Is it too early to start talking about open water?

[dirtydog]

I hear that a guy could fish by monti. Anybody doing that this time of year?

[Royce Aardahl]

well, a guy could.

[smallie_hawgin]

DD..... Shyaaaa! On days when it's ABOVE freezing usually works out a bit better though! I dunno, this winter may be different than the ones of recent past. I will probably be wrong but I don't think your going to see any 50°+ days until march.... 40s maybe... those are the days that are at least bareable. I took the batteries out and they're in the basement....

[HawgTide]

Riverwader tried about a week ago and said he couldn't get upstream from Montisippi in his Jet. Ice almost all the way across the river. That was before this really cold weather set in. Surprisingly, but I guess we'll have to wait.

This is why we formed a support group.

[river rat316]

If it stays this cold out we might be able to ice fish Elk River, you get very few days in the winter that are warm enough and the ice flows aren't coming down river, Im betting that with this cold weather there will be some pretty thick Ice flows coming down this weekend!

[BigMike]

I waded the montisippi stretch last Jan/Feb when we had those freak 45-50 degree days and I was dodging ice bergs all day. It sounded like shotguns going off all day, ice chunks/bergs breaking free all day and massive flows coming down river. They were anywhere from 4-18inches thick and the size was anywhere from that of a small box to that of of a truck. I learned a new technique though - just like fishing in the pads, throw your tube on the iceberg, let it sit on the edge and drop it in at the perfect time Ok, so that last part was made up...kinda - it was fun but weird experience on the river that's for sure.

[threeball]

I watch the river every day. The last time a lack of ice made the entire width relatively passable was the Sunday after Thanksgiving. However, the south edge downstream from the WWD does stay mostly ice free until it gets below 5-10 degrees. If we get some warmer weather and someone wants to go out, I may be interested in giving it a try.

[Royce Aardahl]

Get that clam ready dirtydog! What's the hold up here?