Ice Man Cometh!

Matt Waste wrote:

EXACTLY! Its not rocket surgery

Underrated hilarious quote.

CaptainMusky wrote:

When people are driving atvs out I walk. When people drive out I use an atv or snowmobile. Definitely not a first icer.

That’s almost exactly how I operate. If you look at that DNR recommendation chart that Gimruis posted I do about what you do cptmusky. A lot of this might have to do with living in southeast Minnesota, where there are absolutely NOT a lot of frozen water options. So 99% of the time I’m ice fishing by myself on ice that might not have another person around, so I don’t want to push early ice with no one around.

I do have a new float suit for the first time and am hoping I never get the chance to find out if it works.

I would say the majority of deaths are not first ice walkers. I am willing to bet the vast majority involve some kind of vehicle.

i just cam bck from the cabin….first ice i seen going up was lake Emily. looked like big rice lake just south of remer was froze over as was little white oak near deer river.

the cabin lake had ice in the bays but the main lake was open. it did grow some ice since wed but i could still easily punch a hole with my feet right by shore.

on my way home today Roosevelt by outing and the open mine pit just outside crosby had whitecaps!

I’ve always been kind of leery of driving on ice, even if it’s two feet thick. I would rather walk if I can. It’s good exercise anyway in a period of the year we tend to put on the poundage.

Going through isnt a death sentence if prepared. Whenever I take new guys out, I ask they watch the Uncut Angling breakthrough video. Below zero with high winds makes more nervous. I can crawl out a hole but now I need shelter or a vehicle nearby. I remember talking to an ice rescue guy who told me most all the deaths that hes responded too, heavy drinking was usually involved.

Totally agree with Rip-most problems probably happen with a vehicle. On foot you see a problem and check or walk back. If you did go in, exactly right behind you is safe ice to pull up onto, spin roll beck to safe stuff. In a vehicle the momentum would pull you past the safe ice the size and weight of the machine would create a vortex that would work against you. Have a friend whose brother died ice fishing while traveling on a ATV. Be safe.

So, anyone have actual ice reports to share? Few ponds and smaller lakes in the twin cities are iced over already. Nothing walkable though.

Chris wrote:

So, anyone have actual ice reports to share? Few ponds and smaller lakes in the twin cities are iced over already. Nothing walkable though.

with this wind the last 2 days any ice that was there is probably blown up on shore. Only chance of it not is if the body of water was already completely iced over.

Of course that’s my opinion!

Glenn, what time you drive by? I was up around 3.

I noticed Lake Emily was skimmed over. Mille Lacs had some slush building up along the West shores with Vineland almost iced over.

I wonder if Wahkon will have any visitors soon.

Matt Waste wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
As long as it’s 3-4 inches of good ice and I have my spud, I go out. First ice or not, doesn’t matter.

EXACTLY! Its not rocket surgery to not fall through. I wear float
Suit, picks, keep dry clothes in truck and spud bar your way out so you can follow same path back. Just be prepared and use your brain. Best fishing of the season is first ice.

Rocket SURGERY?????

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Glenn, what time you drive by? I was up around 3.

I noticed Lake Emily was skimmed over. Mille Lacs had some slush building up along the West shores with Vineland almost iced over.

I wonder if Wahkon will have any visitors soon.

i was back home by 3, so about noonish????

odd but i dont recall it being completley iced over…..but really dont recall!!!!!

There is some fishable ice in northern MN on smaller water. All the heat has left the water so once this wind stops it should lock up the other stuff pretty quick. I bet a lot of lakes will cap over tonight/early this morning when the wind lays down a bit and we are in single digits.

They’ve been ice fishing in the Dakotas for awhile now.

Cannon in Faribault locked up overnight Friday night. Thought it was crazy with the insane wind we had but it was locked as far as I could see from my Livingroom. Didn’t go down to shore…wasn’t going to deal with that wind.

Even with the wind pounding in to Wahkon bay Fri. & Sat. the 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile of ice stayed. It even seemed to grow but I’m sure that it was shards being blown in.

The cold wind blowing over open water had fog & out of the fog snow flurries.

This morning I can’t see any open water. I’ll be out for a drive later and look at over look north of Isle.

I broke thru 10″ of ice on my side by side on Leech Lake7 years or so ago I will never be anywhere near a first icer, matter of fact ice fishing at all, scared me but good. I was near a heave, and things changed fast

NE Illinois here. Temps in the 20s and thin ice on local pond. Enough for geese to stand on. We’re getting there.

Main basin is pretty much blue water from a trip to the end of the old Galloway Rd.No ice on the main lake side of Half Moon.

Over look showed Ice from the Twin Bays to Popes Pt.

Just starting to get ice but this warm streak won’t help.

mrpike1973 wrote:

Just starting to get ice but this warm streak won’t help.

I don’t see anything nearly as cold as the past few days now in the next 10-14 days either. Heck if the sun comes out the 2 inches of snow in my yard is going to completely melt. Looks like 50 something degrees in southern MN next weekend.

Found just over 2.5″ in the south metro. This spot is always first to freeze. The 2 other spots I checked had maybe 1-1.5″. It’s on! Fishing in 11FOW

Attachments:

1. 

   11.21.22-FI.jpg
   

Was out Sunday 3.25 inches of ice as the day warmed up water kept coming up the hole and one good hit with a spud bar it would spider. Decided to get off. With the water on top not good. Hoping the over night temps will be enough to keep those with ice from losing it. I’m always amused when someone says 4 inches of ice in central MN and there talking Bemidji Cracks me up every time.

There are guys fishing in several areas on minnetonka currently

A few guys I know locally tried to go out on some Pool 4 backwaters. The pictures I was sent showed about 2.5″ of ice. The one guy was maybe 15 yards off shore in 10′ of water and had a rope tied off to a tree. This morning in that same spot duck hunters had blasted right though it and left nothing but floating chunks.

A spud bar is one thing and should be used, but if I’m tying myself off with a rope…I cannot justify it for a few jumbo perch.

I’m always amused when someone says 4 inches of ice in central MN and there talking Bemidji Cracks me up every time. [/quote]

I hear ya. On another site a guy claimed 3 inches of ice in Central Wisconsin. Come to find out he finally said North of Highway 8. 8 runs North of Tomahawk ????? That is not Central Wisconsin. What a dingbat.

buckybadger wrote:

A few guys I know locally tried to go out on some Pool 4 backwaters. The pictures I was sent showed about 2.5″ of ice. The one guy was maybe 15 yards off shore in 10′ of water and had a rope tied off to a tree. This morning in that same spot duck hunters had blasted right though it and left nothing but floating chunks.

A spud bar is one thing and should be used, but if I’m tying myself off with a rope…I cannot justify it for a few jumbo perch.

LOL ya if you need to tie to a tree it might be a sign you shouldn’t be out there.

404 ERROR wrote:

Found just over 2.5″ in the south metro. This spot is always first to freeze. The 2 other spots I checked had maybe 1-1.5″. It’s on! Fishing in 11FOW

thats a purty pink rod you got there!!!!!!!

1st sighting of a guy rhat walked out towing a sled on Wahkon bay.