THAT’S THE BIG QUESTION LATELY. WE HAVE HAD ABOUT SIX DAYS OF TEMPERATURES IN THE 50 OR MORE RANGE. NOW WE ARE IN A RAIN PATTERN FOR SEVERAL DAYS. SO I DON’T THINK IT IS A REAL BRAIN TEASER TO SAY THE ICE MIGHT BE UNSAFE IN SOME AREAS. THE CUSTOMERS I HAVE HAD LATELY TELL ME A VARIETY OF TALES. FROM THE ICE IS FINE, TO THERE ARE PRESSURE CRACKS FORMING AND THEY LOOK WET. ONE TOLD ME THAT WHERE THE ICE WAS BARE OF SNOW, THE ICE LOOKED MILKY, BUT APPEARED SOLID.THE TEN DAY FORECAST DOES NOT SHOW ANY SNOW OR COLD TEMPERATURES. MOST OF YOU WHO KNOW LORIE AND ME, KNOW THAT WE WOULD NEVER MISLEAD YOU TO MAKE A FEW BUCKS. AND WE WOULD NEVER JEAPORDIZE YOUR HEALTH OR LIFE FOR THE SAKE OF SELLIJG YOU SOMETHING.

YOU ARE TRULY ON YOUR OWN WHEN IT COMES TO ICE SAFETY. ALSO, WE SIT HERE MOST OF THE TIME, AND DO NOT SEE WHAT THE LAKES LOOK LIKE. A NORMAL THAW HAPPENS ABOUT APRIL 15. THAT IS WHEN THE LAKE IS COMPLETELY THAWED. OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE PERIODS PRIOR TO THAT WHERE THE ICE IS UNSAFE. BUT IT APPEARS THAT THIS THAW COULD COME EARLIER THIS YEAR. SO, MY BEST ADVISE FOR YOU IS IF YOU WANT TO GO OUT TO FISH, CHECK THE LAKE OUT CAREFULLY, AND LOOK FOR OTHERS. ASK THEM HOW IT IS, AND TREAT THE ICE LIKE YOU WOULD FIRST ICE.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM OF ALL NOW, IS THAT LIKE FIRST ICE, THE THAW SEEMS TO ENHANCE THE FISHING. A LOT OF PEOPLE FISHED LAST WEEKEND, AND THERE WERE STORIES OF GREAT CATCHES OF PERCH AND PIKE. LORIE AND HER HUSBAND CAUGHT MORE PIKE THAN THEY EVER HAVE. THEY ACTUALLY HAD SIX FLAGS UP AT ONE TIME. THE PIKE WERE ALL SIZES, FROM SUB LEGAL TO ABOUT 30 INCHES. THEY ALSO CAUGHT SOME NICE PERCH WHICH THEY BROUGHT HOME. THEY WERE IN SHALLOW WATER, ABOUT 8 FEET, ON THE VERY NORTH WEST END OF LONG LAKE. WE SAW FISH BROUGHT INTO THE STORE THAT WERE HUGE [PERCH] AND PLENTIFUL. WE HEARD FROM SOME THAT THEY ONLY CAUGHT ONE OR TWO FISH, BUT ALL SAID THE WARM WEATHER MADE IT FOR A GREAT WEEKEND.
REMEMBER, MARCH 15 WALLEYE AND PIKE ENDS, AND YOU MUST HAVE YOUR PERMANENT SHANTIES OFF THE ICE. THIS IS A STATEWIDE RULE NOW. PIKE AND WALLEYE REOPENS LAST SATURDAY IN APRL.
YOUR NEW LICENSE IS AVAILABLE NOW, BUT THE OLD ONES ARE STILL GOOD THROUGH MARCH 31. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE, HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON.

OPEN 7 TO 5
OPEN 7 TO 3 SUNDAYS