Happy new year all you fisher people.
Sergio and his group did really well and headed home with 32 fish. They had tremendous fishing. Marty and Shell were in florida for the second night and the bite was not as good, seems the house’s never get better the second night. Joel and Luke are in North Carolina and were up to 22 last night . Shell Jeff and Chase arrived around 10 and to my surprise brought blue thunder 1 back home from pine city so I have a parts truck on hand. How cool was that and unexpected. We had a couple cocktails through out the evening as I waited for Nate to arrive with his group for Montana. They had some vechicle trouble and rolled in at 1;30 am. Talked to Jessica and Carl in the cabin they headed way out on hillmens road and had a fantastic day of fishing .Sounds like there is a good bite going on out deeper with a few bonus elusive upper red lake crappies to boot.
Marty came to shore yesterday and we were able to get the plow mounts bolted on blue thunder which was a project that needed drastic attention. The wind has been howling for 48 hours and I think most of the snow on lower red lake is now around my houses. Wow there are 4 foot drift its just amazing where it come from. Blue thunder and the red baron are about to get a workout. Wayne arrives for Montana today and Nate and his crew are switching to florida. Chase is going to help me do some plowing and what ever other work I can find to do.

Yesterday was another busy day. Spent the first three hours of the day repairing montana in brutal conditions on the lake. -15 with a west wind at about 20 mph. Without Tom’s help I could not of repaired it. After the repair I moved montana over by the other houses. Then it was hecktic as all 4 houses needed to be prepped for customers arriving at 2. They all arrived on time and I had to have them wait a 1/2 hour untell I had all the houses vacumed and augered. The old strikmaster is getting a little tired and needs new blades. I have the blades 65 bones but was so busy did not want to spend the time putting them on. The time I would of saved augering I should of just changed them as it was a bear punching out all them holes in short order. I got Shell and Marty checked in florida. Sergio and his group of 8 with 5 young kids in montana and old minnesota and jessica and carl in north carolina. After going over the rules of the houses I headed home to take a quick break. The break was short as it was close to 4 oclock and I like to go back on the lake at sunset if I’m on shore. All 4 houses had all ready had some action when I topped off the generators . How sweet is that it always pays off to move even if its 30 yards. Now if I could just figure out how to get more then two good days of fishing I could leave the houses in the same spot. Wisfull thinking I guess. As the evning went on I again headed out at 10 to check on everybody one more time as the winds had picked up through out the day and it was wicked out there. What little snow is around is blowing to the west and 30 miles a hour. To my surprise there are 2 foot drifts all ready around the houses. Every one was still catching fish and Sergio had 9 in the bucket fishing plain red hooks and a fathead. Marty and Shell were getting ready to chow down on 5 upper red lake walleyes. Bob and the guys in montana had all the lights off so I did not bother them but Sergio said they were catching fish. Carl and Jessica came back from north carolina with 5 keepers and are staying in the cabin. Today I need to finish drilling out holes for plow mounts on blue thunder and get that bolted as it sounds like some snow is on the way.
Buddy Hillmens road is in great shape with a berm to follow on the south side of the road and reflectors on the north side. Make sure you check into the store/bait shop as the bridges can and often have to be moved. Be safe out there and stop trying to cross pressure ridges. I learned a good lesson sunday and have no plan to put my houses that close again.I new better and got burned

Looks like I have a half hour to spend a little time talking about the last few days. None of the customers I’ve had went home dissapointed so that was good. The fishing wasn’t spectacular but every one caught some fish. I have ruined another area and moved 3 of the four houses to new fishing grounds.
Dan, Trent and Ben really enjoyed old minnesota and loved the set up. I turned Ben on to a couple pieces of diamond willow and he was digging that. Rick and Dianne went home with there 6 and also enjoyed them self. Norm, Brad and Jake fished 1 day and did not do as well with only taking home 6 fish. They had alot of excitment friday night when a truck got stuck in the pressure ridge right out the front of the picture window. Rick watched all the action from the bathroom window in florida. It took 10 jerks to get it out and the cv joint or driveshaft was broken on a brand new ford truck. Geno, Hunter and there other buddie also got in on the action and watched them get the truck out at 1 am. Not sure why people think they can drive over these pressure ridges. I guess they see a area that looks flat and assume its safe. There may also of been alittle drinking involved. I heard it was not even there truck as the owner was passed out at the fish house. ZOIKS bet he was mad.
We had the two youngest grand kids up for the holidays with my daughter and her new boy friend Eric. I took advantage of him and him help me move houses and gather snow from the shore of upper red lake as there was/is little snow on the lake. It takes about three loads of snow to do one house so times that by 4 and your talking 12 loads of snow trucked out on the lake. Eric was a little sore when they left sunday. Missy detailed the houses on sunday before they left so thanks guys you were a tremedous help. Pat and his two boys Liem and Shawn rolled into minnesota sunday afternoon along with Vince and his crew in florida. Pat and the boys did real well in the new location and got 31 fish the first night into yesterday morning .Last night was slower with the fish very finincy for some reason. Vince and his crew fished in florida next to the pressure ridge the first night and had a bite about every hour.. Yesterday morning when I headed out to check on them and take Tom and John to montana a crack had came behind florida under montana. It then turned and went back the other way where it went under the generatoar and back to the pressure ridge causing both my houses to be floating on a giant chunk of ice. When I came back with blue thunder to get the house’s out of there the crack had widen to a foot under montana. The runners must of been frozen in to the ice just enogh to not give. The shiftting of the ice broke the welds on the steal runner and the 16 foot runner came off the house causing the edge of the house to fall down to the frame work . Zoiks I checked with Tom and John and they said the house shiftted a little bit? So they moved there trucks. I spent a good part of the day trying to find some one to weld it once I got it up off the ice and blocked up. With know luck of a portable welder. I will be heading out shortly to try and repositon it, drill some holes and bolt it back together instead of welding it. Brian was a no show for the cabin sunday monday and did not even bother to call and give me a heads up.
Buddy Hillmen has 3 or 4 bridges crossing the pressure ridge and cracks and you need to stop in the store to get a heads up . Remember to drive over them slow there is 18 inch of ice on the edges so driving over fast mess things up. There is plenty of ice to drive over slowly. Its getting light out I need to hit the ice have a grand day

wow have i been busy the last few days.no tim to report so this will be quick.were catching fish moving houses .Learned a valuble lesson fishing by pressure ridge and willnever put house that close again gotta go for now

I had a very busy day yesterday. Detailed all the houses, hauled north carolina out to the area I’m fishing. Moved. augered and banked florida. I had to get 3 loads of snow from shore to bank it. Wow a lot of shovling the back got a work out yesterday. The kids did not arrive untell late so we did not fish. All the houses are being used today so we will have to wait tell tomorrow to fish. I reinstalled the overflow tank on blue thunder and still do noy have good heat. I guess the next thing to try is flushing out the heater core. I must do that today as the temps are going to keep dropping all week. We have a full house today so we will see how the area I’m fishing holds up. I still think they are fish in shallow and could have good fishing in 8 to 9 feet of water. I still have not driven over Hillmens bridges but if you travel over them go slow

Good morning to all. I hope santa was kind to everyone.
Mike and Shell left a day early ,not sure why but when I talked to them and everything was fine, they even left me a tip. Rick and Diane arrive today for a couple nights in florida, I will be heading out to move it onto fresh ice ,detail it and auger 6 holes. There is no snow on the lake so I will have to shovel snow into the back of blue thunder ugg. Mother nature at work again . The temps are going to drop this weekend so I need to make sure all the houses are moved,blocked up and banked. If your coming up I would reccomend some type of ice cleats as its slick out there. Driving out last night to check the houses when we got home from town the standing water was starting to glaze over.It would be nice if it freezes up a bit before the traffic this weekend. All the grandkids will be coming today so we will be all wetting a line over the next three days, should be fun. I need to put blue thunders overflow tank back on today . I have also been drilling out two holes to bolt the plow bracket on the frame and broken 2 drill bits. Running out of room and not sure how to get broken bits out of holes. North carolina need a little more minor work also so I have a busy xmas daay.

First off merry christmas to all from Cookie and Kellie. Last night heading out to check on Mike and Shelly and there was quite a bit of standing water on the lake. I do not think theres enough running down the holes to make big holes which is a good thing. The fishing was a bit slower yesterday for mike and shell. I told them my houses never seem to get better the second and third day. Not sure why or how to correct it other then moving the house onto fresh ice. Its very quiet out of Hillmens road with just a couple andlers out there.
Buddy Hillmen has moved most of his fleet over the pressure ridge and has them stung out every 1/4 mile or so. Looking for the bridges became a adventure I was driving nice and slow and just could not make out a bridge untell I drove over a 3 inch wide crack of open water. I then spotted the bridge to the west. The second bridge was bigger but I did not cross it as I have no intension of moving that way yet as the fishing has been good where I’m at for now. I also noticed I still have no heat in blue thunder even though the temp gauge is around 189. When I got home I topped off the radiator,I then got a funnel and topped off the overflow tank. Turns out just like I thought the over flow tank is cracked and spewed out all the antifeeze I dumped into it. I then procedded how to remove it. I had to pull the battery,then the battery trey and move all the wires for the plow. Sure as sh the tank was cracked I repaire dit with goralla glue and will put it all back together today. I hope that solves my heating problem but I may still have to flush out the heater core.
I also set up Gary and Kay the farmer I work for . They fished montana for a couple hours and landed 5 fish with quite a few misses. They fish old school with jig sticks and bobbers and then hand over hand there fish. No vexlars or rods and reels Gary did not even have a depth bomb. So I set all there lines with the vexlar just off the bottom. Mike and Shell are on there own today as I have to go to bemidji this morning. Rick and Diane show up tomorrow.

WOW 35 degrees all day yesterday with a 15 mph wind melted all the snow again. Its 34 right now and never got below freezing last night. Headed out last night to check on Shelly and Mike. They had 5 in the bucket and caught there 6th keeper while I was there. Shelly fishes with out a vexlar or bobber and just jigs and waits for a bite . What a great way to fish as when a fish hits its such a surprise. Seems moving that 100 yards payed offed for now.
I buttomed up blue thunder yesterday and will take it out this morning to check out the three bridges crossing the pressure ridge out of hillmens. Buddy moved a few of his houses over the ridge yesterday. I will more then likly wait to push out as the fishing is fine where I’m at for now. Talking to Buddy it sounds like theres still a good bite in 8 feet of water but everyone wants to be further out. There were a couple portables fishing shallow yesterday and they never moved? I did not want to bother them so will have to wonder how they did. The family is coming up for xmas so I need to prep a few extra fishing rods for the gang as we plan on wetting a line. I also have to get north carolina out of the woods today as It is rented just after xmas. I may have to haul snow off shore again for banking the way it looked last night.

Spent my morning detailing old minnesota and doing a little fishing. I got my 3 for lunch and missed a couple more. Fatheads on a rattling flyer and vexlar. Missed a couple on the rattle wheel also. Jim and Mark are heading home and did well with the move. They went exploring yesterday and said they caught more in the house then fishing outside on the lake. Thanks guys

For sone reason it has been slow for quite a few fishermen the last couple days. Not sure why. I’m heading out this morning to wet a line . 34 degrees out good day to auger some holes and fish outside. Yesterday I moved florida and montana. Jim and Mark helped move montana as they are here one more day. Mike and his wife arrive later today for florida.
Tomm the local mechanic would not borrow me the tool I need for blue thunder as its a expensive tool and easy to break. I think I have a plan b and will try and buttom her up today with out driving all the way to bemidji. I have a couple days before I need to move old minnesota and stilll have to get North Carolina my new two man house out of the woods. I can move houses with the red baron but would rather use blue thunder as I can then un bank and bank the houses