It's a Wrap

Watch a video of this event at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1OJN6pu25I&feature=player_embedded

It seems like it just started, but my lake trout ice fishing and winter camping season ended on Sunday. Tangerine Boy and the Lone C arrived late Wednesday night and we packed the truck. On Thursday morning we headed north from Duluth and hit the Gunflint Trail. It was unseasonably cold, but sunny when arrived to the parking lot. The path to our destination lake was packed down and fast. The lake surface was mostly snow covered in a hard crust that made pulling the heavy sleds very easy. We arrived at our chosen campsite, put out tip ups and set up camp. The tip ups stayed stationary all afternoon and we only caught a couple small trout jigging as we sat in the sun. A breeze made it a bit chilly and we blamed the cold front on the slow fishing. We had the lake to ourselves all day. It was a tasty trout jambalaya for supper. A trivia contest was held after we ate.

After a chilly night, we woke to more sun and a cold breeze. The second day after the cold front made for better fishing. We caught several trout right in front of camp, including some nice fish that resulted in good fillets. It is really fun to fish right near camp as we can conveniently heat up a hot lunch, cut firewood, and do other camp chores. We enjoyed watching eagles and ravens swooping over the lake that afternoon. We saw only a couple other parties on the lake. Trout chowder was on the menu that evening.

Saturday morning was again quite chilly-around zero degrees. The day was less windy, however, and we comfortably fished and caught several nice lake trout. We each wandered off at some point during the day and explored other fishing spots and portages. There were 3 or 4 other fishing parties on the lake that we could see. One member of another party wandered our way and we learned that their group included a couple guys from town that I know. We enjoyed a beef and trout stew that night and turned in a bit earlier than usual in order to try and get an early start the next day.

On Sunday we out out tip ups and caught one more decent trout as we packed up camp. It was again cold, calm, and sunny as we hoofed back to the truck. I stopped and talked with my two acquaintances for a bit when we left. Loading the truck was quickly done and we headed back down the Gunflint Trail. We had lunch in Grand Marais and we were back in Duluth by mid-afternoon. The fellows unloaded their gear and headed back to the Cities.

It was a very fun trip despite the unseasonable cold. Fishing was a bit slow at times and many of the fish were too small to keep, but the guys went home with their limit of nice fillets, so it couldn't have been too bad. It didn't seem possible that it was the last trip of the season-it seemed like it just started. The trips I took were all great fun, though. Now it is time to unpack and start thinking about the start of canoe season.

Nature Moment: On Friday afternoon, we heard the hoot of an owl several times from across the lake. It actually isn't a sound that we hear very often that far north. I first thought it was a great horned owl, but later research suggests it was likely a barred owl. It called several times that night as well.

Snowtrekker!!!!!!!!

It was a fine long weekend in the north country last weekend. The Smoked Fish Guy and I hit the road about 6am on Friday heading up the North Shore and then the Gunflint Trail. Did you know the North Shore Scenic Drive and the Gunflint Trail are nationally designated scenic byways? The sunrise was stunning over Lake Superior and the variety of landscapes on the Gunflint Trail make for a quick trip. We set up camp in the parking lot of an easily accessible lake trout lake. Once the tent and wood stove were set up, we hit the ice and dragged the fishing gear to a nearby point. It was a gray, damp, windy day and the fishing luck matched the weather. No fish, only one bite, between the two of us. Ouch. We went back to camp and licked our wounds while eating ham and bean soup prepared by the SFG (actually, every meal this trip was prepared by the SFG, and when you have a chef of his resume along, that is a good thing). We listened to the local radio station's trivia show that night and the only question they asked that night that went unanswered was this one: Who wrote John Smith's auto-biography? Really? Come on, Cook County!!

On Saturday morning we brewed the coffee and packed the gear and hit the lake. The SFG strapped on his skis and zipped off into the snow as I followed on snowshoes. We made our way through a series of islands and narrows to the big narrows, where we found open water. There was an easy path around most of the open water, but there was one more small, open hole that was surrounded by otter tracks. We surmised the ice was fine with just the one spot kept open by fishing otters and we skirted around it and made our way down the lake. After some discussion, we settled on a spot to fish. It had taken us about 2 hours to get there. After getting the lightweight tent shelter set up and the breakfast burritos cooking, I immediately caught a nice lake trout. A good sign, but alas, the day was slow. A continuous rain/snow mix and strong east wind made for tough conditions when "trolling" to different holes and depths in an attempt to find the fish. I went out deeper, while the SFG went shallower. He quickly hooked a trout and nearly had it up the hole when it shook loose. I marked a fish on my depthfinder out deep and it zipped up to my bait, but when I set the hook, I felt nothing. A northern pike had cut off my tube jig. I tied another one on, and it bit it off in short order again. Having finally learned my lesson I used wire leader on my rig the next time, but the fish didn't hit again. I tried even deeper, and was rewarded with a small lake trout. That hole soon proved a one hit wonder and I headed back to the tent for lunch. I missed one fish right away, but soon made up for it by seeing an aggressive fish zip right past my jig on the depth finder and reeling up to it and catching it. I iced the decent lake trout and quickly gilled and gutted the nice fish and found 3 tiny perch in its stomach. I was surprised to see one of the perch twitch-it was still alive. Apparently the trout was chasing a school of young-of-the-year perch when it shot past my bait. Meanwhile, the SFG was trying multiple spots without luck. He was approached by 2 gentlemen on snowshoes and learned that the "otter hole" we had seen was actually expanded by a fellow with a German accent that had gotten too close to the spot where the otter had accessed the lake and the visitor had broken through in water up to his waist. A tough lesson for a winter camper. We skirted back around the open water and made our way back to camp, where I greeted an enthusiastic winter tent fan. Overall, we had traveled for 4 hours and fish for 6.5 hours this day. Not a great ratio and we only caught 3 trout. The SFG made Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, and onions for supper. A favorite meal.

On Sunday, we decided to try a new spot. We loaded the truck and drove to the landing, then headed out on a plowed road on the ice. The place was a zoo-the lake was covered by anglers on snow machines. We found a place to park and then headed off to an out of the way area to fish. A bit of skiing/snowshoeing brought us to a quiet spot and it paid off. I caught a nice fish right away, and then the SFG took over, getting 4 trout, including a dandy 7-8 pounder. It was a beautiful day and we moved from hole to hole, enjoying the warm weather. The SFG ended up getting 6 trout, including another nice one, and I caught 4. A fine day. We headed back to the truck and then back to camp, where we discussed the finer points of human survival with some passer-by. Later, the SFG conjured up some steak and mushrooms for supper.

On Monday we headed onto the lake and down the shoreline for a bit. We found a very likely spot and I caught a nice trout right away. It spiraled down from there, however,and we caught only two more trout and a small northern pike after that. It was another warm, sunny day, but a strong wind made it less than perfect. We headed back to camp and fried up a trout with some beans and mashed potatoes.

Finally, on Tuesday we headed out and fished near the landing for just a bit with only a single trout to show for it. We packed up camp and headed home. It was good trip, with slower fishing than expected, but still fun.

Nature Moment: On Sunday afternoon, while jigging and chatting, the SFG suddenly yelled out in surprise. I looked up from depthfinder to see him swatting a gray jay, or whiskeyjack, away from his face. The large songbird had apparently mistaken the tassel on his hat as a food item and had attacked.

Thar She Blows!

It was an interesting President's Day weekend. Captain Karkov and I went up the Gunflint Trail to go after some lake trout through the ice. The forecast was intimidating when met up at 5am to begin the trek north. 40 to 50 mph winds? We bet the wind wasn't going to be that strong once we got off the shore of Lake Superior. When we arrived at our destination lake a few hours later, we discovered that 40 mph winds were indeed the case. It was obvious that the wind would prevent any fishing that day, even if we found an island to tuck behind. Our main concern turned to just getting on the lake to a decent campsite without the benefit of much snow to cool our snow machines. The week's warm spell had turned the lake into a sloppy wet mess for a few days, then the previous nights cold snap had refrozen the lake into a rock hard, rough surface. Barely any loose snow existed any longer. Quite a change from the snowy, slushy lake surfaces that had dominated the winter previously. After much contemplating, we decided to go for it. We headed up the lake, sticking close to shore where there was a bit more snow. It was a slow, rough ride with all the camping equipment towed behind our snow machines, but we made it, even passing through a white out of blowing snow the last mile. Despite a lot of protection from trees and vegetation, the wind made setting up camp a bit more challenging. It was difficult to get the windward side of the canvas tent stretched out and snow flapped. We persevered and after getting everything organized, we lit a fire in the wood stove, had some lunch and relaxed for a bit. Later, we went for a snow machine ride to check the lake out a bit further. After a supper of spaghetti, we listened to the local trivia show and solved several of the world's problems. Should have written them down, though.

We woke on Saturday to calm winds and sunshine. It looked to be a good day, and it was. As we packed to go fishing, another friend, Trout Teacher, arrived to join us. He had left town at 3am that day. Unfortunately, he had suffered a nasty looking eye injury when a taut bungee cord slipped his grip while packing at the landing. His vision was blurry in the eye, but I didn't see a puncture or scratch, so he decided to set up camp and see what happened. The eye progressively improved over the course of the weekend, so I hope it will be okay. Captain and I left him to get his tent up and we headed for our honey hole, affectionately called "Tuna Town" (it acquired the name due to its propensity to give up huge lake trout, aka "tunas"). It was an uneventful ride and soon we were setting up our portable shelters in 40-50 feet of water off the point. I hooked my first lake trout before my jig even hit the bottom. It was a nice 3 to 4 pound fish and I put it on the ice. I dropped my jig down again and had steady action all day after that. I think I ended icing 14 lake trout, one of my best days ever. The biggest fish was only about 5 pounds, but only one or two of the fish were under 2 pounds. Unfortunately, the only big fish I hooked got away after a battle that straightened my hook. It was sunny and calm most of the day-left the heater off in the house and did some fishing outside as well. Captain also caught many fish, including a 30" (8-10lb) trout. Trout Teacher arrived after morning flurry and didn't do as well where he set up in deeper water. We cruised back to camp as it neared dark, gathering some firewood as we went. We had brats and mashed potatoes for supper and the three of us chatted about life's twists and turns until we hit the hay.

Sunday was sunny, but a bit windy. The fluffy 2 inches of snow that fell in the night help soften the lake surface a bit as we traveled to our hot spot. I set up in a new area that was more out of the wind and immediately hooked a bigger fish that threw the hook. I had been filling my cup with tea from my thermos when it hit, and when I tried to set the hook, I only managed to drop the rod. I then fought the fish for a bit, but it got away, possibly due to my bumbling. I caught a small trout after that, and then didn't see any action for an hour or so, so I decided to go with Trout Teacher to another spot. This spot was out of the wind and Trout Teacher immediately started catching fish, but they were all quite small. He made up for the lack of size in the morning with a 30" lake trout early that afternoon. As I took his photo, I saw my tip flag was up. This was the first time I had a flag go up this winter-all my trout had come when jigging. I caught the nice 3-4 pound trout, and soon added another 2-3 pound trout, also on the tip up. It was good to know the thing works. It was also good I was able to test out the new "circle hooks" I had bought for the tip up worked. They are designed to pull out of a fish's stomach if the fish swallows the bait. The hook then is designed to slide up the mouth and hook in the side of the mouth. Both fish came up the hole perfectly hooked in the side of the mouth, and swam away healthy when released. Pretty cool. The key to using a circle hook, I am told, is not to set the hook with a jerk, but instead to just start reeling. It seemed to work for me. I caught a few more trout right before it was time to pack up, so after a slow start the day ended up being decent for numbers of fish. Captain had stayed at our original spot, and he reported good success as well, although the wind at that spot was less comfortable. We headed back to camp and enjoyed wild rice soup for supper.

Monday morning, President's Day, was again windy and cold. Captain had a minor snow machine issue that caused a bit of delay in our packing up, and when combined with the wind, it caused us to decide not to fish that day. It was a very pokey snow machine ride back to the landing-the lake was rougher than ever. Despite going slow, I did shatter one of my square buckets that I have used as my canoe food containers. I'll have to find another one somewhere. We headed back to civilization, ate some lunch and arrived back in the Duluth that afternoon.

It was a good trip, despite some weather issues that limited our fishing to just 2 of 4 days. I already am looking forward to going back.

Nature Moment: When getting ready to head back to camp on Saturday afternoon, we spotted a fox trotting along the shore. The next morning, when heading back out to fish, the fox's tracks were plain in the new snow. The tracks went right to where I had been fishing the day before-and where I had left the innards of the trout I had gutted and gilled. Of course the innards were now gone, cleaned up courtesy of the fox.

Into the Deep...Snow

My Wonderful Bride and Super Kid went to visit Grandma in Pittsburgh this week, so I took a little solo trip this past weekend (the photo above is actually from 2 weeks ago). Left Duluth Thursday morning and headed up the North Shore to the Gunflint Trail. I found my destination lake's parking lot devoid of vehicles except one. Under cloudy skies, but in mild temperatures (20 above), I set up the winter tent and wood stove right in the parking lot. I then headed onto the lake with my gear filled sled behind me. I decided to strap the snowshoes on right away, which was a good idea, because the snow was very deep on top of the ice. No slush, thank goodness, but tons of snow. The snow made the short drag across the lake to a favorite point a real slog. I put a tip up out in 22 feet of water and set my little flip shack in 32 feet. It wasn't long before I hooked, landed, and released a decent laker (22" or so) and soon after that I caught and released his twin. A bit later I watched (on my depth finder) another fish aggressively shoot off the bottom and a nano-second later felt it smash my tube jig. It put up a decent fight, so I was surprised to look down the hole at a fairly big walleye (25") instead of a trout. As I unhooked it, I saw the walleye's air sack had burst out into its mouth. Walleyes cannot regulate their air bladders as well as trout, but I wasn't fishing all that deep, so it was a surprise. The air bladder in a fish helps it adjust to the pressure differences in shallow and deep water. A walleye needs about 30 minutes to adjust it's bladder when coming up from 30 feet of water...a lake trout can do it instantly. Long story short, I was forced to keep the walleye for the pan. That was the last bite of the day and I soon was slogging back to the tent under dark skies. I had seen only one other party fishing all day. I got the fire going in short order and warmed up some Thai rice for supper. I listened to a few pod casts before climbing in the sleeping bag.

On Friday morning I didn't set the world record for getting on the lake, despite the bright sunshine. I pulled the gear out to a favorite island with a steep rock wall. I set up my bigger tent this time-much more comfortable than the little flip shack. The bigger tent does take a lot longer to set up and thus you are pretty much stuck on your chosen spot for the whole day. Having room to stand up and stretch out is sure nice, though. The trout start biting right away. Over the course of the morning I caught 6 lake trout and I had several others bite that didn't stay hooked. I lost as many as I landed for sure. I cannot figure out why...I've tightened the drag for the hook set and sharpened hooks...still fish are popping off-usually right at the hole, right as I am about to land them. The fish that morning were often quite shallow-I was in 39 feet of water, but most of the fish were hooked just 15 feet down. Not coincidentally, my depth finder also revealed a couple of bait schools swimming by-all at about 15 feet. After I ate my Mr. Heater cooked burrito at noon, fishing slowed. I did get one more small trout about 3pm and lost another one right after that. Both of those fish were tight to the bottom. I packed up a bit earlier than the day before and it was still light out when I got back to camp. Again, I saw only one other group of anglers on the lake all day. Since it was light, I decided to take a little drive in the truck to check out other potential camping spots in the area and did find a few. After chicken and couscous, I listened to some old-time music on the local radio station. It was snowing pretty heavily when I hit the cot.

I woke early on Saturday and moved pretty quickly in order to take advantage of the morning bite. The snow must have stopped soon after I fell asleep, because it only accumulated an inch or two. I decided to try a new spot on the lake this day...one that seemed to be obvious when looking at the lake-a point with a steep shoreline adjacent to the deepest hole in the lake. It must be obvious to others as well, as other years I had seen anglers on this spot each time I fished this lake. There wasn't any previous activity visible this year, though and I claimed the spot. Again the fish were hungry nearly immediately. I probably had 20 bites or so during the morning and caught only 8 or 9 lake trout. Don't get me wrong, still a very good day, but it could have been epic. Several of the fish were small (15"-18"), but others were decent (22"-24"), and I did get one big one (31"). The big one was exciting, make several strong runs during the fight. When I got it up to the hole, I couldn't get the nose started up, because the fish was hood oddly in the side of the mouth. I tried and tried, but couldn't get it moved up. I even decided to just try and shake the hook out since no one was there to take my picture anyway and I wouldn't keep that big of a fish. The hook would not come out. So I stripped off all my layers above my waist and was about stick my arm down past the 20" of ice to grab the fish when the trout suddenly came up the hole on its own. Just then the propane ran out on my heater. It got very cold very fast as I unhooked and released the big laker. I had to laugh to myself-how would it have looked if the game warden or somebody zipped up to my shelter and found me inside holding a big trout with just by bib overalls on? Fishing again was slow in the afternoon, although I did get another small trout that was right on the bottom again. As I packed up it was snowing pretty good again, making for another slog back to the tent. Once again I had seen only one other party fishing, but did see several people out skiing and snowshoeing. I heated up a very tasty pre-made burrito for supper. I enjoyed the local radio programs this night-including a good interview with an author of book I plan to read-http://www.thetigerbook.com/. A non-fiction story about a tiger that had a personal vengeance for the farmer that tried to kill him. I guess it is a best seller, but I hadn't heard about it.

Sunday morning dawned very clear and cold with a nasty breeze. I decided to pack the gear and head home. After things were packed I drove back down the trail and hit the local cafe for some breakfast. It was an uneventful drive home. I got some of the snow scooped and got the gear into the basement to dry out. It was a fun trip.

Nature Moment: On Saturday morning, as I stepped into my snowshoes to head out on to the lake, I looked up in surprise to see a red fox just 10 yards in front of me. It showed very little fear and seemed to be used to getting fed. Not one to feed wildlife, I kept going with the snowshoe straps, and the fox just kept watching me. When I stood up, he ran off a few steps, but used only three legs. When he stopped, I could see his right front leg was injured-dark with blood. I felt bad for the little guy-gangrene or a wolf pack would probably be catching up with him soon. When I went onto the lake, I could see his tracks had followed my tracks from the day before, so he had probably fed off the innards of the two lake trout I had gilled and gutted.

Lake Trout...Finally

After what seemed to be an endless fall and early winter, I took my first Lake Trout ice fishing trip of the year this past weekend. After much planning and snow machine wrangling, I met up with the Smoked Fish Guy, Chief MLB, the Lieutenant, and the Farmer and we headed north early Friday morning. It was slow going at first with icy roads, but we made it to the border, where the Smoked Fish Guy and I were selected for a more thorough search by the Canadian authorities (once again). We passed the inspection, and drove another hour through rural Canada to our destination lake. After checking in at the lodge we were staying at, we got the snow machines going and cruised through deep snow to our first fishing spot, "Trout Point." I had had good luck at that spot last year, but this year it was slow. The Smoked Fish Guy had some bites, including a bite off by a bigger musky or pike and Chief MLB caught a small trout. We cruised back to the cabin at dusk with more snow falling, hitting a big pile of slush on the way in, but no one got stuck. We enjoyed visiting and catching up that evening while eat smoked ribs provided by the Smoked Fish Guy. Delicious. We talked fishing for a while with Smokey Joe, one of the lodge managers. He offered to go fishing with us the next day, which we gladly accepted.

On Saturday it dawned cold and clear, with a bit of a breeze. We made a longer run out to "Old Baldy," a spot I had not tried before. Chief MLB caught four trout right away, seemingly before the rest of us had even gotten our jigs to the bottom. Smokey Joe also caught a couple trout in short order. The Lieutenant and Farmer had a bit of luck as well, but the Smoked Fish Guy and I managed to keep losing the fish we hooked, sometimes right at the hole. Around noon, fishing stagnated and the other fellows took off east in search of a new spot that Smokey Joe pointed out. The Smoked Fish Guy and I stuck it out on Old Baldy and it paid off, as the SFG got a very nice trout and I caught a nice eater. I did lose a bigger fish at the hole again (sigh). We cruised back to the cabin at dusk, again hitting some slush. The amount of slush seemed to be increasing. We had grilled trout for supper, perfectly prepared by the Chief.

Sunday morning was frigid, but sunny. It took the snow machines a little while to get fired up and the Lieutenant had some issues with a stuck choke, but eventually we all got rolling towards a new spot to try. Unfortunately, the slush had really come up on the lake over night. We had to keep our speed up to avoid getting stuck in the messy snow/ice layer on the lake. Finally, Chief MLB, the SFG and I set up on a point off "Love Island." The SFG caught two lake trout right away, including a 5-6 pounder. It took me a bit longer to get started, but soon I had pulled four trout up, including a 7-8 pounder. Chief didn't have any luck, nor did Farmer or Lieutenant where they had set up. The sun went under that afternoon and a chilling wind picked up, which, when combined with a subdued afternoon lake trout bite, inspired us to go back to the cabin a bit earlier. The return ride revealed even more slush had formed on the ice surface, but again, no one got stuck. We had a variety of sausages and potato dumplings made by the Farmer and Lieutenant that night. The fellows surprised me with some generous gifts as Sunday was my birthday. It was really thoughtful of them to remember. There was another big surprise as well-a birthday cake brought down by Smokey Joe. It capped off a great day.

Monday morning revealed a fresh batch of snow that was still coming down. The SFG and I fished right outside the lodge's front door. He caught a nice trout and lost one. I managed to catch two very small perch. The other guys went to a nearby island and Chief MLB caught the fish of the trip-a 10.5 pound laker. I couldn't think of a more deserving fellow. After packing up the gear and eating a bit of stew, we headed down the road back to home. The roads weren't real hot due to the snow, so it was a slow trip, but we made it unscathed.

It was a great way to start the season and a very fun time with good friends. By the last day of the trip slush was beginning to take over the entire lake. I hope that clears up before my next trip.

Catching Up

I have been lax in getting the blog updated lately. I have got some decent days of fishing this winter and it has been fun. Overall, fishing has been slow, but some good catches have occurred. I got on the ice around the 2nd weekend of December, fishing in the Duluth area. My first 3 efforts were on a couple of proven first ice crappie/walleye spots, but each day I caught only 1 keeper crappie and no keeper walleyes. The Sportbar, our permanent shack, was put out the week before Christmas. On Christmas weekend my Wonderful Bride, Super Kid, and I went up to Ely and stayed a cabin right on a crappie/walleye lake. In between family events, I did get some fishing in. Christmas eve fishing was slow during the day, but I did get 3 keeper walleyes and a jumbo perch at dusk. On Christmas, my mom and dad joined us for a night. I caught a really nice, 39 inch, northern pike right before they arrived. My bride was unable to take a photo because Super Kid was napping. We didn't get too much after that. On that Sunday we went back to Duluth and my Dad and I fished in the Sportsbar, which was pretty slow, but a few perch were caught. On that Monday I fished with Officer Friendly, who was home on military leave. Fishing was slow, but I did get a big crappie. After spending New Year's with the family, I made it to the Sportsbar again yesterday. I was joined by my neighbor, who is undergoing cancer treatment (his prognosis is very good), and some pals of his. It was a very fun time, lots of laughs and lots of fishing action from northern pike. The biggest pike was 36 inches long and it was released to grow even larger.

Today is a calm, sunny, beautiful day, and I am hanging out with Super Kid, playing Princess Super Hero. It is the latest craze and involves a pink cape, a crown, and a shiny green cummerbund. I don't mind the cape, but the crown is itchy and the cummerbund is not flattering to my figure. Just as fun as fishing. On Friday I am heading to Canada with the Smoked Fish Guy, Farmer, Chief Many Little Bottles, and the Lieutenant to fish lake trout for four days. I can barely wait.

I'll post when I return.

Happy Birthday to Talent Show Winner!

Getting ready for ice fishing!

Portable Ice House Modifications on a budget...

I want to be more mobile on the ice this year, even when not using my snowmachine. I think I'll catch more fish if I try several spots in a day versus setting up and waiting for the fish. My answer is to stay really lightweight and better use my old flip style shelter. Above is a photo of what I came up with this fall.

The house is an old, very small Sportmax flip shack. It is extremely lightweight (about 20lbs). It is tiny and wouldn't hold up to to much banging around behind a snowmachine. I got it for $39.99 when Sportmax went out of business 10 years ago.


Modifications:

1. Snowflap extension. The front snowflap was too short. I attached some old fish house material (a friend’s house disintegrated) and attached it to the front flap to extend it. This helps keep the wind out (this house has no zipper door, so I can't bank it with snow). Cost: Negligible.

2. Reflective insulation. I installed an insulation layer (made from reflective insulation pockets in which my daughter’s medicine was mailed to us) on the ceiling of the house to help hold in some more heat. Just like Reflectix, but I got it for no $. Cost: Negligible

3. Pipe foam. I put some pipe foam on the bars of the house where my legs rest. Resting my knees on the metal (this house is a real coffin) made them cold. Cost: Negligible (had it left over from another project).

4. Canoe Chair. I took a canoe chair I had and strapped it to a cooler to make a chair. Cost: Negligible (I already use the chair in the canoe).

5. Cooler. The cooler is my storage locker. It holds nearly everything I'll need, including my flasher (the Showdown Troller is small enough to fit and is about the cheapest flasher you can buy new). I attached high-use items to the front. Cost: $20 for the cooler.

6. Rod Protectors. I took long plastic fluorescent light bulb protectors and modified them to slip over my rods. Used double faced velcro to hold them in place. Cost: $6

7. Metal washers. I attached a bunch of heavy washers to the bottom of the snow flap all around the house...helps hold them down to the ice in a wind. Cost: $3

8. Rod Holder. Took a U bolt and attached to the back of the sled, to the side. It will hold a rod when I am fishing with it. Cost: $3

9. Took an old Berkley rod rack I had in my garage and attached the bottom half to the sled. They will hold the rods as I move from spot to spot. Cost: $10

10. Foam Foot Pad. Took an old foam sleeping pad, cut it to size, and wrapped it in burlap (to make it anti-slip). Keeps feet off the ice and warmer. Cost: Negligible.

11. Drink holder. I installed a flip-down can holder, made of metal, it should hold up to the cold. Cost: $10.

House and Modification Costs...$92.

Too keep it light and pullable...I use the Nils 6" hand auger (I've pulled a 39" laker and a 41" pike out of a 6" hole before...not at the same time...the auger has a different design that really makes it easier to get through thick ice. I invested in the Showdown troller flasher/fishfinder this fall. Its size allows it to be stored in the cooler and it is the cheapest flasher I found. No idea how it will work, however. I mostly fish out of the way lakes for trout, so I suspect it will be fine.

Okay then, bring on the ice! Looking at the forecast, we should be hitting the ice by Thanksgiving.