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While some of us in higher elevations or further north in the country, have been on or are getting on first ice soon, there are still plenty of ice fishermen and women waiting to get on. Even for those of us on early, our preparations for that ice started weeks ago or may still be happening. Flip-over sleds and hubs need to be put up and checked for any material damaged and to air them out for a bit. Our tackle boxes and bags need be looked over for any signs of damage or rus

It's been a while since we've had ice before Thanksgiving, but it sure felt great to walk on water. That's if it was good ice and we found several lakes that averaged 5-7 inches. The small to mid-sized lakes are good and the larger lakes still have some spots of open water. And looking at the forecast, it looks great for making ice. We headed out over the weekend to not only see what the ice conditions were, but to see what the fish were doing as well. Of the three lakes we f

While I was at the Dakota Angler Ice Institute, a couple of friends shot me photos of themselves on some of the smaller ponds around the Hills with them on the ice. The colder stretch had put 4" of clear ice on some of them and I decided that I was going to get out as soon as possible, even if it was just for a couple of a hours. Between talking about ice fishing all weekend and then seeing those pictures I had a serious ice itch that needed to be scratched and it didn't matt

At many places across the Midwest, big ice fishing conventions and shows at local retailers are beginning to pop up as temperatures continue to drop into November and thousands of fishermen and women prepare for the coming hardwater season. These shows are a great way to see what's new for the season from the many of the larger outdoor companies that are involved in the sport and get the gear in-hand to check out. What's great about going to these shows is going around to the

Cold temps this week and into next have got many of us itching for the lakes to start freezing up around the Hills area. Some higher stock dams and ponds are reported to be frozen over, though with less than an inch of ice so far. With nighttime temperatures getting down into the teens, near single digits, for the next 4-5 days, it's possible that a few ambitious fishermen might try to get on some hardwater next week, but if so, be sure to take extreme precautions and bring e

Open water days are starting to dwindle down and taking advantage of these last days, is key for setting up quick success once the hardwater season starts. Fish locations now will still be in play when the first ice comes and finding these locations is important for saving time drilling many holes in your search. Latest trip on the water, found the fish relating to a lake point that had a deeper drop off the side into 14 fow. Watching the Vexilar flasher was key for where the

Well, as we all know that this is the Minnesota Deer Opener and you can definitely tell by the empty parking lots at the landings. And that is a great feeling if your an angler. It gives you the opportunity to just take your time getting the boat ready, and to scout areas before ice up. Scouting for areas before ice up is one of the things that I'll do just before I put the boat away for the winter. What are some of the things that I look for before ice up? 1-Look for locatio