Just getting good?

[M.T. Bucket]

Am I right to assume that the ice fishing is just getting good in Illinois about now? How thick is ice around the state? Just a curious former resident...
A couple of weeks of extreme cold and about 15" of snow cover has caused the fishing here in northern MN to slow waaaaayyyy down. The auger just barely punches through the ice now--and if you get cold, all you have to do is cut a hole with a hand auger.

Does the trick every time.

[Tofishem]

M.T. I'm a native of IL too. Rockford to be exact. How bout you? Bought a resort and moved to Bemidji in 1999.

[M.T. Bucket]

Tofishem,

I am from Sheridan, IL (little town in LaSalle county) and moved to Bovey (just east of Grand Rapids) in 2000.

Love it up here.

[Tofishem]

Ya me too!

[Guest]

Hey M.T. the ice fishing has been good for me since about mid-January. You are probably familiar with the lake I fish being from Sheridan. I fish Lake Holiday, where did you ice fish when you lived here? We have about 12" of ice now, but they are calling for 50 degrees and rain here this week, so I don't know how much longer we will have good ice. I used to fish in your neighborhood every September. I always spent a week in Grand Rapids fishing Pokegama and I loved it up there too. I get up that way every 2 to 3 years now, but I would like to move up there when I'm ready to retire.

[M.T. Bucket]

Bocephusdog,

I know Lake Holiday well--not from fishing it, just from the people living around it. I fished the gravel pit lakes in the Sheridan/Millington area (some of them are VERY good if you can get permission to fish them). Most are owned by Western Sand and Gravel. I also fished the Sheridan Rod and Gun Club pit lake. Most of my summer fishing was on the Fox River.

Up here I don't really have one lake or river I fish most of the time--though I like Wabana because I'm most familiar with it. I've fished Pokegama a few times--no luck except some huge (grubby) perch through the ice. My boat isn't big enough to really fish that lake.

Do you plan on coming up to MN this September? If so, feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] if you ever want to get together and fish. We'd at least have some common geography to chat about. I'll post on here if I ever plan on spending some time fishing in IL--not likely since I don't think either of my current vehicles would make the trip.

What are you fishing for on Lake Holiday? I never fished it, but I sure loved the way it stocked the Somonauk Creek every time the water level was high!

See ya