Lots more ice.

Satellite photos show the bay has frozen all the way down to Portage Point. http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/mod...egion=m&page=1 There was old ice several hundred yards south of Gladstone before the last cold snap. The rest of it just froze the last couple days and should be considered unsafe.

I fished the first break south of Gladstone tonight in 25 FOW. I had about 6 inches of ice where I was fishing at. Caught one 17 inch walleye on a #5 clown Jigging Rap. Actually, that fish hit a plain minnow first. I had just re-spooled that rod today and had forgotten to set the drag. As a result, I made a lousy hook set and the fish got off. It swam to the bottom and instantly turned around and smacked my Rap. Still had the live minnow in it's mouth when I went to unhook it. Talked to a couple other guys fishing in the area and they each had caught one legal fish.

Basically, things are still just getting going. Even when we get good early ice like this, things don't hit full swing until the day after Christmas - that's when the "floodgate" opens!

8 to 10 inches of good ice on the upper bay now and some people are starting to take trucks out:eek: Talked to one fellow that said he drove his F-150 out off the yellow gate access to drop his shack off today. Didn't say how far he went, but at least as far as the first break into 20 FOW.

So there you have it. I wouldn't recommend it just yet, but it is an option.