Ice Out

[BlueRanger]

Anybody ready to start the annual guessing game yet?

[sureshot612]

we are ready i heard its going to be a log hot summer.bring on the rules

[Mark Benson]

Well based on the last four years we should be in the early cycle, I have a turkey for the first period starting April 16, so I am going with April 24th... I will modify my date with any other rules placed on this event!!! Good Luck to all!!!

Mark

P.S. If it was next year, I would be going for May 2nd...

[Hot Runr Guy]

I'd just like to arrive the 2nd Saturday in May and NOT face an iced-in bay in front of the cabins,,,,,,

HRG

Attachment 21831

[kltreklest]

We are gearing up for Memorial Day. Up there last Memorial day and caught a nice Musky and got to watch the Blackhawks at Midway Bar. Like is good

[The Fox]

I see that "WeatherBug" says that it is 57 degrees in Mercer right now!!!! Is that right?

[The Fox]

I see that the "WeatherBug" website says it is 57 degrees in mercer right now!!! Is that right?

[Mark Benson]

It is 56 in Minocqua right now... Shoveled some roof and other stuff in a t-shirt!!! It is grand!!! Ice caves tomorrow in the mid thirties, same temp as last time I was up there. Wife wanted to go, so I am going back again to see what might be different!!!

Mark

[connor]

Hate to do it but
NOAA / Climate prediction..
below normal next 3 months.. I'll go with May 5th Noon
Of course we are not coming up to second weekend so that works for me. I hope I'm wrong for all coming up for the opener and all of the Businesses in the area.

[Nick Kanauz]

Since I'm tired of watching it snow....Ice Out is a good game to play right now....So...based on what we have here in Michigan....April 26th....in the afternoon!

[LundAngler]

I hate to even say it...but I think we will be ice fishing on opening day.

[Nick Kanauz]

I should have looked at the Excel site before I came up with my date. The TFF is just over 4'down right now, which puts a lot of the areas my brothers fish "empty". Once Shane closes the gates to allow for less water going downstream, the water backing into these areas would raise the ice sheet, creating open water. I high wind day combined with warm temps could certainly hasten breakup. The Chipp has been lowered over 8', which means there's sand in those back bays. With a rapid melt, that ice could really go out quickly in early April. I'd like to change to April 5th, so the 26th is back open. Let me know if that is okay Blue! Thanks!

[BlueRanger]

Sorry, I wasn't volunteering to be in charge, just hadn't seen much activity here for a while and thought it was about time to start talking about spring! 4 feet down isn't abnormal for this time of year, if anything it's high. I have no idea about ice thickness, but it sure was a cold winter up there. So I'm hoping for the best, but the NOAA long-term forecast is calling for continued below-normal temperatures, and I won't be surprised if it's still ice-covered for the first two weekends of the season. But I see BPS is having a big sale this weekend, and if you can't go fishing, buying some new fishing stuff and dreaming about using it is the next best thing!

[sureshot612]

Well I'm going with april 30th. And since you brought it up Blue i heard that you are going to run it and the prize is going to be you doing a photo shoot with the winner.i will agree it has been a long winter ,I'm back to work on light duty since july. i so need some open water and spring.

[BlueRanger]

Didn't you hear? I'm only doing artistic nudes now...

[St Croix Kid]

Didn't you hear? I'm only doing artistic nudes now...

in that case i am going with 6/30/14!

[JayandCade]

If I wasn't happily married I would say let's change this to women guesses only and Blue can post the pictures like usual. Since I am happily married I will guess May 3rd at 3pm. Posting my picture at this point in life will shut this forum down.

[Flambeau Riverman]

I hope its May 1st 3:00pm. With the late ice out last season our annual 1st week in June musky trip didn't go so well.
Couldn't find a weed anywhere, no action in the stumps and rocks and with the water temps in the low to mid 50's I think they were
still spawning. I have read there saying a cold spring and a really hot summer. With all the snow and Ice this winter water levels should be
higher than normal which could make it harder to find the fish of 10,000 casts too.

[BlueRanger]

Looking at this week's forecast, I'm starting to worry about Memorial Day!

[JayandCade]

We were up last weekend to tap maple trees. I went down to the lake and the snow was 4' deep on the ice. My son, who is now about 6' tall could not get to some of the maples because of snow depth. The snow was melting pretty fast on Sunday, but it looks like more snow on Friday. I would bring the tip ups for the Walleye opener.

[byronbears84]

Its pretty easy for everyone to jump to conclusions about ice fishing on the opener. All it takes is a few warm days with some rain and it will do some serious damage to the ice. We all had our doubts last year and it was out with time to spare. Weather reports dont look too great, but it will be in the mid 50s all next week where im at (southern MN), so its not far away from the TFF!

[The Fox]

Its pretty easy for everyone to jump to conclusions about ice fishing on the opener. All it takes is a few warm days with some rain and it will do some serious damage to the ice. We all had our doubts last year and it was out with time to spare. Weather reports dont look too great, but it will be in the mid 50s all next week where im at (southern MN), so its not far away from the TFF!

I think last year that Flambeau Fluffy declared... " ice out Saturday, May 11, 1013, at 10;30 am (cst)," Not quite "time to spare", not for me anyway as I missed the opener due to ice....

[byronbears84]

I guess i dont remember it being that long, thought it was out by May. Im sorry! My point is that there is plenty of time for the ice to melt, and nobody has any idea so theres no point in asking when it will ice out!

[sureshot612]

byron:I think all the global warming will help. I took a look at the webcams in the area and you can't see far due to the BLAST of snow coming down. its going to take more then a few days to open it up .Man at least the forum is coming alive.

[byronbears84]

Thats alright cause we've got a month yet!

[waldowillie]

Right now it looks like your getting more white stuff and April should be a good month for snowmobiling. I will go with ice out on 5-5-14 and if you believe in global warming I have some GPS numbers for hotspots to try.

[Trav]

[Nick L]

Awesome!!!

[Bartender Jim]

I'm keeping my tip ups handy for the opener, at this rate ice out won't happen until May 14 3:30pm.

GO BIG RED!

[St Croix Kid]

The flowage was not fishable from a boat on opener 2013. I have only missed two in the last 7 years with my friend Mr Pemble. Both due to ice

[Flambeau Vista Retreat LLC]

Happy Spring everyone. Over the past 24 hours we have been treated to a new 10" dusting of heavy wet snow; however, temps are predicted to rebound to the 40s and 50s over the next week.

Ice went out on the Lake Bastine area on May 11th last year and byronbears84 won the contest as Flambeau Fluffy was the "ice out official". This was a new record for latest ice out. Even so, Guide Jeff Robl found open water off of Murrays Landing and caught some walleye.

On the other hand, ice went out on March 18th in 2012, which was the record for the earliest ice out.

It may be difficult to have a contest this year unless we can find a "ice out official" as The Tiny Fisherman is retired and I'm not sure if he and Flambeau Fluffy have internet at their home on the TFF. I'll do some checking.

Until then, think warm thoughts and keep your fingers crossed!

[Hot Runr Guy]

It may be difficult to have a contest this year unless we can find a "ice out official" as The Tiny Fisherman is retired and I'm not sure if he and Flambeau Fluffy have internet at their home on the TFF. I'll do some checking.

I nominate Scott! Do we have a 2nd?

HRG

[sureshot612]

Il 2nd that ,and Il say Blue for 3rd..

[St Croix Kid]

Looks like a stretch of 40's up there.

[Flambeau Vista Retreat LLC]

Given that the official "ice out" will be also based on time as well as date, we need someone who is on the TFF throughout the day. I will see if Flambeau Fluffy is willing to call me with it; otherwise, I'll see if Cry of the Loon or Lodge of Lakeview will do it. I'll be seeing them at Tuesday night's TFFA meeting. The present temp is 46 degrees..melt..melt...melt!