As you can tell if you looked at our webcam the ice is not going anywhere too soon.  As of this a.m. there is 2-4 inches of snow on it after yesterday’s sun, but there is 2-4 inches more forecasted tonight and tomorrow with below freezing temps at night for most of this next week.   What melting that might happen during the day will be froze again at night.  It’s going to be a late ice-out this year folks!

With all that has happened with the MN DNR poor management plans in reaction to “treaty management” that was put into place years ago after the Court Decision, and the Bands netting Walleyes during their spawning time has totally messed up Mille Lacs Lakes.  The one time “Premier” Walleye Lake of this State and the Upper Midwest is now one of the lowest on the MN DNR list for Walleyes.  How could they (the State of Minnesota and it’s DNR) let that happen?  It should be a crime!   With the millions of dollars spent on this lake in “monitoring” you would think they would have seen this coming 5 years ago when the Zebra Mussel “alarm” went off, if not earlier.  Always reactive, not proactive they are……….

The changes in regs they made now aren’t going to make any difference for 3-5 years in my opinion and won’t at all if the State doesn’t stop the Bands from netting the same Walleyes we are trying to protect by regulations during the spawning time in the spring.    The Bands have to work with the MN DNR to solve this problem, as they were as much a part problem with the drop in population numbers as anyone else.  It all started to decline since they started netting in the spring.   Cutting their allocation’s on paper isn’t enough.  Harvest numbers is what counts, not ink on paper!

Maybe this year Mother Nature is stepping in to do here part to help Mille Lacs by leaving the ice on it thru the Walleye spawning time!!

Keep a Tight Line!!

Eddy

One month to the day before the season opener and so far we have received about 4- 6 inches of heavy snow and that is going to force us to postpone the “Block Party” until Saturday, April 20th.  Start time around 9:00am.  It’s going to take a few days again to get rid of the snow out there to get to the ice.  Next week’s weather that is  forecasted  isn’t going to be any too warm to do much damage to the ice as there is still a lot of it out there (almost 30 inches…),  so we will still be able to get things done out there.

Customers that want to attend remember ATV or snowmobile – Sled of some type – 50 feet of rope – safety gear, etc.   We will have the shop set-up with food and refreshments for afterwords.  Let us know if you want to come up and plan on staying over in your fish house if you want to Saturday night.  We have a lot of fun

No fishing to report, no one has been out since last Saturday and they did not have any luck at all for the Perch or Tullibees.  If this weather keeps up we will be walking out on ice to fish for Opening on May 11th!!

Keep a tight line!!

Eddy

Over the weekend we a few fishermen out , but the had no luck in getting Perch or Tullibees.  It’s over in my mind.  We are pulling the planks off the access and waiting for the foot of snow they are forecasting.  Depending on how much we get we might be postponing the “Block Party” this Saturday, but I’m going to wait ans see what we get the next couple days.  I’ll let you know Thursday……….

Keep a Tight Line!!       Eddy