01-14-2018, 05:12 AM
My wife and I fished Renegade today. Looks like open water as you come over the hill and into view of the bay, but it is actually very clear ice. Did not go out on it as we were happy where we were just out from the boat dock. Fishing was slow, slowest I have ever had at Renegade over the years. We hooked 8 but only landed 3. All were cutts. Invited a 14 incher home for dinner. The other was 22 inches, probably 7 lbs and 19 inches, likely 5 lbs. They were fat and healthy. Night crawler was the best bait. We tried wax worm, chub and power bait. The fish were there, just couldn't get them to bite after 10:30. Fished in 10 feet, 17 feet, 22 feet and 27 feet of water. We left around noon to come home. Temp was 7 degrees when we arrived at 7 a.m. and 34 at the truck when we left. Much colder on the ice, holes kept freezing up. A light breeze was blowing, so I had to setup the tent to keep my wife warm. With the sun beating on the tent, a heater was unnecessary. We rode the snow mobile the 9 miles in. The road is not groomed and looks like it hasn't been groomed this year. There was a side by side and 3 other snow mobiles that rode in but they turned off at Jakes. We had fresh untouched snow the rest of the way into Renegade... fun ride. 3 other snowmobiles showed up mid morning, but they rode around the waters edge out of sight towards the narrows. We had the entire bay to ourselves. Ice was a solid 6 inches (measured). A youngster in his lifted 4x4 truck drove up to the turn off from the Strawberry bay road and contemplated for quite a while about trying his luck on the road towards Renegade. He eventually had a flash of intelligence and decided against the trek. Good thing... he would not have made it far and would likely still be stuck, trying to dig out. Passed a vehicle about 4 miles in that tried it and ended up abandoning the vehicle. It will be there until the spring thaw. They had posted a sign in the window letting everyone know they were okay. I wouldn't even try an ATV under the current conditions. All in all, a good day, will likely give it a try again in two weeks. Maybe by then we will drive across the ice, a much quicker trip than taking the road.
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