BURNTSIDE BASH

[chunkytrout]

The auger is ready, the reels are spooled, tackle is shined, and the ice seems to be taking it’s sweet time. As we say goodbye to 2005 and ring in 2006, my mind turns to one thing. Salvelinus Namaycuch! Lake trout opener is just around the corner and as I find myself fidgeting with my arsenal, I come across little notes on my maps. Just daily scribbling of locations, times, weather, and happily a few measurements. I’ve never kept a fishing journal but I’ve heard testimony from many anglers that say it’s an important tool for them. For myself I’ve noticed that after a while, you get a sense for these things. Not that you actually know where they are or what they’re doing but, you have a good idea where to start and what to look for.

I’ve only been fishing lakers for 7 years so in no way am I an expert. I’ve only fished a handful of laker lakes in that time. But what I have learned and experienced gets filed away in my fishing memory banks. That combined with what I’ve been taught by others has begun to create patterns that are truly recognizable. Think of the combined knowledge alone just on these forums!!! Thousands and thousands of hours fishing, learning, and teaching.

So, back to the lakers. Below are a few examples trout patterns in one small part of a very large lake. Three completely different areas with different depths, bottoms, and contour changes. All three in one small area of the lake and all three produce lakers at specific times or conditions.

This is NE Burntside lake with the Dead River to the North. The public access is around the tip of the peninsula in the upper right. I wish I knew how many acres we’re looking at here but I don’t. Again this is a small chunk of the lake. Area #1 is a classic trough out into the main bay. Between the peninsula and the opposite shoreline it starts around 30FOW. Then scoops out gradually to 80FOW. This is mostly the land of the bottom dwellers. This crowd hangs out just above bottom. Some feeding and some just cruising. When they are feeding it’s a game on enticing them out of deep by jigging. I’m a spoon guy so that’s what I use. Some people use the tubes and some swear by the airplanes. I’ll start with a gentle controlled drop all the way down. Bounce the bottom for a while, pause and then reel up a few feet. Jig again, pause and repeat up to where I think I’m about 20 feet deep. Then back to the bottom I go. Now this can be a bit boring but if noones hitting on the way up, they’ll smack it on the way back down. If you can backreel down, it’s usually best. If you are lucky enough to have a flasher along, things can get pretty exciting and sometimes maddening. When that big red line rises up to your jig and you can bring him up 10 feet at a time, the blood starts pumping! By the way, all my spoons are tipped with cisco. This pattern usually produces on the coldest consistent high pressure days.

This area is a gradual slope from the trough heading East. The shelf tops out around 10FOW and there is mostly scattered rocks and a few boulders above the ice surface marking the shelf's top. When area #1 or #3 are quiet, this is my goto. Especially during a change into a low pressure system. I discovered this by accident while drilling around with no way of checking depth accept jigging. I knew I was in shallow and just as my lure was in sight on the retrieve, wham! Maybe two feet below the ice a fish hit so hard and fast that before I knew what happened the line snapped. I immediately re-rigged and dropped about 6 feet down. Five minutes later I iced a nice 5 pounder. Again the hit was furious but this time I was a bit more prepared. Another time while sight fishing I saw a cloud of smelt dart by three times. My guess? Maybe the low pressure brings the forage up on that shelf and the hungry lakers follow. But these hits are always fast. In area#1, it’s usually a slower pace game. They are able to stalk and prefer to attack from below their target. Here in #2 I believe it’s a head on game and speed is their best attack plan. Most hits are in the 10 foot or above column.

On to #3 which seems to be the daily migration area for going to and coming from feeding. Certain times of the day are the ticket here. Morning and early evening. Here the fish relate to the bottom more, unlike #2. The bite is usually short but if you hit it right it’s pretty consistent. Off the southern tip of this area you’ll see an Island cluster. This is yet another hot spot but I have not fished it enough to comment too much. Except for that a couple a Site Administrators did surprisingly well there, and they were SO QUIET about it....(?)

So to wrap it all up, here we have a typical chunk of Burntside Lake. And there’s alot of chunks just like it. The best part is it’s active and holds many opportunities for the ice angler who pays attention. Hope some of you can join us on one of the most beautiful lakes outside the BWCA.

[Steve Foss]

You bugger, now you've got me going!

Guess I'll just have to console myself with pike and walleyes until laker opener.

[ripstick]

Just picked up a couple of jrs ice rods for lakers this morn. Nice rods for the price. Had one before but seeing how a pig is going to come by and break one . Its beest to have a spare.

[northernnels]

Hay Chunky! You are in the wrong bussines. When are you going to start GUIDING I will sign up first. You sure know how to get a guy primed. Thank Nels.

[Steve Foss]

You know, Chunky, that's not an entirely bad idea. You know Bside for lakers as a WHOLE lake better than most of the locals, who simply know their one or two spots.

Hmmm, "Chunky's Fairly Reliable Laker Guide Service?"

Oh, shucks, that's been taken by Woody!

But seriously, not a bad weekend idea.

[northernnels]

stfcafish ! right on, I will be happy to bring the CAPTIAN Steve talk him into it. Nels

[Finns]

Just a heads up for any out-of-towners going the the Bash. That is the same weekend as the Ragnar Run so a person might want to reserve a motel room soon.

Alas the wife informed me that as I took her to last years Bash she is taking me to this years 'WinterFest' which is the next weekend!

Well, I'll still be in Ely.

Finns.

[caseymcq]

That was a good post on the locations. You should have your own show on OLN or The Outdoor Channel, "Simply Laker Fishin' with Chunkytrout."

I have noticed on a mine pit I fish with Lakers in it that they really pound the bait when a low pressure system is moving through.

Only 46 more days before opener (outside the B'dub)!

[chunkytrout]

Thanks for the kind words. Casey, TV is not kind to my face. How about Trolling with the Troll?

[caseymcq]

TV not kind to your face... nonsense. You are a pro on the video that is on the Iceleaders website. Steve too.

[Steve Foss]

Huh?

[caseymcq]

Haven't you seen the video that is on the Iceleaders.com site? You are 9 minutes and 15 seconds into the video (you can fast forward if you don't want to watch everything before it).

[Steve Foss]

No, I'm not that far into the video, I'm only that far into the download. Once I downloaded it, I noticed it came with an odd ending, and I'm a Mac user. I tried to open it in all the Mac applications that can open everything but the plans for an atomic bomb, and it wouldn't open.

Guess all those Windows slobs don't care about the minority who have the best computer systems. Anyway, it's not like I really need to see myself or Chunky on video. After all, if we're on that footage, it's not as though I'm going to learn anything new from it now.

[chunkytrout]

I've learned to stay away from the cameraman.

[wayne556]

I'll be there! probably Fri can't wait!!

[Captain Ken]

I am ready with my brand new Marcum LX-5 and Lx-i (handheld) whihc both arrived yesterday. All those red lines that show on my Marcum will be mine - look out lakers! I'll be up between Christmas and New Years to test it out on a few walleyes and crappies. Can't wait!

Capt

[Wade Joseph]

Santa came early and left me a brand new Frabill Speed shack cub...I hope to chrissen both it, and my "new to me" Vex FL8 at this event if not sooner!

[chunkytrout]

Wade, sounds like you're set.

Hey guys, sorry I haven't been around much. Been busy building a recording facility and studying for my journeymans liscense at the same time. Not even a minute on the ice as of yet!

Jeff Schulze and I will be aiming at keeping the Dead River access open this time around. It's alot closer to good fishing and less busy than the VanVac access. After the holiday craziness has passed will begin getting things set up so stay tuned.

[Finns]

Chunky: That recording facility wouldn't be for the recently deposed Mikey would it.?

Finns.

[humpback]

o.k people you got me hooked after reading your post.i have never done this before so your going to have to help me through it.i mostly do the red lake and L.O.W thing but want to try this laker thing.what do i need for bait or lures and where do i find ciscos?what about line wt.? do i need my wheeler? i have a place to stay along the knife river. so do you stay the night in ely or do you mostly drive home? if you stay the night in ely would anyone want to share a room? ( dont want to have to many and have to drive) do you fish in the open or use shacks? i will be traveling alone so a fishing budy would be nice.please fill me in on everything i need to bring.you can email me if you want.([email protected]) thanks.

[iffwalleyes]

Casaloma and Hanson ya that is my truck she is my baby man. I thought I was pretty creative to think of how to spell ice fishing in 7 letters. Man I just thought to look at this page today as the bash is getting closer and to my suprise my truck is on the page.

[Steve Foss]

humpback:

Glad you're about to get addicted. You'll never look at a walleye in quite the same way after you land your first laker through the ice.

Folks could give you a fresh answer to all of your questions, but it's been covered here many, many times before. I'd recommend you use the good "search" feature on this board and type in "lakers" and "ice" and lake trout" and see what you come up with. There's been a solid and ongoing how-to, what-to, where-to discussion going for about three winters right here.

[Casaloma]

iffwalleyes, this year lets make the good photos somthing with fins & slime ( lakers or B-side mutant monster Pike ) rather than the toys we use to persue them!

Later - CLoma

[Steve Foss]

Cas, if you don't catch the big boys, all you've got to photograph are the big toys.

[hanson]

iffwalleyes-

That was an absolute shot in the dark guess but there weren't too many guys from NoDak at last years Bash. Odds were in my favor, eh?

[chunkytrout]

Finns, not especially for him but I wouldn't be surprised if poked his head around there.

Humpback, did I ever mention how much I love Sleepy Eye? As STF said, there's a ton of info RE: laker fishing in this forum. We try to steer people towards the search feature to keep our fingers from burning out night after night. In this thread alone there's a couple of gems to partake in. Take a look through the how-to's and we hope to see you up for the bash. You won't regret it! Stick around for further details.

[chunkytrout]

Humpback, second time through your post and saw you needed a little more than fishing info. Sorry bud. A wheeler will be handy. By late Jan. ice is pretty sweet unless we have alot of snow. As of now,we don't. Wheeler will get you on some sweet spots off the lake snow machine trail.

Some folks come early, some day of event , some stay all weekend. Earlier there's posts re: lodging info and numbers. Some of us stay in our trucks or shacks. Some pass out on the ice . (We'll generally pick you up if that happens)

Shack, portable, no shack...Depends on our lovely weather. If it's minus 80 like last opener , you might bring the shack and perhaps a heater.

All said, join us and learn a bit about fun and laker fishing......

[Wade Joseph]

I am hoping there is enough ice to drive on. I don't own a wheeler or sled(yet). Im bringing my new Frabill shack, my vex and my power auger as well as a couple heaters and an adult beverage or twelve.

I am counting the days.

[humpback]

thanks for all the help guys.i think i will be comming up on the 26th and fish the 27th will anyone be on the lake that day who i can hook up with to point me in the right direction as to how to get on the lake and where to fish? thanks.

[chunkytrout]

With the event being the 28th and all, we'll be around plowing, drilling, and what have you. Maybe not alot of fishing in the day before however. But we can steer you in the right direction.