Author Topic: SPIRIT LAKE / IGL ICE CONDITIONS (Read 11156 times)

BojiHawk · « **on:** Feb 16, 2011, 09:59 AM »

Thinking about coming up this weekend. Anyone have and ice report? Prefer not to drag the quad up if it's not necessary, but will if I have to walk :-) Not lazy...just a long ways out to the spot. OK...a little lazy. Just curious if there are still F/S truck rolling out and if the accesses are in good shape. Please advise...thanks in advance.

esox_magnum · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 16, 2011, 05:44 PM »

There were trucks on Smiths this morn. Havent beeen up around Spirit since Sunday.

jmvsmv · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 16, 2011, 10:08 PM »

I was out on Spirit this afternoon. Got on at Buffalo run, and it was in rough shape. I will be surprised if th4e access survives tomorrows high temps, as far as driving on. Hopefully i am wrong, but they sure seemed pretty bad right at shore. Huge ruts throughout the lake and lots of water standing on the ice, but still a lot of ice on the lake. Don't know about any other accesses, and there were quite a few vehicles driving out there. You should be able to get on with your quad, but if it is like what i saw when 2 quads drove buy today the water was up probably about half way up the tires. Definitely could use a good hard freeze, just dont know if we will get one soon enough. As a side note, we have a group of Cub Scouts we are taking fishing this weekend depending if the ice is safe enough for a group of young boys. We are thinking about taking them to West Lake for the sight fishing. Does anyone have any information on the accesses and ice conditions on any of the bays of West Lake. And maybe a little help with getting the boys on some fish. Would like to drive out, but if we have to walk I don't want everyone to have to walk a mile. So if anyone can suggest a spot that would fall under these conditions that would be much appreciated.

Todd_NE · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 17, 2011, 09:59 AM »

I just spoke to a knowledgeable local and they weren't sure what to tell me. On Wed AM the edges were in very bad shape at Spirit as has been said but 30" of ice otherwise. It was 41 deg up there at 8 AM this morning. It is supposed to get cold at nights now again but tough deal.

BojiHawk · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 17, 2011, 11:14 AM »

THROWING IN SOME 2X12's Won't be the first time i've had to make a bridge. The main accesses get messed up pretty good. But there are other places to get on if you hunt for them. South side is best guess....more shade and less melt...less traffic. I've got a trailer with about a 6' ramp on the back....dunk the tires...drop the ramp...that'll reach out over 15 feet of open water. Maybe I'll start a concession service like Big Mac in western NE...instead of launching boats, I'll launch quads.

Todd_NE · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 17, 2011, 03:20 PM »

Just heard one guy got on Spirit with a truck at lunch and there are trucks on west o this afternoon.

BojiHawk · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 17, 2011, 03:48 PM »

west tends to keep accesses lock better due to higher shorelines I think. SL should have at least quad access if you are will to get your trailer tires a little wet. :-)

dwmiller · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 18, 2011, 12:49 PM »

Any more reports today. Heading up after work for my first trip to Spirit Ice fishing. Will I be dragging my sled or will I be able to drive out.

Thanks

chuss1 · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 18, 2011, 01:25 PM »

Friend went out Wednesday and reported no problem driving onto lake from West access with 28 - 30" of ice on the lake. A little sloppy with the melt. Best of luck to everyone heading out.

dwmiller · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 18, 2011, 01:30 PM »

Thanks for the info:
Very excited to head up been out of ice fishing for a few years and got back at it this season, forgot just how much fun it is. Hope the weather hold for Sunday looks like they are in a Winter Storm watch.

chuss1 · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 18, 2011, 02:28 PM »

Making our first trip to Spirit tomorrow. Heard of success on the East side and success on the West side. The key seems to be either a red hook or a red glow jig with a small minnow or waxie. Also heard that the bite is light, very light with the occasional hammer.

toothfish · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 18, 2011, 04:14 PM »

Heading up tonight . Fish tomorrow and Sunday morning .
Decided not to bring quad..... would guess they are still driving trucks on. Hope that decision doesn't come back to bite me in the butt.
Red .... connected to the blood worms in Spirit (thumbs up)

esox_magnum · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 18, 2011, 05:58 PM »

Hmmm haven't used anything red all season yet, or most of anything mentioned already. We should be out someplace at some point.

fin-n-feather · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 18, 2011, 07:19 PM »

Quote from: BojiHawk on Feb 17, 2011, 11:14 AM

THROWING IN SOME 2X12's Won't be the first time i've had to make a bridge. The main accesses get messed up pretty good. But there are other places to get on if you hunt for them. South side is best guess....more shade and less melt...less traffic. I've got a trailer with about a 6' ramp on the back....dunk the tires...drop the ramp...that'll reach out over 15 feet of open water. Maybe I'll start a concession service like Big Mac in western NE...instead of launching boats, I'll launch quads.

Hey Boj, that is a cool idea I never thought of. Backing the trailer in the water and dropping the gate on the trailer to the ice. I think I'm gonna have to try that. Thanks Fin

nick858 · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 18, 2011, 09:11 PM »

Guy at Kabels told me red or pink, he was spot on last Friday. We did well on pink droppers and fiskas.

brittlab · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 19, 2011, 08:18 PM »

access's were good today and the perch bite was on!!!!!!!!

esox_magnum · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 19, 2011, 09:17 PM »

Boji, was that you in the Silver F 150 pulling your quad around on the lake??? If you drove by and didnt stop and say hi..... butthead....

siyakadog · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 19, 2011, 10:06 PM »

Correct- The perch bite was on !!
I should of had my limit today- but I got a new 28" Deadstick pole and it super sensitive but has no backbone, I missed countless perch. So at 4pm I went back to what I had been using and only had an hour to get up to 18 nice perch.
I shouldn't fix things that aren't broken

BojiHawk · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 21, 2011, 12:25 PM »

Quote from: fin-n-feather on Feb 18, 2011, 07:19 PM

Hey Boj, that is a cool idea I never thought of. Backing the trailer in the water and dropping the gate on the trailer to the ice. I think I'm gonna have to try that. Thanks Fin

If you can avoid it....don't dunk your hubs unless you got some bearing buddies or something like that. Most the trailers are not designed to have the hubs submerged. Didn't have to this weekend. The ramps looked scary, but weren't too bad. But the people out there!!!!??? My lord...there must have been 1500 vehicles at least out there on Sat,

toothfish · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 21, 2011, 01:12 PM »

As I drove on Spirit this past Saturday morning , a late 80's Buick came on right behind me.

Sunday afternoon may have been a different story trying to get off the ice in 4 door Buick . $:-\$

BojiHawk · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 21, 2011, 01:27 PM »

Dude...you went right past us....just south of the grade and to the west? I saw that buick and a minivan and a couple other sedans. Like I told my pops...if I could get on and off the lake in a $1000 sedan...I would prefer that that risking my $28k truck! They prob think I'm an idiot.

my brother and I were fishing Big Creek about 3 years ago and there were some teenagers flying...and I mean pedal to the floor and don't let off flying. White mid-to-late-80's Buick Celebrity...black smoke pouring out of the manifold and leaving a vapor trail behind them mixed with light snow. Not to encourage this behavior...but I was laughing so hard I got a gut ache. They stayed out in the middle away from the anglers....but they had to be doing over 100. Pretty funny but I don't recommend it.

Clunk · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 21, 2011, 01:50 PM »

So how did you end up doing!? Been wanting to go up but not sure of the ice conditions and the bite! Our ice is gone down here !!

BojiHawk · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 21, 2011, 02:06 PM »

I only fished about 2 hours in the late AM. PLunked down next to a group that had a pile on the ice. Flashed fish almost the whole time. Dropped a camera...the perch would actually suck in the minnow / minnow head / grubs / etc and then spit them out almost immediately. You could get them if you were quick and lucky. No since waiting for them since they never came back for seconds. Overall, we could have picked up about 20-25 i'm sure, but we spend a good portion of a hot bite (so my dad told us) while we chipped a permie out of the ice north of Reeds Run a bit.

dwmiller · « **Reply #23 on:** Feb 21, 2011, 02:45 PM »

Had my first run at BS and my first time driving on ice. Had a blast, Caught a good couple messes of fish but the bite was very light. Plane red hook with a mid size to small minnow was are best tactic. Caught a few fish on a Pilki but that bite was very tough. Talked with several groups and most said the fish were not real aggressive. Planned on fishing Sunday but the weather scared us home. If things stay cold might try and make it up first weekend in March.
We stayed out on the ice tell 7:30 Sat night and when we went to leave their wasn't a sole on the lake that we could see. Does the bite generally slow at night? Does anyone fish after dark?

brittlab · « **Reply #24 on:** Feb 21, 2011, 04:33 PM »

Quote from: toothfish on Feb 21, 2011, 01:12 PM

As I drove on Spirit this past Saturday morning , a late 80's Buick came on right behind me.
Sunday afternoon may have been a different story trying to get off the ice in 4 door Buick . $:-\$

how did you guys do? we picked up a few limits on Saturday.

toothfish · « **Reply #25 on:** Feb 21, 2011, 04:49 PM »

Two of us.
13 keepers sat morning bite. Few more during the day. More Sunday morning.
Total =28 keepers - half a dozen thrown back.

brittlab · « **Reply #26 on:** Feb 21, 2011, 05:00 PM »

Quote from: toothfish on Feb 21, 2011, 04:49 PM

Two of us.
13 keepers sat morning bite. Few more during the day. More Sunday morning.
Total =28 keepers - half a dozen thrown back.

good deal. the sunrise bite sat am was crazy good!

esox_magnum · « **Reply #27 on:** Feb 21, 2011, 06:20 PM »

DW reason you didnt see anyone out past sunset is the perch quit biting for the most part at sunset and walleye seasons closed on Spirit now.

dwmiller · « **Reply #28 on:** Feb 22, 2011, 05:41 AM »

That is kind of what we figured. Had a real good bite right at dusk, and then nothing.

toothfish · « **Reply #29 on:** Feb 22, 2011, 07:44 AM »

We had friends stay on the ice Sat. night in their ice castle. Total perch caught between sundown and sunup ? .... 3

I'm sure there are times perch bite at night (Devils Lake) , but not currently on Big Spirit.

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Author Topic: SPIRIT LAKE / IGL ICE CONDITIONS (Read 11156 times)