Vilas Report

[Rob Manthei]

Dec 16th Report

Ice fishing is starting a little later than normal here in Vilas County. I was out the last 2 days with a group of guys targeting walleyes. The bite was pretty good, however, the hardest part was finding good ice. As of yesterday, Trout and Long Lake in Vilas County were still open.

The best ice that I have found is back in sheltered north bays or in the darker water lakes. For the most part, I am finding 2 to 4 inches of ice, with some areas better than others. We have a decent amount of snow on the ice, which is hindering the ice development. I can find 4 inches in one location, and then 10 feet away under a snow drift it is 1.5 inches.....BE CAREFUL!!!

We managed to catch a decent amount of walleyes each day out, filtering through big and small to get some nice eaters. The weather has been tough, with cold wind chills and highs in the single digits.

Walleye suckers under tip-ups was our key to success. Deeper weed edges provided our action. It is really tough to say what is really going on with the lack of good access to many different spots.

We are suppose to get more snow over the weekend, so ice is going to be hard to come by with more insulation. I will be out again over the weekend with clients, so I'll report more when I find more information.

GOOD LUCK AND BE SAFE!!!

www.robmanthei.com
www.stgermainlodge.com
www.fibbersresort.com
www.snowtracks.com
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[Scott Messner]

Thanks for the detailed report, Rob.

[wtw_fisherman]

thanks for the detail. i'm coming up after christmas to the boulder jct. area. i have a 4-wheeler and a shack up there. looks like it will be to early for the shack.