First ice...where will you be?

[matthothand]

Everyone has seen the forecast and the ice is coming soon. Now's the time to go over all the gear and get everything ready so when the magical first ice comes we'll be ready. Then it's just a matter of where to go. My first couple trips will be fun trips looking for "one after another" catches and a few meals of fresh crappies. I plan on staying close to home and only fishing a couple hours at a time. Since it's already a popular lake I don't mind saying I'll be walking out on West Rush Lake. From the access it's easy walking to a bunch of first ice honey holes for crappies and walleyes. Last year I found some big perch on the north end of East Rush and I'll probably make a walk from that side too since perch are delicious. So....Where are you going first ice?

[OnAFly]

When it gets there, I'll be doing White Bear, Centerville (just moved up here, never fished it before), and Prior, probably with my dad. Also, a few places in that area that are less well known where I've had great success in open water.

[njpierz]

SIMPLE: LAKE OF THE WOODS chasing 30 inchers. Very grateful I live less than 2 hours from the best first ice walleye fishing in the WORLD!

[FISHINGURU]

either rainy or LOTW

[Jeremy airjer W]

One of my favorite local lakes for sure!

[dust_stl]

Off to LOW around the 12-13dec.

[Northlander]

You know where Ill be 1st ice Matt. After that Ill be spending more time on Island Lake.

[Jordyn Kaufer]

I am gladly going to say that I am going to be on a lake! a frozen one at that as well

[RebelSS]

Pepin, White Bear, Centerville. OnAFly: ...Lotsa nice big perchies in there!!!!

[OnAFly]

Perch in Centerville? Hey, I'm all for that! As for WBL, I've never found the big ones, only the little ones.

[Bigslugger]

I will be around the Clearwater area. If we dont get ice down here to long after they do up north, thats where I will be.

Happy fishing all

[Rippinlip]

A lake in the Faribo area.

[waterbound]

The first place that has ice!

[timjones]

Osakis.

[PiKeGuY101]

Prior Lake.....or the office depends on luck I guess!

[Fred_Bear]

A nice little 53 acre lake close to home. Its perfect for walking and once you find the good crappies it's one after another. My favorite way to start the season.

[JIvers]

Depending on how my schedule times out with ice formation, my first ice trip will be on small shallow ponds here in Iowa City, shallow Mississippi backwaters in SE Minnesota, or lakes around the Faribault area.

[Juice88]

Cedar Lake, Aitkin.

[riverrat56]

Hopefully topside still and not looking up from the bottom....

Likely on a few small lakes in my area, chasing walleyes

[Steve Foss]

I'll be up here around Ely, of course.

Pike tip-ups during the day, changing over to the evening walleye bite means I'll have fresh fried pike fingers (one of God's sweetest gifts) and my darling Lisa will have the fresh walleye fillets she craves.

C'mon ice! I've got a date with Birch Lake, where my largest ice pike (39.5 inch fatty girl) and biggest slather of eater 'eyes came from a few years ago.

Over the next week, our lows up here will range from single digits to low teens with highs ranging from teens to 20s, so we'll be making ice 24/7. No safe ice yet (smaller lakes are completely iced over with a new and thickening skim), but by the middle or end of next week it'll be a free-for-all.

[sparkydm]

I'm sure I'll be in the garage struggling with new line, dead batteries, lost/missing items, stale auger gas,broken rod tips, mice nests, 1/2" dust on vex screen, patching portable fabric, rusty jigs, melted-together plastics, and 2 dogs that want to "help". That's a short list, I'm sure.

[Fishapalooza]

Spankin' pike on Forest.

[leech~~]

I usually hit some of the bays on Millac to break the rust off the gear, then I head up to ???? lake in Brainard!

[Casey Sunsdahl]

Vermilion... unless Steve Foss invites me to Birch Lake

[Fishingthedream]

wherever there is walkable ice i will be on that spot.