Ice fishing in Sunset Country

I have been living on the ice over the past week or so, catching a little bit of everything.  Obviously conditions are much different than they were last year at this time.  We were getting ready to launch the boats! Right now you need an extension on your auger to get through the ice in a lot of places.  There is still a bunch of snow...we're probably looking at a mid-May ice out.  Fishing has been okay over the past week, but not as good as it normally is during this timeframe when the snow is usually all gone.  We have caught some good walleyes, lake trout, crappies, whitefish and a few pike.  Pike, in particular have been dismal compared to normal...they just aren't in the shallow stuff as much as they will be in another week or two I'm thinking. Still, the beauty of our area is that there is always something biting!  

Sean McAughey and I with a pike and a walleye caught minutes apart just before dark...highlight of that day! 

Bruce Wilson from Minnesota with an eater sized walleye...always fun and usually plentiful!  

Eric Naig of Northland Fishing Tackle with a really nice whitefish...they are fun under the ice, usually hungry and they are great fighters. 

Sean McAughey preparing a nice walleye shorelunch...gotta eat good when you're putting in those 12 and 13 hour days on the ice!  

Crappies have been biting really good!  

Scott Dingwall with one of the biggest whitefish I have ever seen!  Magnum 8 - 10 pounder that he caught while we were chasing crappies.  

That's about it for me on the ice this year...I'm on my way south again for the next FLW Tour event at Beaver Lake, Arkansas taking place next week...Apr. 11-14

I'll probably still be able to get on the ice when I get back to chase some big pike...walleye season will be closed.  Or, hopefully the snow will be gone so my friends and I can get in the woods to start looking for some deer sheds and do some scouting for next fall.  One thing that is for sure, there is always something fun to do at home!