|
|
Posts: 668
Location: Wisconsin | So cruising around Lake Geneva today and there is a small section of open water, so I was kinda wondering how the ice is up North?? Are we going to have an early ice out this year?? |
|
|
|
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | 8-12 inches of ice in Minocqua ... once it goes, it should go fast but it's usually +/- 3 or 4 days from April 15th regardless of what it "looks" like. |
|
|
|
Posts: 668
Location: Wisconsin | Thanks Sled, April 15ish is fine by me. How much snow is on the ground? |
|
|
|
Location: Sawyer County, WI | April 15th is the approximate average out by me too. Now we have about 10 inches of ice and 16 inches of snow on the ground. |
|
|
|
Posts: 668
Location: Wisconsin | 16" of snow yet! Southern WI has had a very snowless season. Only a few small snow piles here, the grass has been pretty much clear of snow for a while. |
|
|
|
| I am also in northern WI and I am thinking we will have an earlier than normal ice out. It came late, not as thick as normal. Also, Lake Superior is less than 5% covered with ice right now, when last year at this time it was over 90%. That could well have some impact on our spring. |
|
|
|
Posts: 353
Location: Western U.P. | Some of the rivers that feed Superior in the Western U.P. are flowing on top of ice, so it should melt off relatively soon. Would be a little earlier than normal. Some ice at the boat launches on Lake Superior, and the rest of the lake is mostly open. Might be able to fish Muskies in the big lake, and maybe some rivers before the season ends in mid March. Will be a long time before ice leaves inland lakes. Only about 2.5' - 3' of snow on the ground after the warm weather lately. Low snowfall totals this year. |
|
|
|
Posts: 656
Location: Forest Lake, Mn. | Haven't been out to look at any lakes but the snow is just about gone here in Forest Lake Minnesota, just north of the twin cities. |
|
|
|
Posts: 431
| Cedar - 2/25/2016 10:56 PM
Some of the rivers that feed Superior in the Western U.P. are flowing on top of ice, so it should melt off relatively soon. Would be a little earlier than normal. Some ice at the boat launches on Lake Superior, and the rest of the lake is mostly open. Might be able to fish Muskies in the big lake, and maybe some rivers before the season ends in mid March. Will be a long time before ice leaves inland lakes. Only about 2.5' - 3' of snow on the ground after the warm weather lately. Low snowfall totals this year.
This is totally off topic but I cant help it. When I was a young dumb kid in the Eastern UP my buddy and I were exploring a river that had water flowing on top of the ice. Dirt had settled on the ice making the ice look like ground. We walked all over it all day without realizing what was going on until my friend went through and started getting sucked under the ice by the current. This was on the Carp River in St. Ignace. I got to him at the last instant and pulled him out with one arm laying on my chest. Later it dawned on me that I never would have been even half strong enough to pull him out that way without adrenaline. Anyway maybe the most intense moment of my life, so close to a tragedy. |
|
|
|
Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Enjoy!
http://speedsociety.com/epic-fail-how-not-to-launch-a-boat-on-ice/?...
Have fun!
Al |
|
|
|
Posts: 390
| ...well at the end of the video he is going fishing so albeit lucky Id say that was sort of a WIN. |
|
|
|
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | Clammer - 2/25/2016 2:21 PM
Thanks Sled, April 15ish is fine by me. How much snow is on the ground?
pretty much full snow cover, but it's the beaten down crusty sun drenched variety. really easy travel no matter where you want to go either by foot or by vehicle.
northof8 could be right for this year, once we get a good warm burn, it won't take long to knock this stuff down to the core. |
|
|
|
Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | tackleaddict - You also have to watch out for what looks like a small sand bar or dirty patch in snow, with either snow or even on clear ice, its likely an open spot that can lead to big trouble..We always pull a 10' flat with us when we cross the Mississippi ice fishing near LaCrosse WI... River ice fishing can be dangerous, 10" of ice here, opps! none here. If possible fall backwards with arms & legs spread to distribute your weight. Ice picks and a 20' rope between the you and your partner also works in leiu of a small flat bottom...
Its like dancing with the devil!
Have fun! Be safe...........
Al |
|
|
|
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | 10' flat
10" ice
20' rope
translated:
7' flat
7" ice
14' rope |
|
|
|
Posts: 688
Location: Already Gone |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUvrQanKJdc |
|
|
|
Posts: 132
| Funny, but that couldn't have felt good. |
|
|
|
Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | hunterjoe - 3/2/2016 1:41 PM
Funny, but that couldn't have felt good.
LOL- I thought that was SLED, but he's Norwegian! There's no snow on top of the ice!
Have fun!
Al
(10991208_709513829146923_2521073374486871266_n.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- 10991208_709513829146923_2521073374486871266_n.jpg (26KB - 434 downloads)
|
|
|
|
Posts: 1416
Location: oconomowoc, wi | ESOX Maniac - 3/3/2016 1:48 AM
hunterjoe - 3/2/2016 1:41 PM
Funny, but that couldn't have felt good.
LOL- I thought that was SLED, but he's Norwegian! There's no snow on top of the ice!
Have fun!
Al
is this considered late ice? |
|
|
|
Posts: 1141
Location: NorthCentral WI | fishhawk50 - 3/3/2016 5:47 AM
ESOX Maniac - 3/3/2016 1:48 AM
hunterjoe - 3/2/2016 1:41 PM
Funny, but that couldn't have felt good.
LOL- I thought that was SLED, but he's Norwegian! There's no snow on top of the ice!
Have fun!
Al
is this considered late ice?
I'd say just another method of sight fishing the basin. |
|
|
|
| I once rented a home across the street from Lake Superior in Marquette, MI. Just south of us was what they refer to as the Upper Harbor. Big ore dock there where the iron ore freighters tie up in open water time and year round a big power plant across the street pumps cooling water into the middle of the harbor, creating what locals call the "bubbler". The warm water attracts fish, primarily whitefish and Coho jacks. The ice is always iffy because of the warm water discharge and many guys walk out pulling a jon boat/skiff.
What really amazed me was that at times the wind would push the ice out of the harbor, leaving open water. Then, a few hours or a day later, wind would push the ice back in and guys would be out there on it within hours! Often they would gather around an area of open water created by the "bubbler" and cast into open water, while standing in boats, which were on ice. It was a crazy but productive fishery. |
|
|
|
Posts: 668
Location: Wisconsin | ^That's crazy cool all in one. |
|
|
|
Posts: 1036
| North of 8 - 3/3/2016 7:26 AM
I once rented a home across the street from Lake Superior in Marquette, MI. Just south of us was what they refer to as the Upper Harbor. Big ore dock there where the iron ore freighters tie up in open water time and year round a big power plant across the street pumps cooling water into the middle of the harbor, creating what locals call the "bubbler". The warm water attracts fish, primarily whitefish and Coho jacks. The ice is always iffy because of the warm water discharge and many guys walk out pulling a jon boat/skiff.
What really amazed me was that at times the wind would push the ice out of the harbor, leaving open water. Then, a few hours or a day later, wind would push the ice back in and guys would be out there on it within hours! Often they would gather around an area of open water created by the "bubbler" and cast into open water, while standing in boats, which were on ice. It was a crazy but productive fishery.
My wife has said that she's learned never to underestimate a man and his obsession for fishing and hunting.
She claims it is similar to a woman's obsession over purses and shoes. Every time I ask her how many purses she has, she asks me how many musky lures I own, or rods that I own. When I say that each lure and rod has a specific purpose and none simply do everything, she says it is the same way for shoes and purses. |
|
|
|
Posts: 2024
| Sight fishing the basin with late ice perhaps?
Attachments ---------------- IMG_1113-1024x764.jpg (147KB - 442 downloads)
|
|
|
|
Posts: 400
Location: Metro | still well over a foot up by red lake. Should go pretty quick. Cities look like they will go pretty soon but we are still a little while out. Cant wait to pull the boat out of storage. |
|
|