Ice Report

(this is a picture from Red Lake the day after Thanksgiving 3-4" of ice)

Here is what I have for the latest ice report for places we have recently fished.  Areas that had any bite of snow(small drifts) always seemed to be as much as 1/3 less then areas without snow.  

Ice thickness as of 1/05/16:

Lake Waconia Ice Report 4-7"

Lake Minnetonka Ice Report 1-7" (Some areas were still open a few days ago)

Red Lake Ice Report 11-14"

Leech Lake Ice Report 6-14"

Lake of the Woods Ice Report 10-14" (Canadian side varies more)

Eastern South Dakota has varied alot, I recommend you call out there and speak to a local bait shop for latest info prior to heading out.  

Ice Ice Baby

It is that time of year again, time to hit the hard water and crush some fish through the ice.  With the cold weather finally arriving we have hit the ice hard in the past 3-4 weeks.  Although we are a month behind last year we are making up for lost time with the great bite we have been on.  

We hit the ice the day after thanksgiving on Red Lake and managed to walk out on 4" of ice and catch a few nice walleyes for a fish fry.  By no means did we "crush" them on this opening trip.  It was a good way to work out a few kinks in gear and get on the ice.  

After Red Lake Tony and I managed to find good ice in South Dakota and the fish were cooperating.  The lake we started on was not producing like we had hoped, so we made a wiggle onto a new lake.  New lake meant new challenges, but when we finally landed on the fish it was an absolute crush.  We caught most of our perch on a Clam bomb spoons and other Clam jigs tipped with Maki plastics.  When they didn't want plastics we found the "dead stick" with a crappie minnow 10" off the bottom to manage some bites.  After leaving South Dakota we came home for Christmas and some family time during the holidays.  It was not long and we were back on the road chasing gravel lizards around MN.  

But that report will have to wait for tomorrow..  Until next time, Fish On!  Get out and strech your string.  #grabyourrodandfish #waypointsforgasmoney

Time Flies

The old saying seems to always be true, "time flies when you're having fun"!  This fall seemed to come in like a storm, and it has opted to stay.  I am not complaining because it has been a fall I will not soon forget.  

Started with some amazing Smallmouth fishing on Lake Vermillion and Lake Mille Lacs.  Even put Jen on a pretty good tube jig bite.  ;)  From fishing giant brown bass to fishing the 3M event on Man Trap lake the first couple weeks of Sep disappeared like it never happened.  

Next I was onto New Mexico with good friend Ben Brettingen for some elk hunting with the Mathews in hand.  Ben had drawn a once in a life time bull tag for a great are of New Mexico.  I was along to film and capture it.  On the first day of Ben's 10 day hunt he was able to harvest a great bull with his bow.  The shot was about 35 yards and Ben was spot on with the shot.   

With 8 days left to hunt Ben and I started calling around to see if we could find another tag in the area so I could possibly get a elk as well.  After only about 4 hours of searching we had landed a tag and were off for another hunt about 60 miles up the road.  

After meeting the rancher and getting shown around we geared up the next morning and hit the woods.  With bulls buggeling all around us but not in range we opted to make a 2 mile move deeper into the area we thought the bulls were.  Later that evening I had a great bull in range at 33 yards and couldn't pass.  With that we had two bulls down in the matter of 4 days in New Mexico.  

Upon arriving home it was time to gear up for the whitetail woods.  It has been an amazing fall and I can't wait to see what it has to offer yet. 

Yes, time flies when you're having fun.  Until next time, stretch the string and Fish On!  

Bass Gone Wild

One of the better outings I had this summer invovled a pro hockey player, a g.loomis flipping stick, and a school of giant largemouth.  Justin Faulk, a MN kid who has transplanted to Raleigh North Carolina to play in the NHL put a whopping on the big bass on this day.  Above is a sample of 2 fish that noth tipped the scales in the 5lb plus range.  Those 2 were part of a 40 fish day with lots over the 3lb mark.  

Here are two more fish from that day, as you can see they all were chunks and the #'s were great.  Any time I can put a flipping stick in my hand and "do work" it usually turns out to be a fun day.  These bass seemed to have gone wild.  

Justin and I finished the day with lots of laughs, smiles, and memories that won't soon be forgotten.  It was one for the record books.  Until next time, Fish on!