Tracks needed for Lake Winnipeg?

aron · Mar 7, 2016

Heading up to Lake Winnipeg Thursday evening. For the guys that just got back, how is traveling on the ice right now? Are tracks needed or can I get by with a wheeled ranger?

CWS · Mar 7, 2016

just got back last night from a 2 and a half day trip. 4 of us in our group 2 snowmobiles and a wheeled ranger with 2 guys on it. the ranger got stuck twice but not bad at all, i was surprised how well it got around. As warm as it was this weekend the snow will be gone quick.

beanman82 · Mar 7, 2016

Be careful around the pressure ridge going east if you are coming off Chalet. It was pretty wet yesterday when we came off at noon.

Bowhunter_24 · Mar 7, 2016

Has fishing picked up at all?

im still on the fence about running up for a quick trip this weekend. Reports haven't made me too anxious to head up there however.

Nelly · Mar 7, 2016

How far is everyone traveling on the ice to get to the fish once you are on? Leaving on this thursday to fish the weekend. Looking forward to getting into some fish.

MuskyManiac · Mar 7, 2016

Nelly said:
How far is everyone traveling on the ice to get to the fish once you are on? Leaving on this thursday to fish the weekend. Looking forward to getting into some fish.

Probably 6-7 miles from shore to get to the mouth area.

Tommyboy · Mar 7, 2016

Bowhunter_24 said:
Has fishing picked up at all?

im still on the fence about running up for a quick trip this weekend. Reports haven't made me too anxious to head up there however.

Fishing is always good up there. Just have to find them. We run it just like perch fishing. Fish a spot for 30 min max. If no fish, move.

beanman82 · Mar 7, 2016

I would recommend tracked vehicles as of yesterday, but when the snow settles wheels will work. Lots of pickups stuck yesterday. Glad I had tracks on the ranger!

Bowhunter_24 · Mar 7, 2016

Tommyboy said:
Fishing is always good up there. Just have to find them. We run it just like perch fishing. Fish a spot for 30 min max. If no fish, move.

Ive been up there many times. I'm aware.

But fishing has been slow this year

5575 · Mar 7, 2016

I would NEVER buy a used truck from a Manitoba ice fisherman that's for sure, those guys are nuts! Tracks were nice to have this week. Yea quite a bit of water around the ridges by the end of the day.

johnr · Mar 7, 2016

I am heading up march 20th, That is pretty much 2 weeks of nice weather the entire time. Is the ice going to be good yet? How thick was it as of now? With the journey being 10+ hours I sure don't want to drive that far and be shore bound.
Our local lake is open all around the shore, and I'm guessing with in the next couple days it will be open all the way.

guywhofishes · Mar 7, 2016

I suspect life is about to hand you a bunch of Winnipeg lemons.

Fisherman25 · Mar 7, 2016

The ice hasn't even began to deteriorate up there yet. You'll be fine in two weeks.

As for wheels versus tracks, tracks are preferred but you can get by with wheels and chains. Where wheels are going to struggle in the next few weeks is around pressure ridges. It will get more difficult to cross them as they open up and the snow melts.

As for fishing, we had a really good time, but fishing was not nearly as good as I've had in the past. We caught plenty of fish, but size wise we only had 4 or 5 28" or better. We caught a lot less 24-27" fish this year. For us, the bite was best the first and last hours of the day. We spoke to a lot of fisherman and they had similar results.

Jigaman · Mar 7, 2016

Fisherman25 said:
The ice hasn't even began to deteriorate up there yet. You'll be fine in two weeks.

As for wheels versus tracks, tracks are preferred but you can get by with wheels and chains. Where wheels are going to struggle in the next few weeks is around pressure ridges. It will get more difficult to cross them as they open up and the snow melts.

As for fishing, we had a really good time, but fishing was not nearly as good as I've had in the past. We caught plenty of fish, but size wise we only had 4 or 5 28" or better. We caught a lot less 24-27" fish this year. For us, the bite was best the first and last hours of the day. We spoke to a lot of fisherman and they had similar results.

I have been hearing this as well and my 2 trips up there this winter confirmed it. They had a couple years in a row of really poor reproduction and now there is a noticeable lack of 20-25" fish. Lots of small to eater sized fish though so the future is bright IMO. There are still plenty of big fish to keep me wanting to head up there.

5575 · Mar 7, 2016

johnr said:
I am heading up march 20th, That is pretty much 2 weeks of nice weather the entire time. Is the ice going to be good yet? How thick was it as of now? With the journey being 10+ hours I sure don't want to drive that far and be shore bound.
Our local lake is open all around the shore, and I'm guessing with in the next couple days it will be open all the way.

Well John if there are several days like yesterday you can forget it. You'll just have to see what mother nature decides to do I guess. Oh by the way when your hungry in Selkirk do yourself a favor and go to Boston pizza and order the rustic italian pizza mm mmmm! Sunny and nice up here again today.

johnr · Mar 7, 2016

yeah it was 71* here yesterday, with next weekend looking the same.

I have a group of 8 going, the rest of the guys are from the Fagro area, so not quite the journey I put into it.

Definitely feels of spring out west here.

Love me some pig greenies

Tommyboy · Mar 7, 2016

Bowhunter_24 said:
Ive been up there many times. I'm aware.

But fishing has been slow this year

I guess if I catch even one MA, it makes the trip for me. Are my Winnipeg standards too low?

deleted_account · Mar 7, 2016

i dont see anything about the forecast that would cause me to worry too much about the ice up there

Bowhunter_24 · Mar 7, 2016

Juan you will be fine. You were worried about taking an atv last year and I drove my pickup all over the ice a week later. Its cold up there. Its not the banana belt of dickinson.

Also the forcast seems to always be warmer than the actual temp up there. Its probably like 38 below zero right now.

johnr · Mar 7, 2016

Thanks buddy, that is the reaffirmation I was looking for. I have a need for being tucked in at night.

- - - Updated - - -

Tommyboy said:
I guess if I catch even one MA, it makes the trip for me. Are my Winnipeg standards too low?

depends on what she looks like,....sober

Tracks needed for Lake Winnipeg?

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