Pay Dirt

What can I say....I hit the "pay dirt"!  I spend endless hours and many days over the past 20 years mining for "gold" in December and I was handsomely rewarded this week with 2 giant gravel lizards.  This was the first of the 2 fish I landed on #2 gamakatsu octopus hooks tipped with a golden shiner.  The fish were in a rather negative mood so we opted to set down the jigging rods and let the set lines/tip-ups do our work.  As you can see that adjustment worked out great.  

This was the 2nd good fish I was able to catch and release on Lake Mille Lacs on the very same day.  This fish measured in at 27.5".  It was a beautiful fish that also fell victim to the plain orange #2 hook tipped with a golden shiner.  This fish didn't have near the girth of the first fish but still put up a great fight.  

Most the areas we have been fishing on Lake Mille Lacs have 3-6" of ice.  With the cold temps coming in tonight for the next few nights I assume we will have the wheel houses parked on fish in the next couple days.  But for now we have just been using 4 wheelers and clam portables.  I will be running trips every day next week and will have more fish and ice reports to come.  Until next time, grab your rod and stretch the string!  Fish On!  

Freshwater Gold

A long anticipated season is upon us and to many anglers here in the upper midwest it is their favorite time of year to fish-ice fishing season!  Since much of our weather has been above average the last few weeks I had to travel a few miles in search of safe fishable ice and my share of the "gold rush"!  Not like me; as most of you know I am usually the first guy out on Lake Waconia and Lake Minnetonka fishing and checking ice conditions.  This freshwater gold known as walleye have been known to take me over this time of year, there are only so many days I can attempt to get in on my share of the "gold rush"!  I don't like to miss many days this time of year.   

This time around I opted to "for go" that since early last week Lake Minnetonka was still open in areas and I headed north to Red Lake, Lake of the Woods, and made a guest appearance at Leech before returning home.  It seemed like I could do no wrong and managed to catch great fish at every stop along the way.  The ice conditions on all the lakes were great for 4 wheeler and wheel shack which made for a fun few nights of rattle reels going off.  Now that the weather is starting to show signs of cooler conditions I fully expect to be guiding Mille Lacs in the next few days with Minnetonka to follow shortly there after.  I will have ice reports from Mille Lacs, Lake Waconia, and Lake Minnetonka in coming days.  I will also have a fishing report; but if the way this season has started off is any sign of what is to come-things are looking good!

All the fish I caught fell victim to either a jigging shad rap or a bobber/set line with a shiner on a #2 gamakatsu octupus hook.  Colored hooks worked great.  

As many of you know I spend endless hours on early ice in pursuit of big walleye's aka freshwater gold.  I feel there is no better time than right now to be on the ice somewhere trying to get your share of the "gold rush"!  Stay tuned as I will have both fishing reports and ice reports in the coming days.  As my friend Travis once told me, "Get your rod and fish!".