Spring seems to be right around the corner but we are still drilling through 30 inches of ice up here. What a difference from last year’s early thaw. I have only been fishing a few times recently on Gunflint Lake. I guess I am just a glutton for punishment.
The high-pressure systems we have been getting lately are making for some calm and bright days, but the fish are just not cooperating. It seems like it takes half of a day just to find some life. Convincing them to bite is an entirely different game—with me on the losing end.
There have been some good reports on the whitefish and lake trout bite action on Northern Lights Lake in Canada, but it is a pretty long way to go. Arrowhead Point and Hoof Creek are some traditional spots to try or right off of Sea Gull Rock in Trafalger Bay. You need to find at least 40 feet of water and the whitefish seem to be everywhere.
If this weekend allows and I can find somebody to tag along, I might just venture up there but I am sure my wife would rather see the cabinet doors get finished instead.
Daytime has been getting warm enough to make everything sloppy and the nights are still cold enough to re-freeze the sloppiness. My driveway is like an amusement ride this time of year. It feels like you are riding in a rail car when the frozen ruts throw you around. It is nice to see some gravel showing for a change and I am ready to start seeing some open water too. I have been flipping through my new Cabela’s catalog like it is magically going to make it June already.
One problem this time of year is keeping snowmobiles from overheating. We went for a quick 20-minute ride yesterday on the G-Trail behind our house and it only took 15 minutes for the overheating alarms to light up. The shoulders of the trail had just enough fluffy snow to cool off the motors, but traveling long distances on lakes to go fishing can be a real problem this time of the year. Liquid cooled snowmobiles require snow to stay cold. If you own one I am sure you already know this, but every year you hear a story about someone having to stop every two miles to allow their machine to cool off. I have even heard stories of people auguring holes through the ice to scoop water over their engines.
If you are looking for an ideal ice fishing machine and you like to fish late season when the lakes turn to shear ice, you should consider a fan-cooled machine. You may be giving up a little speed, but you will still be getting home while other people are waiting to cool off. I have one fan-cooled machine and it does just fine this time of the year. There are some other tricks to keeping liquid-cooled snowmobiles from overheating by adding “scratchers” to the skis which kick up some ice shavings, or buying a clipped track which essentially does the same thing. I do not know how well they work, but it is worth a try.
A few weeks ago I wrote a column about outdoor boilers and the recent regulations that have been passed regarding their usage. The information about them being regulated in the state of Minnesota was incorrect. I was reading regulations that have been passed by New York, not Minnesota. I have since spoken with a gentleman who works for Central Boiler and he will be sending me the information for proposed legislation in the state of Minnesota, but as of now there are no regulations in our state.
Cory Christianson, a graduate of the University of Iowa, has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218-388-0315.
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