With the weather we have been experiencing, the ice conditions may not be ideal in our part of the state, but there is still fishing to be done before the February 26th deadline for game fish. Crappies, sunnies and perch are continuous.
Locally, the walleye bite has slowed down but there are still perch, crappie and sunnies to be had. The City Beach area seems to be best for sunnies. Crappies have been biting on some areas of Fountain and also in the channel. The ice on Fountain is 7-10 inches in most areas and the channel is reportedly quite a bit thicker.
I find it amazing we have so many fishermen in the area who enjoy the sport of ice fishing. I guess amazing is a pretty strong statement considering we are Minnesotans and most of us do love our outdoors, but just counting the number of houses on the channel, permanent or temporary, it is pretty impressive.
The thing about ice fishing is that you can sit on the water in a portable shelter or just on a bucket and still not have a lot of money invested. This is a great way to take advantage of another one of the things that our great outdoors has to offer the sportsman in Minnesota.
This is the time of year when I usually start to get the dreaded “cabin fever.” However, this year’s mild winter almost makes me feel guilty about wishing for spring. If you want to do a little “damage control” and make waiting for spring a little easier, there are numerous sports shows coming up in the next couple months. Although I haven’t attended one for quite a few years, I have always found them to be a great way to get the adrenaline flowing and the blood pumping in anticipation of the open water fishing that lies ahead.
Another great pacifier for open water fishing is watching fishing shows. Although I don’t see myself fishing for peacock bass in South America or marlin off the coast of Florida, there are numerous shows that concentrate on fishing in the Midwest. In fact, a variety of shows concentrate on Minnesota and Wisconsin in particular.
Looking back at past winters that were indeed a lot more seasonal, I can recall spending many a Saturday afternoon in the basement cleaning out and rearranging my tackle boxes while listening to Ray Christensen broadcasting Gopher basketball games or Al Shaver calling a North Stars hockey game. To me, Ray Christensen was the voice of Gopher sports and Al Shaver could call a hockey game like no other. As for the cleaning of tackle boxes, just listening to those two guys made it that much more enjoyable.
Until next time, play safe, watch out for thin ice, good fishin’ and enjoy the Minnesota outdoors experience.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during the holidays and the coming year. They are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.