5 of the 10 I took home. Imagine the fillets lightly battered and deep fried.MMMMMMMM 

Brother Bruce and Red lake slabs, he actually doubted their existance. He's hooked on crappies now. HEHE. 

We arrive on wheels and set up to catch a few walleyes and saugers. 

Some arrive to their permanant houses.

Some fishermen come and set up portables. 

A few of the thousands of house on Lake of the Woods. 

Lake of the Woods

The first trip of the year is always a good one, but you are not alone as you see in the pictures above. We had a typical day on LOW with 2 of us catching 25-35 small to medium size fish.

Fun day but we needed more excitment so off to Red lake we went hoping for the Red Lake slabs. We went out of Hillman's and caught 2 limits of beautiful crappies in about an hour.

Hope you liked pics of the crappie above.....most were between 12'' - 14''.
I should be creative and describe the action of every catch we made....not....I just finished a 4 hour drive in an ice storm, cleaned the fish, and put only half the gear away. Too tired to think and be creative.

Next time I'll try to dazzle you with some footwork, and keep your Tazer handy.

Steelheader

Leaving California in the morning. Should be fishing Lake of the Woods by evening on Tuesday. Hopefully will come back with at least a fish story later in the week.

Vexilar, rods, auger in the ready. Let's fish.

Steelheader

Short sleeves and Bermudas on Christmas. Better than a parka and choppers. 

Sunning on Christmas Day. 

Golfing in California is better than -30 in Minnesota. The Tehachapi Trio, golfers, Zack, Donavon, and Tom. What better 3 to round out a foursome.

Another golfing pic. 

This would power all the fishhouses on Lake of the Woods, next year maybe. 

NO FISHING FOR TILL AFTER CHRISTMAS


Well as much as much as I’d like to tell you a fishing tale, you’ll have to wait till after Christmas. The ice just hasn’t got to the magic 12-14 inches to allow me to drive on the lakes to fish.

I’ll be leaving for California on Dec. 20 and returning on the 27th.
I hope to fish Dec. 28, 29, and 30. Till then I may send you pictures of my Cali golfing…..What a let down but it’s a long winter and it looks like I was too optimistic about an early ice fishing season .

This is just an up-date to let you know that I’m still alive and geared up for the fishing season. When I’m out in Cali I’ll get help and install a counter to see if anyone reads this blog. Until then leave me a comment. But I can just put a few thoughts down for myself and be happy… I really don’t need an audience , but the content may change if I know your out there.

If you stop in Hillman’s store in Waskish to fish Red Lake tell them Steelheader sent you .

Later all,
Steelheader

Retractable wheels to lower it onto the ice. 

A look inside the fish house. Two beds folded to the wall, 2 mattress pads hung on the ceiling. 

This is the new fish house. Need a little more ice to use. 

The fish house is finished and fishable. Weeks of working on the interior and now we wait for ice( coming to slow). But this weekend I will try to get out fishing with my portable. Weather and ice permitting there will be a fishing trip of some sort.

Below are a few pictures of the fish house it's 6'6" X 16'and will sleep 4 fishermen who will always catch fish( do bottle bass count) anyway a good time will be had by all.

Just a few lines to let you know I'm still around, who knows I might show you some pictures of my Christmas trip to California( golfing).

Time for all to put new line on your reels and check your tackle box,

Steelheader

GO VIKES

Hey it got better the Vikings lost....hopefully that will keep them out of the playoffs. Love to hear them sorry @ss losers whine on mondays.


Maybe they should have 3- 8 hour nite practices this week to feel like the rest of us sorry poor people feel like. Damn it feels good to go wild once in awhile....Have a great evening.. Off to work :-((

Steelheader

THE NITE SHIFT BLUES

SHIFT WORK SUCKS…..This has nothing to do with fishing but sometimes it would be nice if people who work 8 to 5 HAD to work 3 or 4 nites shifts about every other month. When you wake feeling like you were beat with a stick at noon and then you have people jabbing at you when humor is not in your vocabulary. I know many people put in 12 and 16 hour days, but try a few 12 and 16 hour nite shifts on a regular basis.

Trust me it feels great waking up at noon and putting your feet on the floor an feeling like you want to bite somebodies head off. Oh well experience is the best friend, you just have to hide and not interact. It usually goes away but sometimes not till your day off….2 to go.

To make matters worse we had a warm spell and the big lakes that had ice opened again. Sh*t, P*ss, ****.

A little venting is a good thing, I use scream therapy a lot I go into our back room at work where you can’t hear yourself think and come back hoarse. Try it some time. Hitting inanimate objects tends to hurt too much and finding replacement tools and equipment can be a hassle.

Looking on the brite side the Viking still look like players form the deaf and blind school. Playing against the worsed team in the NFL is tough when At $5 mil your severely underpaid..I expect them to win in the last minute of play but who cares they’ll do it without me.

Feeling much better now,

Steelheader

LOW walleye and jumbo perch caught in 2004. 

Fish is fish, my buddy had fun and caught fish. 

Red lake crappies, good trip with fish like these. 

THE WEATHER IS STARTING TO COOPERATE

The weather is starting to cooperate a little, evening low temperatures are falling into the low teens. What we really need for good ice is 3 or 4 days of sub-zero lows. Well mother nature can be fickle and whining isn’t allowed she doesn’t listen anyway. Hopefully the long range forcast can give us a cold wave that will make the ice we need for good fishing. I have prepped all my ice rods and tackle so I am ready.

Above were a few pictures from previous years, a little eye candy for those like me waiting for the first outing of the year.


Later,

Steelheader