limeyangler

Excellent stuff Iceslayer, i'm with ya on deciding to stay on 4" I know that guys fish on like 1 1/2".....i would not enjoy the fishing...i'd be $#%^%$# myself! Some idiot went through the ice on a snowmachine here last winter.....i really never want to experience that. My wife called me today at work(i'm still at work...working hard...lol) to tell me the ice has gone all slushy out the front of opur place . Its gone to 0 degrees here today...really sucks....but it should be working its way down to minus 25-30 at night by next weekend Thanks for the report. Stay safe i'm envious....i still have to catch my first fish through the ice this 08-09 season!

I was surprised it was that thick too...pleasantly relieved actually....lol. I was just using 1/8 jigs with live minnow, one chartreuse/white on one rod and an orange/yellow on the other. There really isn't much structure in our bay....there is a weed line a bit further out...but i was not taking risks. Its basically a gradual slope all around to the centre of the bay which is at max 20' deep. The rock point off our shoreline has a deep hole behind it and a boulder pile that extends some 20' out in a straight line to where i took that picture from. It is pretty awesome fishing in the spring before ice out as i'm pretty sure the walleye spawn here....lots of big pike in my bay too....just no luck yesterday. I know...it was too much to take. LOL...yeah...good way of thinking about it. And Leechman.......i cant wait to see reports from the three amigos....you guys certainly get some good fish judging from your posts and WSbait and 24/7 intros say it all...look forward to stealing all your knowledge over the season

Great report Ben...... I was working in sioux lookout at the opener this year....the fishing on lac seul is just stoooopid. I fished pelican falls in sioux lookout alot early season....its not really fair to fish.....lol...so many big walleye. Loved all the pics...the turkey shots are great. I thought the grouse thumping was a generator kicking up until i saw a tv show ....lol.....its soooo loud! Thanks for sharing. Your probably busy guiding when your up here...but if ya get time....gissa shout ...i'm in Dryden.

for me its gotta be a small jig and minnow.

wow...lottsa fish there boys...congrats did look chilly out there Thanks for sharing.

Hi All, AT LAST!.....finally got out in front of the house today, and skunked Who cares...was just absolutely awesome to get on the ice....a whole 8 days earlier than last year. Could see all the curtains of our bays resident's twitchng(not really....but i bet there were a few watching)....WHAT THE @#$#@#$$% IS THAT CRAZY ENGLISHMAN UPTO NOW....the sound of my Auger really echoed around the bay ;D. I was gonna play it safe and go with my buddy today, but he called at 1pm and said he couldn't make it....what the hell....there must be at least 5" now i thought...and i put on he ice picks and PDF and off i went....and yup....5"-6" of solid...i mean really solid black ice. Even though i was confident the ice was thick enough...hell i even saw a big old buck crossing from the island to the mainland way out in the bay, i did not venture the extra 40yrds out to the edge of the weeds and deeper water, that part of our bay was 2 days behind freezing.......not taking any unecessary risks. FINALLY GOT OUT>>>>YAY!!! LOTS OF MISSED BITES....I"M OUTTA PRACTICE <embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i263.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid263.photobucket.com/albums/ii158/vishuscirquel/MVI_2316.flv"> BIG DEAR OUT THERE....ICE MUST BE PRETTY GOOD ! <embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i263.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid263.photobucket.com/albums/ii158/vishuscirquel/MVI_2313.flv"> Almost got one out of the whole just before dark...but the litle devil got off around 2' before the ice... darn it! Great to be out........ I WILL HAVE FISH PORN NEXT TIME!!!!

Thanks Jacques. Its ok....bass season in area 5 is open all year...some size limits from November to July...but thats about it. I got some folks upset , thinking i was breaking the regs, responding to posts early in the season.....lol...i think they were even more upset when they realised i COULD fish for them...just kidding folks.

holycrapoly

Great stuff mike. I have enjoyed all your reports so far this season, keep it up! (i especially liked the report with you holding the trout/salmon near that bridge) Thanks fr sharing

Hardcore for sure!!!

Superb pictures...what a day! thanks for that

NOW THATS WHAT I CALL AN INTRO! ABOUT FLIPPIN TIME YOU JOINED......now ya can teach me how to catch a musky...lol All kiddin aside WELCOME

Hey Leechman....great stuff, like someone else said...thanks for taking the time to post that. Just wondering....you got any tips for catching those smallmouths throughthe ice.? There is a small lake next to the highway here that nobody really fishes...and it is full of BIG smallmouth....wanted to try last year but got into the whitefish to much...any advice welcome. TY simon

WELCOME PAUL!......congrats on the PB musky!!! Loving the pics. Thats a nice pike in the ice pi....with all the snow on the ice....i'm guessing last year?...lol....hope we get a little less of the white stuff, at least till we have a good 8" - 10". Cant wait to see some great ice fishin' pics. Simon. (ps....that bass is really dark...there is a lake near me where they're dark , but that is BLACK!)

BEST OF LUCK JACQUES go get 'em

ADDED UPDATES....hope i aint borin anyone...cuz watching ice form could be like watching paint dry to some i guess.

My wife has read that and i'm not allowed to go fishing with buddies anymore.

WOOOOHOOOOOO! Excellent work Slayer....1st ice report....i'm overjoyed and jealous as hell....mmmmmmmmmmm....watching fish on screen through the ice.....absolutely fantastic! i have lterally walked up from the ice ....inched my way out....i'm gonna take the auger down in a minute....see how much ice there is....lol...if ya dont here from me again...no i wont say it. Top bit of improvisation there...off the dock...through the ice...stunning effort...and some fish to boot...did i say i was jealous?...lol...i think i did. I'm gonna tie a rope round the tree....then round me.....ice picks at the ready...pdf firmly attached to me too...spud bar...well actually...not a spud bar but a random metal bar i had lying around...off i go. Great report thanks for sharing.

Welcome aboard

welcome to the board

Fantastic....cant wait for part deux Highdriter....i love the avatar...great!

great report and creative photgraphy...hmmmmmm anyway, great shots.....thanks for sharing.

Its on the road to Fort Frances ...the 502...yup right next to the road...Pritchard is less than 1 m before it on the same road....thats great info about the walleye, there is a little house by the lake there, never had the nerve to go ask the occupants if there are fish in it. Thanks again for the info..guess i'll find out soon enough.

Thanks Leechman, i will be careful. Its only 3 feet deep where i was standing.....i wont be trying any deeper waters untill at leas next Tuesday...although i might try a small pond around the corner thats been frozen over since the 10th on Friday/Saturday...all depends on whether i can get someone out there with me...you know...hold onto the rope tied to me from shore....lol.

thought i'd update the ice conditions here.