Need a guide- taking my son and we have never ice fished

[mtmcall]

All,
Wanting to take my 11 year old son ice fishing this Christmas break. We live in NW Missouri and he has a couple weeks like the rest of the kids. Any recommendations as to when, where and who?

[email protected]

Thank you and Merry Christmas

[spoofhoundicefisher]

i too am in nw missouri and if you make a total of 3 posts i will shoot you a pm with a couple of ideas.  where abouts in the show me state are you from.

[potatoe]

I would drive to Clear Lake, give Kevin Paul a call at Clear Lake Bait and tackle. Looking at the forecast the temps are supposed to drop next week. He will take you out for $200 and has all the gear.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

All,
Wanting to take my 11 year old son ice fishing this Christmas break. We live in NW Missouri and he has a couple weeks like the rest of the kids. Any recommendations as to when, where and who?

[email protected]

Thank you and Merry Christmas

How far are you willing to go?

[Ice Scratcher]

How far are you willing to go?

Literally or figuratively, rhetorical.....lol

(Already too close to hell (MI.))

<°)))>{
 

[mtmcall]

Twin Cities I guess, that’s 5 hours from home.

Mike

[Unclegillhunter]

Should be able to find some ice within that distance. Can't help with a guide. Hope you can get out!
Keep it safe! JDL

[mtmcall]

Thank you for the great advice. I just told Aaron and he is excited to hear this. I will call him and get the forecast for the next few weeks. Their Christmas break starts next and he is pumped.

Mike

[bert29]

Mike:
I live in Southwest Iowa (Glenwood) and typically we get good ice in December (we'll see this year, though!) but I am a teacher and I also have Xmas break off, and I am planning on hitting a bunch of area locations once we get safe ice! You are welcome to come up and I'll get you and your son on ice--and hopefully into some decent fish.

I will email you from the email link you put up on first post!

[Agronomist_at_IA]

All,
Wanting to take my 11 year old son ice fishing this Christmas break. We live in NW Missouri and he has a couple weeks like the rest of the kids. Any recommendations as to when, where and who?

[email protected]

Thank you and Merry Christmas

Clear lake Iowa fishing for yellow bass which is an evasive species is not where I'd take my kid to make memories. Do you really want the kid to get older only to find out that his fond childhood memories are catching trash fish?

If you want to make memories and good ones for your 11yr old, I would strongly suggest NE SD. The main Lakes are waubay, bitter, Roy, Thompson, reetz, and may others.

In this area you can get a guide, stay overnight on the ice in a wheel house on the lake, or jump from lake to lake.  You'll be able to drive a truck around on the ice, and the area is known for great fishing. Pike, walleye, and perch are main ones. With your 11 yr old it would be very likely you'd catch a trophy sized perch he could get mounted. The perch are so fat and grow so fast they are like catching footballs. 12-14in perch are very very comon. At the Iowa Great Lakes they brag about the very few people catching a 12in perch. In NE SD you catch them by the buckets.

Call sportsmans cove in Webster SD for information. Doug will send you in the right direction.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Here are some pics of fishing in the NE SD area. The pop cans are 20oz Fish are very nice size.

[samface83]

NE south Dakota is a bit more than 5 hrs drive I would think.  only 2 areas in iowa have ice fishing guides that I know of, Okoboji/spirit lake area and clear lake area.  Kevan Paul is very reputable and could give you a great referral to a guide in the Okoboji/Spirit lake area or the NE SD area.  He also fishes more than just "trash fish" like yellow bass...he fishes several other lakes in the area.  Not only will you catch fish he teaches you a lot about how to be successful on your own!

[scout]

I'm not a guide, and usually fish local farm ponds here in SW Iowa, but if you just want to catch a few fish with your son, I'd gladly take you along! (assuming we have safe ice by then)

[Agronomist_at_IA]

NE south Dakota is a bit more than 5 hrs drive I would think.  only 2 areas in iowa have ice fishing guides that I know of, Okoboji/spirit lake area and clear lake area.  Kevan Paul is very reputable and could give you a great referral to a guide in the Okoboji/Spirit lake area or the NE SD area.  He also fishes more than just "trash fish" like yellow bass...he fishes several other lakes in the area.  Not only will you catch fish he teaches you a lot about how to be successful on your own!

If the twin cities is 5hrs.......I don't think NE SD would be much if any farther for them. If the guy is going to drive a far distance........put him in an area where he has a chance of good fishing with decent fish IMO....not some lake like clear lake where the majority is yellow bass and possibly a few other game fish that might be keeper sized. There is a reason that Iowa only has one maybe two guides.........

[dcmod25]

sure the yellow bass is a invasive species but for an 11 year old to be able to catch hundreds of fish in a day there is not much more excitement and memorable than getting on a school of them and pulling fish out one after the other as fast as you can get it down the hole. plus they are pretty good to eat as well and the yellows in clear lake are nice sized right now and put up a good fight. if it was me i would put the kid on the fish and let him catch them and turn him on to fishing on the ice so it is something he would be willing to do in the future and make a future ice fisherman out of him. i have got on schools of the "trash" yellow bass and pulled over 600 out of 2 holes in less than 5 hours...tell me that isn't fun for anybody!! just my opinion 

[gsppointer]

I would recommend Gary and Scott Gangle of Fishunter guide service. Father and son that have lived in NE South Dakota forever. Have used them three times and twice with children. Both really focus on the kids. Good luck on whatever you pursue

[Huntindave]

Do you really want the kid to get older only to find out that his fond childhood memories are catching trash fish?

Reminds me of a time when my daughter was young.

We were floating a local river in a Jon boat.  As with drifted along, her bait got hung up on an underwater snag and the line started peeling off the spool.  She is all excited and yells "I got a fish I got a fish!"

I tell her to keep the line tight while get the boat moving back upstream with the trolling motor.  She is doing a good job and is excited as all get out.  As we get closer to the spot where her "fish" is,  the bait comes loose from the snag and there is no more tension on the line.

She says with disappointment in  her voice,  "O, it got off."  Yet she was SO excited and still remembers that day.

NO WAY, was I going to burst her bubble and tell her it was just a snag.   So rather than a memory of a snag, she remembers the tug and pull of the one that got away.

I don't see myself telling anyone, much less telling a kid, that what they are targeting are "trash" fish.  My first memories and what hooked me on fishing, were catching carp on doughballs.

[NEWLEE]

Clear lake Iowa fishing for yellow bass which is an evasive species is not where I'd take my kid to make memories. Do you really want the kid to get older only to find out that his fond childhood memories are catching trash fish?

If you want to make memories and good ones for your 11yr old, I would strongly suggest NE SD. The main Lakes are waubay, bitter, Roy, Thompson, reetz, and may others.

In this area you can get a guide, stay overnight on the ice in a wheel house on the lake, or jump from lake to lake.  You'll be able to drive a truck around on the ice, and the area is known for great fishing. Pike, walleye, and perch are main ones. With your 11 yr old it would be very likely you'd catch a trophy sized perch he could get mounted. The perch are so fat and grow so fast they are like catching footballs. 12-14in perch are very very comon. At the Iowa Great Lakes they brag about the very few people catching a 12in perch. In NE SD you catch them by the buckets.

Call sportsmans cove in Webster SD for information. Doug will send you in the right direction.

Have you done any open water fishing in that area? Thinking about a trip up to that area next spring.

[Qceskimo]

Northwest Iowa is also a hidden gem for those big perch.  Nobody talks about it, but do your homework and find some lakes.  You don’t have to follow the crowd and go to the IGL.

[GB 83]

northwest Iowa doesn't have the size or the numbers like in SD. IGLs has good eater tho.

[Royalwapiti]

Go to Clear Lake, an 11 year old doesn't care if he catches a walleye or a perch or yellow bass.   They just need to catch fish.

[ajm11]

No helo with your area but just wanted to say good on ya for getting him out there. Not a lot of young blood entering the sport.

[Dave R]

Go to Clear Lake, an 11 year old doesn't care if he catches a walleye or a perch or yellow bass.   They just need to catch fish.

X2 Jason Mitchell did an outdoors program there. Yellow Bass are good eating.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Northwest Iowa is also a hidden gem for those big perch.  Nobody talks about it, but do your homework and find some lakes.  You don’t have to follow the crowd and go to the IGL.

Lol....nobody talks about it? If a 12in perch is caught the bait shops are posting it like a trophy..........the IGL is no "hidden Gem" It is an over fished fishery that has fish cycles from the fishing pressure it sees.

[spoofhoundicefisher]

as soon as the ice gets safe here we can get him out.  i have a few flashers as well and my boys can help him figure out how to read the flashers in just a few short minutes.  hope the weather holds and we can be out in 2 or 3 days hopefully. 

[Mr.Seaguar]

He hasn't been online since the 16th.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Go to Clear Lake, an 11 year old doesn't care if he catches a walleye or a perch or yellow bass.   They just need to catch fish.

If that is the case he might has well just find a small farm pond down his way stocked with gills.....it doesn't take much to find the gills and pull one fish after the other up.

[spoofhoundicefisher]

If that is the case he might has well just find a small farm pond down his way stocked with gills.....it doesn't take much to find the gills and pull one fish after the other up.

he is south of me so he is really hit or miss down there with the ice conditions.  but you are right the gills are very plentiful down here especially on the conservation ponds.  the bad thing is you have to walk to get to almost all of them but the reward is usually a huge payoff. 

[mtmcall]

He hasn't been online since the 16th.

Been on line often and have numerous responses from others. Have communicated with them via email but thanks for the advice

[Mountain Maggot]

Having lived in the west, I recently settled to eastern Missouri.  While you likely are lined up with one of the guides in another State, you might see if there are local ice fishermen who are looking at the caps that have formed as a result of our recent frigid weather.

If I were closer, I would most certainly take you and your boy out.  Most ice fishermen are friendly sorts with a ton of equipment.  If you haven’t made a decision, try checking with the locals to save you a long drive.

Best of luck regardless.

Mountain Maggot