Spirit Lake

[GRIZZ08]

I am headed up there this weekend and was wonding if there was any open spots and if the whole lake is safe to walk on?

[WANT2FISH]

I am too! I have been checking http://www.paulsfishingguide.com/ for ice reports. We got a  place at Kabele's.

[IAEYE]

Hey guys the ice is ok on most of Spirit.  If you walk out at buffalo its ok within a mile from shore if you go out over a mile then be safe there is a few goose holes and Stony to Cottonwood is open from the geese.  Thank for checking out my web site.   I'll try to post ice conditions on my next report.  Good luck fishing.  We caught some nice perch in 20 fow on small jigs and spikes.  There was some nice Walleyes mixed in also.  That was a big bonus.   

[WANT2FISH]

This is our first time ever on Spirit Lake so we will be the blind guys wondering around! lol.

[IAEYE]

This is our first time ever on Spirit Lake so we will be the blind guys wondering around! lol.

Maybe you can bring a guide dog for the blind.  LOL  They can sniff out the big ones.  I wish you good luck.  fish the basin and maybe try crandles
 

[WANT2FISH]

I was wanting to hire a guide but it wasn't in the tight budget we have  . Oh well, at least we will be on heaven and ice! I will have my phone on me so I will be able to look at reports and hope the bait shop where we are staying will lead us in the right direction! Thanks for your help!

[GRIZZ08]

just wonding if anyone knows how the perch bite has been the past few days

[BojiHawk]

See IAEYE's post above.  He know what's up on SL it appears.  The info he gave is what this time of year normally brings....drill, vex, fish.  Repeat.

[ARCTIC_CATfishin]

Want2fish, I will be staying at Kabeles Saturday as well. I'll be up there in the morning in a tan Chevy 2500 with omaha plates. I've been fishing up there many of times, and will give you a little info to get you started. "Usually" this time of year you'll find them in about 19-22ft of water, but this isn't a typical winter and havn't fished there yet this year. I would usually start somewhere in front of marble beach and work may way south to templar park and start drilling alot of holes. You'll see me out there in a blue clam shack and blue ice armor suit, along with other 200 guys looking just like me!

[tysontia]

I too am going to SL for the first time this Sunday. Where is the "basin" and "crandles"?

[doonan]

basin is just the middle of the lake where it levels out... crandles is on the northwest corner

[esox_magnum]

Basin refers to the main lake once you hit 20' thats the basin, Crandles is the beach on the NW corner....

[Buckshots]

Your best bet is to look at a map. I did really good last Sunday off off Marble Beach. I would start there. The basin refers to the 20' flat. You'll see it on a map.

[esox_magnum]

Flasher and spring bobbers are a must even a camera if you have it, they are notorius light biters, many we catch with the camera you don't see the bite on the spring....most days takes alot of holes to get on them don't be afraid to drill drill drill.... I'll normaly set the shack up for the wife then drill another 25-30 holes and bounce around till I find a hot hole then move her if she's not catching much...sometimes 25' make a big difference between catching and skunked....

[Shane123]

they were hitting the perch last sunday off buffalo in 20fow, from noon to 3 the bite was killer, 75 perch taken and were jumbos.  john grosvenor said the bite was killer today at emerson bay on west, so if you wanna try sight fishing, you could always do that as well.  once you do sight fishing, you might not wanna do anything else!  I am heading up saturday and hitting spirit in the morning, and emerson or millers in the afternoon.  then prolly stormy on sunday.  sandman was just texting me around 930, said the east side by the campgrounds in 4fow was on fire for eyes. about 10 in 30 minutes, alot of 10" dinks but got some keepers too.  5 inches of ice reported on east side of stormy.  7-8 inches of ice reported in emerson bay today.  7-8 inches of ice reported on buffalo on sunday.

[WANT2FISH]

Want2fish, I will be staying at Kabeles Saturday as well. I'll be up there in the morning in a tan Chevy 2500 with omaha plates. I've been fishing up there many of times, and will give you a little info to get you started. "Usually" this time of year you'll find them in about 19-22ft of water, but this isn't a typical winter and havn't fished there yet this year. I would usually start somewhere in front of marble beach and work may way south to templar park and start drilling alot of holes. You'll see me out there in a blue clam shack and blue ice armor suit, along with other 200 guys looking just like me!

Thanks Man! We will be in a red Dodge with Page county plates, blue Clam Voyager and Ice armour! We will look like the smurfs on a field trip!

[ic_cold]

when your reporting 7-8 inches is this good ice or so so ice.  I have a 9 year old thats begging to go fishing but im not gonna take em out on ice thats so-so or hit and miss.  looking at sunday to head up if we go..

[Shane123]

when your reporting 7-8 inches is this good ice or so so ice.  I have a 9 year old thats begging to go fishing but im not gonna take em out on ice thats so-so or hit and miss.  looking at sunday to head up if we go..

definately check in before you leave to make sure this wind hasnt killed the ice you planned on being on. 

[jumbo chaser]

Was up there on saturday 7th definatly need a camera perch lite biters . The northerns biting on smith bay on west lake on 5"chubs.Then I went to clear lake and ice was thicker there on farmers bay about 10" of ice .Good luck up there !!!!!!

[esox_magnum]

My catch rates went way up when we quit using a camera, good flasher and a good springbobber will ice you more than a camera, took me awhile to figure this one out but glad I did....downside is harder to play keep away from the small ones....

[toothfish]

Agree. Good spring bobber and a sharp eye .

Tip : Spirit Lake perch dine on bloodworms.

[tysontia]

That's surprising to hear.  I usually out-fish whomever I'm fishing with due to the presence of the camera.  The light bighters don't even twitch a bobber most of them time, and I'm catching those fish.

I have fake weeds on the last 4 foot of the camera.......maybe this helps?

Also, I've had tons of blue gills on screen and tried to spook them by turning on the LED lights, and they don't even move.........in my experience the camera is a huge advantage, especially when combined with my flasher.  With both you can set your bait and camera at the right depth.  Find them and watch them bite........like cheating.

[whlfxr]

Hi Guys,
I'm pretty new to this site but enjoy you expertice.  I wouldn't give up my camera for anything.  I got one of the new Mini's this year and it's the bomb.

We're heading up to the Spirit/Okaboji area on Saturday.  Any chance this wind will tear up the ice?

[GRIZZ08]

i just got a camera this year but have been using them for a couple years and evertime i have been to spirit the shack with cameras (my shack) is always catching more fish and even if you could catch a few more without them i still would rather watch them eat my jig over watching some lines on a flasher.

[Wally Lindner]

I will have to agree with Esox.  No camera is more productive plus you travel and set up easier without one.

[WANT2FISH]

Just got up here on spirit. Staying at kabele's. The ice is goin quick due to the wind. Still some spots to fish but not good........

[GRIZZ08]

is the ice on the west side still ok

[speedy]

I would not go out on the west side. Where there were guys fishing on Buffalo Run and Marble a few days ago, it is now open water. What ice that is left would be iffy do to the current from the wind. I think the only place I personally would go would be Angler's Bay.

[brittlab]

I would not go out on the west side. Where there were guys fishing on Buffalo Run and Marble a few days ago, it is now open water. What ice that is left would be iffy do to the current from the wind. I think the only place I personally would go would be Angler's Bay.

thanks for the update!  looks like west or anglers for us tomorrow

[BojiHawk]

I will have to agree with Esox.  No camera is more productive plus you travel and set up easier without one.

I think a camera is a double edged sword. yes...you miss very few bites.  But...I also tend to stay set up on neutral / negative fish because I'm waiting for the fish to "turn on".  With a vex...I tend to move to more active pods of fish more often.  A lot of times...you might see 20 fish under you and only 2 are will to open up.  The others form a protective barrier around the bait and watch it for hours.  If I have to chose between one...it's the vex...hands down.  If I was in a permie and couldn't move...I would take the camera prob.  For the fun factor...cameras are the winner.  But a vex helps you get more fish on tougher bites and lakes.