The up north thread

Tidbits and News related to northern Wisconsin. 

No.  This was a friend I've known for 35 years.  I wanted to show him some of the "up north" scenery he never gets to see.  We put on just under 6 miles today and the elevation changes were incredible.  While out on the hike I was explaining some of the ancient 100+ year old conifer stumps that are still present in various areas.  I pointed out a few that were in the 40-45+ inch class (DBH-diameter breast height).  

What I really wanted to take him to see was what I call the "Sentinel of the Northern Highland State Forest"; an estimated 5.5 ft DBH monster that was bigger than the General MacArthur White Pine, but did not have time.

Nice Bass SM, glad it paid off for you going one more day. By the way, was that "friend" you took exploring in the woods named Jacques??

Really? No field hunting ?

Following the 2024 up-north ice fishing gathering, I headed out early today and picked up one of my friends and set up to do a couple hours of pike fishing before heading home.  We didn't catch any pike, but did catch 4 nice largemouth bass on our pike setups (16 to 19 inchers).  All released.

After that I took him on a hike through some of the most awesome rolling topography up north, where the glacier recession deposited a tremendous quantity of large boulders and rocks.  Just beautiful scenery.

@utahman - I have absolutely been considering a trip to the Nam this weekend! Waders and all. I'm a redhorse fanatic.

Our lake had thirty to forty percent open water today, so its 100% out of the question.

D2 you can always go to the Namekagon for the redhorse run. Yesterday we had to get out on planks on Siss. Drove by Sand Lake landing its also water but you can probably get on down the shore. Been losing ice both on Siss and my private lake it was down to three or four inches.Catching the heck out of northerns. After last night and todays freeze Im going out on the private lake till my bait runs out. No sign of shore thaw there. ​Sawyer Washburn county line.Nammy next on the list if I can find crawlers.

I was in Oneida and Vilas Counties the last four days. ​Both lakes we were on had six to eight inches of good ice.

Back home to Washburn County yesterday afternoon and I was unable to go out on my lake and put in tip ups! Must be our south west exposure at shore or something. I was able to get past some garbage shore ice, and everything under me was cracking, did a test drill and it was three inches of soft butter. I know we have some super cold nights this week, but its also going to be sixty this weekend. I think my home lake ice season is over, maybe hit a river this weekend??

NP…Are you using a fisherman’s tape measure or just a regular one?  I know how one type tends to exaggerate   

I guess I can’t speak for other lakes. The lakes we fished recently both had 11 inches every hole 
 drilled. So I am surprised to hear about lakes with so much less ice.. But, I guess if that’s what people are measuring, that’s what they’re measuring.

200 acre lake, Oneida County. 6”. 

I do agree that ice conditions are great in terms of dragging/mobility, but I am not seeing the 7" to 8" inches I keep reading about in other Northern parts of the state. Here in Washburn County we are on a 300 acre lake and 90% of the holes I drilled this weekend were between four and four and a half inches. Some holes you could call five inches. Certainly not taking the UTV out right now, but again,dragging equipment is effortless. Hoping we can bolster that to ten inches or more for the final three weekends. With ​no snow cover and cold nights I do believe it's possible.

As far as I have experienced, ice conditions are great right now.
Just weird that we haven’t had any significant rains or snows since probably early December or even late November. What a dry spell!

JJ,

Will likely come up on Feb 27. 

We'll have to stay in touch. 

Shores are fine.