Jeff Sundin December 30, 2021 "Driving the Drive-Able"

Snowmobilers should be happy now, there are plenty of trails open and from what I saw yesterday, they’ve all been travelled already. There was some traffic on Pokegama Lake when I passed by too and from my vantage point, those snow machines were moving around freely.

I didn’t know for sure what to expect when I left the house, I thought that maybe I’d see back roads clogged with snow and hard to drive on, but they didn’t look that bad.

I was surprised when I got to Splithand Lake on Wednesday that snowfall there, while fairly deep, was not deep enough to stop folks from traveling onto the lake. There was a short road plowed and as you can see, it allowed access via pickup truck to a small group of anglers with permanent shelters on the lake.

On some of the other lakes I checked, there were not any formally plowed roads, but there were some users developed trails. There were slushy spots on them and to me, it was cause for concern. But when I talked to friends, they told me that ice conditions were dry and that travel conditions were fair to good. The reason is that snow did not fall uniformly around the north central Minnesota region, so it’s going to take a while to sort out where the good vs bad spots are.

As we learn more, there will be some reports of slush becoming problematic in CERTAIN AREAS, while folks in other parts of our region will be reporting good travel conditions.

The image of NOAA’s snowfall map, pictured below, shows an estimate of snowfall over the past 72 hours. I zoomed in so it shows areas within the north central Minnesota region, but you can click the image to use the interactive map to check any area you want to. The map indicates that the greater Grand Rapids area received 12 inches of snow, but I think that should be considered the minimum.

Looking at the areas that are most important to me, it appears that ice conditions on Lake of the Woods will be the most favorable over the short term. Rental operators already have a lot of roads open there and soon, anglers with larger shelters will have access to a variety of spots. Walleye anglers should probably take that into consideration when planning their destination for the upcoming weekend.

Bowen Lodge’s post from Lake Winnie on Wednesday says that their total snowfall was closer to 2 feet. That sounds like a lot, maybe enough to cause trouble, but I haven’t been there yet to see for myself. That situation will change soon, I’m on my way up there to check conditions for myself in just a few minutes.

I know that lots of you have time off this weekend and will be interested in knowing where travel conditions are the best. I will get another update posted this evening so if there's any breaking news, you'll have it before tomorrow morning.

That said, there's a lot of ground to cover, so if you're out and about, don't wait for an invitation. Shoot us an email or text the office line with your own updates from the lake. Helping your fellow anglers is contagious, you help somebody out today and they help you out later, you just never know until the day it happens, but it does happen!

Anyway, if your plans for the weekend are already set, have a great time and if not, check back later for more updates. — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism December 30, 2021

"It's been a great week of Ice fishing on the south end of Lake of the Woods. As the ice thickens, some resorts, outfitters and rental operators are allowing 1/2 ton trucks to use their plowed roads. Ice conditions vary from one region to another, so check with indvidual ice road operators for specifics about their systems. Stay on marked ice roads, trails, etc.

Fishing reports for walleyes and saugers are excellent. Most anglers are still catching numbers of walleyes and saugers, sorting through numbers of fish to catch keepers for a fish fry or to take home. Slot and trophy walleyes in the mix along with eelpout, jumbo perch, pike, tullibee, sturgeon and even a crappie or two.

Good action in 24 to 28 feet of water. For those who are portable, some morning evening walleyes are being caught 12 to 17 feet of water along shore.

The one two punch, jigging one line and deadsticking your second line is most effective. Gold, glow, lighted lures, all effective. Lures with vibration and rattles on some days, other days no rattles. Jigging spoons, jigging rap style baits tipped with a minnow head or piece of tail. Rippin Raps in gold or pink UV firetiger are also effective. Vibration pulls fish in, usually not tipped as it takes away vibration.

For your deadstick, a plain glow or colored hook or an ice jig tipped with a live minnow 6 inches to 1 foot off of the bottom.

The Rainy River is ice covered and where there is good ice, anglers are finding walleyes primarily morning and evening. Sturgeon bite continues for the few anglers wanting to catch a dinosaur through the ice.

With the current of the river, knowing where and where not to travel and working through resorts and outfitters who know ice conditions is key.

Up at the NW Angle, the walleye fishing has been excellent with saugers, jumbo perch, and pike occasionally joining the party.

Depending upon where resorts have fish houses, some shallow spots are active mornings and evenings. Other fish houses are located in deeper water to pick at fish all day but not the flurries. Both are fun options.

Again, the one two punch, jigging and deadstick. Glow and bright colors have been effective much like the south shore.

Travel to the Angle without crossing the border. The snowmobile trails along both the west and east sides of the lake are open, groomed and staked for travel up to Angle resorts. The ice runway for Lake Country Air is open and flights are delivering excited anglers from South St. Paul, Baudette, Warroad and other adjacent cities in the five state region. Round trip bombardier service across the lake to your favorite resort via Lake of the Woods Passenger Service is another good option.

Driving via land to and from the Angle through Canada is open. Must be vaccinated and have a negative PCR COVID Test less than 72 hours from when the test was taken. Get tests before you travel up or rapid tests are available in Baudette and in Warroad. Once at the Angle, no additional COVID testing is necessary for traveling back south from the Angle through Canada." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

Jeff Sundin December 29, 2021 "Digging Out of the Snowbanks"

According to the weather history map on the NOAA website, Grand Rapids only received 6 inches of snow during the past 72 hours. But I can tell you that I scraped at least that amount off my roof yesterday morning alone and that was before another day-long snowfall started. Just now, I scraped another 6 inches off the top of my truck, to me, that's 12 inches, at least. However much the total depth was, it’s taken 4 tanks of snowblower gas to allow me to get it almost under control.

This morning, the snow has stopped, and the cold temperatures have set in. Right now, -12 degrees f is the reading outside my office window and the forecast is for a daytime high of about 1 degree. The cold snap, predicted to continue at least through the weekend, offers me an opportunity to get out from behind the snowblower and back into the field. I’ll be able to get some firsthand reports today and provide updates about both fishing and accesses to area lakes on Thursday morning.

Historically, the week after Christmas would mark the official opening for many of the resorts who provide ice accesses, shelters and plowed roads. So, of course, one big question now will be whether the snow is deep enough to cause trouble with slush. Another big question is whether the ice was already thick enough for some of the rental operators to begin plowing roads to the most popular ice fishing spots and whether they have rental shelters available.

I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but beyond the impact on our ice fishing season, I wonder, does this mean that the drought in northern Minnesota is over? — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report December 29, 2021

"Walleye anglers continue to catch quality walleyes on area lakes. Numbers of fish caught, each outing, swings wildly for many anglers. One day you can catch well over a dozen, then the very next day get totally skunked. Gotta love winter walleye fishing! Best bite continues to be reported in 20 feet of water and during the evening hours. Jigging spoons, tipped with a minnow head and dead sticking a good lively shiner or rainbow, continue account for the majority of walleyes being caught.

Big northern pike continue to come up the hole, weather your targeting them or not. Anglers targeting them continue to find the in shallow weedy bays and continue to catch them under a tip up with a live or dead medium suckers. Main lake points near deep water also continues to produce fish.

Panfish - Sunfish and crappie anglers have been finding both fish inside weedbeds and on weedlines. Recent snowfall will cause the weeds to start dying back and both fish will start moving out to deeper water. Wax worms and soft plastics, both tipped on small jigs have been very effective on both crappies and gills. Anglers have been focusing the majority of their time in 15 feet of water and less." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Jeff Sundin Christmas 2021 "One Fishy Christmas Story"

Whenever you look at photos of me fishing during the winter, it’s easy to see that I spend a lot more time chasing panfish than I do Lake Trout. So, when Santa whispered in my ear that Joelle, my honorary daughter, had been hinting about Lake Trout gear for Christmas, I had to do some homework.

After doing some reading, checking with my friends who do chase lakers during winter, I figured out what I thought would work. One stop at 1000 Lakes Sports in Grand Rapids and I had almost everything I needed. A pair of 36-inch medium-heavy ice rods, a couple of matching spinning reels and some “super-line” for handling the big one, if it should happen to swim into strike range.

At our Christmas gathering, both Joelle and her boyfriend Patrick seemed pleased with the selections. Now, all we’d have to do is wait for the trout season to open and for one of them to hook a big one to find out if the gear was good enough to do the job. Unless … something unexpected would happen prior to the trout fishing season.

Sunday morning, 5:00 AM and the new gear is rigged and ready and they are on their way to the walleye hole at the harbor. Fishing with Lindy Rattl’n Flyers for walleyes, they catch several, ranging in size from 8 to 14 inches, fun action, but not much of a stress test for the heavier gear.

While Pat is rigging a dead stick, he leaves his new fishing pole sitting idle and notices a “tick” at the rod tip. That was the start of a 20-minute-long stress-test that ended with a photo session, the subject of which you see pictured here. The 48-inch sturgeon was released soon afterward, but not before it confirmed that the new rods will handle large fish. The ginormous smile on Pat’s face was an unforeseen, happy, side benefit.

We’ll be waiting for more photos updates from the ice when the trout season opens! — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

Jeff Sundin Christmas 2021 "Celebrating the Celebrate-Able"

Like most of you, I'll be taking a little time off for the holidays, spending the next few days enjoying time with family and friends. But before I go "off the grid", there's something that I want to remind you about.

For many, simply making it through 2021 could be considered "Lucky Enough". But this year, there's been a lot more to be thankful for around our house than just that. New grandkids, new in-laws, a successful fishing season and ... well, you get the idea. I am truly grateful for every blessing, but most of all, I am thankful for you!

Your support allows me to make a living doing what I love and for that, I am truly blessed. Whether our friendship has been close, casual, business, pleasure or something in between, I AM thankful beyond words for your support.

Click on the envelope to receive your Christmas Greeting and I'll catch you back here again soon! — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report December 23, 2021

"After a wild week of weather including over 1.5 inches of rain, then snow, we have had excellent ice making weather. Majority of anglers are reporting 8 to 11 inches of good solid ice on area lakes, a few brave anglers have been seen driving small truck on some area lakes. Slush has not been a issue for anyone. Won’t be long now and trucks will be a common sight on area lakes again. Ice roads continue to be maintained to popular spots.

***Fishing Report***

Walleye anglers have been getting out their permanent houses out to popular walleye haunts and reports are showing it. Many anglers have reported good to excellent walleye fishing so far, during the evening and overnights. 20 feet of water continues to be the most popular depth for catching eyes along with a good lively minnow.

Northern Pike angling continues to be excellent for many anglers, with many anglers catching their new personal best. Sucker minnows continue to be the most popular bait of choice, but it seems dead suckers have been a little better then alive. Anglers should focus on weedbeds, with green weeds, in 5 to 12 feet of water.

Crappie anglers have finally started getting out to winter crappie locations and are catching fish. Anglers have been finding fish in 20 to 30 feet of water, in typical mud basins. Once anglers locate the crappies, a small crappie minnow, fished under a bobber, next too a actively fished jig and soft plastic, has been a deadly one two punch. Many anglers have reported catching good numbers and size crappies, so far this year." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Wired2Fish "Ice Walleye Fishing | 4 Tips to Find and Catch" December 23, 2021

"Ice fishing walleyes during the early ice period is a productive sweet spot between the fall feeding period and the late winter doldrums.

McKeon Roberts explains how he locates productive walleye spots through mapping and forward-facing sonar — mapping gets you to the spot and live imaging determines if they’re worth fishing. Roberts then targets walleyes using spoons and a minnow head. The formation of safe walking ice marks this productive fishing period, and walleyes are still vigorously biting with a heightened metabolism.

Walleyes, being low-light feeders, typically become most active at dawn and dusk when they can ... " View Video and Learn More >> Ice Walleye Fishing | 4 Tips to Find and Catch

NEW Fish ED Video December 22, 2021 "Confidence Ice Fishing Tactics for Pressured Panfish"

They just won’t bite!! Every problem has a solution, especially when it comes to finding active fish and triggering a bite in a high traffic ice fishing location.

Watch Jon Thelen and learn locations and clutch deadstick and jigging combinations for pressured crappie and bluegill!

View Video and Learn More >> December 22, 2021 Confidence Ice Fishing Tactics for Pressured Panfish

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism December 21, 2021

"Ice fishing is going strong on the south end of Lake of the Woods. As the ice thickens, resorts and rental outfitters start increasing weight limits. Each area of the lake can have very different ice conditions, check ahead based on where you access the lake. Stay on marked ice roads, trails, etc.

Fishing reports for walleyes and saugers are excellent. Most anglers report catching numbers of fish and having to sort through many small fish to find keepers. Good for the future but make sure you have plenty of bait. Nice numbers of fish in the protected, 19.5 to 28.0 inch slot are being caught, quickly photographed and released. A good population of trophy walleyes over 28.0 inches in the lake and they are being caught as well.

Good action in 21 to 27 feet of water. For those who are portable, some morning and evening fish are being caught from 9 to 18 feet of water along shore.

The one two punch, jigging one line and deadsticking your second line is most effective. Gold, glow colors, lighted lures and lures with vibration and rattles effective on jigging line. A live minnow just off the bottom on the second line for your deadstick. Some using a plain hook, others prefer an ice jig.

Pike anglers are still finding good numbers of pike on tip ups. Plenty of pike being caught by walleye anglers. Eelpout, jumbo perch, tullibees, sturgeon and an occasional crappie showing up as well. You never know on Lake of the Woods.

On the Rainy River... The Rainy River is ice covered and where there is good ice, anglers are finding walleyes and sturgeon. With the current of the river, knowing where and where not to travel and working through resorts and outfitters who know ice conditions is key.

Good fishing this week. The walleye bite is best in the mornings and evenings. Sturgeon are still active and creating some sore arms!

Ice is progressing nicely up at the Northwest Angle and the walleye fishing is starting out good. Depending upon where resorts have fish houses, some are active mornings and evenings with a lull during the day. Others positioned in deeper water pick at fish all day but not the flurries. Both are good options.

The snowmobile trails along both the west and east sides of the lake are open, groomed and staked. The ice runway for Lake Country Air is open and flights are delivering excited anglers. Bomber service across the lake via Lake of the Woods Passenger Service anticipated after Christmas.

Driving via land to and from the Angle through Canada is open. Must be vaccinated and have a negative PCR COVID Test. Plan ahead with testing or rapid tests are available in Baudette and this week in Warroad. Once at the Angle, no additional COVID testing is necessary for traveling back south from the Angle through Canada." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

Wired2Fish 12-21-2021 "Ice Fishing Panfish | How to Find and Stay on Fish"

"Wired2fish’s Ryan DeChaine provides an overview of how he uses forward-facing sonar to quickly find schools of roaming crappies and sunfish and stay on top of them through regular scanning and moving. Live and 360 imaging technologies allow ice anglers to search large areas from a single ice hole quickly. The result is considerably less work and more information by revealing fish (or lack thereof), structure, and cover while spooking far fewer fish.

DeChaine discusses the basics of using Humminbird’s MEGA Live Imaging to determine the distance and direction of fish and where they’re positioned in the water column.

The ice crew then makes precision moves to stay on top of ..." Click Here to Learn More >> Ice Fishing Panfish | How to Find and Stay on Fish

Jeff Sundin December 20, 2021 "Grand Rapids Area Ice Update"

I’m usually not in any big hurry to get in on the first wave of ice fishing. I figure there’s plenty of time for fun whenever there’s enough ice to support snow machines and eventually, pickup trucks. The sensation of “anxiousness” started smoldering inside me this weekend though, the lakes, virtually all of them, are filling up with ice shelters, ATVs, and snowmobiles.

Don’t start warming up your truck yet, but the early word from Winnie is that there will be some access, limited to the east side, Tamarack Bay specifically, for anglers driving light trucks as early as later today. There will be a full update about that as soon as the reports are confirmed.

Ice conditions on the main lake are sketchier. There is enough ice for ATVs and there are some small fishing shelters popping up out there too. But because the ice was blown apart early in its formation, there are rough areas, thin spots, and cracks in random areas. It will take a little longer before anglers can count on using plowed roads.

Rental operators are checking conditions now and setting their “opening dates” accordingly. Every winter, I publish a map of the access points on Winnie, and that will be the subject of an update that will be available in the next day or two.

If you discount driving pickup trucks, then you can be confident that opportunities to ice fish are now widely available. In fact, on a tour of the Grand Rapids area this Sunday, we spotted ice shelters on every lake we checked, including on main lake portions of Pokegama. ATVs dominated as the primary mode of travel, but there were some snowmobiles out there too. Snow cover is minimal, so you won’t find any trails to ride, but there is enough snow to make ice fishing doable.

In my family, there are enough ice anglers so that going into the Christmas weekend, I’m always looking for ice fishing lures and other outdoorsy stocking stuffers.

I’ve noticed this winter that lots of the things, I’m looking for, are in low supply. That said, I have also discovered that I’ve had better success finding them at the local retailers. I think that so many people have become accustomed to ordering online that the internet suppliers got depleted first, and tackle shops still have some inventory.

Case in point, I wanted to stock up on a few specific lindy items this winter, photo right. They were mostly sold out on the internet, but I wound up discovering them within a 20-minute drive of my own house. So, a word to the wise, if you’re still looking for a supply of those hot new lures or fishing gear, don’t give up until you check with the store around the corner, they might just surprise you. — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

Lake of the Woods, Border View Lodge December 20, 2021

"The winter season has been going really well. We have had houses on the lake since Wednesday the 8th. There has been a great number of fish being caught, many little ones, which at times provide constant action allowing the Angler to use only one line. Anglers have caught many large Walleye, Northern and Sturgeon already this year. Presentation has not been much of a factor. A lively minnow on a hook is mostly what is important.

The ice situation is looking great right now. We had some ups and downs to start the month off. There was a layer of ice across the lake on the 1st of December, then on the 2nd we received strong winds which opened most of the lake back up. The wind created piles of broken ice, or open holes between those piles. Then drifting snow filled in the gaps. These spots have still not recovered completely and some of the areas covered with snow are still wet and may only have 4 inches of ice. Other resorts have been struggling with these spots. Fortunately for us, the area we started the season at was not impacted by the freshly opened water or the drifting piles.

Additionally, the wind did not stir the bottom of the lake, having clear water is a great benefit. We are sitting on 10-12 inches of nice clear ice. Currently we are partially limited with options of moving or spreading out too far too soon. The bite has been holding on very well, so if we do not have to move further out yet, that is fine and allows more time for the ice to build further out.

The forecast is single digits and below zero for the overnights this week with nothing over 30 degrees through Christmas. The lake should continue to be making ice with this forecast and we hope that soon after Christmas half ton vehicles will be able to drive out.
Merry Christmas! FISH ON!
" 1-800-PRO FISH — 1-800-776-3474 Border View Lodge

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report December 16, 2021

"After a warmer then average week, last week, ice conditions changed little in the Ely area. Ice thickness on many area lakes is between 5 to 8 inches. Good news is slush is not a issue on the vast majority of area lakes.

Truthfully we have gotten no reports of slush being a serious issue anywhere. Only lakes where it is a little bit of a issue is the smaller lakes in the area. Even then, 1 to 2 inches of slush isn’t much of a issue. Snow cover on area lakes range from 3 to 5 inches. Ice roads have started being plowed and maintained with 4 wheelers on a few of the more popular area lakes. Smaller permanent houses have also begun to pop up on area lakes.

Pike - Pike fishing has been hot, hot, hot for both numbers and size of pike. Anglers continue to find active pike in 5 to 10 feet of water, in weedbeds and weedlines. River mouths and mouths of shallow bays are also worth noting as areas to check. Medium sized suckers, preferably dead, has been very effective when fished under a tip up.

Walleye - Walleye fishing has been good this last week. Interestingly the best reports have been coming in 10-15 feet of water this last week. Angler found active walleyes right on top of shallow, rocky points, and on weedlines. Rippin raps or buckshot spoon have been effective on calling walleyes in and getting bites. Shiners or rainbows fished under a bobber also remains effective for the little less active walleyes that won’t hit a aggressive bait." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism December 14, 2021

"Ice fishing has begun and fish houses are out on most areas at the south end of Lake of the Woods. But anglers take caution, the lake is big and ice conditions vary greatly, so be safe and work through a resort or outfitter. Stick to their marked ice roads, trails and fishing areas where they have already checked ice conditions.

Fishing reports are excellent overall. Early ice is a great time traditionally and this year is no different. Good numbers of walleyes and saugers with eelpout, pike, perch and tullibees mixed in.

Anglers are fishing from 8 to 27 feet of water depending upon the time of day and in some cases, what ice conditions allow. Some good walleyes caught early morning and last light in shallow water. This bite can happen all winter as some walleyes will come up shallow to feed low light.

The one two punch, jigging one line and deadsticking your second line is most effective. Gold, glow colors, lures with vibration and rattles, jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head or tail working well. Live minnow just off the bottom on the second line.

As a general rule, snowmobiles, ATV's and side by sides are being allowed so far. For those fishing in resort fish houses, they will transport you out via light ice rigs.

Pike anglers are finding good numbers of big pike, some taken by spearing, some caught caught by anglers using hook and line. Most of the pike action is still taking place in the shallow water, back bays, but some are enjoying great success tip up fishing on the main lake.

Extreme safety is always important, especially so with early ice conditions. Each resort or outfitter will share info as it is available.

The Rainy River is ice covered and where there is good ice, anglers are finding both walleyes and sturgeon. With the current of the river, knowing where and where not to travel and working through resorts and outfitters who know ice conditions is key.

Sturgeon have been cooperative through the ice this week. With a larger hole and beefed up equipment, those targeting dinosaurs are having great success.

Ice is progressing nicely up at the Northwest Angle. Some local snowmobile travel has been happening in marked areas with good ice conditions. Like every year, there are areas with cracks, current, etc. Stay on marked trails when things open up. Check with your favorite NW Angle resort for specifics.

Travel to and from the Angle via land through Canada is open. Must be vaccinated and have a negative PCR COVID Test. Plan ahead with testing or rapid tests are available in Baudette and soon in Warroad. Once at the Angle, no additional COVID testing is necessary for traveling back south from the Angle through Canada.

Want to avoid crossing the border? Snowmobilers can take the groomed and staked trail across the lake. Charter transport via bombardiers on the ice trail or flights over the lake landing on an ice runway are available through the LOW Passenger Service and Lake Country Air this winter." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

Jeff Sundin December 13, 2021 "Ice Fishing Season Opener"

If you discount Upper Red Lake out as the outlier, then it would be fair to say that for most folks, this weekend was the “ice fishing opener”. This morning, there are a lot of ice anglers who are happy that they went too, the weather was nice, the fish were biting and traveling on the ice wasn’t bad either.

Just in my circle of friends alone, there were reports of good walleye fishing on Lake of the Woods, both walleyes and crappies hitting near the Grand Rapids region and my friend Dustin Monson, pictured left, reported catching a mixed bag of panfish and crappies in the Brainerd area.

Ice thicknesses ranging between 6 and 9 inches were reported, but the median 7 to 8 inches was most common. Some of the images that folks shared with me showed areas of slush on the ice, some of them didn’t. On that front, Mother Nature is apparently allowing us a “do-over”. After a few more days of warm weather, followed by another cold snap, we should observe improving surface conditions, wherever they’re needed.

Also judging by shared photos, travel by ATV was obviously possible over the weekend. But there were still a lot of folks “hoofing it” to their favorite early ice season spots. For me, walking out on the ice is my favorite way to fish, so I’m planning to travel on foot as often as I can. But I did get the snowmobile fired up and when the snow gets too deep for walking, that becomes my favorite way to fish.

So, here’s another example of how the supposed “supply chain shortages” are affecting me personally this season. When I walked into my favorite snowmobile service shop, the first thing I said to the service manager was that I was afraid they had stopped sealing snowmobiles. When I drive by the store, I don’t see any outside and I wondered out loud, “are you guys still in the snowmobile business?” He said yes, snowmobiles are still part of our business, but we just can’t get any product. “Whenever they come in, you’ll see ‘em outside the front window again.”

Luckily, they still have some parts in stock, so I was able to buy a new battery for my sled. I was so happy to get the one I wanted that I didn’t bother grousing about the price. The last battery I bought cost me $79 and at the time, that was a fairly steep price. This one listed for $197, but the service manager felt so guilty about the massive increase that he cut me a deal and sold it to me for only $150. Not bad, the “discounted” price was only double the full retail price of my last purchase.

My story isn’t unusual, the same thing is happening to everybody who does anything. But I guess I just wanted to scratch my head out loud. I’m hoping that sooner, rather than later, we start to see somebody leading us out of this mess.

Now that we’ve got the tree up and added Christmas decorations to our humble abode, I can plan for my first walk on the ice. Looking at the short-range forecast, I can’t see waiting too long, I might even do that today. — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

Jeff Sundin December 9, 2021 "Firsthand Reports: Itasca Region Ice Tour"

Wednesday’s ice tour began here in Grand Rapids when Jeff Wilkening, appealing to my plea for someone to provide transportation, picked me up. He asked which I wanted to go and not having any better idea, I asked him to follow a familiar path from east to west.

At this time of the season, I never know what to expect, if I’ll see something interesting or not. But like I explained to Jeff, if you don’t go, you won’t know and someplace along the line, you always learn something. If what Jeff and I learned Wednesday is any indication, it was that news about ice fishing someplace other than Upper Red Lake will begin flowing soon. In fact, in some instances, you can expect to hear new fish stories from around the Itasca Region later today.

Our tour started with a drive by the east side of Bass Lake, where not a lot was going on. To the naked eye, the ice looked good, there were no grey spots indicating slush or open water. But there were no tracks leading out onto the lake either, indicating that nobody has ventured out since Sunday’s snowfall. This is typically one of the first places where I see folks walking out, so I took the empty parking area as a sign that we probably wouldn’t see many anglers on our trip.

That early assessment turned out to be correct, we did not see many folks fishing. But signals that folks are getting ready to fish did pop up in several places.

The next leg of our drive took us across County Road 19 and the crossing between Deer and Moose Lakes. Deer Lake, as you might expect, still has open water in the center, but less than I anticipated seeing. It wouldn’t surprise me if the mid-section was skimmed over really soon, but for sure, there won’t be anyone out there this weekend.

Across the road, Moose Lake was hard to read, but from where we stood, it appeared that there must have been open water before the snowstorm. I could be wrong, but to me, the lake’s mid-section appeared to be frozen, but shiny and fresh looking, like it has only frozen over within the past day or two. The areas closer to shore appeared to be more solidly frozen and the windblown snow was patchy, not deep. Someone had taken a walk out from the parking area, probably to try drilling a couple test holes, but there was no evidence that they had actually wet a line.

North on Highway 6 and west across the Oteneagen Road to Bowstring’s south landing was next. The road was plowed, and travel conditions were good all the way to the boat ramp. There were plenty of parking spots opened, but nobody was parked in any of them. If anybody had taken a walk out onto the ice, it happened before the snowfall.

My tracks were the first ones in the snow since the storm. Here too, the snow was shallow and patchy, and I was surprised by that. Since the wind was blowing hard from the west-northwest during the snowstorm, this south landing should have been where a lot of it drifted and stacked up. I took the lack of deep snow as a good sign, maybe slush won’t be too bad in this stretch of ice for a while.

We skipped looking at the north side of Bowstring because Jeff was interested in seeing Dixon Lake. So, we headed north on Highway 46, cutting across County Rd 33 moving west. At Dixon Lake Resort, we talked with Todd about what they have going on. He reported that the road into Third River is open and that they are beginning to place their spearing houses onto the ice. Todd says 8 inches is the average thickness out there and that the snow cover isn’t too deep.

On Dixon Lake itself, the ice isn’t that good yet, he said they found about 5 inches of ice from the shoreline out to the river channel. But at the river channel, 2 to 2-1/2 inches was the best they could find, not enough to support much weight just yet.

From Dixon Lake, we backtracked out to Hwy 46 and moved north to Squaw Lake, where we checked on the south landing of Round Lake. Two sets of snowmachine tracks split off from that landing, but we didn’t see evidence of anybody fishing on the ice. Kari (Leino-Smith) at Leino’s Riverside Pub told us that she’d already seen snowmobiles out on the lake last weekend. The shallow water lake typically freezes fast anyway, but this year the ultra-low water levels might has set the freeze up into motion even earlier than usual.

By the way, I didn’t know that Leino’s had begun serving food until we stopped there yesterday. It not only gave us a great excuse to have lunch, but Mrs. Sundin was thrilled by the surprise I brought home last night. A quart container of Sandy Leino’s famous Wild Rice Soup; it was delicious! I guess you can’t always get the soup, it is not on the menu, but occasionally, Sandy whips up a batch and when she does, they do offer it in limited supply.

By the time we left Leino’s, it was getting late, so we scheduled one last stop at the Pines Resort on Lake Winnibigoshish. I’d received a text from Chad earlier in the day saying that their plan was to be open today, December 9, 2021 but when we got to the resort, we couldn’t find anybody to confirm that. This morning.

I checked to see if he’d posted anything on the internet and found this; “ICE UPDATE, 8 to 10 inches of ice measured today in Tamarack Bay. The ice begins to thin as you venture toward the main part of the lake. The Pines Resort is opening on December 10th, 2021, for the ice fishing season.  Access will be open to ATVs, UTVs and snowmobile traffic this weekend.

NEW THIS YEAR- FULL BAR at the lodge and don’t forget about the new ice castle options! Cabin reservations are filling quickly, don’t wait to make your reservation.”

I mentioned that it was running late, so we’d skipped looking at Cutfoot Sioux. But while I was sniffing around the internet, I found an interesting post from Bryan Harris at Eagle Nest Lodge. Because I didn’t want to wait until sunrise to get permission, I borrowed his comments and the accompanying photo (). I hope I don’t get in trouble, but my guess is that he’ll give me the okay to let you in on his report.

Harris: “Cutfoot Sioux finally froze over completely yesterday. I just checked the ice in front of the resort, an inch or so of slush close to shore on about 5 inches of ice. Out farther, closer to 8' deep water, it was 3 to 4 inches of good ice, no slush.  There's about 4 inches of snow on top of the ice that has been there for a while. No snow on the fresh ice out by the bar.”

You've probably noticed already that I haven't said a lot about Upper Red Lake. With all of the attention that lake gets, I don't think that I have much to add right now. I will say that many of the outfitters are reporting that strong sinds blew most of the snow off of the ice. Rental operators are beginning to place ice fishing shelters on the ice. Travel by ATV is now common.

Thanks again to Jeff Wilkening for carting me around on Wednesday and thanks again to all of you who offered a ride, it does my heart good to know how many were willing to help out.!

For me, another day without wheels will keep me in the office. But after I get caught up on paperwork, I'll be gathering my ice fishing gear, firing up the snowmobile and making ready for my own first trip onto the ice; more on that later. — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

"Aggressive Spoon Techniques for Quality Ice Walleyes" NEW Fish ED Video December 2021

Attracting more fish and triggering more strikes is what every ice angler wants to accomplish!

Understanding walleye behavior and adapting to their moods is the difference between having a "decent day" on the water or having a fantastic one. Whether it's lure selection, fishing location or fine tuning your final presentation, knowing when to apply the best tactic is key to maximizing your time on the ice.

In this new epsiode of Fish ED, Jon Thelen shares with you how an aggressive Glow Spoon technique can help put more quality walleye topside this winter! View Video and Learn More >> Aggressive Spoon Techniques for Quality Ice Walleyes

Jeff Sundin December 8, 2021 "Ice Reports North Central Minnesota"

First off, I want to say thank you to everybody who responded to my note about taking me on a tour to check ice conditions yesterday. I have to say that it’s really nice to KNOW that there are so many giving people among the readership of my little website. I never expected that I’d get more responses than I could handle, but I did, and do so we’re good to go, thank you all again!

Anyway, reports from around the area are shaping up to be better than I was expecting. The strong winds that arrived with the weekend snowstorm did blow a lot of the snow off the surfaces. So, Monday and Tuesday’s cold temperatures have had a chance to work their magic. Not many folks have ventured far away from shore yet, but some of the reports yesterday indicated ice thicknesses of up to 8 inches in shallow, backwater areas. Spear houses are popping up in the bays and I’ll bet foot traffic will begin in a lot of areas this weekend.

Don’t get too excited, too fast, there are still reports about open water too. But these are coming from folks on lakes that either have deeper water or have large expanses of water exposed to the strong winds. The scenario isn’t much different than any typical early ice season, avoid deep water lakes, avoid current areas, avoid areas with heavy snow cover. If you focus on shallow water lakes, especially larger ones that were exposed to strong winds, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to walk out this weekend.

I’m purposely not mentioning specific lakes and I’m not suggesting that Itasca Region lakes are green for go this weekend. That’s because the last thing I need is to lose a single reader and I definitely don’t want to hear from anybody about having trouble out there because of my advice!

The weather overnight favored ice making and should continue to stay “cold enough” throughout the day. Today, we’ll bring a drill and tape measure so I can be somewhat more specific about ice thickness and snow depth. After that, I’ll provide a more detailed report on Thursday morning so you can decide if you want to take a walk this weekend. — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

December 8, 2021 — "Where To Buy Rattl'n Quiver Spoon?"

Q) Peggy Aldridge wrote; "Jeff, my husband and I saw the original Quiver Spoon in one of your articles a few years ago. We gave them a try and loved them, so when I saw your article yesterday, I thought the new rattling version would be a nice stocking stuffer for Christmas.

We love to shop locally, but tackle shops in our region are not very handy and when I tried a couple of the big box stores, I could not find them in stock. Can you please save me some time and let me know a good store to order from?

A) Thanks for the note Peggy, I'm like you and if I can buy something here in Grand Rapids or a nearby town, I always will shop locally too. But sometimes it just isn't that simple. You might have missed it yesterday, but I actually already included a link to Lurenet. The Lurenet website is always my fall back plan when I can find my favorite fishing lures in the stores around here. I especially like that I don't have to scroll through pages of unrelated junk before I find the items I'm looking for.

I did a quick check of the site this morning and they do have them in stock right now. So, either click on the image or use this link to order >> the Lindy Rattl'n Quiver Spoon.

I hope you fill up the Christmas stockings with them and that you catch tons of fish using them this winter, good luck! — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism December 8, 2021

"Ice has covered the south side of Lake of the Woods and in some areas, ice fishing has begun! Other parts of the lake need a bit more time but things are moving along nicely. It is always a good idea to work through your favorite resort or outfitter as ice thickness and conditions vary from one area to another.

When ice roads and trails do open up, it is normally snowmobiles, ATV's and side by sides with collapsible fish houses initially. As the ice thickens, each ice road operator will announce when weight limits increase.

Some resorts are getting fish houses out and fishing is beginning this week. This is happening in areas of good ice that has been checked and marked. The initial word is fishing is very good!

Spearing and tip up fishing for pike on back bays has been going well with a nice variety of eaters along with the trophies at over 40".

Extreme safety is always important, especially so with early ice conditions. Each resort and outfitter will share info as it is available.

The Rainy River is ice covered, but with the current of the river throughout the year, knowing where and where not to travel on the ice is a must. Work through resorts or outfitters for safety as some areas are not safe.

Pike, walleyes and sauger are being caught in areas where ice conditions allow, back bays and areas with low current that have been checked and marked.

As the ice gets thicker in December, a snowmobile trail will be staked from Baudette to Wheeler's Point offering travel on the river, Mother Nature dictating of course. When it opens, stay on the trail for safety. No trail is marked yet.

Ice is progressing nicely up at the Northwest Angle. Some local snowmobile travel has been happening in marked areas with good ice conditions. Like every year, there are areas with cracks, current, etc. Stay on marked trails when things open up. Ice fishing for some will begin next week. Check with your favorite NW Angle resort for specifics.

Travel to and from the Angle via vehicle through the 40 miles of Canada is open. Must be vaccinated and have a negative PCR COVID Test. Plan ahead with testing or rapid tests are available in Baudette and soon in Warroad. Once at the Angle, no additional COVID testing is necessary for traveling back south from the Angle through Canada.

Want to avoid crossing the border? Snowmobilers can take the groomed and staked trail across the lake. Charter transport via bombardiers on the ice trail or flights over the lake landing on an ice runway are available through the LOW Passenger Service and Lake Country Air this winter." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

Jeff Sundin December 7, 2021 "Ice Reports North Central Minnesota"

It had been 2 years since the last time I, or anyone else for that matter, was at the St. Paul Ice Fishing Show. So, when I arrived for my first shift in our Lindy Fishing Tackle booth, last Friday, it wasn’t clear whether we’d see much in the way of advances in ice fishing technology or not.

Lindy, playing it safe this season, held the new offerings down to the introduction of the “Lindy Rattl'n Quiver Spoon”. A slightly more aggressive lure than its original, and highly productive counterpart, “The Lindy Quiver Spoon”, the rattling version offers a single rattle that lives inside of the new chambered eyeball. The single rattle gives the lure just enough of a “tick” to attract attention as it flutters down slowly through the water column. But, keeping with the original intent of the Quiver Spoon, holds onto the slow fall rate and super flashy, high visibility presentation. The lure, in my opinion, is a solid addition to Lindy’s ice lineup and I’m looking forward to using it this winter.

Outside our booth, it soon became evident that most companies are reserving the introduction of new, breakthrough products for a time when supplies are easier to get and folks needing employment are easier to come by. While I did see a few nifty gadgets that I hadn’t seen before, I learned that while they may have been new to me, they were not new this year.

Now, I’d love to tell you about a few of them, but if I do, you’re only going to learn the same thing I did at the show. While they are beautiful to look at, delightful to hold, if you try to buy one, the ticket reads SOLD! I’m not saying that there wasn’t anything for sale at the show, there obviously was. But for me, it was virtually impossible to buy anything that I really wanted. I found some boots that I loved, but they were all sold out, so was the nifty little aerator I wanted to pick up and even when I tried to buy a new electric ice auger, I couldn’t get the size and model that I needed.

As you may expect, my takeaway from the ice show is that if you’re looking for some ice gear for the upcoming season, don’t putz around, find it, buy it and stash it away. From what I can see, the philosophy applies to everything, even fishing lures, get ‘em while the getting is good!

On my trip home Sunday, I observed 2 kinds of lakes. Ones that didn’t have any ice yet and ones that had some ice but being rapidly covered with snow. Depending on where you go specifically, north central Minnesota received anywhere from about 5 to 12 inches of snow. In my yard, 10 inches was about the deepest spot.

Honestly, I don’t expect anyone to be too optimistic about ice conditions for the upcoming weekend, but I do see some glimmers of hope. As the accompanying image shows, the view from William's Narrows Resort overlooking Cutfoot Sioux does not look overly dramatic. There's snow on the ice, but it doesn't appear to be as deep as the snow in my own yard. A post yesterday from Dixon Lake Resort mentioned that the access road leading to Third River on the north side of Winnie was open. They say that there's about 8 inches of ice, covered with only about 3 inches of snow and that they were setting out their ice shelters yesterday.

I could imagine news like that could be repeated today, conditions on the north and west side of lakes, like the Third River Flowage could be in fairly good shape. That's becasue the air was cold and the winds were brisk from the west-nortwest as the snow fell. On Monday, most everyone I know spent the day digging out from the storm, so nobody spent a lot of time assessing the lakes for ice conditions. But I think most folks should feel more relaxed toeday and I’ll be able to narrow down some additional, accurate information about lake ice conditions.

Ordinarily, I’d just hop in my truck and go for a ride to see firsthand, but I don’t have any wheels until I get it back from Maki’s Auto Body. If you know Dylan, you can get him to tell you why it’s in there. OR, if you’re willing to pick me up and give me a ride for a tour of the area, I’ll tell you the story myself. I’ll even pick up the tab for gas and buy you lunch, ring me if you’re up for it. — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

Jeff Sundin December 3, 2021 "Ice Reports North Central Minnesota"

Last week, it seemed certain that the ice season was going to be on track for an average start up. In fact, friends of mine have already been fishing on the ice in North Central Minnesota, some of them several times. But if events along my drive down to the Twin Cities mean anything, the ice fishing season for many could actually be getting further away, instead of closer.

As I was talking with Evan Nelson, Highbanks Resort, about how the wind was blowing open large swaths of open water on Lake Winnibigoshish, I arrived at Mille Lacs Lake to find it wide open. The accompanying photo (left) taken at Garrison shows that anglers would be better off with a boat than an ice shelter right now.

Chris Andresen, Mankato MN posted; “Not many times a person can fish out of the boat in December; this is one of them.”

Folks that had been travelling on foot to fish the shallow breaklines on Upper Red Lake began encountering large cracks and ice-ridges a couple of days ago.

Conditions vary so widely up there now that there is no way to post a single update that covers all the possible scenarios. The resorts and outfitters up there are getting blasted with phone calls already, some of them have stopped answering their phones. So, the best advice I can offer is to follow them on the internet and hope that they take the time to provide occasional updates.

I’m sure that the topic will come up today at the ice show and whatever information that comes along will be passed along as soon as practical.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to see what sort of crowd the ice show attracts this year. Originally, I thought it might be slow, but seeing conditions deteriorate makes me think that crowds could be more robust than I originally anticipated. I’ll be watching that, along with what’s new in terms of fishing gear and equipment, so watch for comments about that as well. — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

News Release December 2, 2021: "Walleye Workgroup Meeting Announced"

"If you’ve had some random thoughts about walleyes, walleye stocking, walleye limits or how to improve the walleye fishing in Minnesota, then this is one chance to speak up. The Minnesota DNR Walleye Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet this Friday, December 3, 2021.

Among the agenda items for tomorrow’s meeting are the statewide walleye bag limit reduction from 6 fish down to 4 fish. Walleye stocking is on the list too, specifically, what to do about lakes that were not stocked last year because of hatchery closures. Legalizing 2 line fishing in certain areas on certain waters is open for discussion too.

It may not be widely publicized, but members of these workgroups are akin to your “local representation” and often share anecdotal accounts and field reports from anglers that they meet throughout the year. Look here, on the Minnesota DNR website and you’ll find the list of members not only for the walleye group, but for 4 other fisheries workgroups as well.

While the public listing does not include contact information, most of these folks have pages on the internet, or are members of other public groups that are easy to locate. So, click on the list and check out the names of group members, then do a little research, contact one of them and share your thoughts."

Wired2Fish "Ice Fishing Safety: Essential Gear and Knowledge"

Whether driving to work or heading out fishing on a sheet of ice, there is an inherent risk in many of our daily activities. And while you can never label ice as 100% safe, having some basic knowledge, gear, and commonsense makes it a safe and enjoyable activity.

Famed multi-species fishing guide, Tony Roach, discusses some essential clothing, equipment, and, most importantly, key ice thickness criteria related to different modes of transport (foot, AVT/UTV/snowmobile, truck).

Follow these guidelines to maximize safety before heading out to ..."View Video to Learn More >> Ice Fishing Safety: Essential Gear and Knowledge

Jeff Sundin December 1, 2021 "Ice Reports North Central Minnesota"

After relaxing my way through the Thanksgiving holiday and then the opening weekend of Minnesota’s Muzzleloader Deer hunting season, I decided it was time to get out on the road and see what the ice looks like in the Grand Rapids region on Tuesday. So I left home early, camera in the front seat and muzzleloader in back, just in case I spotted an opportunity to hunt somewhere along the way.

I drove north along Hwy 38, then east toward Wabana, then back north toward Suomi and eventually wiggled my way over to both Bowstring and Winnie. Essentially, I saw everything I expected to see except for one thing; I did not see anybody ice fishing and that was a surprise.

I know that winter sort of crept up on us this year and that not everybody has been chomping at the bit to ice fish. But honestly, I saw more ice yesterday than I did on the same date last year, when there was already a modest number of ice anglers spread out across the region. The accompanying image of Bowstring Lake shows that the ice is fully snow covered, indicating that the lake was already completely frozen over before the snowfall that occurred on Sunday night. Most all of the other shallower lakes looked like just that on Tuesday too and that’s why I was amazed that I did not at least see test holes drilled on some of them.

Wabana Lake, pictured below, was not yet frozen over and neither were Caribou, Deer or North Star. So, most of the area’s deep-water lakes will likely need at least another week or two before they’ll be ready for ice fishing.

From what I could see, Lake Winnibigoshish was frozen over completely too, but take that observation with a grain of salt. I did not spend a lot of time looking at the lake from all the potential vantage points. I did note that there were no spear houses set up at Plughat Point, and if there were any along the north shore at Bowen’s Flats, I could not see them. I did not drive up to Third River, but I would have expected to see some spear houses if I had.

As usual, folks are fishing on Upper Red Lake already, but the masses have not arrived yet. The accesses are not all open and the situation is fluid, so if you’re thinking about a tip in that direction, call ahead to be sure that you can get on at the landing you plan to use.

Today, I can feel myself entering the on-ramp leading to the ice fishing superhighway. Thanks in part to the re-opening of the St. Paul Ice Fishing Show, the seasonal trajectory begins this Friday as I’ll attend the ice show this weekend. Early next week, I will look after have a few administrative details early in the week and then I’ll be searching for likely early ice fishing spots shortly after that. Within the next 10 days, my ice-fishing season will be in full swing.

By now, you’ve been told to be careful plenty of times already, so I won’t pile on. Just remember, I can’t afford to lose any readers, so please watch your step out there! — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism December 1, 2021

"On the south end... Ice is forming across the lake, river and bays. We are moving in a good direction, but need some more time before ice fishing begins.

The first spear houses are out on back isolated bays looking for pike. Some resorts offer spearing packages on Zippel Bay and Bostic Bay. Work through a resort as ice conditions vary. One resort reports 5-7 inches on their marked trail but they went around an area with only 1 inch of ice caused by springs. Safety first.

Our resorts and outfitters are on the ice daily checking thickness, avoiding springs, cracks, shifting ice, unclear and weak ice, etc. When the time comes they open their ice trails, stay on the trails for safety.

The main basin, Big Traverse Bay, is ice covered in most areas. As most years, some of the shoreline ice is made up of slush that has blown in and frozen. When resorts / outfitters start grooming, they will smooth the ice out for good ice travel. We have a good start!

Many LOW resorts / outfitters are providing ice reports on their Facebook pages this time of year. These are the experts on the ice and they will let you know when the part of the lake they fish is ready for travel.

On the Rainy River... The Rainy River is ice covered. With the current of the river throughout the year, knowing when, where and where not to travel on the ice is a must.

Typically, later in December, a snowmobile trail will be staked from Baudette to Wheeler's Point offering travel on the river, Mother Nature dictating of course. When it opens, stay on the trail for safety.

Up at the NW Angle... Angle Inlet and various areas throughout the islands of the NW Angle are ice covered. A bit of local snowmobile travel in a few areas but no ice fishing as of yet. Things are coming along nicely with little snow.

Travel to and from the Angle via vehicle through the 40 miles of Canada is open. Must be vaccinated and have a negative PCR COVID Test. Plan ahead with testing or rapid tests are available in Baudette and soon in Warroad. Once at the Angle, no additional COVID testing is necessary for traveling back south from the Angle through Canada.

Want to avoid crossing the border? Snowmobilers can take the groomed and staked trail across the lake. Charter transport via bombardiers on the ice trail or flights over the lake landing on an ice runway are available through the LOW Passenger Service and Lake Country Air this winter." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

You Are Invited To Become A Duly Deputized Fishrapper Cub Reporter

If you've been waiting for a gold engraved invitation to participate in the daily reports, then stop waiting and consider this your own personal invitation.

Helping your fellow fishermen and women stay abreast of fishing conditions in your area is good for everybody and it's easier than you think!

You don't have to write a book, you don't have to share your secret fishing spots and you don't even have to mention your lake. But even a few words about general trends, seasonal patterns and local weather conditions can really help.

Be like me, become a duly deputized "Cub Reporter", it's good for fishing! Contact Us or if you prefer to be "social", Fishing Reports Minnesota, the Facebook counterpart to this page is open to the public, so you can post your own fishing update or just share a photo of a nice catch.