on Friday afternoon to find close to two feet of ice. If my fishing partner measures ice like he measures his fish, he may tell you there was more!

Thanks again to everyone on URL for making our trips memorable!

<)))><

[InTheSchool]

Kelly,
My ADHD 6th graders can throw spit-balls, color on the wall, or solve the toughest problems I can give them. It's just a matter of pointing them in the right direction! Looks like ole Red might be your salvation!

[kelly-p]

You tell them kids that some of us are just moving a little faster then the rest of the world. It's not our fault the rest of the world cann't keep up.

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Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[kelly-p]

InTheSchool,
I thank you for your kind words but my behavior is described quite differently by my better half. Being a nurse she knows many big difficlt words but she keeps looking at me and muttering things like. "Attention Deficit Syndrome" and "should be a poster boy for Retilian" .

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Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652