Ice Reports?

[DonBo]

You locals want to let us know if there's any safe ice in the area yet? Any successful reports?

[ilikefood]

I talked to my father from Spooner on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 -- he stated that there were a couple guys out ice fishing on the flowage in Spooner on the Yellow River over the weekend. This is one of the first bodies of water to freeze in the area, at least in my experience. Hope this helps.

- David

[Straight Shooter]

I haven't been out yet Don but guys have been out on Clam and also on Jeffries Bay with some walleyes being caught.

[DonBo]

...and also on Jeffries Bay...

Dang! Wish I had some time this weekend, I'd be all over that!

[Straight Shooter]

First ice is almost always the best.

[Hole Hog]

any new ice reports up there today, I hear there doing well on the minong flowage..headed up to lake nancy later today

[DonBo]

Wecome joey! Pretty cold up there this morning I'd be. Makin' ice, big time. Let us know how you do.

[gman2002]

i have a place on the minong flowage and just got back from being up there for a week. not quite sure who's doing well on there, i didn't see a person on there all week ! ice is at only about 3 inches with howling winds and just a dusting of snow which after sunday all melted, so it's glare ice right now. a guy did pull out a pretty good size crank down wheelhouse around the sawdust pile but i thought that was insane and after these few days of warm weather and maybe some rain i would hope he gets it off in time.

joey you ever go to a place called gruzy's ?

[minnygriff]

Gman/joey - would you guys say any other lakes in the area are in similar condition that you saw? We have a place on South Twin which is a few miles south of the flowage and Nancy. It's only 115 acres so I was hoping it'd be ready to fish by this coming weekend. I'm going up there and my only ice evaluation has been via NASA satellite imagery, and most lakes were all snow covered from what I saw. It looks like all that snow will be gone by Friday, but my buddies and I were wondering if we were going to be able to partake in ice activites (fish, skate, etc). I'll probably bring my stuff up and hope for the best. Thanks for any info!

[gman2002]

ND , after this week it could get ugly, but i still wouldn't leave home without my gear

[Hole Hog]

haha..hey gman is gruzys just down the road from "stop a sec" store on T.. i beliive I have been there though..The report i got for the flowage was from the buck n wing onwer, another place around there. anyways I was up over the weekend on nancy and cranked the crappies..did not keep any under 10in with are biggest just being over 15.. there was a good 4 in. of ice. ( i measured 5in )on my side of the lake..which is the bigger side..we fish at the first point right where the channel ends there from the shallows if you fimilar with..( or my place is right next to links)headed back this weekend again to have another round, hope the ice stays in tack this week..have'ent looked at the forcast for up there.but its not good in the citys.

[Jarrid Houston]

Was out last night at a lake a little further north, well actually probably 40 miles north or so. I think ice will be fine to fish on, as long as no wheelers, or crank downs are used. Be careful and cautious. Gd luck

[Hole Hog]

NDnick..just be carefull and use a pick headed out..nancy lake is over 700 acres. so im sure it was good to go on south twin as of last weekend.. I was skeetche headed out at first cause like the gman said i did'nt see any body fishing nancy or any outher lake when i drove by them on the way up.hey ..some one has to be the first,haha good luck and be safe

[Hole Hog]

GMAN..hey i just realized that gruzys is the buck n wing..haha to funny.but is'ent bob the onwer of that place..I think thats who gave me the info last friday before i left..I alomost stoped in there friday night, since we did'nt fish till saturday

[LunkerLover84]

NDnick...I also have a cabin on South Twin. Let me know how the ice is if you head up there. I'm not planning on getting up there until late January but still would be nice to know how its looking thus far. Thanks!

[minnygriff]

No problem Lunker, I'll report whatever findings I can uncover. At this point I am seriously debating even briging my equipment, I fully expect the lake to be in full melt mode. If not I'll probably try the deeper weedline along the eastern shore as that's where we had most of our success this year.

It is an odd lake in that we catch bass in 15+ feet of water all year, but only find mild success in the shallows. I've heard the lake association stocked the lake with walleye, but we have caught exactly zero walleye the past few years. The DNR guy in the area claimed South Twin used to be a nice walleye lake back in the 70s, but the biology and structure of the lake is biased toward bass and they eventually overtake the walleye population. However I did I talk to a guy this spring who pulled a 10 lb pike out of the ice last winter, which is a truly massive fish out of there.

[LunkerLover84]

I agree with you about the lake being a bit odd in certain ways. It's definitely a primary bass lake. I've caught bass ice fishing in 30' of water up there each of the last couple years. I have yet to catch a walleye as well. They stock the lake with walleye to control the stunted panfish population so you would think there would be plenty to go around for the pike, walleye, and bass.

I've only fished the lake the last 3 years so i'm still trying to figure it out. The first year of hard water fishing up there we nailed some beautiful crappie and decent perch along with a handful of hammer handle pike. Last year it was a dead sea. We were fishing off of the points on the western shore. I think we might try the eastern edge this year. My wife's grandfather put a couple fish cribs in front of the resort area 5-10 years back before he passed away so that would be an area to try. He has caught some monster fish out of that lake so i know there in there. Anyways good luck if you do go up this weekend. Let me know how you fare.

[gman2002]

hey joey, yep thats gruzy's I was just there wed.and talked to bobby. The buck and wing, we call it the duck and swing. A guy there told me someone went through on the flowage last saturday the guy he was with laid flat on the ice and pulled him out.

[Hole Hog]

gman, just got back from there..had a blast at Gruzys,next time your there ask bob about "DA Machine" He'll know its us..super fun stuff. Any ways did some fishing hit the crappies again and one bonus pig of a walleye.32 3/4..and we got it on video! I'll try getting it on here.but it is on youtube..thats me cranking it in..haha sorry about the F bombs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLj3CKCkk0g&feature=colike

[minnygriff]

NDnick...I also have a cabin on South Twin. Let me know how the ice is if you head up there. I'm not planning on getting up there until late January but still would be nice to know how its looking thus far. Thanks!

The ice was surprisingly thick, I'd guess 6-8 solid inches. You'll have no safety concerns when you go up there in January. We only fished for a bit on the east side of the lake in 12-15 feet. Saw a few fish but nothing biting. We were up at the cabin grilling around 8pm and heard a pack of something going wild on the ice. I have never seen or heard of wolves up there, but it was either that or coyotes. Sounded like they had chased something down, really screaming and yelping. Really cool to hear.

[LunkerLover84]

Thanks for the report Nick. I'm looking forward to getting up there! I'm thinking about giving North Twin a try also if South isn't biting. I gave North a try a couple winters ago and didn't catch anything but then again i wasn't out there long. Fished it the previous summer and caught a couple 30" pike and lost a trophy pike near the boat.

[Jarrid Houston]

I would be willing to bet the animals were coyotes the way you described them....

[minnygriff]

Lunker or anyone else been up in the Minong area recently and have any reports? Thinking of heading up there in the next few weeks to get in some ice fishing before our "hopefully" early ice out.

[DonBo]

Ice has been pretty good on most of the local lakes - for now. You said you may be up in the "next few" weeks. That's a whole nuther story. Ask before you go, or call a local bait store in the area you plan to head too.

Good luck!

[minnygriff]

I know it's a bit premature, but I'd love any ice out updates from the area. I was ice fishing two weeks ago, and in my best estimation there had to be nearly 20 inches of ice buried under what seemd like three feet of snow. Would love to get in the boat sometime in early April. As for the fishing, I caught some panfish and a really nice largemouth (first ever from the ice), but could not pick up a fish on my tip-ups. I had three flags go up, but never had a fish on. The shiner was gone or tore up, so something was down there. Thanks!