I'm thinking about making the trek to Hoist Bay next Friday (24th) for some pike spearing. It sounds like the lakes are freezing up, how is Fall Lake looking? I'll take 4-mile portage to Hoist. Thanks!

Post some pictures if you get any if you would please. What kind of lures are you using?

quote QueticoMike: "Post some pictures if you get any if you would please. What kind of lures are you using?"

I can definitely post some pics if I have any luck. I just use the classic spearing decoys that resemble small pike or suckers. I'll also haul in a few live sucker minnows.

My grandfather had a spear- dark house set up in the narrows between Hoist Bay and Back Bay. Back Bay use to be called Garbage Bay, as the summer visitors to Basswood would dump their garbage there. The minnows would feed off the garbage and the big pike would follow them in. Great spearing at the time. My grandfather would drive his truck to the door of his dark house on a plowed winter road. Mind you this was more than 50 years ago.

I flew over the area the other day and Fall lake was frozen shore to shore. As were all the small and medium sized Lakes. The bigger and deeper lakes were still open. Most bays on Vermilion were frozen but not Big Bay (main Lake). At 7 am this morning it was 3 degrees in Ely.

Good luck!

Thanks for the information! At this time I'll plan on heading in early next Friday morning. Stay tuned for a report.

Fall is looking pretty solid to me.....

Fall Lake Webcam

JD

I was thinking about going to Hoist too on Friday. Looks like rain on Friday.
Local sheriffs reported 3-5" on Fall Monday of this week.

Your profile pic is from Hoist?

Stay safe!

quote Soledad: "I was thinking about going to Hoist too on Friday. Looks like rain on Friday.
Local sheriffs reported 3-5" on Fall Monday of this week.

Your profile pic is from Hoist?

Stay safe!"

I will end up going Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. Profile picture is actually from Ramshead a few years ago. Thanks for the information and maybe I'll see you out there.

quote ellahallely: "My grandfather had a spear- dark house set up in the narrows between Hoist Bay and Back Bay. Back Bay use to be called Garbage Bay, as the summer visitors to Basswood would dump their garbage there. The minnows would feed off the garbage and the big pike would follow them in. Great spearing at the time. My grandfather would drive his truck to the door of his dark house on a plowed winter road. Mind you this was more than 50 years ago.


I flew over the area the other day and Fall lake was frozen shore to shore. As were all the small and medium sized Lakes. The bigger and deeper lakes were still open. Most bays on Vermilion were frozen but not Big Bay (main Lake). At 7 am this morning it was 3 degrees in Ely.


Good luck!"

Been there done that on Back bay with my brother having a fishhouse on Back Bay in 1969 I think it was.
Man I keep saying been there done that. That must make me a historic relic of the past. Now I really feel old.

Any reports? How was the ice? How was the portage? What fish do you see? I had friends fishing a bay on Vermilion and they had 5 inches of clear ice. Water was starting to form on top of the ice.

quote ellahallely: "Any reports? How was the ice? How was the portage? What fish do you see? I had friends fishing a bay on Vermilion and they had 5 inches of clear ice. Water was starting to form on top of the ice."

I was just checking to see how it went too. Hope you had some action!

Can't speak for Ely area but further south in the Brainerd area some lakes are still open and many have like 1-4 inches. Also talking 50 degrees here today.
TGO and EllaHalley have better idea on Ely area.

quote ellahallely: "Any reports? How was the ice? How was the portage? What fish do you see? I had friends fishing a bay on Vermilion and they had 5 inches of clear ice. Water was starting to form on top of the ice."

I actually camped for 3 nights on fall and made 2 day trips to Hoist (Saturday and Monday). Ice was 4 to 6 on Fall and 5 to 8 on Hoist. Portage was in good shape, thanks to those that clear it. Saturday was very slow spearing but Monday was great and I saw 7 nice Pike, one likely close to 40 inches, before I lost my second decoy sucker minnow. I caught a couple on a tip up also. Never did throw the spear.

quote Pinetree: "Can't speak for Ely area but further south in the Brainerd area some lakes are still open and many have like 1-4 inches. Also talking 50 degrees here today.
TGO and EllaHalley have better idea on Ely area."

Another warm day in the Ely area, with winds predicted to be as high as 29 mph, and the warming weather looks to last for 8 days or longer.
Burntside and I assume other large lakes, are wide open.
I'd be very careful even on the smaller lakes, until we get a week of single digit, or lower temps.

quote The Great Outdoors: "

quote Pinetree: "Can't speak for Ely area but further south in the Brainerd area some lakes are still open and many have like 1-4 inches. Also talking 50 degrees here today.
TGO and EllaHalley have better idea on Ely area."

Another warm day in the Ely area, with winds predicted to be as high as 29 mph, and the warming weather looks to last for 8 days or longer.
Burntside and I assume other large lakes, are wide open.
I'd be very careful even on the smaller lakes, until we get a week of single digit, or lower temps."

Agree we lost two people on Upper Red Lake who broke thru the ice and drowned.

quote karola: "I actually camped for 3 nights on fall and made 2 day trips to Hoist (Saturday and Monday). Ice was 4 to 6 on Fall and 5 to 8 on Hoist. Portage was in good shape, thanks to those that clear it. Saturday was very slow spearing but Monday was great and I saw 7 nice Pike, one likely close to 40 inches, before I lost my second decoy sucker minnow. I caught a couple on a tip up also. Never did throw the spear.
"

Thanks for the report.
Is there a reason you chose to make day trips? Would the tow up to hoist be difficult with a hot tent setup? Will be heading that way myself this winter, I figure if the towing is tough I could set up camp on Ella Hall or Muskeg and make a day trip to the bay.

quote Gadfly: "

quote karola: "I actually camped for 3 nights on fall and made 2 day trips to Hoist (Saturday and Monday). Ice was 4 to 6 on Fall and 5 to 8 on Hoist. Portage was in good shape, thanks to those that clear it. Saturday was very slow spearing but Monday was great and I saw 7 nice Pike, one likely close to 40 inches, before I lost my second decoy sucker minnow. I caught a couple on a tip up also. Never did throw the spear.
"

Thanks for the report.
Is there a reason you chose to make day trips? Would the tow up to hoist be difficult with a hot tent setup? Will be heading that way myself this winter, I figure if the towing is tough I could set up camp on Ella Hall or Muskeg and make a day trip to the bay. "

Ella hall is a nice lake and a day trip from there would be easy if you wanted.

quote karola: "

quote ellahallely: "Any reports? How was the ice? How was the portage? What fish do you see? I had friends fishing a bay on Vermilion and they had 5 inches of clear ice. Water was starting to form on top of the ice."

I actually camped for 3 nights on fall and made 2 day trips to Hoist (Saturday and Monday). Ice was 4 to 6 on Fall and 5 to 8 on Hoist. Portage was in good shape, thanks to those that clear it. Saturday was very slow spearing but Monday was great and I saw 7 nice Pike, one likely close to 40 inches, before I lost my second decoy sucker minnow. I caught a couple on a tip up also. Never did throw the spear.
"

Way back in Like 1969(the olden days) I speared one about 20 pounds and a 10 and 5 pounds one day(Back in those days you speared biggest fish regardless-there was no thought than of letting the big ones go). My brother speared there the rest of the winter and seen just small fish.

I know if you hit it right now you can catch a lot on tipups now. A lot of small ones,but still some big bruisers in there. I always liked using the big sucker minnows for spearing also.

How was the water clarity? Some years it is not real good.

iced to no ice

Be careful out there folks.

Yes, be careful. Today we were called to Hart Lake here for a fishhouse sinking. Someone thought it might be occupied. I recognized it as my 86 yr old uncle David s. I was relieved to see both his four-wheeler and truck were at home and tracked him down to being in town.

quote nctry: "Yes, be careful. Today we were called to Hart Lake here for a fishhouse sinking. Someone thought it might be occupied. I recognized it as my 86 yr old uncle David s. I was relieved to see both his four-wheeler and truck were at home and tracked him down to being in town. "

Wow that could be a heart stopper-your own relation.
I noticed over the years you get extra melting around the fish house from the sun reflecting off the house and warm wind current bouncing of the house and adding additional melting. Still 40 degrees at almost 10 Pm around home now.

quote Gadfly: "

quote karola: "I actually camped for 3 nights on fall and made 2 day trips to Hoist (Saturday and Monday). Ice was 4 to 6 on Fall and 5 to 8 on Hoist. Portage was in good shape, thanks to those that clear it. Saturday was very slow spearing but Monday was great and I saw 7 nice Pike, one likely close to 40 inches, before I lost my second decoy sucker minnow. I caught a couple on a tip up also. Never did throw the spear.
"

Thanks for the report.
Is there a reason you chose to make day trips? Would the tow up to hoist be difficult with a hot tent setup? Will be heading that way myself this winter, I figure if the towing is tough I could set up camp on Ella Hall or Muskeg and make a day trip to the bay. "

It was raining when I went in last Friday and it was too hard to pull my gear on the 4-mile with the wet, sticky snow so I stayed on Fall. If I go again I'll base camp near Muskeg and day trip.

quote Pinetree: "

quote karola: "

quote ellahallely: "Any reports? How was the ice? How was the portage? What fish do you see? I had friends fishing a bay on Vermilion and they had 5 inches of clear ice. Water was starting to form on top of the ice."

I actually camped for 3 nights on fall and made 2 day trips to Hoist (Saturday and Monday). Ice was 4 to 6 on Fall and 5 to 8 on Hoist. Portage was in good shape, thanks to those that clear it. Saturday was very slow spearing but Monday was great and I saw 7 nice Pike, one likely close to 40 inches, before I lost my second decoy sucker minnow. I caught a couple on a tip up also. Never did throw the spear.
"

Way back in Like 1969(the olden days) I speared one about 20 pounds and a 10 and 5 pounds one day(Back in those days you speared biggest fish regardless-there was no thought than of letting the big ones go). My brother speared there the rest of the winter and seen just small fish.


I know if you hit it right now you can catch a lot on tipups now. A lot of small ones,but still some big bruisers in there. I always liked using the big sucker minnows for spearing also.


How was the water clarity? Some years it is not real good."

Water clarity was great. I took a lot of video of the trip and will condense it down and post it when I get around to it.

Cool,will be looking forward to it.

Ella Hall Lake nice quite lake. Named my dog after the lake- girl. My screen name is gender neutral. I have no condition updates, might be up that way this weekend.

quote Pinetree: "

quote The Great Outdoors: "

quote Pinetree: "Can't speak for Ely area but further south in the Brainerd area some lakes are still open and many have like 1-4 inches. Also talking 50 degrees here today.
TGO and EllaHalley have better idea on Ely area."

Another warm day in the Ely area, with winds predicted to be as high as 29 mph, and the warming weather looks to last for 8 days or longer.
Burntside and I assume other large lakes, are wide open.
I'd be very careful even on the smaller lakes, until we get a week of single digit, or lower temps."

Agree we lost two people on Upper Red Lake who broke thru the ice and drowned."

That's sad, sorry to hear that......

quote karola: "

quote ellahallely: "Any reports? How was the ice? How was the portage? What fish do you see? I had friends fishing a bay on Vermilion and they had 5 inches of clear ice. Water was starting to form on top of the ice."

I actually camped for 3 nights on fall and made 2 day trips to Hoist (Saturday and Monday). Ice was 4 to 6 on Fall and 5 to 8 on Hoist. Portage was in good shape, thanks to those that clear it. Saturday was very slow spearing but Monday was great and I saw 7 nice Pike, one likely close to 40 inches, before I lost my second decoy sucker minnow. I caught a couple on a tip up also. Never did throw the spear.
"

Thanks for sharing your report! Sounds like a good time!

Here is the video I made from the trip: Camping trip

Thank you very much-great video.

Awesome video, will be up that way in a few weeks as well.