I still have not heard any good fishing reports. yesterday was rain rain rain.
Its beautiful out there this morning .I’m hoping the wind lays down for a few days so we can find a few fish this weekend.
Starting to see a few more skitters but nothing like it can be. I expect that will change after today.
Were looking forward to some of the kids coming up this weekend .Should be fun fun fun.

Stupid weather, This global warming?
Anyways Randy, Nick and Richard were here Friday, Saturday and did not do so well. The winds were a factor with a strong wind out of the west Friday and a strong nw wind Saturday. I suggested they go launch at beacon harbor and they could possibly get out of the 4 foot rollers. The fishing was horrible with a couple sheephead landed and one scuffit walleye.
I had talked to Ray and Jim on Thursday and they said the fishing was real good.
I guess I’m not sure what happens to the bite when the wind stirs up the lake. Are the fish full from stacking up on the windblown side? Or do they just not see your bait when it get stirred up? I’ve caught fish trolling along the break in 3 foot waves? Trolling after the water get way stirred up I have caught a couple over the years but is that because the bait went right by there nose?
The kids are coming up this weekend as were going to re stucco the small cabin and paint. The plan is to get out and do a little fishing.
The wife said some guys came in the store the other day and had did real well on island lake. So That’s always a option if the wind is blowing.
Other then family coming up the cabins are wide open the rest of the summer.

I have the boat out of the water for some maintenance so I have not been on the lake. Ken and his daughters arrived last Saturday and the bite has gotten a little better everyday as the water slowly clears up. Saw Mearl at the gas station and he said he always catches fish so sounds like he is getting some action.
The access was pretty busy Tuesday so there’s still fishermen showing up on the nicer days. I’ll try and say hi and talk to a few today at the access while I’m mowing the park.
The plan is to try and get out and do a little fishing with the hammer this weekend if the stupid water cooperates as I’m craving a fresh walleye dinner.

To me it seems like it been a cool summer so far.
I’m going to check some blueberry patches this morning as my goal is to jar at least 12 pints if not more this year.
Saw a bear coming home for golf Tuesday and that’s always cool.
The upper red lake association is looking for new members. Businesses are 50 a year. You get your business on there web site listed and a news letter.

With much needed rain and talking to a few fishermen the word was slow. The lake looks like chocolate milk. She is howling out of the west right now and I expect it will take a couple days for the bite to get better when the winds lye down.
I did talk to a gentlemen at the gas station that said it has been tough . I also talked to 3 guys fishing the river peer and they said they had picked up a couple small ones.
I spent the morning changing the oil in the boat getting it ready for fathers day weekend.
I shot a 44 in golf league Tuesday and a 51 last night, Stupid game. The hammer is reading a golfing book and is planning on taking up the game with me. She lives up to her name she may be beating me in no time

Talk to a few fishermen yesterday that came into the store North Country food and Fuel where the hammer works. They were all getting minnows as a otter has raided every ones minnow buckets at the state park. Sounded like the fishing was a little slow as one guy said the 4 of them only got 6.
Ed the farmer I golf with got out yesterday morning and they got there 8 in less then 3 hours and were able to get off the lake before the much needed rain hit. I got to see a huge snapper turtle crossing number 16 fairway at castle highlands golf course in turtle river yesterday. So cool. I did try turtle once and I remember it being kinda tough?

Not a whole lot to report today. Earl and his crew canceled due to the weather. Ken and his family will be up for father day weekend.
Paul and Pete were up last weekend and did real well Thursday and Friday, Saturday the wind picked up and pushed them off the lake. They grabbed there lawn chairs and went down to the lake where they relaxed, soaking up the sun and enjoying the breeze off the lake. Paul is heading to New Zealand next week but said he wants to come up again this summer. Saturday night they enjoyed a small camp fire and fish fry before heading home sunday

I’ve decided to try and write a little more through out the summer with a few fishing reports.
Earl, Joe, Terry and Leon came up Tuesday and Wednesday and stayed in our little green cabin. I suggested running spinners? They came back Tuesday evening with 12 and had a fish fry. Purple was the hot color? Joe had a few spinners he had painted purple and they were hot ticket.
Wednesday they also fished and were able to all go home with there four fish. Real nice guys and they want to come back up and camp down by the lake.
Ken and his daughter Makenzie were here from Saturday un tell Thursday of this week in the grey cabin. Ken likes trolling cranks and had plenty of action. They also went home with 8 fish. Ken said they ate 15 throught out the week.
Paul and Pete arrived Thursday eve, and did real well. Paul said yesterday was a little bit slower.
My brother Warren buys a 1/4 beef and half a hog from the farmer Gary I help off and on. We got out last Friday eve, after I got home from work at the golf course.
Running spinners a I had 4 fish in the box and it was to funny as all Warren had was a dozen misses. Once he switched to a stiffer fishing rod he caught up real quick.
Saturday morning we decided to get out early as the winds were going to pick up. Going right to the area we fished the night before. It did not take long to start catching fish again. Its always a treat taking Warren fishing.
He does not care for my music selection though? He is a hevey metal singer in three bands out of Chicago. Heven and Hell,, David Spankle group and Dameon thorn. He is pumpped as this summer they are opening in front of 50,000 in Milwaukie.
We ended up only keeping two over 17 and got off the lake just as the winds started to pick up. I treated him to a fish fry for lunch as the hammer had went down to her sisters for the weekend..

Been a while since I put a fishing report on here, We have had a few guest over the last few weeks. Frank and his crew did well and were able to have there two traditional fish fry and fish boil both weekends. I had the family up last weekend and the fishing was outstanding for us. The access has been a busy place on the nicer days.
From everyone I have talked to all aspects of fishing have been working Trolling spinners, bobber s jigging and pulling cranks all have produced fish in 5 to 7 feet of water.
Its been a cool spring but today there thinking 8o degrees.

Well again plan A turned into plan B.
After a disappointing weekend looking for the mother load of the elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies the plan was to move the fleet to the south east for Jake and his crew. Two days of 50 degree weather with winds had melted quite a bit of the snow and Sunday caused the pressure ridge to expand taking out the bridge in the process. 
I had scouted out a plan B escape route just incase of this situation. All the wheel houses had gotten over the bridge but one so I escorted him on a long journey to the south only to discover that the area I had been crossing was broken on both side with open water 30 yards wide 6 feet deep. Zoiks!!!
We headed back to the bridge while Jimbo followed the pressure ridge to the north looking for a place we could safely cross. I was defiantly a little worried having all the houses still out there.
Jim ended up driving all the way to the north shore where he found a place to drive across. We headed that way to take a look. After getting the last wheel house safely across we took a good look at what was happening and I felt that this area was not going to move and we would be all right keeping the houses out . I then headed out  and talked to a couple trucks that were still on the ice to let them know how to get off the lake.
As you followed the pressure ridge to the north it was quite the sight to see but it slowly fizzled out to just a crack with a little bump real close to the north shore where it fed into another ice heave that had expanded and runs along the north shore east and west. That also was very active..
Every where around the pressure ridges there was open water. Some areas the water was 8 feet deep with open water 20 feet from the pressure ridge. Now with the crazy winds and snow, plus the cold temps these areas may refreeze. I would say these spots are very dangerous to say the least.
Monday morning seeing the predicted weather forecast I made the decision we needed to come home.
Man that was the right call as the warm weather and winds sunday eve had melted and pushed gallons and gallons of water across the lake to the south east into the pressure ridge.All of the old roads were completely filled with standing water. I would say some areas the water had to be 14 to 16 inches deep. There were also areas that had to be 40 acers of water if not more.
We grinded away and slowly made our way back home with each house. There was one spot where a small stream of water was flowing under the ice heave.
The last trip out  I wanted to pull  Buddy hillmens bridge out of the water so it would not freeze. There was also another  bridge that needed to be pulled home so we would have to make the long journey around to retrieve that one. We decided we would go get Jimbo’s house then come back on Hillmens road where we could collect stakes ,orange cones, liter etc.
Well again plan A turned into plan B. Here comes a Toyota truck with two guys. They want to know how to get to there wheel house  still on the lake.  The only option they had was to follows us. I could then escort them to the corner at 4 miles where they could drive up that old road . When we arrived at that corner it was a lake on a lake. I stayed there while they went to retrieve the house. After a bit I could tell they were having trouble and I headed over to help them. I quick jerk with blue thunder and we were on our way . Once we got back on Hillmen’s road where it was running east and west there was not much water on the road as the berm to the south was holding it back.. Once we crossed the crack for the last time it was a huge relief as who knows what that wind and snow may have done out there.
As we were traveling towards shore the sky to the west was the most spectacular grey/ blue I have ever seen. Mother nature at her finest  My phone was dead so I could not try and capture it but Jimbo also noticed it. It only lasted a couple of minutes but I will always hold a vivid image of that in my mind. Again a spectacular sight on such a grand lake.
Monday evening and man did things change. The winds picked up, the temps dropped and it was a full blown blizzard out there all day Tuesday right into the evening and right into yesterday for a better part of the day. The 3 to 6 inches of snow never happened but what snow we did get is piled into the shore lines. There were a few locals  that live on the lake and had to be plowed out. Jana’s daughter cars is completely buried as the snow came around there house and made the perfect drift. Marks wheeler was also buried. Our lake shore has some impressive drifts going through the woods.
Last weekends fishing report? There were a few elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies caught. My Two houses florida  with old friends Joe and Brian and montana  with Rick and Bobby were not so lucky. All though Bobby did loose one at the hole.
I heard of 30 caught but that was a group of 8 guys for 3 days, Randy and Tammy  had the kids up. Travis, Taylor and Heather. They managed to get 7 for 3 days  with one move. Another guy got two . A local set up about 50 yards from me to the north east and they got 4 Saturday night. His name was Bruce. Very nice guy. He has a cabin up here and plans on retiring here in a couple more years’
Well that’s about it for now. I expect I will be taking a look around the next week or two but have no plans of chasing the elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappie unless I’m very confident that its safe.
 I know one thing as you do not want to get even any where close to any of those pressure ridges that rest of the year. There was also areas of standing water. The temps have glazed them over and when you break though them you are hung up with no way of digging out of ice chunks and knee deep water with out a tow.

6 days later and I have lost the mother load?
Stupid fish, I guess that why I coined them the elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappie.
Monday we went and got the red baron and got her safely back home. Tuesday was spent cleaning all the houses.
Wednesday was the big moving day for old Minnesota as I prepaired it for the 7 mile journey back out with the rest of the fleet. The hammer wanted to bring here life long friend fishing  Nancy fishing so my goal was to just get old Minnesota prepped. Crossing the crack/pressure ridge went well. The plan was to be fishing bye 5pm and I would cook dinner for the girls. Once we got out there with jimbo bringing a house out also we picked our spots. Jimbo was heading back to shore so I caught a ride with him to grab blue thunder. After fueling up I was heading out and darn if something did not break on blue thunder ? The right front wheel binded up and then broke loose, then binded up again and again broke loose. I really needed her too bank the house so I limped it out there and babied it as I banked the house.
The girls arrived right on time and we proceeded to get skunked. Oh oh I thought.
Thursday was a much needed trip to Bemidji for the day. With no pressure to race back home we were able to focus on a little shopping and having a nice lunch.
Friday morning and I was back to the grind, Jimbo had his mom Stef and here friend Marcy in one of his houses and they also struck out catching a elusive  yet still catchable upper red lake crappie.
Old friends Joe and Brian would be trying out montana on the same spot the gang hammered on them last weekend.
Rick and Bob would be arriving for florida late Friday night so Friday I moved florida to a new spot quite always from where we had found them as they have defiantly moved.
Marty and shell had also  arrived late Thursday night so Marty helped me hook up north Dakota and bring the last house back out 7 miles.
Our plan was to have dinner in old Minnesota and maybe find a elusive upper red lake crappie. We stuck out again.
Saturday  morning with a few fishermen out there I made some rounds collecting access fees and getting a few fishing reports. The best I herd were 3.
Tyler from bear paw was also out and about as for the second year he is doing crappie guiding trips and he  managed to find a small school and told me he /they caught 18.
Rick and Bobbie  got a couple bites and did manage to loose one elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappie at the hole.
With Joe and Brians help we dug out montana and I also moved them to a new spot. At this time I have to use blue thunder with only 2 wheel drive as something is broken in the front end. I did get my new tire chains so moving the houses is still possible. I’m not sure if I can move old Minnesota or North Dakota that way but we shall find out this week as I  make one final move for the up and coming weekend.
What’s nice about the crew coming up next weekend as they will spend all day Friday  and Saturday searching for the mother load and the houses will be used for relaxing, eating and sleeping. I’ll do my best to find a new  fishy area before they arrive. Coming off the lake last night and I did talk to a gentleman named Bruce that had set up about 75 yards north east of old Minnesota and he said they got 4 last night? Stupid fish.
The road is still in great shape, last night the wind really started to howl out of the south and there was some impressive drifting out there considering there not much snow out there.
The last thing. I did make it to the fish meeting Thursday eve, I was quite impressed with the presentation on the health of the lake. they will be having a announcement on the open water season once it gets approved from headquarters.
They said they have a very unique citation as they have a lot of data collected over the years since recovery and can see trends with all there grafts and pie charts? They also pointed out how fast the fish grow with a good forage base and feel the lake is in great shape.