Anderson: The ice fishing is nice in Minnesota, for a change, but bring cleats

Two winters ago, Minnesota’s frozen lakes were awash in so much slush that anglers needed hip boots to venture onto ice in search of walleyes, crappies and other fish.

Thanks to unseasonably warm weather, ice fishing was a bust last winter, too. Not just for anglers. But for the scores of Minnesota bait shop owners, sporting-goods dealers and convenience-store operators who peddle fishing tackle, augers, gas and other necessities to the cold-weather fishing crowd.

Thankfully, this winter’s lower temperatures have topped many of the state’s lakes and rivers with solid sheets of ice. As a result, Minnesota’s hundreds of thousands of winter anglers are smiling again, as is the entire ice fishing industry, said Dom Schneider, a fishing-equipment manufacturers representative serving Minnesota and Wisconsin.

“It’d be nice if we had some snow,’’ Schneider said. “But since mid-December, with the cold weather we’ve had, winter fishing — and the winter fishing business — have been very good.”

Ice anglers nevertheless are being warned this winter to watch their step. Because whether they stride onto Minnetonka, White Bear, Bald Eagle or other metro lakes, or trek to Lake of the Woods on Minnesota’s Ontario border, they’ll likely find that while the ice is nice … it’s slippery.

Very slippery.

So bring cleats.

“Our ice is in good shape — we’ve got about 20 inches — but with very little snow on top of it, you have to be careful," said Scott Waldo, co-owner with his brother Kevin of West Wind Resort on Upper Red Lake in northwest Minnesota.

Upper Red, where the walleye limit is four, with one allowed longer than 17 inches, has been a hot destination for anglers this winter.

“The ice was good enough the week after Thanksgiving that we started letting people walk onto the lake from our resort,” Waldo said. “Then, just after Dec. 1, we allowed ATVs and snowmobiles. And the week before Christmas, we started pulling our 25 big rental houses onto the lake. Through it all, with the exception of when a cold front came through, the fishing’s been good.”

Smaller fatheads have been fooling most Upper Red walleyes this winter, Waldo said, often in 8 to 10 feet of water. Crappies are deeper, 13 to 14 feet down.

Up the road an hour or so, on Lake of the Woods, Tiana Watson of Sportsman’s Lodge reports the resort’s 50 rental houses were moved farther onto the lake this week and are now 8 miles from shore.

The Lake of the Woods walleye and sauger limit this winter is six, with no more than four being walleyes. Walleyes 19.5 to 28 inches must be released, with one over 28 inches allowed in a limit.

“Fishing has been really good,” Watson said, with many anglers using shiners or chubs impaled on jigs dropped 32 feet down.

An appeal of ice fishing, of course, is that it’s family-friendly. If they choose, kids can dangle a line through a hole with their parents, hoping to hook a big one. Or they can goof around on the ice to their hearts’ content.

And winter angling is inexpensive. No boat is needed, and no motor. Just a license, a rod, reel and line. Throw in an auger, either hand- or motor-powered, and some bait, and let the fun — and challenge — begin.

Guide Tony Roach is among believers. December through March, he’s on the ice virtually every day, particularly on Mille Lacs, where he’s found decent walleye fishing this winter.

“Lots” of small walleyes are being caught, Roach said, including some keepers in the 18-20 inch range. (Two Mille Lacs walleyes that length are allowed this winter. Alternatively, one walleye that length is allowed with one longer than 28 inches.)

Ice thickness on Mille Lacs ranges from 15 to 17 inches and is generally safe, Roach said, with vehicle travel common. As usual, however, ice heaves are scattered throughout the lake’s 132,000 acres and are occasionally accompanied by weak ice and open water. Caution, as always, is advised.

“The big news this winter is that jumbo perch are back in Mille Lacs,” Roach said. “We’re catching lots of perch, and it’s good to see because it’s been a few years since we’ve seen numbers of big perch like we’re catching this winter.”

Monster northern pike also have been pulled through the Mille Lacs ice. Wednesday afternoon, Josh Stevenson, owner of Blue Ribbon Bait in Oakdale, winched a 42-incher from the lake’s chilled depths before quickly releasing it.

Frankie Dusenka, meanwhile, owner of Frankie’s Live Bait in Chisago City, said he’s had to accustom himself this winter to driving on 13 to 16 inches of ice which, through his truck’s windshield, appears much thinner.

“It’s really weird having ice but no snow,” he said. “I’ve been doing this a long time and I can never really remember seeing what I’m seeing now. You drive on 16 inches of ice and it looks like 2 or 3.”

Chisago Lake, Dusenka said, particularly its south end, has yielded some of the area’s bigger crappies this winter, and Green Lake has been good, too.

“Snow or no snow, for ice fishing, we’re as lucky as we’ve been in the past four or five years,” he said.

Farther southwest, at Cabin Fever Sporting Goods in Victoria, Evan Govig said a lot of bait and gear have been selling this winter, thanks to improved ice conditions.

“Generally, there’s 10 inches of ice and more,” on area lakes, he said, noting that Cabin Fever serves anglers who fish Minnetonka, Waconia and other area waters.

Finally, from Justin Rech of Reed’s Family Outdoor Outfitters in Walker comes news that Walker Bay of Leech Lake is covered with 12 to 18 inches of ice, but that conditions there are “spotty.”

“For now, we’re generally seeing only ATV and snowmobile traffic there,” Rech said. “The east side of the lake, on the other hand, is fully open to vehicle traffic. I recommend going out of a resort, though, and being aware there are some ice heaves in certain areas that might be impassable.”

Walleye fishing on Leech has been good, Rech said, with anglers finding fish in 18 to 25 feet of water while “dead-sticking” (leaving motionless) fatheads or rainbow chubs.

One more thing, Rech said, about fishing Leech.

“Wear cleats.”