Author Topic: Fishable Ice! (Read 2962 times)

SeisMec · « **on:** Nov 21, 2014, 10:58 AM »

If you didn't see it on the main board yesterday, I hit 3 different lake in Emmons county, Rice Lake, Nieuwsma Dam and Braddock Dam. All 3 had 5 to 6 inches of ice.

No fish were caught because our new dog was being a spaz, every time the auger would start she would start running in circles around me barking then tear off into the cattails and brush around the lake. That would kick up some pheasants so she would have to try to caught them. Then she found a stinky, rotten duck someone had breasted out and left there to roll on, thank heaven that it was frozen solid so she didn't get much stink on her. She's an older chocolate lab that's never been hunting or ice fishing and has next to no training at all. I'll have my hands full to try to teach her some new behaviors.

nodakclam19 · « **Reply #1 on:** Nov 21, 2014, 11:33 AM »

Thanks for the report! I'm heading out to the Valley City area tomorrow to get that early ice perch and walleye action. I'm assuming there is at least 5" there but if anyone has physically checked the lakes in that area let me know.

Bengals1013 · « **Reply #2 on:** Nov 21, 2014, 02:54 PM »

I'm heading to a lake by Napoleon tomorrow, ill give an update ot the ice conditions.

cootcommander · « **Reply #3 on:** Nov 21, 2014, 10:04 PM »

I was out today for a few hours and there was a solid 8". The fishing on the other hand was very slow. Last year we did very well catching 9-12" perch and 12-16" walleyes but today we were unable to even mark a fish in the dozen or so holes we drilled.

NDiceMan72 · « **Reply #4 on:** Nov 22, 2014, 09:43 AM »

Quote from: cootcommander on Nov 21, 2014, 10:04 PM

I was out today for a few hours and there was a solid 8". The fishing on the other hand was very slow. Last year we did very well catching 9-12" perch and 12-16" walleyes but today we were unable to even mark a fish in the dozen or so holes we drilled.

Where at?

cootcommander · « **Reply #5 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 11:58 AM »

Around the Valley City area.

nodakclam19 · « **Reply #6 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 03:54 PM »

Went out to the valley city area saturday to catch some perch. 7" of ice on the lake I was on and watching tens of thousands of duck/geese keeping a hole open, so I duck hunted sunday morning. Fun weekend

dirtymike · « **Reply #7 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 04:13 PM »

Fished Marvin Miller Nov 16th. Good 4-5 inches of ice. Marked a few fish but the wind blew us off the ice before the evening bite started. Had to punch my rifle tag last weekend but I will be out this coming weekend. Thinking probably Audubon.

NDiceMan72 · « **Reply #8 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 11:16 PM »

Made it out to Harmony Lake North of Hazen on Sunday. Wind was blowing 30-50 MPH, but me and my buddy punched a hole and found a good spot at 16ft and got the house set up. Good 8" of ice and we caught a whole mess of Bluegill and Crappie. Was a good day we were out from 9am-530pm. They were biting very light the whole day until 3-530, then they started getting much more aggressive. Heading out to Audubon in the morning will let you all know how we do.

ccarver80 · « **Reply #9 on:** Nov 25, 2014, 10:15 AM »

New to this site but went to black tail north of williston on saturday 7-8" caught a small perch and a small pike

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 25, 2014, 12:47 PM »

Hopefully we can get on some of the bays on the big lake in the next week or so. Welcome to ice shanty CCarver, a good deal kinder than FB...

Where are you located?

ccarver80 · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 25, 2014, 01:17 PM »

Between beach and sidney on hwy16 ... squaw gap if you have ever heard of that lol

jm1986 · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 26, 2014, 05:04 PM »

CCARVER... are you also know as rock chucker?

NDiceMan72 · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 26, 2014, 10:23 PM »

Went to Audubon on the south side. 10" of ice on Tuesday. The bite is from about 3-midnight. Caught lots of walleye and a few perch. Lots of smaller fish, but quite a few nice ones too.

SeisMec · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 29, 2014, 03:42 PM »

Thanks for the updates! Sucks that I'm back at work down here in Brazil!

BowHunter1527 · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 29, 2014, 11:55 PM »

I was told there is over a foot of ice on Lake Darling today.

BUSSWAH · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 01, 2014, 05:06 PM »

I was on Devils Lake on Thanksgiving and Lake Darling the next day. Both lakes had 10 - 12 Inches. I didn't actually measure so that is with the calibrated eye method. But I felt more than safe anywhere I went. I did find out the hard way that my auger blades needed replaced.

schmidty · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 01, 2014, 09:52 PM »

Busswah: You don't say exactly where on Devils Lake you were, but ice conditions can vary greatly on a body of water that large. Last Monday one of the DL guides reported only 2-3 inches on the main lake (more on the bays and surrounding lakes). I'm not at all saying there wasn't 10-12 where you were; I just don't want any newbies to think they can go driving anywhere out there thinking ice on the entire lake is a foot thick.

That being said, it's been darn cold...12"+ everywhere can't be too many days away.

Eyes R Bitin · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 02, 2014, 06:51 AM »

My neighbor was on DL Sunday. He found the ice 4" to 6" thick. I'd still check as I went no matter where I was on the lake. Just want everybody to be safe out there.

BUSSWAH · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 02, 2014, 08:46 AM »

Good point Schmidty. I am not very familiar with Devils Lake. First time on it. I was at the north end of Creel Bay. I only drilled one hole in 16 FOW. There were some younger guys there and they were punching holes all over. They confirmed that they were getting the same thickness everywhere. Although, I was watching the online camera at Lakewood Park and the main Bay had just froze over less than a week before Thanksgiving. We have had some real cold days but a week may not be enough to make 12 inches in that area.

SeisMec · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 02, 2014, 09:27 AM »

Going to try to make it a point to make it up to GL over my Christmas work break, I've lived in ND off and on since 1973 and have never been over there to fish except for once when the wife wanted to stop at the casino and I fished off the bank for an hour 1/2 one summer! $:-\$ It's only a 3 1/2 hour drive so getting up at 4am and driving up with a nap in the shack for a day of ice fishing sounds like a good idea.

BUSSWAH · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 03, 2014, 08:36 AM »

Devils Lake is a 3 1/2 hour drive for me too. I will be there over Christmas break. Going to look into making an appointment with the Perch Patrol guy if they are not booked up.

Markenum · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 05, 2014, 12:30 AM »

Perch Patrol just put out a availabilty calendar on there website this year. Definitely makes it easier to find open dates.
http://www.perchpatrol.com/schedule/index.php?page=availability

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 05, 2014, 03:58 PM »

Saw some lights on the ice between Louis and Clark S.P. and Tobacco and at Tobacco. This was about 2:30 am. The winter version of seeing boats on the lake while I run around making sure nothing goes boom.

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Author Topic: Fishable Ice! (Read 2962 times)