Heading out this morning

[XUSMC]

First off, I would like to say that I'm new to this forum. I just found it last night and wish I would have found it sooner.

I'm from Iowa. About 1 hour south of Sioux City. My wife and I are heading out in about 3 hours to Lake Minnewaska near Glenwood. We're gonna be at Hunts resort and renting one of their sleeper shacks for Friday going into Saturday Morning. It will be my first time ice fishing in Minnesota and my first time ice fishing for Walleye, Perch, and Pike. All I fish for around home is Bluegill, Bass and Crappie in the farm ponds. I'm so excited that I'm about to turn inside out. The six hour drive up is gonna feel more like 12 hours!

Any of you know Lake Minnewaska? What do I have to look forward to? I'm assuming that the shack will be out in front of the lodge which looks to be a good sized flat of 10-15 feet of water. I've got some Jigging Raps and Jigging Shad Raps as well as some Northland jigs (buckshot rattle spoons, forage minnows (jigs and fry) and eye droppers. Also some Genz worms and bugs. I figured on getting some waxies, minnows and chubs for live bait.

Let me know if I've left something out. I've watched the Ice Tech video from In-Fisherman till it's about worn out and read their ice fishing secrets book till the pages just about turn themselves. Now if the fish will just bite!

[brianh]

It's gonna be cold, -11 for a low on Sat. Only live 1/2 hour from the lake, but haven't fished it in thirty years.

Have fun and stay warm

[Deitz Dittrich]

XU- Welcome to FM/IceLeaders.. great to have you with us. I love your excitement level!... The cold will be the hardes battle as you will not be able to be mobile.. talk to the resort, they want you to catch fish so that you come back for years to come. Most will bend over backwards to try and get you fish.

Please report back on how you did! Good luck!

[Eric Wettschreck]

Semper Fi dude, grab a small bag of shiners also. Sometimes, just sometimes on that lake when you can't buy a bite the little extra flash from a shiner will do the trick.

Anchors Away!!!!

[charliepete2]

If you are going to be doing any tip up fishing I'd suggest cutting a few 12x12 squares of dark colored foam or styro insulation. It's a pain in the keester to fish tip ups in this weather, but I don't let it stop me and the fish often cooperate. Good luck on your trip.

[IceHawk]

I have fished Minnewaska many times and it is a excellent lake. I have gone out of Hunts before and have seen his houses out on the lake. He usally has some on walleye spots and some on the sunfish beds. This lake has a good sunfish bite going now so I would see if he possibly would move you to a day house during the day to enjoy some of the gill and Northern (tip-ups set outside of house) fishing. You will have to sort on the gills but you will get some nicer fish. As far as tackle you seem to have it covered. I would pesonally bring some shiners for the evening walleye bite, they tend to favor them in this lake. Good luck and have a nice trip!

[delmuts]

xusmc welcome to the group! good luck with your fishing trip.

[Mike89]

"XUSMC" I love the handle. I was in 71 to 75, getting older too! welcome to the site!! Good luck fishing.

Mike89

[XUSMC]

Well, we just got back from Minnewaska. It was sssooooooo cold out there on Friday and Friday evening. We didn't get any walleyes although I did have shiners down on deadsticks. Saw three Northern on the Aqua-Vu as well as a couple 3 or 4 pound Bass but they wouldn't hit anything either. The sunnies on the other hand were more than cooperative. My wife and I came home with 34 very nice Bluegills and one decent Crappie. They hit mainly on a Genz Worm tipped with a waxie. Later I changed to a Genz Bug and that also worked. They slacked off but didn't leave. They would just sit there and look at it and follow it. I took their que and switched to a small ice fly tipped with a waxie. This thing was so light that sometimes I couldn't get it down in front of the camera before one had grabbed it. Awesome time.

The "Deluxe" sleeper ice shack wasn't as deluxe as it sounded. I could have toughed it out but since the wife was along and it was bitterly cold I went in and talked to the folks at Hunt's and they gave us a cabin for $50.00 since we had already rented the sleeper ice shack. They were very accomodating. -16 degrees (before wind chill) when we pulled out this morning. 3 degrees down here in Iowa at 2 p.m. when we got home. I wish I lived up there in Minnesota. You guys got it good!