Yesterday the angler’s reported some very good catches from overnight Tuesday. Our rentals all did well, both shallow and deep spots, I’m hoping with the full moon coming over the weekend the night bite will continue. Daytime the bite is better in deeper water, but most reported smaller Walleye C/R.
We will not be going out to the Banana Reef/Tullibee Hole area until after the weekend. Tuesday I plowed out there and established a road on the 12-14 inches of ice that is in that area, but in checking it Wednesday an area of it near the pressure ridge had broken up pretty bad. I’m going to plow some more roads out there today and then just let them sit to build more ice thru this cold spell before we start moving out on it. (Those that follow the report know that area did not freeze for almost two weeks later this year to due to the early freeze on the lake while the deeper water spots were too warm).
The cooler weather is doing it’s usual thing to the ice. After being “warm” for so long when the ice started cooling down is shrinks and cracks form. With the clear brittle ice we have this year it is really affecting the ice roads more than usual. So far our roads are doing well, but we are going to limit wheelhouse traffic to smaller single axle wheelhouses with 1/2 ton rated trucks today thru tomorrow morning until it settles down. I will post in tomorrow mornings report what we will be doing for the weekend for wheelhouse traffic. I’m sure we will go back to what we were doing prior for the weekend, but I will let you know tomorrow.
In the past, temperature changes like this were never a big deal, but these days with so many wheelhouses traveling the ice roads and so many owners not understanding the importance of going slow with a 10,000 lb, (sometimes more), truck and wheelhouse combo, roads breaking up are becoming more frequent every time there is a temperature drop. Our policy here is that if you can’t drive 5-8 mph don’t bother coming here. We have many customers that appreciate how we do things here and we appreciate their patronage.
Keep a Tight Line! Eddy