Author Topic: Ice is coming!! (Read 3750 times)

saskoutdoorsman · « **on:** Nov 10, 2013, 07:09 AM »

Well yesterday Blackstrap was about 85% locked up by the evening, and woke up this morning and -19, -26 with wind chill! It wont be long now boys. Ice on the strap was 2 inches near shore.

ToonFisher · « **Reply #1 on:** Nov 10, 2013, 08:48 AM »

Thank you. I will check and pack all my gears today.

DBK81 · « **Reply #2 on:** Nov 10, 2013, 11:13 AM »

Does anyone know if the big Lake at Tobin was locked up before all this snow came? I hope not and all that snow fell on open water, don't want a year like last year with all that slush and water on the ice.

Dust Devil · « **Reply #3 on:** Nov 11, 2013, 12:52 AM »

I was eye ballin the ditch near macoun on the way to the rider game today. nice crust forming already :-)

bite-me7 · « **Reply #4 on:** Nov 11, 2013, 08:54 AM »

How are the Chain Lakes? Any of them locked up yet?

treeplucker · « **Reply #5 on:** Nov 11, 2013, 09:48 AM »

katepwa wide open to many geese

gobigorgohomenow101 · « **Reply #6 on:** Nov 11, 2013, 11:21 AM »

What about Pasqua or Echo? I don't expect enough ice to fish until the first couple weekends of December.

Malayney11 · « **Reply #7 on:** Nov 11, 2013, 01:48 PM »

Was out doing some hunting this morning and there was a guy out fishing just south of the causeway at blackstrap. He is a little braver than I am, dont think I would be out there yet, there was still open water on either side of the causeway near bridge, but the rest of the lake appears to be locked up.

tbor · « **Reply #8 on:** Nov 11, 2013, 07:55 PM »

I was thinking of trying the strap this weekend. Will let you know what I find.

fishingfever32 · « **Reply #9 on:** Nov 11, 2013, 09:25 PM »

Ya I was thinking of going out sometime soon aswell... let us know the thickness of the ice an how far out from shore. Would help a lot. Thanks

ToonFisher · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 11, 2013, 10:11 PM »

I walked on for over 100 yards near Blackstrap entrance. There were 4 inches of ice every holes I drilled in that area. Some other areas were still open. Ice looked and felt a bit thinner at shore near Shields. I only ventured 10 yards out there. It would need to grow thicker for tent and heater.

damburgler · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 11, 2013, 10:30 PM »

Hey this is my first post here on ice shanty. Started the season with a very slow day on Bradwell reservoir, with zero fish caught but 4 inches of ice everywhere we drilled. Got to try out my new Vexilar, too bad it only marked one fish! Was good to be on the ice...

t-tot · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 13, 2013, 05:29 PM »

Which vex did you buy I have the new fox-28

fishingfever32 · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 13, 2013, 05:58 PM »

How about the north end of blackstrap? Thickness?

ggpr · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 13, 2013, 08:12 PM »

I was out at a buddies cabin at the south end of last mountain lake this weekend after the rider game. South end looked completely iced up across the whole lake. We wandered out on it about 30 ft out and it was pretty solid. Throwing some rocks on it right next to shore and chipping into it a few inches did not penetrate the ice. I would estimate about 4 inches near shore at least.

bite-me7 · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 13, 2013, 09:17 PM »

That likely changed with the last couple days of warm weather!

Never ever thought I'd say I don't want warm weather! Lol

fishingfever32 · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 14, 2013, 01:41 PM »

Quote from: perch741 on Nov 13, 2013, 09:39 PM

Was at the north end of Blackstrap today... you will have to swim from shore to hit ice! There's about 5-10 feet of open water off the rocks and then ice.
[/quote

Ugh. Really wanted to head out to the strap this weekend. Guess not anymore

tbor · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 15, 2013, 05:13 PM »

Quote from: perch741 on Nov 13, 2013, 09:39 PM

Was at the north end of Blackstrap today... you will have to swim from shore to hit ice! There's about 5-10 feet of open water off the rocks and then ice.

I was just logging on to say my plans have changed. Not going out this weekend, nor probably next at this rate.

damburgler · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 17, 2013, 09:29 AM »

Quote from: t-tot on Nov 13, 2013, 05:29 PM

Which vex did you buy I have the new fox-28

Picked up the fl-20. Got a smokin deal on it. I like the tricone ducer. It helps when you are fishing that under 20fow.

ToonFisher · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 17, 2013, 08:01 PM »

Bradwell is covered with snow and >6" of ice.

fishingfever32 · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 18, 2013, 03:02 PM »

Nice perch

golf560 · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 18, 2013, 03:55 PM »

Great first ice catches!

Water Wolf · « **Reply #22 on:** Nov 18, 2013, 04:01 PM »

Way to go toonfisher, nice catch.

Those are some chunky perch.

Good to hear the ice is getting thicker too, at least at Bradwell.

WW

engineman · « **Reply #23 on:** Nov 18, 2013, 05:00 PM »

Way to Go Toon!!! A great start to the year.

fishingfever32 · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 19, 2013, 08:59 PM »

Quote from: fishingfever32 on Nov 18, 2013, 03:02 PM

Nice perch

since you say there's 6inches of ice, I was thinking of heading down that way this weekend... however i have never caught anything there before in the winter. i usually fished the east end of the lake where the pump house is. always skunked. is there better luck on the west end?

timbertomjr · « **Reply #25 on:** Nov 19, 2013, 09:20 PM »

I had good luck at bradwell for nice size perch the last few winters. You gotta try different hooks cause it seems they switch it up every year lol.

fishingfever32 · « **Reply #26 on:** Nov 19, 2013, 09:39 PM »

I had my shack at the pump for hole winter n didn't even see one fish on cam. Lol shack was too big to move around but thought I was in a good spot for that's where I caught a lot of fish in summer

Big Burk · « **Reply #27 on:** Nov 19, 2013, 10:21 PM »

The only time I've had good luck at Bradwell was when I stayed very mobile and moved a lot. I don't fish there a whole lot, mainly only in the winter but have had some of my worst days when I didn't feel like moving the portable shack and my best days when I moved around a lot. Fun body of water to fish but can be frustrating as hell some days

ToonFisher · « **Reply #28 on:** Nov 19, 2013, 11:55 PM »

The holes I could mark fish on the flasher were 50-100 yards out from shore and had 12'-15' of water. I tried 5'-10' water but never had the patience to wait for fish to show up. I went on ice further along the dam from the pump house. There was no open water at the pump house. But I was afraid that could be the thinnest spot. Last year, most shacks were on the center or the other end of the lake. The perches were big, at least 9". But I never had a blast like in Blackstrap. I have yet to catch another kind of fish from Bradwell.

ggpr · « **Reply #29 on:** Nov 23, 2013, 09:33 PM »

Me and a few buddies tried bradwell today at the west end. We were in 13 ft of water, similar to you toonfisher. We saw a decent number of fish on my buddies camera but they were all very lazy and not hungry. We had a few perch take light nibbles, saw a few pike make a quick swim past strike and miss but never managed to get one to bite good enough. Only saw pike and perch, no walleye showed up. If even half the fish that came by and checked us out bit the hooks it would have been a pretty good day. They would stare at the bait and slowly float around it and then take off. It was fun to watch the fish hang out down there but its too bad they werent biting!

Ice was about 6-8 inches thick everywhere. It was making a lot of cracking sounds and you could hear soundwaves from under the water in the hole. Does anyone know if that is something to be concerned about if the ice is still 6-8 inches or greater?

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Author Topic: Ice is coming!! (Read 3750 times)