St. Louis River Ice Action

It sounds like the walleye action is starting to heat up during low light periods.

I’m going do some exploring this weekend.

Has anyone been our recently?

Sully

Haven’t been out since last week but we caught a couple eyes right before dark. Years past the morning bite has usually lasted a little longer.

Glow buckshots have been working good lately. Right out from the boat landing down there on park point has been good. 8 or 9 feet of water with low light periods producing best! good luck!

I didn’t strike gold on the river on Saturday, but it was fun to explore an area that is new to me. I have fished the portion of the river around Park Point plenty during open water, but never through the ice.

I didn’t bring my LakeMaster chip with me, but it would have been very helpful to find the contrasts.

I will be fishing the river on my next trip north.

Sully

Im guessing your presentation was a little off or you just had inactive fish in your area. I did good last night along with most others i talked to. The fish were weird yesterday, when they came up to your bait if you moved it at all they wouldnt hit. If you kept it dead still they would grab it. Thats how all 7 of my fish were.
Ruffies will come up to your bait and as soon as you move it they will dart down to the bottom so its easy to tell them from a walleye or other gamefish.

that flyer has been good along with buckshots! alot of fish have come on the deadstick too lately

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that flyer has been good along with buckshots! alot of fish have come on the deadstick too lately

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How’s the size of the fish running right now, Grant?

I caught 10 fish in an hour and a half this morning all under 14″. Real light bite. I hear there are some pigs being caught though. My best spots have come away from the little cities out there.

As of the past week it seems like the big females are starting to show up more frequently which is nice. Along with the big ones there are alot of 17 to 21’s. I got a few smaller ones along with one big girl tonight. All this wind and stuff kinda shut them down.

Thanks for the follow-up, Grant. I know I’ve had a blast fishing up there during open water but never once gave a thought to fishing it through the ice. Which is kinda’ shortsighted on my part because my girlfriend’s dad lives 15 minutes from Duluth and I’m up there to visit often.

no problem! yeah you should get out there since he lives so close by! its not as good as in the spring on open water but some days sure are close! You basically have a 30 minute to one hour period, depending on weather, in the morning and evening where the fish will be active. Tonight was only 15 minutes. Mid day you can get one here and there but they are few and far between.

Understood. Does the bite improve towards “late ice” or don’t you really see a spark in the bite until later in the spring during open water?

Yeah it picks up a little. Now is better that December. Also now the big females are alot more common than in the early ice periods. Picked up another one this morning. Very short window of active fish this morning, maybe 10 minutes at most.

That’s the way to keep after them.

And thanks for the pics. I’ll be up in the Duluth area early next week and I’m hoping to get some ice time while I’m in the area.

The first big batch of fish have come thru and fishing has slowed way down in the harbor. Seems like last year this same thing happened. I would consider 2 to 4 fish pretty good now! ive been getting one to 3 fish my last few times out but they have been between 23 and 26 inches which is nice.

Who do you play hockey for?
Still slow, we are in need of a fresh batch of fish to come in from the big lake. BUt who knows if it will happen before MArch 1st.

Whats your name?
I went out tonight and marked a ton of fish but could only get 3 to go. oh well, the fish were finicky with all that wind!

cool, i played hockey for duluth east. I played with flaherty and jack connely. I also played aaa hockey with hjelle.

You havent missed a single thing! well maybe a few 16 inchers lol but other than that not much! shes goona be slow till may.