Caribou & Kremer Ice Conditions?

[yoppdk]

Has anybody been on Caribou or Kremer lately and willing to share a report on ice conditions? I'd like to make a trip up from GR, but don't want to be disappointed if the ice is lousy. Thx in advance ...

[bmc]

I know this isn't either of the lakes you mentioned, but Bluewater had 10-11" of ice on it last night. No lakers though, although I had 1 chaser the wouldn't hit. People atv'ing and sledding around the shore lines, not sure about the middle though. Fished the NE corner from 30-80'.

Brian

[computermann]

Kremer had 8-12". Four of us fishing. 5 fish on Saturday, 2 Sunday, thought the weather was the factor so went back Monday and got 0 of the 12" splake. Will be trying a different trout lake this weekend.

[yoppdk]

FYI, I found good ice on Caribou ... probably 10-12 inches, no slush.

[jimm]

Is there any way you could give me a tip or two on how to fish there two lakes. i have a cabin in the area and have always wanted to go there but don't even know how to start. What kind of depth, lures, bait etc. Do you fish suspended or close to the bottom or....

Any info would be apprecieated.

[bmc]

On Kremer, I've had my best luck fishing the shorelines. Small spoons or crappie jigs w/ bobber for tackle. I usually use waxies or salted crappie minnows for bait. I'd target 10-20' of water.

On Caribou, it helps if you have a map, print one off the DNR website. I try to fish the sunken islands out there. You can use livebait on Caribou and I've had good luck on light sucker minnows and shiners. Lakers on Caribou call for walleye sized tackle and rods. I usually throw out a tip up with a live sucker and jig with a spoon and shiner head. Lakers love to chase a bait and not hit it, watch you're graph close! Don't be afraid to play keep away with a fish that won't bite. Depths I target are from 20-50'.

Brian

[yoppdk]

Ditto to Brian's reply. I usually drop about 2/3 to 3/4 the way to the bottom and slowly work my way up from there. Trout often come off the bottom and will travel quite far to hit a lure/bait. But sometimes they are also suspended and will come in right at the lure. It sometimes helps to make the fish "chase" your bait/lure to get them to bite.

I like to use white 2 or 3" "tube jigs" (Berkley Powerbaits) for lakers ... never used live bait. But I'm sure they'd go for either on certain days. Have also used frozen smelt on a tip up with success.

Good luck.

[bmc]

I hit the north end of Caribou today from about noon to 3pm. I saw a couple looker's/chaser's on the vexi, but couldn't get them to hit. Also had small perch on the graph most of the time. I always bring a gill rod with a heavy jig and waxie so I can see what's down there if they aren't biting. I fished in the 40-50' range. It was my first time ice fishing the north end, didn't feel like the uphill climb on the south end today.

Yopp, we should hook up out there sometime. I won't get a chance to get out till after next week though as I start a long stretch for work.

Brian

[jimm]

Thanks for the info guys

[eyes']

Any new reports?

[Duffman]

Fished Kremer two weeks ago, 2 small splake and 7 suckers. They've got a lot more snow since I was there. It might be a little tough to drag a shanty out now.

[yoppdk]

Yeah, I think the suckers might become a dominant species in Kremer. Seems like toward mid-Feb you tangle with them more. I remember breaking a perfectly good custom-built graphite rod setting the hook on a sucker at Kremer afew years ago. Or course, I assumed I had the mother of all trout on, until those sucker lips popped up through the hole. I haven't gotten over it yet ...