Well I don't have to tell you what most already know....the lake is a mess right now. The east side is not fishable...the north side just blew open...as you can see on the satellite views, the crack runs all down the west side as well.
Hunters was out checking ice yesterday....still pockets of open water and pockets of thin ice.
We have been out guiding this past week with some good results...but we have not ventured off the shore line (first break line). I cannot stress enough that with the open water and high winds you will get ice shifting.
I talked with one of the guys who was rescued last weekend off Picard Point....he said they walked across a 1ft. crack on the way out....sitting off a rock pile in 18ft...suddenly his marcum was reading 10 ft...then 6 ft. He quickly reeled up and starting heading the way he came out only to find the one foot crack was now 40 yards wide. It can happen in a matter of seconds.
I will post more after the holidays....you can always check out Tony's Podcast, he has been on the lake everyday.
Good advice and good warning on the unpredictable shifting ice. The north and west side is totally unstable it seems... and East side is a war zone.
We spone with on eof the rescued fisherman from Wealthwood -- he stated that one minute his Marcum sonar read 16 fow and the next minute it was 18 fow and they ran towards shore and the crack had opened to forty feet of open water. Of course they were taking fish. Then they called ashore to neighbors to launch boats for recovery...he hauled six in with his boat.
I have been on the lake for many years but this just might be the craziest early ice season ever!
