warm temps and ice

[delta hunter]

With these warmer temps is it going to hurt the ice come saturday or with it just be really sloppy on the lake?

[Glockwinger]

My house is in Cove bay, and when I drilled holes on Monday, I got 5" of water all around my house! I was only up there for about 24 hours, then I packed it in. I kept getting water coming up. I had to jack it up twice to get it out of the water. My father-in-law is going up tomorrow (Friday 1/27) to check things out, but we are thinking the houses are coming off. For the record, our houses are sitting about 300 yards from a pressure ridge and we have had a lot of drifting snow. Can't say that I have ever had this problem in previous years. With my schedule I am done for the season up there anyway. I will hope for better ice next year. I'll have to just read your guy's reports to get my fix until next year. Good luck on the big pond.

[rosspj59]

A guy who fished yesterday told me there is a lot of water on top of the ice, but the still appears to be in good shape. I'll be up tomorow out of the twin pines area and will post a report after.

[oldguide]

Just got back from the Big Pond, 1-27. This A.M. there was water everywhere. What little snow that was left has turned to slush. I doubt there any left, except for a few drifts, by tonight. We still drove out (Public access north of casino) but I'm not sure I'd go there again. Thursday's bite was slow except for early morning and a brief fifteen minute bite at dusk. This mornings bite was short to but saw four fish over 6 lbs come out on the ice for photos and then released back down the hole. Three of us caught a limit of keepers also. Bite was dead by 8:30 A.M. Good Luck and take some waterproof boots.

[Glockwinger]

My father-in-law came back today (Sunday) and he said that there was 6" of water around all the houses in our group. He had to jack them all up and they were going to get pulled tonight. The crack in Cove bay was open and they closed the road. He had to drive in through Burant's and cut across the lake to get to the houses (a bit scary ) He made it off the lake, but said the ice was not in very good shape. What was formerly a solid 16 inches was down to 14 with water.

[Sonicrunch]

Just got bck Sat.

Ice was sloppy, but no problems driving a 1/2 ton truck.

Friggin High pressure system made the perch sluggish.

Caught 20 kept 4.

[slicerboy]

I drove out yesterday and there were plenty of vehicles on the lake. Didn't run into any standing water. Was on the east side of the lake off of 47 just north of Macs.

The bite was slow - we kept 8 perch and snagged one walleye. We were fishing in 19 feet of water on a rock bed (slow), we moved to 14' and caught some more. Bottom was sandy with small gravel.

Good luck!

[tunrevir]

I too was out yesterday out of Hunters point, we fished what they called banana bar, lest the sign said so where we turned. The roads were good especially further out on the lake. Looked to me lik a solid 16-18" of ice everywhere we drilled.

Tunrevir~

[Squid]

Made a day trip yesterday out of the west side and found the ice to be in much better shape than expected. Other than some slush on the "roads" but once off those it was clear sailing. In fact, the warm weather of last week may have done the ice a favor. It cleared most of the snow off the ice that had been acting as an insulator. Now if we have any freezing temps it should make more ice. As a matter of fact there was two more inches of ice than the week before even with the warm temps (at least where I was).

As for the fishing the perch seemed to have picked up. In a weeks time the same area had gone from a few perch to perch all over. All sizes too, from the YOY to some fairly decent size ones. No true jumbos but I did keep a half dozen in the 9-10" range. What worked best was a Hali tipped with a single waxie. As for 'eyes, didn't see a single one, first time this winter. There still out there somewhere, will have to keep searching.