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FISHING REPORT


black max

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Here is my report for fri afternoon-sun. morning with no BS. Two of us went out of Hilmans fri evening and went out 7.35miles out. We were farther out than any shack with the exception of 2 portables about a mile past us. I followed kellys directions and found all the plowed roads to take us there easily. We got 1 slab a few eyes and some nice perch. We moved in the a few times yesterday finding some spots with a few fish and some with nothing. We settled in the late afternoon on a good looking spot about 6.5mi out.

We caught a few eyes and some nice perch so we decided to stay after getting our second slab. It slowed down to a crawl by dusk, and last night we got nothing on the rattle reels. All of the fish we caught except for 1 eye were caught on rattle reels with plain hooks or small glowing jigs. Any time we marked fish on the graph which wasn't often they took off as soon as you moved your bait at all.

We tried fatheads, crappie minnows,waxies and suckers-(for pike). We caught no pike at all but did get a 21 and 23in eye on the tip-up with 8in suckers!!Overall the fishing was fairly slow for us with most of the fish biting during the day and not much at all once the sun went down, although we did get 3more slabs between 4-7:30pm last evening.

We found 14in of ice at out first spot way out with a little snow around and 22-23in at our other spots and most had 3-5in of snow on them. You can get around about anywhere with a 4x4 and if you are towing a shack like I was you will need to pick your spots carefully unless you have chains. I just got a full set of chains for my truck this season and I can go way out from the crowds and I never even spin a wheel even pulling my shack through the snow off road. Unfortunetly it cannot guarantee you getting fish just you can get way out from the crowds

In the end we wound up taking 5 slabs, 16 perch 9.5-10.5in home. We prob caught 30 more smaller perch and about 25 eyes from 14-23in. Oh I forgot to mention our four 5in. eyes we also caught on rattle reels, smallest eyes I have ever caught. So how did every one else do? Any one get any in closer to the shack towns out at 4mi? I am going up again in two weeks, hopefully they will be bitting better then.

I almost forgot to mention there is a new gas station that just opened up 2months ago a couple blocks south of West Wind. Its about time! They even had gas cheaper than I am paying down here at home.

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Quote:

Where is the BS in that story?


telling us they didnt make up stories of catching anything big, alot crappies... or with 15 perch in the 9.5-10.5 in range? Well hope it gets better, theyre still in there. smirk.gif

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Maybe I will get better in feb. I don't mind helping out at all telling someone how I did, but I am not going to guide you to your spot either. I do hate it when people won't contribute though, that is what this site is suspose to be all about. I report what happened good and bad, and if I can help someone out by eliminating alot of water or certain times of the day great. Maybe the next time someone else will give me a heads up on what the bite is looking like. I don't know of anyone who is going out and getting thier limits every day and couldn't use some help now and then.

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Here is my report from the weekend:

My buddy and I got to Hillmans around noon on Thursday. We were renting two sleepers from Buddy (another group of 4 joined us Friday night). On Thursday we set up a couple bobber poles in the shack while we unloaded our gear. Within 30 minutes of getting there we iced our first slab. A few minutes later my buddy got a 20 inch eye jigging. Thus far the trip was off to a good start.

We decided to take the portables out and work the area around our permanent that night. We drilled about 50 holes and came up empty. So, we decided to head back to the shack and set up the rattle reels and hope for the best. I missed two fish at 2:00am and 4:00am (I was a little groggy when I set the hook).

The next morning around 7am I caught a slab on a rattle reel. For the next three hours we had consisten action in the shack and ended up putting another 6 slabs in the bucket. After lunch we decided to head towards the end of the road and try to find some more active fish. Again we drilled about 50 holes and ended up with 1 slab, 1 nice perch, and a couple 'eyes.

Back to the shack we went as that was by far the best producer so far. Throughout the evening we iced 4 more slabs (bringing our total to 11). The rest of the group showed up around 8:00 and we got their shack set up w/rattle reels as that was the best way to catch the fish. Between the two shacks we caught 4 slabs over night and another two in the morning.

Saturday afternoon my buddy and I headed back to the end of the road hoping to find some more active fish. This time our hard work paid off. From 2:30 - 5:00 we had active fish underneath us. We iced 6 slabs (two that went 15 inches) and several nice walleyes. We also missed another 8 fish - not good on our part. All of these fish came up and just slammed the jig (glow red demons were our best producers). As soon as it got dark the fish shut off.

For the trip our group ended up with 23 slabs (four guys never left their permanent), 8 perch, and a lot of walleyes. The bite in the permanents was good until the traffic showed up Friday/Saturday and then your best bet was to move away from the crowds. Don't be afraid to burn some auger gas as eventually it will pay off.

Thanks Buddy for a fun weekend. We will definitely be up for another trip.

BJP

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Got UP TO URL around 2:30 Friday afternoon We were out on Mort's road out to the end about 2 1/2 miles set up perm one of our party stayed at the shack myself and another ventured out with sled to drill some holes couple hours out and quite a few holes only managed one eye and one nice perch so we ventured back to the shack he managed same as us without the effort oh well.

After a little snack we noticed the vex started to lite up so we dropped some lines right off the bat a nice slab. The next hour or so we managed a couple nice perch and a small eye. Around 8pm we managed a three more slabs and then they just shut down. So we decided to turn in too.

The next mourning we were unable to manage anything until around noon a nice 30" Pike. Nothing all afternoon until around 7pm they moved in on the vex again but we only managed three and a couple more nice perch and a couple small eye's. all done by about ten.

Left early sunday mourning as we had a 7 hour drive ahead and work the next day ok trip but not great.

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Just got back from LOTW and Red Lake stop! On Thursday during the Red Lake stop three of us got 24 crappies and 20 perch. Glad we made the stop as 15 of us only got 4 walleyes at LOTW Friday and Saturday!!

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We got up to Red Thursday night at about 10:00 p.m.. We went 6.5 miles out of Hillmans. Had three permanents with 9 guys.(two more guys came late Friday night). I had low expectations due to the recent reports....boy was I surprised!! We went home Sunday morning at 9:30 with 103 beautiful Red lake slabs. We also caught our share of walleyes. It was a great trip.

Don't be afraid to move. We brought up 3 portables and fished all around our permanents. We probably caught 70% of our fish in our hard houses, but when it slowed down we would go to the portables and always seemed to pick up a few. It is amazing how just moving 10 yards will can change your luck.

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We stayed at Arnesens in sleepers 2 days 2 nights and only four!! Our worst trip ever and some of us been going up there for over 20 years!!

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I find it kind of depressing to read these fishing reports and having experienced the Red Lake bite in its prime wonder if stricter regulations would have sustained the amazing fishing longer. I see trophy hunters post of returning home with a 103 slab crappies for 11 guys and wonder if taking all that fish is necessary from one body of water, why not a few crappies from, here a few there and release 50 of those red lake slabs.

Just something to think about.

dano

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103 crappies for 11 guys over two days is less than 5 crappies a day. When considering the size of these crappies is still GOOD fishing but I don't think its going to hurt the fishery. Lets save that for nylon nets.

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Went up Saturday and out Hillman's road about 5 miles. No one near me and it started to snow. I have always felt fishing slows during a snowfall unlike rain when you can still find a bite. (Anyone else find that to be true?) Fishing was poor for me with only 1 Crappie 1 Walleye and about 12 perch. My rattle reels only went once the whole night. That has never happened to me up there before. I dropped my camera with the lights on after dark to confirm all the marks on my vex were baitfish. Should've moved the house but I decided to wait it out.

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A buddy and I went up there for our 1st trip ever. We got up there around 2:00pm Thursday and left at 10:00am Sunday. We were fishing about 3 miles out on Hudec's road. Just seeing the size of the first slab was amazing. In all we landed 9 slabs. When the did bite, they hammered the bait. Not alot of fish, but still a great time. Not disappointed at all. I even came home with my fish to hang on the wall.

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ok here' mine I just got back 2 hours ago - Fished Sun 2pm until Mon 9am and went out with Kelly P. We were exactly 7 miles out. I counted only 4 other houses out any further than us. We managed a slab at 6pm, and another at 4am on a rattle reel. Several nice walleyes also.

I actually think we may have been in one of the houses that another poster just vacated. Kelly said that the house produced over the weekend but slowed.

The ones that did come in did NOT want any jigging whatsoever. Everytime I marked fish and jigged, they ran like hell. Deadstick and bobbering was the way to go.

Kelly P's Dad (and Kelly P I should add) were great guys. Dad stopped by last night and offered up some slabs for our dinner tonight. Thanks again guys! smile.gif

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