Medicine Lake

[Matt Johnson]

Sounds good Joe, I'll stop in when I get there...

MedMan,

I'll look for you. It would be nice to finally meet up...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Tripleplay]

Joe,

From everything I've read on FM it looks like you are great at helping out regarding fishing Medicine. I'm very much a rookie at ice fishing and would like to get out this Saturday for a few hours with the kids just to break-in all of the new equipment and hopefully catch a fish or two to get the kids into this sport.

Are you going to be around the South baitshop on Saturday morning if a newbie needed a little advice on where to try as well as what to use? I may actually have a friend along with his son as well as he is even less experienced than I am and he wants to try out ice fishing. Needless to say I've got a couple of tipups ready to go and then five rods so at least we can cover a bit of water.

If you aren't available on Saturday morning is there anybody else at the south site that could point me in a decent direction?

Thanks!

Irv

[fishtank]

Hey Matt, was that you in the green pickup out there in front of Hartys on Monday? I was the idot in the Taurus trying to move the shack, with no luck I finally came back yesterday with a mamouth tow rope and slid her like a champ.

I'd have to aggree with you about Joe and the rest of the fishermen on Medicine. I spent all winter out on Waconia last year, and it's night and day the personalities i've seen on (and off) the ice on Medicine.

I'll be out tonight in the 40 foot hole trying to reel in some crappies. The Taurus will be parked next to the shack, so stop by if you are in the area.

[Matt Johnson]

Nope, I was in a white truck. I never got the chance to see the Taurus in action Glad to hear you got your shack taken care of.

I made it out to Medicine Lake today and went out jigging for pike again. A little better luck today. I set up in about 9 feet of water and worked a 1/4 oz Flasher spoon tipped with a minnow head. I managed 4 pike. Two of the pike were only about 2-3 pounders, but the other two were pretty nice. Not sure what they weighed but they were around 34-36 inches...

A lot of fun on a rod and reel. Some really healthy fish too!

I also got a chance to finally meet MedMan today. Boy does he know a lot about Medicine Lake! It was nice to finally meet you MedMan and I'll see you in a couple weeks at the ICE Series event!

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Duffer]

nice fish matt what side of the lake where u on if u care to share?

[Matt Johnson]

I was towards the south side...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Joe Harty]

Hi Tripleplay, no problem, stop on in and I'll always do the best I can. I like newbies, they usually listen well.

Fishtank, sorry to hear there is such a vast difference in etiquette, all I can say is there are good days and bad days everywhere, but after meeting you today, I'd say you fit in quite well around here....rock on !

Matt, NICE WORK today pike stud !!

Medman, you're my hero ! Moby, I got alot more spots for you to try...hang in there, Big Daddy Nort is waitin' !

Can't wait until the 22nd ! I'll bet that huge snowstorm hits right about the time of the contest !

Lakeman

[fishtank]

All I can say, is wow, that's a nice pike Matt nice work. Medman... I think I met you this past summer in open water. You introduced yourself out on the docks near Harty's or at the Park(I can't remember?). Harty, it was great to meet you today, sorry I didn't have any great news to pass on, but I guess it was just one of those days. I saw nothing on the vex after you left. I felt bad because I asked a few buddies out there to see if we couldn't hook into 'em, but boy did I turn out to be a bad host. Man, did I try everything in my bag. Oh well, I still enjoyed it.

I won't be back out for a week or so, unless I can play hooky from work during the day so I can chase down those Matt Johnson's, uh, I mean pike....

Can't wait to meet the rest of you boys, enjoy the hard water, and hope to meet the rest of you soon.

[MedicineMan]

Thanks for the kind words Matt! It was nice to finally meet you as well.

I finally decided on a spot and fished it from 3-5 (it was too friggin' cold to move!). Saw a lot of Shiners amoung other baitfish down there untill sundown, then the Perch moved in. From 4-5 I caught a dozen or so Perch, some nice sized ones as well. I also saw some nice sized Walleye's move through as well right before I left.

[moby1]

Med man

Went out at the same time. Stopped and talked to Joe then headed out. I drove as far as Hartys north but didnt see the camry anwhere so I drove back to the south end. Fished tip ups and met a couple of highschoolers. I was setting up and they were drilling with a hand auger. I remember those days too well so went and drilled some holes for them. I didnt catch any fish. I had some nice big red lines on the vex slowly come up and look at my medium jigging spoon (after I took out one of the tip ups of course) but eventually they would go back down and disappear. Neither myself or the young fellas next to me had any flags go but hey, it was being on the lake. I was prepared yesterday so the temp was a nonfactor. Ice was creaking and cracking but drove without much worry (other than the usual caution). It sure is nice to have the white top on the ice so I cant see it cracking.

Joe Nice to see the big ear to ear grin as usual. Thanks for the info and the bonus. Hope to be back out soon but it may not be until saturday morning.

[Duffer]

joe what time do u open on sat and sun?

[Tripleplay]

Joe,

Matt's pictures and your being available for a little advice sealed the deal for Saturday. Just a couple of questions:

-When you fish a rod for northerns with spoons or such, do you recommend using a heavier leader? My rods are all setup similar to what Matt described as medium to med/light action with 6# test. I've heard conflicting comments from other ice fisherman and just wondering what your opinion is.

--Is there a better time to hit the ice for northerns and possibly a wandering crappie or walleye? With the kids I probably won't be moving around much to try to shift for the other species.

Believe me I'll be listening.

Thanks

[metrojoe]

Tripleplay,

Saturday will be my first time on Medicine so I’ll be stopping in to see Joe to get the low down.

If you see a red and silver Ford pick-up with an FM sticker on the back window stop by. I’m looking to get the kids on some sunfish and hopefully have a few flags flying.

[MedicineMan]

Planning on going out again untill dark tonight, I'll be looking for a little bit of everything today.

[Tripleplay]

Metrojoe,

I've got a blue Avalanche so watch for me as well. I'll also ask Joe if he sent you somewhere near where he's sending me.

My guess is I'll be the guy doing all the work with my group (baiting and adjusting depths, etc.) and probably fishing not nearly enough which isn't real good as I'd really like to work with the new Vex a bit. BUT also want to have a good experience for the kids this first time. May even try to cook up some venison brats at home on Friday and then try to reheat them on the heater on Saturday (also have a Coleman stove and could do that but the less I have to drag along the better).

Weather looks pretty good since we don't have a shelter.

[Lee the bonehead]

I may try it, too. Red minivan. If there's a portable set up next to it you'll know I found something.

[Melon]

I'll be out there with my 94' polaris 4 wheeler and Purple Magnum Otter. I'll probabaly be out on Friday afternoon with my 5 year old and on Sat with a buddy of mine. Keep some fresh minnows for me Joe.

[metrojoe]

TTT

[MedicineMan]

Went out from 1-4 today, didn't do any fishing. Spent the entire time mapping. Planning on going out tomorrow after work. I'll be out there from 6-10am.

[moby1]

Had a fun day out there yesterday from about 10-4. Started out looking for crops on the north end and sat on TONS of sunnies with the occasional crop and norty coming through. I only know this because I ran into med man at the bait shop and he came out to my house a little later with the aquaview and the ice machine (which is very sweet). Wasnt prepared to catch sunnies and they got annoying. After that I did a "shock and awe" with the auger and drilled enough holes to go through a tank of gas and my arms wanted to fall off. It paid off though. I ended up finding a spot away from the crowds. From the searching I did I located an area at least 45 feet long that every time I put the vex down the holes, there was 10' if solid red and orange. It was crops but they were very tight lipped or just waiting for evening to bite. They were very inactive None were big ones but I managed to pull in around a dozen. They were biting EXTREMELY light. A coule didnt even move the bobber, I caught them by accident.

From what Joe said, sounds like a forum get together/non get together. He said there were a lot of FM'ers out there. Hmmmm must be prefishing. I of course met med man and also met triple play ( really nice guy)but guess others were out as well. How did you do triple play??? I think im going to give it a whirl after I take the mother in law to the airport this morning.

Lakeman ill stop in today if I get out there and let you know you how the new bait works....that ought to get folk wondering :+)) Thanks for giving me a little time after all the drilling. Again...You Da Man, stay away from the tatooed dudes that belly dance :+))

[G_man]

Got on the Med about 3:30pm on Saturday. Way late, wanted to get there at noon and move around and find the fish. Thats what happens when you take family with you. Fished until 8pm-ish and we were some of the last people left at this particular hole.

Anyhow, fished a 30'+ hole with just a few people in it on the NW side of the lake. The crappies were few, but some size was there. Caught just a few 6"ers, but most of the crappies were 8"-9.5". Caught a few perch too, but no size to them. All went back. It was fun to actually get my wife out on the ice and show her a few things. Also, we set two tip-ups in shallower water with sucker minnows. No luck, but it was our fault because it was later in the day.

Anyone hitting a white crappie or two these days?

BTW, it was a very light bite and spring bobbers were definitely in order. A bobber on the pole or a dead-stick lead to alot of missed fish in comparison to the spring bobber set-up.

A glow body'd Ratso was the leading lure. Waxies or eurolarve or minnows did not out-shine each other.

[Chad_Rap]

I hit a couple white crappies when i was out last ( two weeks ago ) one was pretty good sized 10 1/2" they are mixed in here and there from what i have heard. Used to catch em in summer back in the bays at French park.

I might have to play hooky from work one day this week to get out on the ice......I'm getting the shakes....

[moby1]

Went backout to the same spot that I marked all the fish on on saturday. I drilled more holes and marked tons of red on the vex for about 150 yards. I figured this was the mother load. Started with one minnow and one eurolarva. the minnow got eaten right away so I replaced it then never had abnother bite on minnow. Caught 5 crops total, pretty split between eurolarva and waxies. After a while they just kept taking the bobber down even to the bottom of the hole and I couldnt hook up to save my life. Finally hooked one and it ended up being about a 6" minnow of sometime. About the same size as a med sucker but silver with a blue stripe down the sides. Apparently that area is stacked with them with a few crops scattered inbetween. It wasnt the crop hole that I was invisioning in my mind. Would have been nice to have an aquaview. I wonder if norts or eyes or something comes through there to feed. It would be the grand buffet for fish.

Lakeman

Thanks for the use of the screwdriver. It really came in handy. The crappie search continues. Remember you said someone said there were holes drilled all over that area?? Those were all mine except for about 5. I added about 15 more out there in that area yesterday. Ill keep ya posted if I find anything good.

[Tripleplay]

Was out on Saturday from about 11-4:30 basically breaking in the equipment. Focused on northerns as I just wanted a little action for my son and a friend and his son. We got 3 flags total (1 non-hookup and 1 lost at the hole) and 1 other fish on a rod. Very good time!

The fish on the rod wasn't big (3+#)but it was only the second fish my friends son has ever caught so he spent alot of time carrying that northern around to show all of the visitors. Just to see the expression on his face when he was cranking on that fish made the trip! (my son finished off the first flag and it was his first fish through the ice so a bunch of firsts)

Met Metrojoe and his sons (nice fish!), Medicine Man, Moby and of course Joe. Thanks for all of the help and instructions. I'm so used to fisherman that are tight-lipped about where, when and how they caught their fish, but Medicine Man checked on us a couple of times and Moby actually told me about the spot he thought was filled with Crappies. This FM'r camraderie is great!

Looking forward to being back on Medicine on the 22nd.

[metrojoe]

Things were a little slow Saturday, but all in all a great day to be on the ice. It was good to meet some of the other FM members. I wanted to thank Joe from Harty’s Boatworks for the info and the quality service. My youngest son pulled up his first tip-up northern, and I believe it was a personal best for him.

It was nice meeting you MedicineMan we’ll have to get together so you can show me some of your hotspots. Let me know when your planning on being on the ice. I wouldn’t mind getting out and doing a little run and gun to see if we can find some panfish. I’ll bring plenty of gas.

Nice meeting you Tripleplay. My boys were a little tired and had been asking to go home about the time you pulled up, maybe we could hook up for the ICE event I’m planning to throw out a few tip-ups in the same area we were at on Saturday.

Tightlines,

Joe

[Tripleplay]

Metrojoe,

I'll definitely be there for the ICE event and unless Medicine Man or Moby or somebody else sways me with a great offer to target another species I'm going to start off after northerns. I figure with the early start trying to pick up a northern or two sounds good and then maybe try to find some Crappies or Sunnies.

My son was really disappointed we didn't move out and try for some Crappies this past Saturday but I hadn't even bought any small bait, also had a hard time convincing him that it was time to go home. (as it was we stayed a couple of hours longer than I had anticipated)

I'd also like to run and gun a bit just to learn the lake a little better. I may have one or both of my daughters with me on the 22nd which makes it a bit tougher to move around, but as they all learn how to do this--I'll hopefully have less baiting and rigging to do.

Definitely will partner up with you guys and we'll see about catching a mixed bag or at least trying!

[MntkaFishin]

I was on Medicine all day Sat. and until noon on Sun.. On Saturday I moved around the main part of the lake right of off Harty's and only caught five perch in about 10-12 fow, and a 24" northern in about 18 fow. I didn't vex many fish either. On Sunday I moved into the bay on the west side of the lake and had some decent success with the panfish and even managed a little 12" eye. I did however see alot more activity on the vex in the bay. Best of luck to everyone at the tournament.

[fishtank]

Hey Joe, thanks for helping me out with key. I should be in on Wednesday if not Thursday for sure to pick it up. I owe you a cold one....

[MedicineMan]

Just got back from a couple hours of fishing. Went out and tried a deep hole that I discovered by accident this summer. I kicked the CRAP out of the Crappies! I ended up catching about 25-30 Crappies. They were all between 9-12", nothing smaller nothing bigger. All in all I had a great time.... Best part was that I caught all this action on film!

[Lee the bonehead]

Good job! Hey Medicine Man, what do you record to? I do video for a living, so just curious.