12-31-2016, 03:54 AM
Drove the road to Renegade today on the snowmobile. It was -9 when we arrived at our parking area at 7 a.m. Arriving at Renegade, there were snowmobile tracks down the ramp, but none out onto the ice. I parked and walked out with my auger drilling a few holes until I got to my chosen depth (18 ft). The ice was 7 inches thick with no slush. I returned to my sled and drove it out on the lake. It wasn't too long before others who drove up came out to see what the ice conditions were. They too drove out onto the ice after talking with us. One group went about 1/2 mile further to the South and another North. I noticed another group across the bay to the north a mile or so away. They looked to have machines on the ice also. I do not know how they got there other than from Strawberry bay and perhaps followed the shoreline around.
We stayed until 1 p.m. icing about 20, the largest was 23 inches, a slot buster. It was really slow compared to past times, but the action picked up around 11 when it generally shuts down. The fish would come in at 10 - 12 feet. Around noon, we finally started seeing them come in at different depths, but they mostly had the proverbial "lock jaw".
Good times were had by the two of us. When we left to head home, the air temperature was about 33 at the truck, likely 5 degrees or so less out on the ice. I noticed sled tracks across the bay in one area at Jakes.
All fish caught were cuts except 3 bows. Most were 19 to 21 inches and very fat and healthy.
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We stayed until 1 p.m. icing about 20, the largest was 23 inches, a slot buster. It was really slow compared to past times, but the action picked up around 11 when it generally shuts down. The fish would come in at 10 - 12 feet. Around noon, we finally started seeing them come in at different depths, but they mostly had the proverbial "lock jaw".
Good times were had by the two of us. When we left to head home, the air temperature was about 33 at the truck, likely 5 degrees or so less out on the ice. I noticed sled tracks across the bay in one area at Jakes.
All fish caught were cuts except 3 bows. Most were 19 to 21 inches and very fat and healthy.
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