IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Michigan => Ice Fishing Michigan U.P. => Topic started by: atallgiraffe on Jan 29, 2021, 08:12 PM
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See some ice in the head of K bay and up a ways on Huron on MODIS imagery today. Did most of that happen just last night or the last couple of nights? Anyone fishing yet? Hopefully it sticks around through the warm up this week so it can build with the cold weather coming next weekend. I'm itchin' for the big lake, eh
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Mainly happen over night on kbay yesterday there was open water and chunk ice when I drove by at around noon. Someone did say there was a guy out there today but I didn't drive that way today so Idk.
I'm hoping it sticks around for a little bit I would love to hit the big water.
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The ice in Huron has been there for a while. I went to skanee a few weeks ago and there was ice all the way up to mouth of the Ravine where it transitioned to open water.
I’ve been addicted looking at the satellite imagery to try and see how Kbay is doing. I’m praying to get a decent season this year.
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Thanks for the info! I'll be hoping that that ice sticks around, too.
I live far enough away that it's not worth it for me to drive up there and have a look myself, so I've been watching the imagery, too. With the blanket of clouds we're always under it's hard to get a good peek! So I appreciate the info from you guys with actual eyes on it.
I did notice the ice at the base of Huron a while ago, but looks like it just recently moved up. I've only ever fished that off of the Skanee public launch, which probably isn't ready yet?
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It may be, I’ve talked to a fair amount of people on kbay and there were mixed ice reports from 1.5-4” depends on where you’re at. Be careful out there guys and get some fish!
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Thanks, dilly. I'll probably head up next Monday or something like that, should be a couple more cold nights by then so assuming it doesn't break up then hopefully I'll be able to fish!
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Maybe not, looks gone on today's imagery, no?
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It could be clear, dark ice as well. Who knows
I’ll check it out later this week after class/work
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Maybe not, looks gone on today's imagery, no?
I'll let ya know tomorrow i work in baraga and will be driving right by it.
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Awesome, thanks guys
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Ice is still there around the head of the bay and up towards the campground. A couple guys wee casting off of squaw Beach on my lunch break. I didn't go down lanse side but did see atleast one shack on the lanse side.
Baraga side there was a couple guys out by the smelt grounds this morning when I went to work. And 4 or 5 off of the red rocks plus a couple off of Irenes. On my way home there was a guy just to the north of the baraga marina and 3 shacks off of the water treatment plant in baraga and one at the head of the bay off of the red rocks.
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Sweet! just needs to hang on at the edges for a few more days then it'll be nice and cold!
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I heard someone was in the whitefish hole and felt the ice move up and down under him. Stay close in
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Thinking of trying at the head of the bay tomorrow. How’s the ice conditions and the fishing?
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Let me know what you find! Sounds like a good amount of snow might get dumped on the ice tomorrow and Friday. Still plan to head up Saturday.
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was on huron bay last weekend saturday. maybe 12 shacks out there total. 4 inches of ice. we got a 30 inch walleye one burbot and several very nice lake trouts. there was 5 shacks on k bay right off the falls river on our ride home.
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Awesome, glad you got on the ice and had some luck! Did you access at Skanee or somewhere else?
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I’ve never fished Huron bay, but I’ve been really impressed with the mixed bag of fish you can get over there. I’ll probably hit it up soon but the cold weather doesn’t motivate me to get out 😂
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I'll still get out, but I'm not thrilled to pull my shanty and a full propane tank (plus everything else) through all the snow we just got just to stay comfortable!
Guess I can'tbcomplain too much, just happy to have the opportunity to get on Superior.
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Anyome get on the ice today? Still thin enough to spud or do I need to lug my honkin' auger?
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I drove past and there’s a lot less ice than before the wind. There’s no ice in front of the Falls, but there was one guy pulling a sled in near the red rocks. The Baraga half of the bay had ice. I might try Huron this weekend instead, but I don’t know how the ice is there.
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Thanks for the update. Wondered what the wind might do to the ice. Figuring / hoping that ice at the head of the bay will stick around. I'll try off willow tree tomorrow, and avoid Baraga side with a west wind if there's open water for the ice to blow into, ha.
I'll be curious what you find up at Huron. Hoping to hit that up next weekend. Ice looked pretty well locked in up past Skanee on the latest imagery before the storm, but ya never know!
I'll report back tomorrow night with what I find.
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Was in about 35 feet of water off the willow tree. 6'' or so of ice. Lots of wind-packed snow and some slush which made the sled pull pretty rough. Didn't stay long, got real paranoid about the ice blowing away.
I'll give it a try again on Monday when there's not a gale warning, ha
Can see on imagery from today but most of the east side of the bay is open water. Might stay that way if the wind doesn't calm down!
When I drove in there was a group of shacks out from Irene's, a couple off red rocks and one other off willow tree, one guy off the marina without a shack. Pretty much everyone was off the ice by the time I left.
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What kind of depths would you fish for Lakers in Huron bay? I’ve had good luck in 120-150 ft. But looks like that won’t be doable as I’m headed up in about a week. Thanks!
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Hey Guys,
Been coming down that last few years to fish Burbot. Looking at coming down saturday night. How are the ice conditions over on the baraga side right now? Safe fishable ice south of the marina??
Thanks for any insight....
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Hey Guys,
Been coming down that last few years to fish Burbot. Looking at coming down saturday night. How are the ice conditions over on the baraga side right now? Safe fishable ice south of the marina??
Thanks for any insight....
Today there was 5 or 6 shacks off of baraga marina. I counted 15 trucks parked between the red rocks and the willow tree.
I don't know ice thickness as I haven't been out yet I am thinking of giving it a try tomorrow.
I do have a few questions about burbot tho. What depth are you planning on setting up in for them. I figured your just bouncing bottom with jigs and cut meat right?
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Hey trapper. Thanks for the response. We are heading down tonight to give it a try. Typically we target around 30 feet. Yep cut bait on glow spoons pounding bottom!
Will give report tomorrow on ice and results!
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I'll be up this afternoon, gonna head off Willow Tree I think, and I'll probably give the ol' burbot a try for an hour after dark, too!
Good luck out there
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I’ve seen people get burbot at the willow tree, but I’ve done best for them in 35-40 ft off the baraga dock
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6-8” at the head of the bay. Lost a brown by the hole and one smelt so far
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Lots of solid ice off baraga marina. Tried for burbot last night. Pretty slow bite only managed a few. Will be down again in another week or so.
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Had one splake (too small for keeps) off Willow Tree yesterday, otherwise slow for me. Didn't end up staying after dark. Gonna try off marina tomorrow I think.
I poked the ice over on L'anse side yesterday on my way back just to see and the 3rd sheet off of shore was just an inch or so. Not sure if that ice has hung around or not? There was a gap between the old ice and the new ice as I saw from coming down the hill into Baraga, suggesting it was trying to leave or break up.
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Out off the marina today. Bay frozen all the way across now. Someone off sand point, a few at the marina, otherwise relatively quiet.
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5 shacks between sand point and squaw beach. Not real sure how thick the ice is out this way tho.
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I talked to the guy who does the fish surveys when we leave the ice and he said he checked it on Saturday and there’s 1.5 inches of ice.
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I talked to the guy who does the fish surveys when we leave the ice and he said he checked it on Saturday and there’s 1.5 inches of ice.
A quy was heading out while I was there. He walked out and cut a hole then came back on shore I was able to ask him how much and he said maybe 3 inches.. hoping it sticks around and builds more I want to try for Lakers.
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Anyone catch lakers out here? I haven't ever fished here before and since I am by myself I am a little nervous going out on bigger water. Any tips?
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I’d wait til the ice gets better but I get them around 120 feet
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Awesome thank you dillyb123! I appreciate it, I will wait and maybe check it out a bit later on.
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TIPS: Don't be the first one out. Always check ice conditions and weather because the ice is not landlocked and can breakup and drift. Don't fish near the open water edge.
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Yes listen to Plankton here. Strong south winds can change ice conditions in a heartbeat. Last year I was in front of the falls on a windy day it was coming out of the north. And the ice was moving underneath me from the waves.
Especially in the early winter, go where you know people are at. I think this was the first day people are in lake trout waters
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Has anybody been to the smelt grounds off Baraga in the last two nights and is the ice think enough for machines? When I was down there three nights ago, I didn't see any ATVs or snowmobiles...am just wondering if it might pay to take the machine down tonight for smelt and burbs.
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I heard 6-8” off the BP. A couple machines were running at the red rocks last weekend. I’ll check it out tomorrow after work
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I heard 6-8” off the BP. A couple machines were running at the red rocks last weekend. I’ll check it out tomorrow after work
Great. Thanks for the 411.
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When I was out last weekend there was an ATV with tracks off the head of the bay, then somebody off the Baraga marina on an ATV. There was around 8" of ice average, more in some places and a little less in others (just from the holes I drilled for the shanty and tipups). In both cases that was on the sheet of ice that's been around for a while, I'm not sure how thick it is in the parts that are more newly frozen.
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I assume L'anse side is fishable?
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I assume L'anse side is fishable?
Yes it is there was a few shacks off of the falls river today when I stopped at Indian country..
I was told there that there is around 5 or 6 inches of ice off of the gig also and people have been doing decent on Lakers.
I will make my mind up in the am of I am gonna go off of the gig or squaw Beach.
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Thanks for the info.
Headed up tomorrow but haven't decided myself what I want to do. I've never fished for lakers. sounds like that could be fun but I'm not sure I have enough line on any of my reels right now. Maybe I'll get rigged up for that next week then give it a try next weekend.
You just use a spoon with a minnow on it near the bottom?
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Thanks for the info.
Headed up tomorrow but haven't decided myself what I want to do. I've never fished for lakers. sounds like that could be fun but I'm not sure I have enough line on any of my reels right now. Maybe I'll get rigged up for that next week then give it a try next weekend.
You just use a spoon with a minnow on it near the bottom?
I use Bucktail jigs mostly between 1 oz and 2 oz depending on the current. White seams to be the go to color tip it with a chunk of sucker meat or smelt and pound the bottom with it.
Alot of people use bobbing sticks but I prefer a pole. Just make sure you have a braided line that way you can feel em bite down deep mono has to much stretch.
This will be the first year of using electronics on the ice should be fun watching them swim up and smack the jig
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I like sucker more since it stays on a little better than smelt. I got a couple redhorse fillets still in the freezer. But yeah I use the geboos (I think that’s how you spell it) and it’s a challenge, def use heavy braid on a rod
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Thanks, guys! Decided I'll give it a go today off Squaw Beach. Gonna head out in the afternoon and stay a bit after dark for some burbots, too.
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2 burbot both around 20” so far. Can sure hear the ice being made underneath my feet. That noise used to scare me so much but I’m used to it now 😂
Off the BP in Baraga
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2 burbot both around 20” so far. Can sure hear the ice being made underneath my feet. That noise used to scare me so much but I’m used to it now 😂
Off the BP in Baraga
What kind of depth are you fishing them burbot in?
Ever fish them off of squaw Beach area?
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What kind of depth are you fishing them burbot in?
Ever fish them off of squaw Beach area?
Never tried off of there. I’ve always fished off the BP since I was a little kid
And I am in 38 feet.
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Saturday was slow. Fished 120-230 feet and had some fish look at spoons, but no bites. Caught a few whitefish and a laker Sunday in 70-80 feet.
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Were you out from the lighthouse? I was skunked on Sunday but someone gave me a burbot so I didn't come home empty handed. Love this weather!
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Yeah, trying to stay away from the crowds as best I could. The weather was too nice for anyone to stay off the ice!
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Sure is a windy one today almost lost my pop up tent when setting it up
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I tried 130 - 200 ft off Squaw on Saturday and likewise had a few lookers but no takers
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Found ice fishing stuff in Lighthouse parking lot today. Gave it to the DNR creel survey fellow. He has it in his truck. Said he would ask around too. You will get it back sooner or later. 👍Maybe the fishing was so bad it was intentionally left. I didn’t get a bite today either.
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Found ice fishing stuff in Lighthouse parking lot today. Gave it to the DNR creel survey fellow. He has it in his truck. Said he would ask around too. You will get it back sooner or later. 👍Maybe the fishing was so bad it was intentionally left. I didn’t get a bite today either.
I went off of the beach today after work. Started in 90 ish fow and worked my way back to shore. Marked some but no bites.
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How’s the ice looking off of the falls after this warmer weather?
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We went out from the Whirl-I-Gig lot Saturday. I met people who were coming in as I was heading out on the lake, About 1:00. They had caught their limits by 10:30 AM and then were fishing for fun. They said the action had dropped off after late morning. It was slow, I caught 3 and a buddy of mine caught 2. We were out 2/3 of a mile from the lot in 265' of water. The ice was about 8" thick out there and there were lots of machines all over. There was a bunch of tents way out on Big Reef too.
For the guy who asked how to spell the name of the jigging stick... Kappu if I am not mistaken. It is a Finnish word. The K is pronounced like a G.
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L’anse side was slow today. Marked one fish that didn’t hit
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26” pike at the head of the bay, that’s it so far.
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Hows the ice off the Whirl-I-Gig?
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Hows the ice off the Whirl-I-Gig?
I would say it's still good. There was a bunch of trucks parked at squaw Beach today and a few sleds running around out there.
I did see a friend at Indian country that was off the gig today but forgot to ask him how much ice.
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Thanks Trapper, for the update
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Uncle Sam, Have you been fishing out from Whirl-I-Gig for a number of years? I remember talking to someone from Niagara a few years back out there.
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Uncle Sam, Have you been fishing out from Whirl-I-Gig for a number of years? I remember talking to someone from Niagara a few years back out there.
Yes I have off and on over the yrs when the ice permits. I haven't been out for a couple of yrs now or longer. Hoping to make the journey this weekend. I do more warm weather fishing now
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How is the ice looking on Keweenaw. Thinking about making the trip up tomorrow for some Lakers.
Thanks all!
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I heard from a few people the ice got really bad far out today. Like the ice they were on this morning was gone by the PM
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The first MODIS image from today makes me think I’ll be fishing closer to the head of the bay if I can get out this weekend. This wind and warm air has to be eating that ice fast.
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Lots of ice on the baraga side too by the marina, a foot of well protected ice
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That was as of last weekend in the smelt shack area
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Also has anyone been catching any smelt yet?
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We were out from Whirl-I-Gig yesterday. The fishing was slow. The ice was still good and there were still some tents way north of us. It looked like they may have been out from Pequaming. I don't know what today's wind did out there though.
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Off of L'anse today, looks like ice still goes up to Pequaming but it's hard to tell just looking north from here.
Pretty quiet, looks like a few shacks off of sand point, maybe a few off the marina.
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Did the snow make much slush?
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slick ice underneath except near shore where there was some slush, but it sure was a chore to pull the sled!
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That should do it for the northern part of Keweenaw Bay. The ice out from Assinins was badly fractured and didn't look safe at all. We fished from the Whirl-I-Gig lot both Sat. and Sun. I'd say we had about 6" of good ice this weekend. With warm weather for the next few days and even rain in the forecast for Wed. I don't think that there will be any fishing out there any more this season. I have to thank somebody who helped me greatly today. When I got out there there was just a light breeze. I was out of the tent because of a flag on a tip up and the wind came up hard out of the south. My Eskimo tent took off rolling north. The only thing that stopped it from going all the way to the open water was somebody about 1/3 of a mile north of me who got out in front of it with his 4 wheeler and caught it. I thanked him then and if he is someone who posts on here I wish to thank him again! Gotta remember to anchor the tents down even if there isn't a wind when you set them up.
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Took a ride through today, no time to fish but the ice only goes out to assinnins. Most people I saw were fishing off of the baraga side and a couple people at the head of the bay
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Trapper906, want to thank you for being so honest and turning in that bucket of fishing gear, have no idea how I left it there after loading up all my other gear so one again thank you, and the fishing was bad 1 bite and missed him, Thanks Again
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How's the ice on the L'anse side? Still going to be okay tomorrow at 55 degrees and decent west winds? Looks like things have changed a lot in the past week.
Would like to get up one more time but unsure about the ice
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Heard a couple people were fishing in baraga today from a buddy, didn’t hear about much else. Hoping we don’t get too warm and windy now so that the ice stays in. It was sure a short season this year. Late January to mid March. There’s been shorter and longer seasons though.
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How did the ice hold up after Saturdays warm temperatures? Thinking about fishing the Baraga marina Monday evening for smelt.
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I did end up driving up yesterday. The L'anse side was broke up pretty bad at the shoreline and overall was a bit sketchy. A couple of guys were out there right off the mouth of the river but I wasn't feeling it. Looked like the head of the bay and Baraga side were OK - a few shacks off of the head of the bay and a group off of the marina - they still had an ATV out there.
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Thank you! Sounds like I'll go out of the marina.