Yesterday the bite was fairly quiet during the day for most with mainly smaller Walleye and Perch, But late afternoon in to evening the bite was OK for the people in 18 feet or less.
The wind and snow from the day before was just enough to make it plowable on the east/west roads but the main roads stayed pretty clear. I plowed spots for houses, the guys pulled blocked and banked. We got 15 houses on the ice and ready. The girls in the office will call first thing this morning as to who made it out yesterday. Today they will notify the customer’s as it goes on the ice so if they can come up for the weekend and can plan with short notice.
Single vehicles with a curb weight of under 6000lbs will be let on the ice. If you don’t know Google it. Paid seasonal customers only with single axle wheelhouses weighing under 4500lbs, (show the office the proof of weight, no more just saying so.) and a tow vehicle under 5500lbs. will be let out of the access. No weekend wheelhouse drive-ins unti I take care of my paid seasonal customers. You will be REQUIRED to have chains on the truck before going out. Or you will be paying for a plowed spot. As ice conditions improve it will change. Portable fishermen I would recommend a snowmobile.
The very first one let out yesterday when asked if he had chains for his truck said yes. Went out without them, dropped his house and made a “race track” back and forth thru the fishing area where he went to get his house in the spot he wanted… creating a mess for me for when we do plow a road up there in the future. (Apparently is isn’t necessary to drive slow off the roads on thinner ice…..) There is a 4-6 inch difference from the ice on the road to what’s off under the snow. If there were chains on his truck he could had drove slowly up to the area he wanted and parked and not made a mess. Here’s an example. Yesterday I made two passes to start a new road just north of Gull Reef. Went out turned around came back alongside the first pass. went back and moved it over. After three runs thru it there was small cracks zig-zagging the road I had plowed with water shooting up from them, from the weight of my truck. I left it alone uncovered 2 hours later we pulled houses over it. Areas just off the road where those cracks went got slushy under the snow were still open and slushy. It will freeze eventually, it just will take alot longer. Remember that next time you think it’s ok to drive fast thru 8-12″ snow on 13-15″ of ice.
Keep a Tight Line!
Eddy