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Author Topic: Northern Iowa ice trip  (Read 3176 times)

Offline Iceaddict82

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Northern Iowa ice trip
« on: Aug 27, 2017, 06:33 PM »
So some buddies and I are thinking about a trip to Clear Lake or Okoboji in January for a weekend trip. Looking for recommendations on which one, where to go, stay, ect. We have flip ups and 4wheelers if it helps. Thanks for any advice!!!

Offline Shack man Shoney

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #1 on: Aug 27, 2017, 10:32 PM »
We usually make at least one trip a year to the Okoboji/Spirit Lake area every season. The fishing has been good in the past few years with good numbers but no real trophy fish, however, everyone who has made the trip had a great time. We have stayed at Kabeles, which was a good place to stay and get a fishing report as well as bait, and most recently a buddy purchased a time share on W Okoboji that works out very nice. I have never fished Clear lake but I would say you probably can't go wrong with any of the places you are pondering

Offline Fish Butcher

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #2 on: Aug 28, 2017, 11:19 AM »
Another good option, Northland Inn.

Offline Wavfire06

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #3 on: Aug 28, 2017, 07:49 PM »
I make a trip to boji in January or February and we stay at a family run cabin just down from Kabels I can get u contact info if u would like send me a message also fish clear lake often in the winter what are u going to try and catch will determine where u want to go
If u can read my coat u are to close

Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #4 on: Aug 28, 2017, 07:54 PM »
IGL-Kabeles

Clear Lake-Kevan Paul

Offline Iceaddict82

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #5 on: Aug 28, 2017, 08:29 PM »
We usually just get to the local farm ponds so wanting to try where the big boys play. Don't really care what we catch, and long as there's fish to catch. Tried our luck a few years ago on Mille Lacs and got skunked. Figured we would try again closer to home this time. Thanks for all your help!!!

Offline Fish Butcher

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #6 on: Aug 29, 2017, 06:41 AM »
North Bay is in Northland Inns back yard. No drive time. Plenty of fish in North Bay over the years. Northland Inn has a fish cleaning station and a freezer to put your fish into. Just trying to make your trip easier. Two grocery stores 4 miles east. 5 miles south of that motel is "The Ridge" at Emerson Bay. Very productive!

Offline Fish Butcher

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #7 on: Aug 29, 2017, 08:07 AM »
If you want a kitchen, check out West Oaks Condominiums. Three bedroom units. They have a winter special. 3 days/2 nights for $215. Ask for a lakeside room. They look out over Smiths Bay and West Okoboji proper. "Million dollar"view.

Offline baogongmeo

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #8 on: Aug 29, 2017, 01:12 PM »
If you go to Clear Lake you'll probably want to go on a different weekend from the Yellow Bass Bonanza unless you're wanting to compete. Last year they had a big snowmobile race that drew lots of people, don't know if it's an annual event but that would be another time to avoid.
There are several motels in town. I don't recall the name of the one we stayed at the first night but it was a chain and it had a restaurant attached to it that had an Irish sounding name. The motel served a continental breakfast with scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy and hashbrowns. If you really want an adventure rent a wheelhouse from Kevan Paul and spend the night on the ice... we stayed out for three nights, had a good time. Really enjoyed the underwater camera on the flat screen tv. Tell Kevan one of the MO. boys from the red shack says hello. Kevan will treat you right.

Offline baogongmeo

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #9 on: Aug 29, 2017, 01:18 PM »
I looked online and it was the Best Western that we stayed at.

Offline rags

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #10 on: Aug 29, 2017, 08:03 PM »
Last winter we stayed at Northland Inn , Kabeles was booked up . I have to say Northland was a nice place and nothing fancy at a fair price , the breakfast was the normal items and also had breakfast burritos and egg sandwiches . Yes we would stay there again .

Offline Iceaddict82

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #11 on: Aug 30, 2017, 08:35 PM »
Thanks for all the input!!! I think we might lean towards Clear Lake because it's a little closer. But definitely like the idea of the wheel house. We stayed on the ice on Mille Lacs and I loved it.

Offline baogongmeo

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #12 on: Aug 31, 2017, 12:01 PM »
Go to Kevan's website and you can see his wheelhouses... we had the red one. It had a flat screen tv hooked to the underwater camera, livewell and bait tank, cook top with oven, 9 holes in the floor and generator which Kevan kept us supplied with gas for.  Sleeps 4.

Offline Bryfish84

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #13 on: Oct 17, 2017, 05:06 PM »
Thanks for all the input!!! I think we might lean towards Clear Lake because it's a little closer. But definitely like the idea of the wheel house. We stayed on the ice on Mille Lacs and I loved it.

What kind of fish are you after? Walleye, panfish or both?

Offline Mr.Seaguar

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #14 on: Oct 18, 2017, 12:01 AM »
I wouldn't go to clear lake unless it was at gun point. And it would have to be a .40 or bigger, I would survive a 9mm bullet. Okoboji or the Mississippi is where I would go.
Every plastics manufacturer claims plastics outfish livebait. So now I use livebait just for the increased challenge.

Offline GB 83

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #15 on: Oct 18, 2017, 07:42 AM »
Went to Clear Lk for the first time last yr. We had a blast catching yellow bass and crappies. Kevan Paul was a BIG help on putting us on fish! Now Clear Lk is on my list again..... maybe twice  this yr.

Offline Bryfish84

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #16 on: Oct 18, 2017, 09:50 AM »
I wouldn't go to clear lake unless it was at gun point. And it would have to be a .40 or bigger, I would survive a 9mm bullet. Okoboji or the Mississippi is where I would go.

Why?

Offline squ1rr31_

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #17 on: Oct 18, 2017, 10:44 AM »
Some people don't like Clear because its usually feast or famine. If you get into them its really fun, but you probably won't be taking much meat home. There are some slab crappies if you can find them there though.
  

Offline Bryfish84

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #18 on: Oct 18, 2017, 11:35 AM »
Some people don't like Clear because its usually feast or famine. If you get into them its really fun, but you probably won't be taking much meat home. There are some slab crappies if you can find them there though.

Interesting. That seems to be most lakes in Iowa.

Offline Mr.Seaguar

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #19 on: Oct 18, 2017, 06:41 PM »
Yellow bass are great as a a small part of a catch to add variety. As 90% of the catch? No thanks.
Every plastics manufacturer claims plastics outfish livebait. So now I use livebait just for the increased challenge.

Offline Agronomist_at_IA

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #20 on: Oct 18, 2017, 09:30 PM »
Yellow bass are great as a a small part of a catch to add variety. As 90% of the catch? No thanks.

I think you gotta give credit to Kevan.......He's convinced a lot of people to pay him to put them on Yellow Bass.....The most evasive prolific reproducing fish.....Personally, I can't understand why a guide is needed to find Yellow Bass....the stupid things are everywhere.  I just hope that no one puts ANY back.  The reason the YBB is held every year is so the yellow bass heard gets thinned.

Some idiot put some yellow bass in lost island. Now you catch them by the 5gallon bucket and dump them in closest field.

Here is a pic of about 5min of fishing off the end of any dock.


Offline Mr.Seaguar

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #21 on: Oct 18, 2017, 11:55 PM »
I keep all the yellow bass I catch, clean the ones I want and dump the rest
Every plastics manufacturer claims plastics outfish livebait. So now I use livebait just for the increased challenge.

Offline samface83

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Re: Northern Iowa ice trip
« Reply #22 on: Oct 20, 2017, 01:28 PM »
Clear Lake - Caught a variety of nice fish every time I've gone there during ice season...most of the bait shops in the area can put you on fish.  I prefer kevan because he introduced me to the sport years ago and has stay grounded even when his face gets put on the same gear as legends like Jason Mitchell and Dave Genz. I only stay overnight for the YBB and stay at a hotel with a fireplace and Jacuzzi for the wife.

Okoboji - Also caught a variety of nice fish every time up there. Stay fairly cheap at the Luthern Camp on little emerson bay and have direct access to the ice so we don't have to load/unload machines every day. Stan's bait and tackle and Oh Shucks are conveniently located nearby also.

If you haven't fished the bigger lakes before, hire a guide for at least the first day of your trip and you should have success all trip long. 


 



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