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ICE FISHING GATHERINGS

 
Information & Directions

To get more information click on the event in dark blue or just scroll down to see each one. For maps click the light blue.

Dec 8th - Muskrat Love - Fish Lake-Duluth MN
Jan 5th - Otter Run - Lake Frances-Elysian MN
Jan 12th - Sarah Saturday - Lake Sarah-Garvin, MN
Jan 19th - Tetonka Rendezvous - Lake Tetonka-Waterville, MN
Jan 26th - Burntside Bash - Burntside Lake-Ely, MN
Feb 23rd - Slabfest - Upper Red Lake-Waskish MN
Mar 1st - Cool Cats - Horseshoe Chain-Richmond MN

IceLeaders Member Run Gatherings

Dec 8th - Muskrat Love - MAP: Fish Lake-Duluth MN
Hosted by: Steve Sutherland "Northlander"-218-348-5532
We will be meeting at Hi-Banks resort on Fish Lake just North of Duluth Sat. morning and hitting the ice around 9am. Those who want to go out earlier for the morning bite are welcome to do so on their own.

Bait, Tackle,coffee, food, beverages, propane and lodging are all available right at Hi-Banks. For lodging info call Tim or Kim at 218-721-3355. Please support Hi-Banks they wave the road fee for our events and donate prizes.

Those attending can plan on targeting any of these species of fish.

• Walleye- -Good population of eating sized eyes with a few nicer ones tossed in too.
• Panfish- - Fish Lake has a awesome panfish population at this time. Best in over 20 years.
• Northern Pike-- These guys are all over the lake.
• Largemouth Bass-- Not many but when they show up they are nice.
• Perch-- Lots of these in all types of year classes. Some real nice ones too.
• Crappie-- Hard to corner but when you get on them they are nice.

DIRECTIONS To Hi-Banks Resort on Fish Lake FROM DULUTH
Take Hwy 53 North out of Duluth to LaVaque Rd. (48) Go Right on La Vaque Rd and follow for about 15-20 minutes and you will cross over Fish Lake. Continue to the 4 way stop at the Freedenberg Minno-Ette gas/bait shop. (Fill up sleds,wheelers etc. here) Take a left at the 4 way stop and go about 3 miles and take the 1st left and follow about 2 miles and you will seee Hi-Banks Resort sign on your left. Plenty of parking in the lot.

We will barbeque on the ice about noon. BYO Food and Beverages. Hand held radios are nice to have so we can keep in contact with those who may get into a nice batch of fish or need help. Cel phones also are nice and my # is listed above.

This event is always a good time and more and more people attend every year. I and several others will be staying at Hi-Banks Friday night so stop by if your in town early. Hope to see ya there.
Northlander

Jan 5th - Otter Run - MAP: Lake Frances-Elysian MN
Hosted by: Jamison Vanden Einde
Bring on the ice because it's time for The Otter Run! This FM Get Together in South Central MN has been scheduled for Saturday, January 5 and will be held on Lake Frances.

This event has been put together for men, women and children of all ages to join in on the action and there is no cost to attend! Be prepared for a day of ice fishing and socializing, as well as on-ice seminars that will give you an opportunity to learn some "tips and tricks" from our Fishing Minnesota Pro Staff.

The event will begin by meeting at Reel Fishing and Tackle in Madison Lake, MN at 7:00 am. This will give you a nice opportunity to meet our South Central Forum sponsor and pick up some bait and tackle before heading to the lake.

We will leave Reel Fishing and Tackle as a group by 7:30 am and head to Lake Frances to chase down whatever will tug on our lines. If you are not able to meet at Reel Fishing and Tackle in Madison Lake, MN, you will find us near the public access on the E end of the lake. That is the access where we will "launch" from.

There will be lunch breaks on the ice as well as a social event in the evening when we've had enough! Feel free to bring whatever you'd like to eat and drink as these things will not be provided.

For directions to Reel Fishing and Tackle in Madison Lake, MN, visit www.reelfishingandtackle.com.

For more information on this event and others that may be coming to your neck of the woods, visit www.fishingminnesota.com and www.hotspotoutdoors.com.

For directions to Reel Fishing and Tackle in Madison Lake, MN, visit www.reelfishingandtackle.com.

Jan 12th - Sarah Saturday - MAP: West Lake Sarah county park, Lake Sarah-Garvin, MN
Hosted by: Eric Wettschreck, aka boilerguy
The best way to get to West Lake Sarah county park at Lake Sarah is hit HWY 59 north of Slayton to CTY 16 to the county park. There are signs on the roads so you can't miss it.

Bring on the cold, bring on the ice, and let's hit the hard water for the first winter FM get together on Lake Sarah! That's right gang, the first ever Sarah Saturday is Jan 12, 2008 on Lake Sarah in southwest Minnesota. You only get one chance to be part of the first time - don't let it get away!

We will meet at the West Lake Sarah county park at 8:00 am and head out together, or you can trickle onto to the lake any time during the day. Then it's perch and walleye time, big time. This is an excellent opportunity to meet, greet, and share in some good times with your fellow FM members and friendly neighborhood FM staff. No entry fees - this isn't a tournament, just a chance to get together and have some fun.

And this isn't just for the guys! Sarah Saturday is also for the wife, the kids, Uncle Fred, Grampa Walton or whoever you can drag along. The adult that catches the largest walleye will take home the coveted title of King Friday and a great reward. The youngster that catches the biggest fish will also be rewarded, will be dubbed Prince (or Princess) Tuesday and can wear the title proudly for a year.

In keeping with the Minnesota tradition that is potluck, bring along whatever tempts your own tastebuds and we'll all share. There will be a few grills out on the lake if anyone wants to toss anything on a fire. We'll have a campstove also, for anyone who needs it.

For those not in the know, Lake Sarah has been labeled by many as the best walleye lake in southern Minnesota and one of the top 10 walleye lakes in the state. That is a bold statement in a state that dubs the walleye it's state fish, and it is backed up by DNR data.

Sarah is a walleye goldmine due to it's rocky and rubble bottom and the best part is the "Eyes" are the product of natural reproduction!!! Sarah is such a goldmine the DNR is doing genetic studies on Sarah's walleyes to determine what factors make them do so well in an area not known for walleye production. What does this all mean to us???? Bobbers down and flags up!!!!!

Any questions regarding this event should be directed to the SW Minnesota Ice Fishing Forum

Jan 19th - Tetonka Rendezvous - MAP: Lake Tetonka-Waterville, MN
Hosted by: Tom Hatlestadt
Once again we will have the get together at the beach on the east side of the lake on lake TeTonka on Saturday Jan. 19th, 2008 between 9am and 4pm. This is a great lake for multi species and the bite is usually very good. Last year the bite was excellent and many attended and had a great time. This is a great chance to meet and fish with all the Ice Leaders members attending and a chance to meet many new people and learn a thing or two about ice fishing for the beginner or for that matter all. Bring your wife, friends and anyone else you would like.

On your way there you could also stop in at Reel fishing & tackle and pick up the hot bait as the gang at Reel Fishing & tackle is always on top of the hot bite news.

Fish one can expect to catch are sunnies, crappies, perch, walleye and maybe a northern or two.

As far as lunch one can bring your own food and drink. If someone offers to bring a grill then some could also bring food to grill for a hot lunch.

Jan 26th - Burntside Bash - MAP: Burntside Lake-Ely, MN
Hosted by: Chunkytrout & Steve Foss(stevefossimages@yahoo.com & Frank DeLuca(frankbdeluca@yahoo.com)
For the fourth time, lake trout ice angling experts and novices alike will plumb the depths of one of Minnesota's most accessible and best lake trout waters in this annual event.

You can trickle onto the ice all day long, but headquarters will be set up on the ice near the Van Vac public access on the lake's south shore, and demonstrations by stfcatfish (Steve Foss) and Surface Tension (Frank Deluca), will begin at 8 a.m., for those who want to learn more about the fine points of angling for North America's most addicting ice fishing target. Lakers stalk your lures like sharks, slash at them like pike and pull like freight trains. If you have electronics, it's the ultimate video game watching those red bands pursue your lure. But be careful. If you haven't fished for them before, you'll be hooked as soon as you hook your first trout. Average Bside lakers run from 1-3 pounds, with many up to 10 and an occasional teen or 20-pounder. Divers have seen lakers over 30 pounds here, and in past Bashes, fish from 10-14 pounds have been caught.

There is no registration or tournament. This year, it's all just about have a great time. Bring your own beverages and food, though there will be some grills available for cooking.

To get to the landing: From Virginia, head north on Hwy. 53, then east on Hwy. 169. About four miles west of Ely, turn left (north) onto Hwy. 88 (Grant McMahan Blvd). Travel for a couple miles and you will see the turn for Road 404, a left turn. Take that turn, and after half a mile or so watch for the brown public access sign on your right. The road to the parking area is pretty steep, and the parking area is two-tiered. The lower area at lakeside is for unloading, with limited parking down there and more parking on the upper level.

If you don't have a sled or wheeler, no problem. Some of the most consistent laker action is right off the access, where people can walk out a couple hundred yards into 50-60 FOW and fish. Two openers ago, chunkytrout and I limited out there in two hours. YES!

But for those who want to explore the farther reaches of this 10,000 acre clearwater jewel, wheelers and sleds are the rule. Which to bring? Depends on snow and ice conditions, so watch the BWCAW-Duluth-Ely-Range board - Click here on Fishing Minnesota for updates as the day draws nearer.

Also use that board and the search feature to find out about laker techniques and tackle.

Don't forget your ($8) trout stamp, and we'll see you there — where we'll have more fun!

Feb 23rd - Slabfest - MAP: Upper Red Lake-Waskish MN
Hosted by: Chris Hanson
Meet at Hillman's between 11am and noon.
Does Slabfest (and Walleyes too!) on Upper Red Lake really need an introduction? Upper Red has fast become one of the top ice fishing destinations in MN, if not the Upper Midwest. Trophy crappies, pike, and walleye.

Due to the nature of crappies on URL, we’ll be targeting them in the late afternoon hours into the evening. The walleyes usually work the same schedule the crappies do. During the day, we’ll be firing up the grills and cooking some food on the ice.

Last winter’s Slabfest was a good time and this years will be much the same. Bring your drop axle shack, book a sleeper, or show up for the day with your portable houses. I’m planning on spending the entire weekend on the ice, and I know many others will as well.

The tentative meeting place will be my ice shack once again, which is located at Roger’s Campground. We’ll start cooking at 1pm. Maps and directions will be provided once I get my shack on the ice where the crappies are biting.

I plan to scout out a good bite ahead of time, so we may be fishing at Roger’s, or we may venture across the lake. The plan is to put everyone on fish and we have to adjust to where the fish are at.

Check the Upper Red Lake Forum for more info and last minute details as the Slabfest approaches!

Mar 1st - Cool Cats - MAP: Horseshoe Chain-Richmond MN
Hosted by: Darren Troseth - aka: DTRO
I’d like to invite anyone and everyone to one of the most popular events of the season, “Cool Cats”!

Bring the whole family and join us for a great day on the ice.
We will start the day out at sun-up and catch some catfish. We will have holes drilled and folks on hand to share tips and techniques.

At noon we will have a fish fry and pot luck lunch. Catfish will be on the menu! Bring your favorite dishes to share.

After lunch we will raffle off some fine prizes from our sponsors. The only cost for a raffle ticket is to shake my hand!

Directions:
From I 94 near St Cloud take hwy 23 west to Richmond. Then go south on hwy 22. Use the winter access noted on the map if you will be driving on.(2nd access south of 23) Snowmobiles and ATV can use the DNR access.(first access heading south from 23)

We will meet at the Methane Hole. (We'll have a map posted - Click Here)

Don't miss this very popular event.
Come for the day, or just stop on by for a while.