How Slow Has Ice Fishing Been This Year for You?

[TroutYammer]

I have had the s-l-o-w-e-s-t year for ice fishing e-v-e-r. Anybody else having a slow year too or it just me and 3000 guys on Lake Agnes not cactching anything this winter?

[Crm7290]

Im having a great winter! I can't comare it to others but I have to say its been great

[mixxedbagg]

My best winter ever. I've been out quite a bit. I've only been to 6 lakes, but that's because getting around it more difficult. Mostly, I completely gave up on walleye this year because I absolutely can't figure them out. (When I try for walleyes in 25' of water, some guy tells me afterward that he's seeing them from his spearhouse in 10'. When I try shallow, I read on here about deep water 'eyes....I just don't get it. ) I used to go to a couple of walleye lakes, listen to the radio, empty some barley pops, and curse my luck that the Vexilar was dim. So, I raised the white flag and decided that panfish and bass would be my primary hardwater prey. Best thing I ever did. Will I try walleye again? Yeah. Am I having a lot more fun now that I "lowered" my expectations and found happiness in sunnies, bass, crappies, perch, etc? You bet!

[PrairieLakeLogJam]

I have had the s-l-o-w-e-s-t year for ice fishing e-v-e-r. Anybody else having a slow year too or it just me and 3000 guys on Lake Agnes not cactching anything this winter?

I fall in to the same category this year as you and We are Not alone! I get fishing reports from a buddy thats a C/O in the North central region and its not anything to brag to Grandma about,,Slow Finicky Fish.

Take a look on C/L with all the people dumping fishing gear,, Tells me alot!

We or I should say, The Wife started picking Slabs about 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm yesterday, 7 total and that was the grand slam this year. The lake started deteriorating fast and travel with an ATV was at its limit with 2' of snow and slush, could not get back home fast enough!

Seen on ch 5, that a fishing contest was a Bust with no-one catching anything!

Leech Lake eel contest just announced that No Autos will be allowed on the Ice next weekend,, Thats going to be fun!

I left the birds 3 doz minnows and started wiping cob-webs off the boat, Should have the boat in the water next week!

[robert aldrich]

I have had the s-l-o-w-e-s-t year for ice fishing e-v-e-r. Anybody else having a slow year too or it just me and 3000 guys on Lake Agnes not cactching anything this winter?

Are you useing a vexilar flasher. I am haveing a good year

[IamZombie]

Horrible year.

Best fishing was my trip up to leech a few weeks ago.

[JBMasterAngler]

This has been the worst ice season I've had in a long while! Have only had 2 outings that I would consider successful Trout opener was horrible because of the weather, and the cherry on top of it all came the other day when I was skunked on peltier lake! Also, haven't gotten out anywhere near as much as I would have liked. The good news is, there is still plenty of time to get out there and make a turn around.

[curtistodd]

Its been really bad. Ive marked thousands of sluggish fish that are not willing to bite. Ive tied on way more jigs on the ice than usual. Ive caught a few, but way less than the last 3 years. My first time out this year was the best, and its been all down hill since. But I still have my hopes way up for late ice! I love the pan fish!

[Esox_Magnum]

We are doing well, always bring home plenty for at least a meal or 3, have had the same jig tied on since early Dec.

[deadeye]

Its my worst winter ever considering the amount of trips on the ice. Its quite honestly the absolute worst number of trips that I have ever had since I started ice fishing.

On the other hand as far as fish caught per trips go I am at my best percentage ever. So I guess I have had a bit of tradeoff with that.

I guess all the previous trips out finding patterns and marking spots has paid off. So now when I can't get out as much I can get out and on the fish very fast and make up for time lost.

In the end I would rather have gotten out more and been skunked a few times but I suppose percentage counts for something.

[Hardyboy]

Wow i cant beleive all the bad reports. Ive worked when ive gone out but we have brought pan and freezer fish home everytime out. Move move move,have several kinds of bait on hand as i have had to switch midstream as they switched what they wanted and keep.switchin the tackle till you hit the combination. If you find something that work ok switch to a variation of the same color. By that i mean if you have a white jig with a splash of pink switch to pink with a splash of white. It may be all you need to switch an ok bite into a hot one. Fresh bait is a must bring plenty and switch often unless you run plastics. If your using gulp or a variation then keep that fresh as well ,it only takes a few fish to wear it out at times. Work work work

[Ed Carlson]

The patterns have certainly be off, and my success has suffered for it this season. My usual haunts have been more challenging to fish. Some due to access and weather, some due to high flows causing difficult fishing on the rivers I like to fish.

I expect late ice to prove out to be better fishing.

In general, this has been a less than great season for me. I'm optimistic things will change soon. I diversify my fishing more at late. That in itself ups my opportunity to get on more fish of more species on more locations.

[TruthWalleyes]

Been a very good winter for me. With the purchase of a gas auger late last winter i'm much more mobile this year!

Still trying to find some walleyes in SouthCentral MN...but thats typical!

[thatoneguy]

Best year for walleyes through the ice that I've ever had, and it's not even close. Not as good for perch, but I'll take that tradeoff

[OnAFly]

With a baby this year, I kneww I wasn't going to be getting out as much. Still, the times I have gotten out have been terrible (with the exception o very early ice which was ok).

I'm looking forward to late Feb and March. Things usually heat up by that time. Then it's time to get out the waders!

[fishwater]

talk about slow..

Thousands of anglers compete in Alexandria Ice Fishing Challenge, but fish stay away

Associated Press

Last update: February 15, 2011 - 6:42 AM

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. - Thousands of anglers turned out for the 11th annual Alexandria Ice Fishing Challenge over the weekend, but the fish stayed away.

About 2,200 anglers came to Lake Agnes in Alexandria Saturday for what is billed as Minnesota's second-largest ice fishing tournament. But remarkably, no one caught a fish during the three-hour contest.

Each of the top 100 finishers were to receive at least $100 in prize money, with a top prize of $10,000 for the biggest fish caught.

Event co-chair Eddie Reif (reyef) tells KSAX-TV that the one thing organizers could not control was the fish — "unfortunately, they just didn't bite."

DNR area fisheries supervisor Dean Beck says the lake was well stocked with fish and there was a good supply of oxygen in the water, but low barometric pressure and a quick temperature rise could have kept fish from biting.

[FISHINGURU]

I've had one of my best seasons with my biggest fish this year.

[fishinfey8]

As for walleyes...meh - I would say average. Panfish are easy to catch, and I would say that I have been successful b/c of my new pb crappie which went just over 15 inches. Perch have been non-existent except for the metro and mille lacs. Haven't caught one up north yet. Pike have been slow too. Without frozen smelt(not treated in borax), it just isn't the same. My conclusion: it's been an average year thus far.