January 1st, 2021

Yesterday the bite was pretty good for most until after lunch, The wind switched more to the east and it seemed to slow from what I heard from a few anglers. Lots of reports ,(thank you to those that did!)  of good fishing in anywhere from 13′ to 22′ with quite a few caught in the slot.  A couple groups in shallower even had some pretty good Perch action and some decent sized ones.

I still will not be letting vehicle traffic out for at least over the weekend except for ATV, snowmobile, side by sides. Small wheelhouses 16′ and under with ATV can go also. I have plenty of parking in our cleared field along our driveway for wheelhouse camping and parking of rigs. Walkers park up front by the office.

I have roads to the Graveyard up to the NW end of it, Banana reef to the middle of it east and north Spider Reef, Gull, Rays, and Popes Reefs.   I’ve been doing it all with the Land Cruiser and still have not and will not be taking the bigger trucks out for awhile. Most areas where we moved houses to and checked ice when drilling them were about 12″, so we are slowly making some ice.  My biggest concern is the roads. This years ice is clear “window pane” ice, (I call it). It is very brittle and does not bend.  It breaks, causing cracks, vertically and horizontally.  Where they meet in the roads  “chunks” break loose and instead of 12″ of ice you now have sometimes 6″.  Just what little travel I put on them with houses I’ve pulled I see signs of it already.  So we will need alot more ice before I’m letting heavier rigs out on it.  This will be a year of driving slow for sure when they do go.

So rentals need an ATV, snowmobile, side by side, (no chains needed as they all have roads) for emergency travel back and forth to shore. For portable fishermen that are venturing off the roads to areas where I haven’t been to yet.  I would recommend chains on ATV’s, snowmobiles, or ATV/side by side with tracks.

I have 10 of our smaller rentals out. What private houses we pull, (and you will be notified immediately when we do), will need an ATV, etc also.  I hope to start pulling the the smaller or lighter ones on the list today.

Happy New Year!  Lets all hope 2021 doesn’t say “hold my beer”….  😉

Eddy