If you plow a road and a spot for your shack............

[lawnbuilder]

People troll right on top off me during the summer when I am working an area alone until they see me catch a few. So to have a permanent house sitting on an attractive spot for the season I would expect people crowding me. I try not to crowd people because I don't like it.

[Gordie]

Harvey I have seen that as well but what the biggest problem is when they start drilling holes all over the road and flood it, the weight from the snow on the side of the road will flood it faster than anything.

[efgh]

Plowing a road to a certain spot on the lake is a lot like throwing a buoy out of your boat in the summer. Sooner or later someone will arrive and start fishing that spot.

[frazwood]

Literally next to you like that Harvey would be a bit presumptuous. But some guys act as if you're too close if they can hear conversation which can travel for hundreds of yards.

I'll comment...

I would just like that conversation to be something that is not inappropriate for my 7-year old daughter to hear.

[PurpleCatMan]

Glad I'm learning all these good tips!

[FIRECAT]

We had 3 houses up on LOW quite aways a way from everybody and I still had a guy RUNOVER my tip up. didn't stop, slow down, nothing!

[JoeTC]

Do you expect people not to crowd you? I plowed the road out on my local pond, made it wide enough to park in several spots, made room for 4 shacks. Guys drive out park beside and start drilling all around my shack! Asked them to moveon and got a bunch of dump! Cost me atleast 125 in gas to plow it, never asked for anything other then a thank you!

Did you plow starting from the access? Sometimes it's hard to get off a plowed road with banks once you're on it.

[nofishfisherman]

Plowing a road on the lake is like creating a lighted runway directly to your fishing spot. I can't see how you can plow the road and not expect it to be used by everyone. There really is only one predictable outcome and that is having multiple people set up along the road and probably near your house.

If you don't want that to happen then plow and even more extensive road that branches out to other spots allowing the crowds to disperse a little, or course that's going to cost money. The other option is to save the money you are blowing on plowing and invest in other methods of travel that don't involve plowing roads.

[BobT]

I'll comment...

I would just like that conversation to be something that is not inappropriate for my 7-year old daughter to hear.

Understood. Of course, the only way to avoid that problem is to buy a piece of land and put in your own private pond. But then, if you think your 7-year old is not being exposed I think you are mistaken. Do you not allow a television in your home? Do you home school? Do you not allow her to leave the home? Do you live in town or on a private ranch with enough acreage to have the distance you desire for that is about the only way to prevent her from being exposed.

Not trying to argue. Just pointing out the facts of life in these times. There is much worse for her to be exposed to than what she might overhear on the ice.

[BobT]

We had 3 houses up on LOW quite aways a way from everybody and I still had a guy RUNOVER my tip up. didn't stop, slow down, nothing!

Didn't see it perhaps? That'd be my guess. I've had boaters run over my buoy on the lake too but then I know how hard it is to find even when I know about where it is much less to notice it while cruising on the lake.

[student]

Wait a minute, why are all you guys plowing roads on the lakes??? Doesn't the government do that?

Here's food for thought, what happens if your plow gets wet? Can you go to another lake and plow again, or do you need to take it through a State Approved AIS wash station?

[JakeJ_Mn]

I have been plowing on lakes for many years. Had many experiences with others "joining" me. As long as they are not disrupting me I don't mind. Lately, I have found more enjoyment taking my sled and portable - using my wheelhouse as a base.

If you are on a good spot and it's plowed by you or someone else - you will have company.

I usually run into more that have houses out on the lake, but no way to get to them if it snows. When they see my Boss V - their eyes light up. Almost all offered to pay first for help or all said thank you afterwards. Did have a couple that figured $20 to plow 1/4 mile was too much. Not sure how they got to their houses.

[fsnrod]

You could do like Jon p. does on red lake plow a four bank across the ends of all the roads he plowsuntil he puts his fish house's on them.

[harvey lee]

Sad to say but this will never change, it is what it is. Someone comes on the lake and they will park next to any group of houses or house as they think that it is the hot spot.

[Chad Holst]

Heres another thing to consider when plowing a road and then not wanting too many neighbors...

Alot, if not MOST people coming out on the ice dont have a clue on where to go. They heard "this spot" or "that spot" was good, so they travel to the lake to check it out...when they get there, just like most of YOU, they look to see where everyone else is fishing. if they see a line of houses, they tend to set up on that line (even if its not close to others..they draw a line and continue on that set up pattern), as they think "they must know something about the structure on the bottom", if they see a group of houses, they set up in or near that group, thinking there must be some deep hole or rock pile or.... The whole idea that so many people in one spot cant be wrong is hard for most fisherman to pass up.

The trick here is to set some standards BEFORE the masses show up. If a guy drives up and sees every house is set up 50 feet apart in a nice little plowed cove, then he will tend to follow suit, if he shows up and its just a glob of people, he will join the glob. They dont do this to be jerks, they simply want to catch some fish and what they are seeing is that all the fish must be "righ there". You and I know thats not the case, but thats all they can see, so they think they have to be as close to that spot as they can get or they will miss out.

My point is, if there is that much snow (im guessing there was alot if it took you $125 to plow it) then i would consider plowing your road, then plowing several open fishing spots, each seperated by 50 feet or 50 yards or whatever distance you feel is good. This is basically inviting the next guy to set up AWAY from you and you gave him a spot to do it.

I see this alot on the lakes near Bemidji. The local guy would plow a road out and then do some small loops off the main road with little boxes (set up areas) on each loop. Kind of like what a trailer park or camp ground would look like from the air. everyone would come fill in where there was an open box. No one fished on top of everyone else. If the plowed spots filled up and guys had to start making their own areas, they tended to space themselves out about as much as the pre-plowed areas were. Set the standard and see what happens.

Set people up to fail and they usually will. Teach people and give them examples and they may just impress you. (The other ones get water over their doors and wind shields )

[mysnopro]

No worries now! It may be open water again! 2 inches of rain last monday, with 35 mph winds and 50 degrees out! Ice still holding at 16inches but more rain and warmth for this weekend and first few days next week! I may pull it saturday! Lake is glass smooth now with no snow!

[gopher_nation]

Someone plowed a road out from the access on a lake a fished a lot in college. At the time I drove a 2wd car and thought it was great. At the end of the road were two permies and a couple trucks. The road was plenty wide so I parked on it and started walking to my spot when the "owner of the road" came out of his house. He proceeded to explain it was a private road and I could not park on it. I then explained how public access and public water works and he only got more upset. He claimed my car was going to break up his road and he was going to have to spend hundreds of dollars plowing a new road the next day. He also claimed my car, parked 200 ft away, would flood his house. Meanwhile there were two full size trucks and another permy within a 30' of his house. I wasn't buying it. Needless to say, I left my car there and walked 100 yards to my spot. The crusty old drunk thought he'd scare me off with threats and a lot of choice words, but I was right and I knew it. When I drove off "his road" at night my car didn't disintegrate the road as he proclaimed. I still laugh about the story every time it crosses my mind.

[fish_eat_sleep]

You could make lots of friends too you know. Not everyone fishes to annoy the living ---- out of you. I personally enjoy the privacy of my "own" spot from time to time but i go to great lengths to lower my visual footprint and fish low traffic times. That being said Iv met many of my good buddies at the lake, learned a lot from them. Its pretty easy to compile an extensive list of ways to isolate yourself from the crowd and I wouldn't put a permeant house or a plowed road on the list sorry bud. Like others said, being civil with other anglers is pretty important as its not [legally] your road any more than theirs.