Some of the Best Ice Fishing Road Trips in the U.S.A.
In case you’re something like me, you’ve got some friends who make up your middle aged ice fishing crew. You’re likely hitting the handful of lakes and ponds over and over. Your own home game is dialed, no doubt, so maybe it’s time to take the crew on the road. Making plans a D.I.Y. getaway in the coldest months actually comes with greater logistics than a summer journey. Even as we can’t forestall a snow fall from making driving situations dicey, we are able to point you to the locations for lake trout, walleyes, and northern pike that require minimum gear and modest costs, and there’s no need to hire a guide. We’ll inform you where to sleep, where to get the best greasy breakfast and dinner, where to get on the ice, and most critical, how to hook up with fish so big, they’ll make your hometown fish look like guppies.
Walleyes
Vacation spot: Little Bay de Noc, Gladstone, MI
Tucked away inside the northwest nook of Lake Michigan at the higher Peninsula, Little Bay de Noc is renowned for its tough water walleye fishery. In wintry weather, troves of massive adult fish pass from the large main lake to the diminutive bay. These fish are staging to spawn in the rivers after ice-out, and that they’re geared up to feed. Lake Michigan is largely an inland ocean, Little Bay de Noc’s protection makes it best for the angler who wants splendid action without the big lake knowledge and dangers.
Lodging:
Lake Erie walleye guy Ross Robertson has spent many days fishing Little Bay de Noc. Seeing that fishing early in the day is a important, nothing beats staying on the lake literally. Adventure outfitters rents icehouses that may sleep as many as four. Owner Ray Tuberville constantly moves his shed town to where the walleyes are, giving anglers the excellent chance to fish on top of eyes. Wake up and drop lines without dragging all of your equipment on to the ice each day. Although it’s viable to travel from your ice house into town, having a 4-wheeler is absolutely a plus. Tuberville can ship you to and out of your bungalow, but you’ll lack the transport to head out for dinner, beers, or breakfast in case you don’t have your very own wheels. There’s a propane heater and stove in every icehouse, to keep you’re camping temp how you like it. You’ll have sleeping bags, pillows, coolers, pots and pans, and all meals you’re going to devour on the ice.
Key Approaches
Little Bay de Noc is fished with a stealthy aggregate of tip-ups and jigging rods, Robertson says. He stresses that the walleyes here are cautious, so noise and light should be kept to a minimal. Tip-ups have to be set in a extensive perimeter round your shed and jigging holes. Keep the slush out of each your bait and jigging holes to reduce light penetration. Robertson prefers Rapala Jigging Raps or a lead head minnow combinations for jigging, and a simple zero hook with a minnow on his tip-ups. Long fluorocarbon leaders are vital with both presentations.
Local Grub
After the early-morning bite, head to Jack’s Restaurant in Rapid River for the Camp Breakfast. The 2 eggs, a pile of fries, sausage and toast made with bread baked at the premises ought to hold you for the afternoon nap you’ll want to be sharp when the late day blight kicks in.
Side Stop
Got some down downtime after breakfast? You’re welcome to visit Rapid River Knifeworks. Its massive choice of custom, home made blades in every style is jaw-dropping. Everyone needs terrific souvenir from a road experience, right?
Lake Trout
Destination: Pactola Reservoir, Deadwood, SD
Pactola Reservoir lies in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It’s a hidden gem for massive lakers, however it’s also a D.I.Y. angler’s dream. Parking is convenient, and a brief 100-yard stroll puts you onto the ice places with over 80 to 150 feet of water. Lake trout breaking the 20-pound mark are caught often. Pactola is incredibly small, 782 acres so your probabilities of hooking a trophy are drastically better right here than on large bodies of water.
Stay Here
Pactola Reservoir is only 35 mins from the historic city of Deadwood, which is considered one of the most haunted locations in the u s of a. Its lawlessness throughout the gold rush of the 1870s led to limitless murders, and plenty of spirits are said to have in no way left metropolis. The ancient Bullock inn is a bucket-listing landmark for ghost hunters, and lucky for you, it’s also one of the few hotels in town open all season.
Crucial Gear
Seasoned staffer Craig Oyler may also be the most knowledgeable angler to have ever fished Pactola, and he says you’re only as good on Pactola as your jigging style. Oyler stresses the importance of a flasher. Lakers can hold at any depth, and you’ll need to know precisely at what depth they're at to catch them. Oyler adds that your rod selection is prime. He is big on the 36-inch Ice team expert collection Jigging Rod, which has the sensitive tip you’ll need to feel bites, but with plenty of spine to muscle massive lakers up from the depths.
Key Procedures
Oyler says the most essential part of your method is a willingness to move, if you harvest fish at one area, don’t stick around when the catch dries up. As for lure choice, Oyler’s is the Clam Leech Flutter Spoon. It’s a heavy lure that sinks rapidly, doesn’t foul while jigged, quick to goad response bites, and gives off a ton of flash in the clearwater.
Nearby Grub
A meal on the rustic, dimly lit Deadwood Social Club is one you won’t want to overlook. The menu features some game specialties, which include pasta dishes with pheasant and boar. After dinner, head downstairs to Saloon 10 for a local craft-beer nightcap, where the partitions are filled ground to ceiling with lots of pics and artifacts depicting Deadwood’s history.
The Journey
While Deadwood has no scarcity of attractions, Moriah Cemetery, in which Wild Bill Hickcock and Calamity Jane are buried, tops the list. in case you’re willing to drive some half-hour past Pactola, pay a visit to Mount Rushmore.
Northern Pike
Trip Destination: Black Lake, Hammond, The Big Apple
While the Northeast might not leap out because the U.S.’s ideal pike area, Black Lake’s insane wide variety of northerns and easy to get to entry make it a D.I.Y. ringer. Anglers can anticipate constant action regardless of situations, with common fish sizes in the higher 30 to low 40 inch variety. You don’t need to move far from the auto or cabin to connect, because you’ll discover infinite weedbeds less than a hundred yards from shore. The lake is less than half hour off Interstate 81, presenting speedy entry for anglers coming from any direction.
Put Up Here
Rogers’ Camps was the original Black Lake vacation spot catering to the ice crowd. The cabins are positioned at the northeast end of the lake, which happens to be a favorite side for neighborhood pike hunters. Anglers can step out the door of their cabin, stroll onto the lake, and set tip ups inside of minutes. The cabins are completely heated for a quick nap at some stage in the day. Each can sleep up to eight people and has a full kitchen equipped with pots, pans, utensils, and a coffee maker.
Equipment
Pike fishing on Black Lake is a tip-up seen, so make certain you have an insulated bucket to hold your live baits and keep them from freezing. You could be successful with out electronics here, but simply make sure you have got sounder weights to check the depth. Because you won’t be moving around between jigging holes, a small, transportable hut is a great idea. It's going to provide shelter from the wind and cold while you’re waiting for flags to pop.
Key Tactics
Dave Gascon has been fishing Black Lake for more than 55 years and says that to keep tip-up flags flying, big, lively baits are the important thing. Huge shiners and sucker minnows are his staples, and close by Chapman’s has them in stock all winter. Gascon spools his tip-ups with 40 pound ice braid and finishes with a 25 pound test fluorocarbon line. He doesn’t add a weight to his leader, because he says a No. 6 treble hook is heavy enough to get the bait close to the bottom but also allowing it to move.
Local Grub
Gascon says the pike will feed all day, so there’s no need to go out at dawn when the air is the most frigid. That leaves you time to go to Ogdensburgs for a gut busting breakfast at the vintage college Phillips Diner. For dinner and drinks, the Turner Motel is close to the lake. Thursday is wing night, Friday is fish-fry night, and Saturday is St. Louis style ribs night.
Side Stop
You’re a stone’s throw from Island Spirits in Alexandria Bay. Take a tour and sample its hand made bourbon, brandy, vodka, gin, or different spirits. Just make certain to have a D.D. and call beforehand to find out the hours.