WOW what a beautiful morning it was on the lake. I headed out to florida to say goodby to Cody,Thane,Gabe Kaleb. The fishing was slow for them last night all though Cody and Gabe had a portable about 50 yards away and hammered them. Since they stayed 3 nighs it would of been nice to move them on to fresh ice yesterday but my repairs on blue thunder did not go as well sa I expected. I twistted the transmission line and now have to also repair that. I have a radiator coming from mpls and need to make a run to Bemidji when it comes in.
Lee and Carl are on there way up and Lee will be helping me bank minnesota,montana and florida for a couple free nights of fishing, we will also move florida. I also have a two man house on shore that needs some beefing up and I then can get it out there North Carolina will be its name. David is on his way over to help me get my bridge out of the woods and then were going to go get hillmens bridge out of the woods as it looks like we will need two to get over the pressure ridge.

Around 4 yesterday I popped the hood on blue thunder to see if I could take hoses off of heater core and flush as the heat is not working as well as it should. I did notice I have been losing a little antifreeze and thought the over flow tank may have a crack. The hoses looked like they are corroded on pretty good and the clamps were in bad shape. With no clamps I decided I would have to wait tell I had parts on hand as a simple job looked like it could be trouble. I then headed down to the lake shore to load up some snow for banking . Heading out on the lake and the cold and wind have firmed upp the last of the standing water .Good ol mother nature working for us. When I arrived to the pressure ridge I noticed the heat was blowing cold air but the temp gauge was around 180. The plan was to keep a eye on the gauge ,check in with the guys and get back home asap. When I arrived at florida I made the mistake of leaving the truck running, when I came back out she was pegged and spewing. I shut her down and with the flash lite in hand found a hole in the radiator, I also got a taste of antifreeze in the mouth laying undeneith. With the wind howling I had Cody bring me to shore, the fishing has been slower in the house then when they were hole hopping but that’s to expected. They figured they landed 25 all day witch in my book is good fishing. They got spoiled hole hopping. The banking on florida is hard as a rock or ice. Good ol mother nature. It was nice too see a few flurries on the ground this morning and with mother natures help we may get some drifting snow around the houses by the weekend. I will spend the morning looking for a radiator then go top off blue thunder and limp her home for repairs . Old blue thunder has what I need but is 200 miles away in pine city.
Hillmen’s road will be in great shape with all the melting and now refreezing. Buddy Has it marked 6 miles out with the pressure ridge stopping us from heading west at this time.
Last night I counted 3 trucks out there fishing so real quiet on the lake out of hillmens

Cody and his group are doing well and happy with florida. I got minnesota moved over into the area and now have all three houses on fresh ice. With montana and minnesota open all week I turned off the heat . I’m liking the area I’m at and will work it hard untell the fishing gets bad. Its way easy to get to in all conditions. The temps have dropped and what water is on the lake is glazing over. Floridas banking will turn to solid ice but thats just the way it is. I will head out later to check on the guys. They had odd/different names and I can not remember them at this time.Yesterday I told them to fish all the holes that Kevin and his crew augered they took my advise with the balmy weather and one of the guys landed 4 elusive yet still catchable upp per red lake crappies. I wanted a pic but they ate them

Headed out to new area at the crack of dawn with Kevin and his crew. With all the fog I’m not quite sure where were at other then north west of hillmens road. It will be interesting to see the shoreline once the fog breaks. I moved florida and montana into the area. I did find 15 to 17 inches of ice and I think with these temps we may of lost a inch of ice if not a little more.
Garret went to westwind for breakfast while I moved montana and seemed way happy about the move his plan was to fish untell dark last night before heading home. He had some great fishing and said he could not keep two lines down at one point.
Cody and his crew arrived for florida around three. I had to load up blue thunder with snow to bank the house as there is no snow left on the lake . When I talked to them at 8 they were catching fish so all was good, the fog was so bad I decided not to check in on them if they were ok.
Today I will dig minnesota out and haul her out in that area, I then will move montana a few yards to put it on fresh ice. With those two houses open I will block them up and worry about banking them later this week. I also need to load up blue thunder with some more snow to bank florida before this weather turns cold

JUlie and Gene have had consistant fishing in old minnesota, Peng,Molly,Yoo and Nadide fished florida friday night. They arrived around 8 30 pm and fished untell noon today. I little slow for them. They did miss a few and only landed a couple. They set up there portable for the rest of the day just a few yards from florida and had a little fluurrie around 3. Molly served me a asian dish and I had her send me the receipe chicken lettuce wraps very good.
Garret was in montana last night and had only caught one fish when I checked in on him. He plans on staying around today and fishing montana after I move it. Kevin, Phil, Max, Trent and I headed out yesterday morning to do a little scoutting. The first place we fished At the crack of dawn Max,Kevin and I each landed a 14 inch walleye. I yhink it was the same one all three times. I then headed over to fill the generators while they headed out deeper to spend the day scoutting. They found the mother load later yesterday with Kevin landing a elusive yet still catchable 16 inch crappie. He planns on getting it mouted and it was a beautiful fish. I will be traveling to that spot this morning on a wheeler to see if its possible to get the shacks into that area. I lettle nervouse with all the standing water on the lake and most of the snow meltted away. I’ll measure some spots as we go and look at others before I take the houses that far. It will be interesting to see where they take me as I explained it had to be a area I cann get to. I was way happy with the first place we fished and will have that spot as a second choice.
Gary and his crew of 5 had 5 keepers where they were fishinng. Standing out on the lake enjoying the day they were happy with there catch as Gary said when ws the last time you could stand out on the ice this time of year and catch a few fish with good friends and family.
Roger and his crew of three had 6 in the pail and had caught quite a few over the slot. I escorted Matt out friday evning and I think he said they got 7 over night.

The fishing was alittle slow for Peng,Too,Nataline and molly with only 3 keepers overnight. Old minnesota had Gene and Julie and they had a bite about every hour al night long. Matt and his crew pulled in last night around 10.I set them up in a new area a little deeper and they had 7. I went out this morning with Kevin,Max,Phil and Trent to do some scoutting. We land 3 keepers the first area we fished and they moved to another spot while I went and checked in with my customers

I gave blue thuinder2 another good workout yesterday. All three houses are now on the other side of the burm. Gene and a buddy are arriving this morning for old minnesota. Talked to Hoagie and his buddy they had there 6 and were still fishing. I told them they were not allowed to fish with 6 so they gave me a nice 16incher I brought home for a fish sandwich for lunch, Lettuce tamato tarter sauce on a dried out hoagie bun and it was one of the best fish sandswiches I ever had.
After lunch went and had Gary the farmer I work for weld a couple broken welds on my plow and then prepped old minnesota for Gene. Pang is coming for florida and montana friday evning. Kevin and his buddies will be up friday and staying at the cabin . They are going to do some extra scoutting for me so will see how that goes.Lol

The early ice fishing was hot.As we are now seeing the traffic the shallow bite has slowed a bit. We did manage a dozen out of old minnesota saturday night wit sunday evning very slow although the wife and I only fished a couple hours. Buddy Hillmen has started plowing his road and again will be the best road on the lake in my book

Lyman and Mary headed home Thursday and had a wonderful time.. The fishing was outstanding.
Greg and Gary left yesterday. They also had outstanding fishing with slip bobbers. I missed a good chance to fish Wednesday. The weather looked sketchy so I did not go out for the elusive but still catchable upper red lake crappie

Ihave it all set up 2 nights in the cabin and I can throw in two 18 holes with cart to oak harbor golf course in baude tt. Fishing and golfing what a deal