Gitchi Gummi wrote:

you dont need a waterproof backpack… you need waterproof bags to put inside of your main pack.

<div class=”ido-oembed-wrap”>Evac Compression Dry Bag UL</div>

X2

Heavy duty plastic liners are what I use to proof the inside of my pack, also try to avoid external frame or tall backpacking packs as they don’t stuff easily in a canoe. Personally I use a #4 “Duluth Pack style” cordura pack double lined and nothing has ever gotten wet and they fit like a champ in the canoe as well as on your back while portaging a canoe. Well worth renting one from an outfitter and then buying one after your trip!

Ensign has best walleye numbers for eaters, wood has been slowly establishing a targetable walleye population, it used to be a bass, pike and panfish lake. Good has some nice fish in it but the hour-per-fish ratio is not so great, basswood on that side had some really good weed lines and can produce giant pike, and big panfish, but the walleye may not be there in numbers at that time. If you go to moose schedule a tow to sucker, thank me later. Disappointment can be very hard to find a campsite and snowbank gets big rollers. It’s better to do a loop out of there and head to Ima or beyond for your first night and come out of lake one or do the small lake chain loop to come out of moose. Disappointment if you get a site can be a fun lake. Its quite clear, but contains silver pike like its neighbor snowbank.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ben Putnam wrote:</div>
Moose to Ensign can be a good base camp

pretty busy area around there. Moose has 27, read that, twenty seven, permits a day! its like the lake minnetonka of the bwca with all the motor boats running around there. It can definitely be a bottle neck for campsites around 1 days travel from that entry point.

I totally agree the corridor is busy as all get out, Ensign is non motorized and as I said high traffic, but also like I mentioned near the end, I was just responding to the entry points he mentioned interest in. If I talked about every entry point and all the awesome places to go and things to catch it would take hours and I would charge a fee to get me to stop talking.

Moose to Ensign can be a good base camp, Ensign is great for walleye, but also a “high traffic” area. Wood to moose can make a nice loop, or vise versa. If you have 2 vehicles drop 1 off at the other after getting canoes and gear at your EP. Lake One to lake 2-4 or insula is good for walleye, snowbank to insula works too and throws lake trout options in the mix. Insula and Alice are amazing for big walleye and eaters, but unless you have an experienced paddle/portaging crew or are just in good shape, consider it a 2 day trip in and a 2 day trip out. Since that’s all you named so far, that’s all I got for you, Opportunities are endless… don’t have regrets, just book a different EP each time and figure out which you like best!

Yes, Steve always does a great job with ice reports on his Facebook page, and he’s an excellent guide if you want to learn more about the magnificent Lake trout first hand.

The latest update is solid, I was fishing 2 feet down in 3-4 fow today and had no problem seeing my tiny tungsten.

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In open water I fish them in the same situation I would be fishing a jig and minnow. I’ve found that rocking them a foot off bottom pulls in more attention than a jigging pattern. Every 30 sec to 1 minute I throw in a full lift/drop, but most of the time I do the rocking or slight drops/lifts.

I’ve had mine for the past 3 years, I’m sure there are better boots out there, but these have done well by me.

No luck so far

Yeah I usually have a card in there and ironically as I was unpacking at the lake I noticed there wasn’t a card in the slot and I swear there was a moment of premonition. I thought to myself, “better not lose this, there’s no card” oooops

Yes

Happy Birthday brothers!

This Saturday 8/26 at noon we will be organizing to build this wheelchair ramp in Saint Paul. If we aren’t able to finish on Saturday, we will continue again on Sunday at Noon. His recovery has been exceeding the doctors’ expectations and he got accepted at the VA (awaiting a room assignment) which should substantially help out with their finances through all of this.
If you are able to help out at all this weekend please message me on here, or call/text me at 218-235-7960 so I can get directions out and inform of any plan changes. Thanks again everyone.

I met with his wife again today and she explained more of the details of his injuries alongside an estimated range-recovery time. It will be months at the earliest before he will be able to return home, so we will be postponing the construction until later in August or September.

This is in Saint Paul… sorry I need to update my new location

Sorry for the delay… had to jb weld it instead. Replaced head gaskets on the wife’s car since the timing belt and pulleys were getting replaced. When taking out the egr tube, 40% of the threads inside the manifold side stripped. It was most definitely 19m X 1.5… leave it to Subaru to have such a unique part. We checked everywhere for that size helicoil and it appears to be non-existent.
Thanks though guys.

So awesome seeing my cousin’s husband playing in a Wild Jersey and killing it in last night’s game! Go Stalock!!!

LOL Tim

It is amazing how they change so much from day to day and throughout the day, sounds like you had a great trip even if all the hot action was confined to one day. It’s the days the fish are toughest to catch when you learn the most! You got more lakers in one day than a lot of locals get in a whole winter ????, so pat yourself on the back, you earned it!

He’s talking about on snowbank…

It’s worth it… but is it worth it? That’s the question I always ask myself, and the answer changes by the day.

Did you get one of those TUCR LTP’s yet?

Don’t be afraid to upsize your baits, the lakers on snowbank are used to eating much bigger prey than the ones in burntside!

I do remember, I was out on Grindstone last Saturday when it started raining and I checked radar and saw a dark cell. Reminded me of the thunderstorm that rolled in when we were getting off the lake, told my buddy all about that day!
As for the Cisco schools, try to hit a point or hump away from crowds, but keep the bwca line in mind. I usually find the Cisco schools between 50-70 feet in an area similar to the structure we were fishing at the end of our day on those non-committing chasers. The schools can take up 30 feet or more of the water column, so they’re hard to miss when you’re on one… I fish above the schools about 10 feet and often times you don’t see the laker come in, you just get smacked! In 40-50 feet or when you can’t find a school, I change depth in the column but spend most of my time jigging 10-20 feet off bottom

#6 rippin raps in gold or blue/silver have been killer for me, find the Cisco schools and you find some hungry trout. Tip ups with a Cisco on the bottom if in shallower or suspended if out deeper can pick up some fish here and there too.

Sleds are usually your best bet on burntside. As a smelt forage lake rainbow chubs or fatheads typically outdo ciscos, but not always. Jigging typically outdoes set bait by about 20/1.

Step in to TUCR and check out their Precision Noodle, I absolutely love mine for using small jigs and spoons. The rod will play anything that takes the bait, if you have 2-4lb test on a big pike will break the line before you have to worry about the rod breaking.
For #2 A lot of med-heavy ice rods will fit the bill. More important is the reel for that rod imo, I’ve seen James using some Okumas on his IFish Pros with a clicker that allows the reel to let line out freely with the bail closed, without messing with your drag.
#3 sounds to me like you may really like the Bullwhip or Quicktip at TUCR.

As for reels, I really like the Shimano Sedonas, I think I have 10-12 for ice fishing. There are a lot of reels I haven’t tried because I have been so content with these.
One thing I’ve learned with rods and reels for ice fishing is that you really get what you pay for. Up until about 4-5 years ago I went for the $29.99 combos at Joes, they let me down when I needed them most and I lost some good fish due to drags busting mid fight and rods breaking. Since then, my cheap rods are all fenwicks, my main rods are all TUCR (not that other custom rod guys don’t make a good stick, these guys have just always surpassed my expectations) and my reels are all Shimano.

Smaller lakes will have a greater potential for lower oxygen once snow cover blocks the sun from continuing the photosynthesis process below the ice. Reduced oxygen will effect larger fish the most, causing them to go into a lethargic-less active state. This could be what you are experiencing, as also mentioned, the fish you are targeting may also be relating to different structures than the fish you are catching.
Another possibility is that if people are keeping fish from the lake early in the season, those fish won’t be catchable again later in the season; and small lakes tend to have fewer total fish than larger lakes. Not trying to condescend, I’ve just been surprised by how many people I have come across that didn’t take that into account.

A little update,
Momma is doing great, baby has been in the nicu since Thursday night with jaundice, he has had a few fevers too, so he will be in the NICU until Wednesday at the earliest. He is eating well but every time they take him off the blue light he rebounds and his Billy levels spike back up. Prayers for a smooth and lasting recovery are well appreciated! Thanks for all the warm wishes!

Baby and mom are both doing great! Thanks everyone for all the well wishes!