Christmas Break Brings Walleyes!

Well hello again!I sure hope that you had a very merry Christmas vacation. Actually, I'm sure many of you are still enjoying your break from the office or school. If that's the case, then I suggest you make it a point to get out on the water and catch a few walleyes.Here's a tip, theyare biting! This update spans a stretch of several days, so bear with me as I highlight the latest and greatest on the ice.

Last Tuesday evening I was joined by a newcomer to the sport of ice fishing. Jeremy hopped on the back of the wheeler, and we were off to the shack. Jeremy is fairly new to ice fishing, and had only caught one walleye through the ice in his entire life. Ironically, that came only a few days prior to our trip, but he said it was very small. I was hoping to increase his totals drastically, and teach him a few things to help in the future. It was a fairly relaxed tutorial as we set up in preparation for the afternoon bite. I call it the "afternoon bite" instead of an "evening bite,"because the day before, we had 3 walleyes in the jar before the sun even thought about setting. Anyway, we were ready to fish by 3:30, and played the waiting game. Similar to the previous day, we had action before darkness set in. Jeremy learned how to catch a walleye on everything but his jigging rod, and even found out what it was like to lose a nice fish in hand-to-hand "rattle reel" combat. He went 2 for 3 on the rattle reels, and 1 for 2 on the tip-ups. Throw in a few dozen perch, and I would call this a successful excursion. By the time we wrapped it up that evening, Jeremy had tripled his lifelong totals for walleyes, and hopefully will be well prepared for the big trip in a few days. Jeremy will be back for 4 days on the water. Joining him on this will be his wife who has been stationed in Iraq, and 3 buddies from Texas. Stay tuned for these reports late next week!

Jump forward a few days to Saturday. The time between Tuesday and Saturday were filled with Holiday gatherings and family time. Ok, so we pulled out Mike's house and geared up for the first over-night stay of the year. Obviously this is my favorite way to ice fish, so I was pretty jazzed to get the house on the spot. Katie and her pup Woody joined me, and she was first to land a walleye. Not a giant, but a nice lead-in to what Mike was about to catch. After I dropped Katie off on shore, I returned to the house to nestle in the sleeping bag.I didn't even get zipped in, and Mike was out of the bunk. Ding, Ding, Ding! The beautiful sound of the rattle reel turning. After an intense and well fought out battle by Mike, we were high-fiving and all smiles as we hoisted the first 10 pounder of the year. Talk about a good way to start the over night season. The fish was 29 inches long, and had an 18 inch belly. A true Minnetonka Fatty that is still out there for the next guy. Before the sun rose, we were greeted by a few more ding's from the rattle reels, and we put two more eaters in the jar. A great night on the ice, and a congrats to Mike on the trophy!

Last night Katie and I returned for an afternoon bite. Before the sun could set, we battle two nice eaters onto the ice. It was pretty hectic as the perch and walleyes were mixed, and the rattles were dinging like crazy. The funny part is you never know what to expect when its such chaos. One time it's a small perch, and the next you set the hook on what feels like a rock. Good stuff, and made for a great sunset picture. We left for evening church shortly after that, and I returned with Mike to spend the night. The wind picked up in the middle of the night, and the fish locked their jaws. Oh well, there's always next time.  I will also add that I don't know if I have ever been in a fish house during that kind of wind.  It felt like we were going to blow right over.  I think it slid my truck a few feet across the glare ice as well.  Crazy Wind!  Well, now that the ice is in good enough shape to move the houses, I anticipate many photos and stories from Mike and I. Stay tuned, and remeber, Keep on Livin' the Dream!

Lake Minnetonka Walleyes

For most, this cold weather means it's time to hunker down by the fire, or find inside activities to pass the time.  Not for this guy!  While I find massive cold fronts to slow a bite down drastically, I do know one thing.  You cannot catch a fish while sitting on your couch.  Yes it has been cold, but it has been cold for several days now.  With that being said, I just had to get back on the ice last night.  I considered it a mini vacation from the hustle and bustle of the holidays and happenings.

Dusty and I headed out to Tonka in search of ol' marble eyes.  Until this recent cold snap, most of the lake had only minimal ice, and 1 to 2 inches was the norm.  Last night we were able to get to any spot that we wanted to fish.  I chose a honey hole that I have been anticipating all year.  Last season we spanked 'em on this particular weed edge, and I was hoping for more of the same.

After about 30 minutes of trying to thaw the frozen gear, we were finally fishing.  Soon after, the sun hit the horizon and I was battling the first fish of the evening.  Regardless of what Dusty will tell ya, I do think this fish was on steroids, and I don't believe that it was a walleye.  A quick blip on the vexilar, and the set-line almost flew under the ice.  As quickly as the bobber popped, the rod was following right behind.  I caught it as it was heading down the hole, and that was pretty much my hook set.  I battled it for a bit, and then it got off.  Chaotic and exciting, but left us wondering.  A few minutes later, I calmly landed a rather unhealthy looking 28 incher.  A normal fish out of Tonka is usually super fat, so this was a rare sight. 

Since Dusty and I were enjoying the peace and quiet of the fish house, we hung out for a few more hours.  A couple lookers came in during that time, but they were not takers.  Shortly before we called it an evening, Dusty finally landed his first walleye of the season.  I laughed when I heard that was his first one, but I'm glad it finally happened.  Now that we got that bad luck out of the house, we may start catching them like normal.  You'll have to stay tuned to see if I am right.  Until next time, Keep on Livin' The Dream!

The Walleye Report

The other night I snuck out on the ice during the fading hours of daylight.  I joined Mike and we had hopes of landing some biggins.  I guess you would call them hopes, and not "high" hopes.  See, for some reason, this early ice fishing hasn't been the gang buster walleye start that I am use to.  Yes, we have been catching some fish, and a few nice ones, but it just hasn't been the non-stop walleye action that I have been spoiled with the last few early ice seasons. 

Mike and I were discussing exactly this topic when I heard a pop.  I looked over to see my bobber 8 inches under the water.  Haha!  As I reeled up the first walleye of the night.  A quick smile as dinner now had been gauranteed.  Back to trying to solve the walleye mystery of Lake Minnetonka.  We had been on the water for about a week's worth of fishing between the two of us.  Each outing we caught fish, but not as many as usual.  Not only that, but everyone we have talked to on that particular lake has told us they have been getting skunked or maybe 1 or 2 at most.  Hmmm. Well, we analyzed things a little more, and Mike and I certainly aren't ready to give up just yet. 

This is when it can become frustrating and very rewarding to be a guide.  When I get to learn new things to use for future use, it always gets me excited.  Should we go deeper or shallower?  Fish Rocks or Sand?  Small bays or the main lake?  Well you get the point here, but there really is a lot of options, and certainly the fish haven't left the lake.  So what we came up with after our outing was that we just have to keep fishing.  Sounds pretty simple, but we have been limited to very few spots to this point, with most of the lake holding under 2 inches of ice.  We'll have to try new things, and really start to think outside the box.  I feel that the fish will turn on sometime, and the more I experiment with locations, the better I'll become.  As we were about to finish this discussion, the bobber popped again.  This time it was Mike's turn, and the results were 16 inches of tasty walleye!  Not too bad I guess for a bite that is suppose to be dead.  I'll be back soon, and I have a sneaky suspicion that the results will only get better!  Until next time, keep on Livin' the Dream!

Fisherman's Coffee Shop...

This morning I stopped into one of my favorite winter coffee shops. This place isn't a Caribou, Starbucks, or any other coffee chain. This little family owned gem is called the In Towne Marina. Yep that's right, its a bait shop and a marina. Located right on the shores of Lake Waconia, the Masse family of Jim, Cindy, Ben and Jimmy, specialize in a good fishing report, minnows, tackle, and a great cup of coffee. If it's not coffee your after, then you may enjoy a cup of hot chocolate after your trek across the lake. Whatever you prefer, there is one thing that is certain. There will never be a shortage of fish talk when you enter these doors!

Similar to the television show "Cheers," all the men, and women, (yes I said women) sit around the bar and drink their beverage of choice. Coffee, hot chocolate, or coffee. You walk in the door, and they all yell your name. It's a small little shop, but quite cozy and friendly. After a few hello's, and a cup of coffee waiting on the bar stool, it is right into the fishing chatter.

First things first! "Have you been out?" one of the Masse family members will always ask. Sometimes it's a little more secretive than others. That all depends on who is sitting on the bar stool next to ya. If it's a local fishing hound, then its a muffled question, or even a whisper. If not, it is a loud bunch of chatter from the entire group eager to hear the scoop. Either way, the response is almost always the same from everyone. "I wouldn't tell you even if I was catching em!" See, in the fishing world, it's all about being secretive. Nobody wants to give up their honey hole, and everybody wants to know what the other guy is catching. It's really humorous to listen to what everybody has up their sleeve. You really can't trust one guy from the next. That's just the life of a fisherman. Even if a guy brought his catch in for all to see, you would have a hard time believing the story. Sounds like a fish tale to me, is always the final answer!

Oh, did I mention, everyone has a nickname!

Pauly poses with his catch. That thing is just ridiculously HUGE!Let me introduce you to the characters. Jim and Cindy, husband and wife, they own the joint. Ben and Jimmy are their sons and they look to continue the 20 plus year tradition. Doug, a.k.a, Dooogy is the Mr. Fix-it. He'll engineer anything you need to get out on the water. Would you believe he has a fish-house made from recycled doors. Guru is a fishing legend on that lake. He works the summer shifts behind the counter and the winter shifts he sits with the coffee drinkers. Ron is the local taxidermist with the black labs, he's a great shot, and a great conservationist. Butch is a man of all men. He seems to have done it all, his jokes are great, but not for those under 13. Melissa brings the looks to the table. Throw in Tim, otherwise known as Dingy, the man with a mustache any can admire. I can give him crap, but nobody else will dare. Tony is quiet, but laughs when necessary. Pauly is a straight shooter, but about what, I'm not sure. Another Jim lives across the bay, and he knows the lake. Roger has a different hat for every day of the year, and they are all hilarious. Then there's the "Big Show!" The man with stories that most can't even fathem. He's been there and done that, however nobody really believes him. Throw in another dozen or so regulars that fill the seats, and you have enough people to catch any fish, at least you would think so.

Seriously though, the place is a hoot! The service is great, the laughs are endless and yes, you can get a fishing report. Just don't ask the guys drinking the coffee! The doors open at 6, 7, or 8 AM depending upon the season, but there is always one thing for certain. There will be a line of coffee drinkers waiting for the doors to unlock. Stop in and have a cup with them. You won't be dissapointed!

Call Me Crazy...

This past weekend I found myself on the ice. Go figure, right? Well, this story should result in a phone callfrom my mother like it does every year around this time. "Get off the ice!" She always screams once I post the pictures. "Oh Mother," I always explain, "I didn't go into the water, just next to it!"

The day was pretty darn hectic, but I had a quest to get out after some walleyes, and I followed through. A few of my buddies joined in the journey, and we hit the ice with high hopes. Early season walleye fishing gets me all jacked up, and my partners feel the same. We only had one question as we drove to the lake. Where can we fish? The lake that we intended to fish had a lot of open water on it. In fact, I would say about 80 percent. The catch to that, the other 20 percent had pretty darn thick ice. So now my thoughts went to finding a perfect walleye spot that was under the ice.

We searched out a few areas and came up dissapointed. Turned out that every single spot that I wanted to fish had open water on top of it. So we made the most out of it and investigated the available ice cover. I had done fairly well in an area a few years earlier, and we decided to give it a shot. The kicker to this was that we had to set up lessthan 20 yards from the open water. I'll admit that it was a bit freaky being that close to the water, but we were on a solid 6 inches of ice, and the wind was blowing in a direction that wouldn't break any ice away. Fish on I guess, and that's what we did.

The action was a little less than I am use to having, but we did catch a few. Matt landed the largest at around6 pounds. Since someone had to catch the smallest fish, Brandon landed a 12 incher. Tim came in next with a nice 3 pounder, and I was left with wet hands as I tried to grab Dusty's fish under the ice. That was our 10 minutes of excitement for the evening, and then we had to leave the lake. I will say however that the cold temps made it pretty neat to watch that water freeze right next to us. You could literally look out the window of the fish house and see the ice forming before your very eyes.

Now I know this story makes me sound a bit crazy, and you might be correct, butI just have one thing to say in my defense. I have been watching the lakes closely, and even closer at particular areas I intend to fish. I keep tabs on whatis frozen and how long.Once on the ice, I am extra careful at how much is underneath me. That particular evening I never walked on less than 5 1/2 inches of ice. What seems like absolute insanity to some may be perfectly normal to others. I recommend extreme caution right now, because the ice is going to vary a lot. That large percentage of open water froze completely shut that night after we left, along with the rest of the lakes from what I hear. This means that there is up to 8 inches in places, and as little as 1 inch in others. Please use caution. That's my brief report from the start of the season that I am calling "the year the walleye cries for help!"