03-20-2023, 12:04 AM
(03-19-2023, 04:10 AM)klam Wrote: The road into Madsen boat ramp is single lane with ruts. It is plowed but if you drop in to the ruts you could drag bottom if you were in a car or van. No need for 4x4. The parking lot wasn't completely plowed so parking space is limited. We were the only ones in the lot. We fished the west side of the bay. Only one bite and a rare fish or two on the finder.
No problem getting on or off the ice. The ramp is packed down. We bottomed out the auger just as it broke into the water. Top layer is 3 inches of dense crusty snow. A few inches of ice and a deep pocket of slush followed by layer after layer of ice and layers of slush. With a gas powered auger it was still work.
We tried out by the island next. Only a couple of bites. The battery died on the finder. No idea if there were fish in the area. Surprised we didn't even get into some of those 12 to 14 inch cuts. There was about 6 inches of dense crusty snow on top of layer after layer of ice and slush. With the storms forecast this coming week you might have to shovel some snow off the top to be able to drill deep enough to reach the water.
We didn't see any wheeled vehicles on the ice. I think you could successfully travel with your ATV or UTV.
There were a few groups of fishermen on the highway side and several groups in the dam arm.
We were fishing in less than 20 ft using white tubes tipped with worms or waxies and green paddle bugs.
That sounds like a tough trip. Makes we wonder if the lack of oxygen in the water had some bearing on the lack of catching, Makes me wonder it it would have been better by the inlet
