We had a full house for opener with some friends even staying down on the lake shore in the fish houses. It was quite the spectacle on the river as boat after boat landed walleye after waleye. I was hosting my brother from chicago and he also wanted to fish the river as everyone was spanking them. Saturday afternoon we had a huge fish fry down at the lakewith all are friends. The guys in the cabins also had good fishing. sunday the bite was quite a bit different with the welcome sunshine and you had to work for them on the river. By Late sunday afteernoon the bite piaked up real well on the lake. We have guests again this weekned I will be fishing the lake hard for the next 3 out of 4 days. It looks like we will be battleing some weather but thats nothing new here as your always taking on mother nature

A big thanks goes out to all the perticapated in our get together.
Rick,The greek,Micke,Bill,Roy,John,Lee,Harry,Ben,Sam,Nate,Todd,Sadie, Tyler,Al,Mike,Steve,James,Gordy,Al,John,Spense, Josh,Tony,Jake,Jeff,Chris another Gordy and Chris’s friend.
It was a good turn out and we found a few of the elusive upper red lake crappies. Jeff’s fire put a little bummer on things for me and I’m sorry about that.
Friday afternoon I checked in most of the guests and then took a few that wanted to fish to a area I had marked some dirty and rough ice. We managed to catch the first crappie of the weekend “way to go Greek” and quite a few wallleye’s that were released.
Saturday morning was the big day as we headed out of Hillmen’s to the area I had Utah and picked up two crappies a couple of weeks ago.
We all spread out and fired up the augers.It was a fishy area and Sam the youngest of the group Todd’s son landed the first crappie a Dandy 14 3/4. What a smile that kid had on his face, Jake landed the second crappie minutes later.Al tied into a pike and again a few perch and walleye were also caught.
Not sure why we decided to move other then we were looking for the mother load. We got the cook shack hooked up and had a little trouble but were on the move after a few minutes.
The next area we ventured to was a rarea we did well two years ago. Again everyone spread out as the greek got the food going. The coney’s were a huge success and the fishing was not so good in that area. Ben managed to catch a crappie about the time we decided to make another move.
We stopped briefly at the cribbs as I had to go help Chris as His truck had quit running. We then headed south east looking for rough ice. Chris had gotten 4 crappie saturday morning where they had set up camp and some how John and Spense hooked up with Chris and found the mother load while the rest of us spread out on a huge patch of rough ice.
Jake and Tony hooked up with John and Spense and they managed to get over 30 crappies in that area. Everyone else was spread out over a 1/4 mile on the rough ice.
I headed off the lake around 5pm and when I got to shore the red baron coughed and missed and quit running?
After dinner I headed out with blue thunder to deal up the cards for the prizes.
The Fishing trip with me went to Jonh with aces over 7s
The fishing trip in alaska with the greek went to Al with Kings over 8s.
The mystrey dinner theater tickets went to the greek with Jacks over 10s
The two pack of fishing poles went to Sam the youngest for catching the first crappie saturday morning. He is going to be a great fishermen. The tip ups went to Tyler and Nate and I will give them there prizes next time I see them as they seemed to of gotten missplaced.
Again thanks to all that attended . It was a great turnout with 30 fishermen all having a good time.
After saying goodbye to all sunday Tony,Josh,Jake and I got busy and hauled the houses off the lake. They are now all sitting in front of my place and will be going into there spots on land the next few days.
Looking at the lake yesterday it looks as though alot of the water has went into the lake and the ice is High and dry.I will no more when I venture out the next day or two. I’m sure there are some holes where water drained but the fishing should only get better with all the fresh water running into the lake. As long as the shore line holds together we may be fishing for a couple more weeks.
Again thanks to all and I hope to have some type of get together again next year.

Now that the walleye and pke season are coming to a close it sure will be fun to get a big group together for the end of the hard water season. This is a open invetation to all. Bring your hard houses or just come for the day. I have started a note book to give me a idea of who coming.Don’t miss out and do not beleave theres no crappies left. I will be having my son Joe post pics of the crappies I see caught. This will be the time to get that wall mounter as its hard to tell if there any little scuffits coming up the ladder. I think there are but only time will tell

We are having a fishing get together chasing the elusive red lake crappie. These fish are highly edgucated and we need a army to find them. we willbe serving up coney while we pepper the lake march 21rst, We also have a few great gifts to give away. If you need lodging we can set you up or bring your hard house. Tony and brian both caught one last night so theres still a few around Just give me a call 218 556 6197

Here we go again. Don and his crew of 10 were some great guys and said they will be back next year. They did not take home limits but got enough to have a fish fry. 
Dewey and his crew of 8 also had some action but it was on the slower side. They also enjoyed there stay and I’m sure will be back next year. They had a great meal of barbecue venison and cole slaw for me Friday evening when I was doing the rounds and after not eating all day man did that hit the spot. Alaska did real well as well as California. Both those house were in closer to shore. Alaska caught a crappie as well as Florida. 
A few big pike were lost with one over 36 landed yesterday. Kellie and I were visiting her cousin and she was jigging Chris’s rod when a very large pike ripped the rod right out of her hand. Down the hole it went. When I lowered Jeff’s camera down I saw the rod of the lake floor and turned to see the pike. He then took off and the rod went flying by the camera man did we laugh. They ended up tagging into the same pike the next day .They had him up to the hole but he broke off. The bright side is they did catch the line in the process and got Chris’s rod and reel back. 
Bob and Jacky fished old Minnesota. I made them burrito’s Saturday night and man were they good. Jacky caught two big walleye and one was over 24 inches not sure how big the other one was but they caught enough fish to take home a meal or two. All in all another good weekend, the rain made a mess of things and now everything is rock hard from the cold temps. We have some tough work ahead of us this week as again Mother Nature has showed us not to look the other way.

It’s hard to believe that walleye and pike will be closing in a little over a week. From the road traffic I have seen this year we have not even come close to denting our quota. Were making ice as I type and the game fish season is winding down. Mother Nature has kicked me in the face all year but that’s nothing new. I had Jake try a new area Friday and he was told if he wanted to fish there he should buy Hudec’s. 
That put an idea is his head and he wants to look at buying something on the north shore. He really has fallen in love with the area and is becoming a very good friend. He says his son Gabriel was conceived while camping on the shores on upper red lake and it’s in his blood now. Must of been one of those days when it was to windy to fish. 
I will have a full fishing report from the weekend tomorrow but the fishing again was decent Friday and as the temps dropped the fish quit biting. Spence and John had 7 crappies yesterday afternoon. I will get a pic and try to get them posted on the internet. They had to work for them but feel it was well worth 
it. I met them three years ago when I offered half price if you bring a kid fishing. That worked out well so I will offer that again the rest of the ice season. Bring a kid fishing and my houses are half price the rest of the ice season. Were not throwing in the towel and will be pursuing crappies the rest of the ice season. I have to hit the lake now and auger some holes.

The Greek will be up today and we will keep working out the details. Spence and John were out last night and managed to find more then one of the elusive but still catch able upper red lake crappie. Jake also was out somewhere scouting and I will track him down today. Making the rounds last night Dwayne had one. We thought we found a great spot but it turned out to not be so good and we moved the house out of that area yesterday. Oh well I will have to scout another area a little further out. I will also find out where Spence and John were fishing and we will see if we can get to that area in the future. 
Lee thanks for the offer on the gift certificate do you think you can make it up that weekend? Jerry the Coney king is up with his tow behind and I will be talking to him later today. 
This is going to be a good time to fish with a group and have some fun on the lake fishing as a team. Finding the elusive red lake crappie can take hundreds of holes but all of a sudden you land on that one spot and its amazing watching those slabs come out of the same hole. I plan on having the houses out about 5 miles so the chances of landing a crappie or two out there during your stay is not out of the question.

I drove blue thunder home last night. Everything seemed ok but I will slowly feel her out before I put her into full time action. 
**THE LAKE HAS SOME RUTS AND WILL BECOME QUITE BUMPY AS EVERYTHING FIRMS UP WITH THIS COLD WEATHER**
Yesterday we punched a road into a new area that no one has fished. Even though it’s off limits that’s where my guys wanted to fish. 
All the houses are now on new spots for the up and coming weekend. I have plenty of holes to auger this morning and will finish banking the houses. 
I sure wish I could get along with all the outfitters up here as it would make things so much easier. Oh well I have tried over and over but all I do is ruin the fishing for everyone else. It’s hard to believe I have fished this lake 43 years. The first fish I ever caught was off Blanchard’s dock on the first cast in the river. All of my grand kids have caught there first fish here as well. Kinda cool that we are up to 6 generations fishing on red lake. 
This is the weekend we do smothered burritos in old Minnesota for Bob and Jacky I hope the smell of the sauce drives them crazy as it simmers on the stove all day tomorrow. My mouth is watering all ready. Deuwy and his crew will be up and they are always a fun group. Kellie’s sister rolls in Saturday and they are a lot of fun all so. 
John and Spence will also be here this weekend. I always enjoy visiting with them as it’s so great to see a son and dad that love to fish together. Jake is hosting some diehard fishermen in Idaho and Utah. 
Well better get to work.

Things have not went so well with blue thunder as we tried to install the transfer case outside in the rain it turned out we had a transfer case fro a automatic not a manual. Oops. 
Not all was lost as we have another coming A little expensive but what do you do. 
Yesterday we spent the day moving houses with the red barn and it went really well. The system my cousin Pete and mentor taught me worked well. We should have all the houses on fresh spots for the up and coming weekend.
Ed, Bruce and Ken went home with 8 keepers and really enjoyed their stay in Florida. Rob, Bob and Bobby were in Idaho and we moved them yesterday to see if they could have a little better fishing. Talk to Derrick and Jake and I suggested to them to try an unfished area as they had a sled. Jake called to thank me as he said they landed 80 walleyes yesterday? Of course when I ask where they fished it was a secret. What’s up with that I gave them the clue, Oh well they must be planning on coming back. Time to get to work. Still looking for fishermen for our crappie hunt.