Good morning to all. Just enjoying the morning watching in depth outdoors. There fishing oak island and I was digging the air boat they used to get on safe ice.
Here on the northeast end of the lake saw a lot of traffic yesterday. I figure there were about 300 portable and wheel houses within view. Fired up the heat in montana yesterday and the ceiling fan stopped working so that will need to be addressed today. We made it to 6 below this morning so I imagine we have gained a inch in the last 24 hours.
Jake and his buddy had slow fishing yesterday. They moved 4 times through out the day. They did manage to get there limit but they had to work for them. The guys in the cabin were going to walk off our property but must of came up with a plan b as there trucks were gone all day and they were not down at the lake. At this time it looks promising to take the houses out of the woods and on to the lake Wednesday. I will be starting the season close to shore and expect good fishing so time will tell.

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good morning to all. Talked to Budddy Hillmen yesterday around 10 am. He did not agree with me as I figured we would gain 2 inches of ice by sunday evening. He said with the snow cover and ice he highly doubted we will make that much ice. He then headed out to start dragging his super highway a mile out with his Dakota pickup. His mechanic Kelly ask if I wanted to open the next mile of road with blue thunder. I told them I did not have the kahunas to do it. Mother nature reared her ugly side yesterday and I was thank full the houses are still tucked in the woods as it was white out conditions. If the houses were on the lake they would of had some major drifts around them.
The guys in the cabin headed out around 1pm yesterday and that had to be a wicked walk out of westwinds straight into those west winds howling to beat the band. I can just imagine how tough it had to be to put up a portable. I spent a hour plowing down at the lake to keep it open when the time comes to get the houses out of the woods. I have a couple wheel houses camping down there this weekend also. I will head down there in a bit and plow again as the snow was piling up pretty good down there yesterday. I did pick up a new front u joint for blue thunder and that will be addressed this weekend

well we ended up with 3 1/2 inches of snow . Better then the predicted 7 or 8 but more then we wanted. The temps have dropped and we are now truly making a little bit more ice. I would think we will gain a inch or two by Sunday witch will bring us up to around 8 to 9. Mike and his crew caught fish yesterday. I think they are going to stay another night? Darrin and his crew went home with there 9. I fired up blue thunder yesterday to plow and the noise coming from the left front does not sound to good. I be leave its the u joint and needs to be addressed asap. I plowed down at the lake to give the ground a chance to freeze better and clear out a area for Adam and his crew to camp with there wheel houses this weekend.
I talked to Jake and he will be up Friday to button up our new house North Dakota. We may try and move it down to the lake sunday. I’m a little concerned about that u joint though . The plan is to get the houses out of the woods sometime next week and that can really put torque on the 4 wheel drive. One of the fishing sites has a satellite pic of the lake on dec. 13th and you can see the big crack that runs through the center of the lake..

Were pushing 6 inches of ice here on the eastern shorelines of upper red lake. Fishermen walking out have done well in 8 feet of water. Hillmens are allowing wheelers out of there access. Buddy Hillmen has his road staked out and is asking fishermen to stay with in a mile and a half of shore.

mmm

Jake just stopped by on his way to the rainy river going after sturgeon his favorite
fishing trip of the year? I thought his trips up here were his favorite. Oh well! Marty and I repaired our dock on the tamarac river Thursday and part of Friday. Lon arrived around 2 to try and find the mother load one last time. I was in a hurry and was not able to remember the boys name Sorry guys. I talked to Lon later just after dark and they were looking forward to catching a elusive upper red lake crappie or two. When I talked to Lon Saturday they had managed to land 18 for there one night trip. Well done. I have no clue where they were fishing as I never found there holes from last week. I know they were in the area but not the spot on the spot. I was out of town and have no idea what the ice is like at this time. I have some nice projects to work on here at the house and cabins so I will keep busy with that for now. I expect there will also be some farming in the next few days.

As it quiets down around here my reports are sure to get shorter and shorter. My big plans for fishing yesterday changed a bit. I dilly dallied all morning enjoying watching the snow come straight down in giant flakes . Did a little spring cleaning and listened too a radio interview of David Shankle out of Chicago. My brother warren is the lead singer and they just cut a new cd. DSG is the name of the group . Its heavy metal?
Around 10 pm I noticed the snow had quit, rats it would of been very relaxing wetting a line out there . I stepped out of the house around noon to feel the rush of a 30 degree day with the winds howling 30 miles a hour out of the north a should of been out there 6 hours earlier. Foiled by mother nature. Oh well with the snow cover I was still determined to wet a line . I thought great I will not see any liter and can focus on fishing. Buddy Hillmens landing was still in great shape and its very cold here this morning with snow flurries. As I drove out on the lake with blue thunder darn if I did not find some more crap oh well no big deal better picked up now then later. I zigged and zagged all the way out to the two spots I had marked. With the north wind and a little blowing snow I thought it sure would be nice to have some out here with me for safety reason. Oh well on I went .Number one auger fired right up and that happens when you do not have bad gas in it. I punched two holes with ease and could tell the ice is a changing. I took a pic of the auger over half way down but I can take off the extension if a want. I dropped a bobber set up down one hole and a small rattling flyer on the other with 3 waxies. It was brutal out there to say the least .After jigging around 15 minutes with out a mark it was time to move. The next spot was the same. Nothing not even a mark. The second spot I got rid of the waxies and went with a minnow. Very bad timing on my part and I headed home skunked. Oh well it was not a good day weather wise to be out there. I’m hoping Marty and I will wet a line tonight as this will most likely be the last trip on the ice with blue thunder for the season. working on the dock this morning ,Hauling manure this afternoon and fishing with my good friend Marty. I’m sure he will also enjoy getting out on the ice one more time

After spending the morning policing the lake monday afternoon I was off to the farm to haul manure. I see a pattern here. yesterday again I headed out on the lake with blue thunder to check the crack that had crossed Buddy Hillmens road. All was good and it looks like it locked up and has had no movement. I then headed west and again had to stop for a couple pieces of trash. Please if your going to fish red lake in the winter take your time to check the area before you leave, its a little ridicules . I total under stand that some things get lost or accidently frozen in the lake. A christmas tree? With 3 6 foot 2x4s? Ohh well sorry about the rant.
I only had a little time on the lake and never made it more then 3 miles out before I had to come home and go to the dreaded tax man. Well at least that’s done. Today I plan on checking the ice by augering a few holes to see how soft or hard the ice is. I be leave it also decays from the bottom up. I all ready know where I want to start and plan on not forgetting the vex this time. Buddy Hillmen’s access has re frozen up nice with the colder weather. There was a pick up parked on the ice yesterday and must of went out with a wheeler. Who ever he was he had 48,000 acres all to him self. I wonder if he is fishing where I was going to go? Not sure if I want to get any minnows or just use waxie’s. Jake says just use waxie’s, I’m going to pick up a scoop of minnows as the fish are hungry. Waiting to here from Marty as we have to repair my dock before the ice goes off the river, not sure how were going to get the 24 feet of dock back down the bank but with a little ingenuty it can be done. Been staring at the boat and looking forward to prepping it for the up and coming fishing season. I have a little research to do on the prop set up. Its cloudy today with a slight breeze and snow fluuries should be a awesome day to wet a line. The biggest problem I’m having is the liter I can not just drive by it. Oh well maybe I will fish at each spot I stop to pick something up. that sound like a good plan. Sorry if it sound like I’m being a dink about the trash but thats the way the cookie crumbles. Have a grand day. I know I will on a grand lake looking for the elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappie

Sounds like the cities got pounded with snow. Here on the shores of upper red lake it could not of been a more picture perfect. The sun was shining with just the slightest of a breeze out of the se. Its was nice meeting you Borch. Got a kick of your statement about the crowds? Not sure what you meant. The guys in the white vechicel struck out in the hot spot last week. I spent a couple hours on the lake policing the lake for liter as its much easier to get it now then when its floating in the water. I reminisced as I drove to each area I had worked over and ruined. I was pretty satisfied with what I found, just a 2×4 or two and a plastic water bottle and a wheel house’s trash that must of been fishing in the area. I checked the last place that Rodger fished and was not to happy to find a pair of jeans, 3 tee shirts, a pair of sweat pants and two sweat shirts. Did he leave his laundry? I will ask him next time I talk to or see him. There was also a few other pieces of liter. I also was a little nosey and checked where a couple locals fished this year. Wow what a difference. One you would of never known he was there? The other both spots were well marked lets say. I picked the areas up and will bite my tongue for now. Its was a enjoyable ride on the lake as I tooled around. The area I took Steave too Saturday was well punched with 20 holes at least. They either left the area or the guys did not stay late enough. Jakes magic moment ,mine and Kellies all happen at 5 am to 6 30 am. Ole’s happened in a wind storm/white out at 8 pm. I again did not find where Lon and his two boys landed on the mother load but that was from sunset to 8 30 pm. Fins and feathers spot produced the whole time they were here and that area was peppered with Steave’s holes. Leaving that area I found numeruse places to wet a line if there headed in the line I picked . I also found a couple real fishy looking areas and plan on augering a couple holes there today as I again tool around the lake. This is the time of year you should be able to catch them all day long. Coming off the lake it looked like the dump trucks driving on the lake to haul the sand from the channel may of caused a couple cracks to come from the mouth of the river right across Buddy Hillmens road? We will have to keep a eye on them as the ice starts to melt and shift with the winds and temps. I have had no calls since I took Steave out there Saturday so it looks like she is winding down. Buddy Hillmen got the rentals he had on the lake this weekend back to shore. Frank and Jana at North Country food and fuel added a new set of tanks for bait as he is gearing up for opener. I would assume with 4 tanks he will have a bigger variety this summer of live bait. Got a email from the Herbeck’s and they canceled there reservation for the cabins for the second weekend after opener as Steave said it was not worth coming up for two fish. Frank and his crew are all still coming up as they just want to be able to have a fish fry and hardly ever take fish home with them. Its sounds like my brother Warren from Chicago will be up for opener and maybe my cusin Stanly plus I mentioned it to Bob.

I made the decision not to take old Minnesota out. I did escort Steve and his two buddies out to where we fished last week. Steve called last night to tell me they got a big fat zero as the elusive upper red lake crappies proved again how elusive they can be. I talked to Buddy Hillmen for a bit as he was fishing in one of his skid houses. There were a couple fishermen on the lake but not many. I also talked to Paul and Todd they live around Shotly area and were brothers of Mike that use too own dr. tackle. They caught a few the night before. I said I just need to know how many is a few? They whoed and they hawwed and said 12. The next truck, also with them said they got a few also. I again asked how many and they reluctantly said 13. So nothing has changed. A couple is more then two and a few is more then 3 and some is more then one and pretty good is limited out. I also picked up enough logs and wood to have a nice fire in our fire pit today as I clean up the yard. I wish I could find every piece of wood out there as I would hate to hit any thing with the boat this spring. I checked the area I worked hard earlier this winter and found one 2×4. Some ones bag of crap that must of been fishing by me. I’ll be taking a cruise out there again today looking for more liter to pick up plus maybe I will get lucky and find my spud bar I lost early in the season.
She is a bit nippy out there this morning at 18 degrees,11 degrees warmer then yesterday morning. I expect Gary the farmer I work for will ask me if I want to work this week when were at church. I know there’s a small window to get rid of manure before every thing gets to soft. The ditches were really flowing last week but have now turned into a trickle compared to last week. Kellie and I played a few games of cribbage last night as it was the first Saturday since sometime in Dec. that I was not on the lake Saturday evening making the rounds. I wanted to play scrabble but she got her way again. I have not decided yet but I may go hunt for the mother load towards evening tonight as I expect I may have all 48 thousand acres all to my self? I ran into Borch and they had also not done very well. The first hole he augered Friday produced a elusive upper red lake crappie and then that was that. I never met him before but he had plenty of holes drilled and was outside fishing in the cold in a lumber jack flannel and no gloves. Wow it was cold out there, a true diehard of a fishermen. It was nice putting a face and body to his name. I also looked for the holes that Lon, Dylan and Derek did so well in Friday night. I had given them directions and then had them go a bit more west Friday as they only got 5 Thursday night. I never found there holes. Its like looking for a needle in a hay stack. yesterday morning they were talking some snow tonight so I will have to check the weather. Maybe the bite will be on with some kind of storm approaching?