Any Chain Updates?

What I meant is groups with panoptix will start to spank lakes where fish suspend in basins. I never worry about other predators, but I do not like those Cormorants.

Well,i seen a picture today of the winter access on horseshoe, I think your days if driving out a very numbered if not over

so momma wanted to go to a sunday brunch that meant driving past the chain. the ice is turning dark. the summer access was empty and becker lake looked desserted.

noone was out on horseshoe and the landing looks bad, however on the other side on cedar island there were 4 trucks out on the ice just out where it opens up into the lake. there were a few out from the landing on eden lake and long lake had 1 small car and a few wheelers out. browns lake had some wheelers out.

the chain was busy today. long, cedar island, horseshoe, schneider and browns. but i could swear i seen 2 spots on browns that looked like open water????

Thanks for the update

so i took a drive around the chain today. didnt look like much slush, if any. trucks are parking on the ice along shore, but i did see a truck with a wheelhouse out from the winter acess!!!!! and another truck in that bay!!!!

Tim and Glenn, you guys are keeping this post alive! Anyone fished or taken a drive around the chain lately? Headed out there in the next week or 2, wondering what the conditions are like. Bringing a wheeler, but are there more trucks driving out now? How much snow did you get out that way this week?

i havent been past the chain for the better part of a week or so. based on my yard i’d bet we got close to foot of snow…………..10 inches at least!!!!

i’d be very careful out there with all this snow!!!!!

I may possibly have a update for you after tomorrow. We have plans to get out someplace tomorrow and the Chain was one of the places we are thinking about Heading. After looking at the weather forecast I’m not sure if we will brave it or not. If we do I’ll post a update.

Got a update on the chain for you. We accessed the lake at cozy corners on long lake. Someone had plowed a single lane road a long ways down to almost the other end of long. We were able to get off the road and travel most anywhere in a suburban. My guess was 10-13” of snow cover with sold ice under it. No wet or slush spots that we found. The ice was a little less thick than I thought it would be. My guess is in the 12-14” range. There were big ice castles being pulled around so plenty of safe ice. As far as the fishing went, it was a rather tough bite. Managed a few keeper Crappies and sunfish and a decent amount of smaller fish. Lots of lookers. Really had to work to get them to bite. They would come rushing up,at the bait and hit the brakes and then drop back down. A few fish would just crush it but most just looked at the bait. I think lots of these were rather small crappies as we caught some real little ones. I hope this info. Helps you some

Thanks for the update. Heading out there in the next few days.

i just drove by horseshoe……you’ll either need skates or cleats by the looks of it!!!!!1

glenn57 wrote:

i just drove by horseshoe……you’ll either need skates or cleats by the looks of it!!!!!1

I think that may be the case in a lot of places this next weekend !!!

I looked at some of the webcams around bowstring earlier. Looks much easier lake travel up there

crap….did the sauk river rise in a hurry since tuesday. went to get the boat this morning. Hwy 22 soutg of richmond is close due to water over the road i’d assume. becker lake main body still had ice but looked pretty dark, the bays on the west and east ends where wide open!!!!

ice is off but plenty of whitecaps today. hwy 22 is back open and the water has receded a good amount!!!!!!

Saw guys fishing from lawnchairs on 22 last year around opener.

Lakes seem kinda clear (?)

tim hurley wrote:

Lakes seem kinda clear (?)

Normal this time of year, and even more so since Zebra Mussels made their appearance.

Fishing was great opener weekend, 2nd weekend things slowed down big time, and Memorial weekend was great on Friday and Saturday morning. Then was pretty dead, unless you wanted to fish for Bluegills, Crappie or Bass.

Opening weekend I didn’t catch a fish under 16″, largest was just over 20″. On last Friday night I caught one of the bigger eyes I’ve caught in a few years on the chain, a 23″. Then stuck a 19″er on the same spot, 7.5FOW. So, it’s good to see the bigger fish have moved to their summer homes.

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i decided to take a cruise around the chain.well down hwy 22 anyway! good gawd was it foggy. couldnt see more then 30 yards, if that out onto the lake. kinda expected it though.

there was 1 guy on the river access which i was kinda surprised was still iced over. so was the bridge area??? along the winter access there were about 10 cars parked along there….couldnt see’em though fishing!

Any new reports Glenn? Think Dec. 22 would have been right before the rain.
Thanks

Before I headed north a guybposted on FM they found 4 inches of ice. As he put it.. . First ice …again.
I know horseshoe Don had pulled his house off about the time of all the rain cause it was no longer safe

Thanks!
Should I go next weekend?

tim hurley wrote:

Thanks!
Should I go next weekend?

I’d call channel marine. I’m up north and not sure yet when I’m gonna be home.

got bored at home so me and da dwg took the grand tour around the chain, scheider, rice, browns, long and the chain. maybe seen 10 houses out and 3 people out on the ice with wheelers.

the 22 bridge still had open water, and noone has crossed the river to get to becker.

I fished Horseshoe on Saturday, 01/20.

I saw 12-14″ of ice. There were two houses out, pulled by wheelers, and about 30 popups/flip overs.

Fishing was pretty good and I saw a lot of active fish.

I also saw they cancelled the Catfish Tournament in Feb. That stinks, but I think it was the smart thing to do. I’m sure there’s still a bunch of iffy ice out there.

I did see a few vehicles parked on the ice off 22 at the winter access. And most were parked along the east side of the road, I thought that was No Parking, maybe they took those signs down. I drive by them 100 times a summer, but I guess I never notice them.

I’m planning to get back out this weekend.

i worked the store this morning till 8. took a drive around the chain…..people kinda scattered all over.

the one thing i did notice……..everyone walked out!!!

I was able to sneak out last Saturday for a few hours. I fished Horseshoe. I found 10″ in one spot and 12″ in another. I only saw 4 other guys on the ice, and they were all gone by dusk. I fished one of my fall walleye spots and caught about a 19″ smallie and missed a few other fish. I think they were Rocky Balboas. Because I caught a few of those as well.

Then hit my late afternoon spot and stuck a few cats. One was about 9lbs. This may have been my last time on the ice for this season, as I’m busy the next few weekends. But, I will keep stopping at the cabin from time to time to check the ice conditions.

Wow-great catch Till.

tim hurley wrote:

Wow-great catch Till.

Sorry, I meant to reach out to you. But, it was pretty unplanned. My boy is taking ski lessons and got home early, so I decided to take advantage of that and roll out.