Ice in two weekends?

[NoWiser]

I'm thinking about heading out to the Webster area the weekend of April 29th. I know it depends on the weather, but does anyone have a guess as to whether or not I'll find safe ice for an atv? It will be my first time heading that way and I'm looking forward to it, if it works out.

Thanks

[BuckSutherland]

You must have some real long weeks if April 29 is in two weeks. Landings were absolutely pummeled last week and then refroze. They will turn to junk in a real hurry once it warms. Lots of sand and gravel mixed into the ice by the landings. Leech lake will be more of a sure thing if its perch you are after.

[rundrave]

hard to say, in just the last 2 weeks alone we have seen highs in the 60's and lows in teens below zero.

I would imagine there is a good 30+ inches of ice on most of those lakes up north yet but too many variables between now and 2 weeks to know what ice will be like in 2 weeks. Im with Buck though not sure how you 2 weeks = April 29th?

[NoWiser]

Sorry, I meant March 29th! I got a bit ahead of myself.

I guess I'll have to just play it by ear. I know Leech will still be good, but I fish Leech a lot. I'd like a change of scenery and have been itching to try SD. I guess all I can do is hope for some more cold weather. I know someone headed out there this weekend so I'm sure I'll get the report from him.

Thanks!

[BuckSutherland]

Probably be fine in two weeks. Not near as consistent of a bite out there as there is at Leech. Thing I dont like out there is that it is always windy. I have yet to be out there and its not blowing at least 15-20. That is half a dozen times in the last 8 months. Time to head north and look for some stinkers and some slabs for me. I have a little private honey hole where 15" crappies are real common.

[Bureaucrat]

I was through there today. The shorelines are deteriorating fast. There is a lot of ice left, but getting on and off will be getting more dangerous as the shorelines warm up. There isn't any snow to keep the waters edge from heating up at this point. Be careful if you go.

[creepworm]

I guess all I can do is hope for some more cold weather.

People doing that are not welcome in SD.

[NoWiser]

People doing that are not welcome in SD.

It's either that or I hope for a foot of snow tomorrow. Your choice!

[bigern]

With the warmer temps yesterday and today, the wind blowing hard tomorrow. I can see us losing a good amount of ice. The landings are also getting beat up by people driving off and on when its warm. Your best bet would be to check next week and see what the weather does.

[rundrave]

there was also some rain that moved through some areas of SD yesterday which also doesn't help. The good news for those that want hard water yet is that the extended forecast doesn't look to be much of a warm up for at least the next week or so.

[TrapMan13]

Accesses should be drive able Wednesday still wouldn't ya think? Heading out there then.

[BuckSutherland]

Accesses should be drive able Wednesday still wouldn't ya think? Heading out there then.

Doug at Sportsman's Cove is already saying the accesses are really beat up. NO WAY would I drive a truck out anymore, but a wheeler should be good if you are careful.

[bigern]

Warm weather and wind towards the end of the week. Going to make it tough to get on.

[creepworm]

Here is my report from today. You can use this info. however you please. We were driving a 3/4 ton Duramax.

The lake of choice today was Waubay. We tried 3 different access points.

1. The refuge. Road is closed and blocked off due to a trickle of water running over the road. People had been going around the barricade but word on the street is the federal warden has been checking and writing tickets to anyone doing that.

2. Grenville access. The broken up ice and piece of broken tow strap hinted that someone had dropped in straight off the access. We skirted the edge of the ice to the side of the access and were able to get out onto the ice. Ice is generally 30+ inches and good, very little honeycombing. No auger extension was needed. There are cracks where two ice sheets split apart leaving 6-12 inches of open water. I would not advise crossing these with a vehicle of any sort.

3 Kanago access. Access was in good shape and we drove right on. Ice situation is the same as off the Grenville access. When coming back off this evening the very edge of the ice at the landing was pretty soft and getting a little beat up.

As far as fishing... it sucked. The fish we did find were still roaming the basin areas. If we would have went into the day with a late January mindset instead of late March we may have done better and not wasted a good chunk of the day.

To the clowns from Minnesota that were fishing off of the Kanago access, if you would like me to drill a hole for you please just ask, I will be happy too. Sneaking into the area I just drilled out on your ATV and using one of my holes no more than 45 seconds after I drilled it is rude and frustrating, especially when there is a grand total of 2 other people on the entire lake.

This is my report, your results may vary.

[NoWiser]

Thanks Creepworm!

We'll have ATVs and planks for getting on the lakes. Sounds like once we get on it will probably be ok. Hopefully the fish will be biting for us! I've only been able to fish twice this winter with work so I'm really looking forward to it!

[BuckSutherland]

To the clowns from Minnesota that were fishing off of the Kanago access, if you would like me to drill a hole for you please just ask, I will be happy too. Sneaking into the area I just drilled out on your ATV and using one of my holes no more than 45 seconds after I drilled it is rude and frustrating, especially when there is a grand total of 2 other people on the entire lake.

Sounds as bad as the Nebraska guys that fished in my brother's hole last weekend when he had some fish laying by it and decided to hole hop in the other 5 holes he had drilled. The rest of their group set up about 10-15 feet from my house and used it as a windbreak. And wouldnt ya know it the fish shut off when they moved in.

[Bureaucrat]

This is why I'm seriously considering getting a one man fish trap for hole hopping. A guy has to be able to outsmart the lazy man's fish finder to prevent a zombie outbreak around you.

[bigern]

The worse time of the year to ice fish in SD is when season in MN closes. Is there a rule in Minnesota if somebody drills a hole that 30 people from Minnesota need to come and sit right by you? Gets pretty old if you ask me. My goal for the rest of the year is to find a group of them and go sit down right in the middle.

[NoWiser]

I never thought of binoculars! Good idea!

[bignet]

hey I'm from Minnesota and fish out there a lot and it happens almost every time no one within a mile and her comes some body driving right up and you know they were watching you the whole time its even worse in the boat and by the way those guys must have been from Iowa there even called Iowa fishfinders

[vexi]

Im from Minnesota also and last weekend on bitter I was fishing closer to 2 miles from any body out on the ice. Sure enough after about an hour here comes a guy pulling up to us and watches me catch a perch. He says hey u don't mind if I fish here do you there must be fish here. I said I really cant stop you from fishing here so he pulls his truck up to one of the holes I was hole hoping in that I drilled and starts to fish. All I could think to myself was [PoorWordUsage]. But wait he had SD plates on his truck. Im not trying to start anything here but just saying there r lazy fishermen from all states. I did think about asking what kind of binoculars he had. I also found a big crack that must have opened up sat night. It only a skim of ice on it. it was anywhere from 6" to 2' wide and started in the middle of the se bay where the public access is and ran west north west for atleast 1.5 miles.

[DRH1175]

Quote:

To the clowns from Minnesota that were fishing off of the Kanago access, if you would like me to drill a hole for you please just ask, I will be happy too. Sneaking into the area I just drilled out on your ATV and using one of my holes no more than 45 seconds after I drilled it is rude and frustrating, especially when there is a grand total of 2 other people on the entire lake.

Quote:

Creepworm,

Though I understand your frustration with the terrible fishing on Sunday, your accounts were not exactly accurate as to our Clown like behavior... We too were all over the south bay on Sunday ariving at noon after fishing another un-productive lake. After drilling around 50-100 holes and moving many times throughout the day on the south side of the island. We decided to give it a try in one last spot where you were installing tire chains by. We picked this spot because of the success in the past. Not because we watched you catch fish or thought we would steal your holes. We set up 100 yds away from your truck. You did not have any fishing equiment on the ice, nor were you drilling holes while we snuck on in to fish your holes. We had no idea you were even fishing after watching you play around with your tire chains for over 10 minutes. We thought you just stopped to work on your truck. We fished one of the holes you drilled not knowing you even drilled them. We drilled all but one of our own holes again 100 yds from where you were working on your truck.. Also you forgot to add when you came over to us we offered to leave. You said it was ok. After fishing not more than 5 minutes we moved anyway out of repsect another hundred or so yds more to the south away from your fishing spot.

We are again sorry for intruding on YOUR fishing area.

[Jaspernuts]

DRH1175 - You have to understand that creepworm is a farmer. Nuff said.

[rundrave]

lets keep it civil guys, "being a clown" has no borders lets not turn this into a Resident vs Non Resident issue

good luck fishing everyone

[bignet]

I thinks we can blame Obama. Yah see we got one group of guys they worked really hard found a good spot drilled lots of holes. Then we have another group they don't want to do anything but want all the benefits of the first group so we take away some of the hard working groups holes and give them to the other guys its the American way.