SAY, THAT’S NOT JUNK, THAT’S A SHANTY ON A SLED, AND TWO EAGER FOLKS READY FOR SOME ICE FISHING!

THESE TWO SAID THERE IS 6 INCHES OF ICE AT THE SMALL BOAT HARBOR IN TOWN, SO THEY WERE HEADING OUT TO TRY AND CATCH SOME NICE PIKE. THEY SAID THERE ARE PERCH IN THE AREA, SO IF THERE ARE PERCH, THERE MUST BE PIKE. GOOD LOGIC TOO.

WE ARE HEARING MORE AND MORE GOOD STORIES OF ICE GETTING BETTER ON LONG AND GRAND LAKE.MANY FOLKS ARE USING THE SPUD TO PROBE FOR SAFE ICE AND GIVING IT A TRY. ON AVERAGE WE HEAR OF THREE INCHES IN THE BAY AREAS WHERE THE FOLKS ARE. THEY ALSO FIGURE THE ICE IN THE CENTER IS PROBABLY BETTER, DUE TO LACK OF SNOW OUT THERE, AND VERY COLD TEMPERATURES. ALSO GOOD LOGIC, BUT AT RISK OF SOUNDING LIKE YOUR MOTHER, USE A LOT OF CAUTION AND COMMON SENSE. DON’T JUST BLINDLY WALK OUT AND ASSUME ALL THE WHITE AREA IS SAFE. I SCOUTED THE AREA BY TRUCK, AND FOUND THE NARROWS IS FROZEN TIGHT TO THE LONG LAKE CREEK. THE THUNDER BAY RIVER IS FROZEN BY THE BIG BOY, AND BEHIND THE FAIR GROUNDS. SO WE DEFINATELY HAVE MADE SOME ICE.

*******HERE IS AN ICE UPDATE AS OF SATURDAY, DEC 12. WE HAVE REPORTS OF PEOPLE SNOWMOBILING ON LONG LAKE. A LOT OF MACHINES. THERE IS AN ICE SHANTY [PERMANENT] AND A SNOWMOBILE, AND THREE PEOPLE AT ROUND TOP RIGHT NOW, FISHING. THERE ARE FOLKS AT GRAND LAKE TELLING ME THERE IS FOUR TO SIX INCHES OF ICE AT WHISKEY BAY, DOWN BY THREE SISTERS, IN FRONT OF SAND BAY MARINA, AND IN VARIOUS OTHER AREAS. I WOULD SAY THAT THE BITE IS ON, AND THE ICE IS BEING TESTED CAREFULLY, AND PRODUCING SOME HAPPY RESULTS. GOOD NEWS FOR EVERY ONE. THERE IS PLENTY OF SNOW FOR SNOWMOBILES, AND DECENT ICE IN SOME AREAS FOR ICE FISHING. LIKE I SAID IN THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH, USE EXTREME CAUTION STILL, FOLLOW FOOT PRINTS AND LOOK FOR OTHERS ALREADY OUT THERE.

OUR FIRST ICE FISHING CONTEST WILL BE JANUARY 17, 2009. SATURDAY ONLY, DEPENDING ON SAFE ICE, AS ALWAYS. TIME, 6 AM TO 7 PM.

THE RULES ARE THE SAME AS LAST YEAR, THE PRIZE MONEY IS THE SAME. WE ARE ONLY SELLING 250 TICKETS AT $12.00 EACH, GIVING A MAXIMUM OF $3,000.00 PRIZE MONEY, IF ALL TICKETS SELL. ONE WALLEYE, ONE PIKE, AND THREE BIGGEST PERCH, WILL BE WEIGHED IN RIGHT HERE AT THE SHOP. EACH CATAGORY WILL GET [ IF ALL 250 TICKETS SELL] $1,000.00 WHATEVER IS TAKEN IN THOUGH WILL BE DEVIDED THREE WAYS. ALL TICKET MONEY WILL BE RETURNED AS PRIZE MONEY, 100 %. AGAIN, LAKES INVOLVED WILL BE LONG LAKE, GRAND LAKE, LAKE ESAU, AND THE NARROWS.

TICKETS ON SALE HERE, ONLY. TICKETS CAN BE RESERVED WITH CASH OR CHECK, BUT NOT WITHOUT.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR AN EXCITING YEAR, AND HOPE YOU ARE TOO.

OPEN 7 TO 5 DAILY

HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON

BUDD AND LORIE