April 11, Ice Out Update…..

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Seems like winter will not release it’s grip and the forecast isn’t much better.  The picture above is from this morning, Thursday April 11, 2013.  Last year was mostly open water and no snow.  What a difference a year makes!!

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But that doesn’t mean the fish are not biting……….as shown by Holly with a nice whitefish caught in front of the lodge.

 

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Other things are best done with these conditions, such as getting the portage boats ready for the spring.  Here on Clearwater Lake the boats are now ready for the first guests…

 

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Some ramp repairs, motors on, let the fishing begin!  This will be an exceptional year for shallow water lake trout……..here and on Eagle.

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The boat on Caribou Lake gets a fresh supply of gas and a motor swap.  Wonder what the smallmouth are doing right now?

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31 thoughts on “April 11, Ice Out Update…..

    1. Holly…That is a jumbo whitefish you’ve got there. However, something did not seem quite right about this photo. I knew something was a bit off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then it came to me–it was the fingers, more specifically, the finger nails. Since when do you go ice fishing without highly decorative nails? The flashy yellow paint from last year was stunning, but my favorites were the the little Canadian flags from a few years back. Will we see these again someday?

  1. Gord, with the family coming to VBL in early June, will you have snowmobiles for us to rent? Maybe we could work out a package deal??

    1. Yea coming to this site is starting to kill me… Might be better off taking this site out of my favorites.
      Been watching the want adds… Still no add for VBL looking for a guide. Across the bay has openings maybe

  2. Professor,
    I am told it is a bit like “perch-o-rama” minus the Perchmaster. It involves catching so many large lakers that one will want to take a side trip for those tasty perch that don’t require as much muscle power. I think the Perchmaster should come join us. When he get’s to the border he should just tell them that his “business” is guiding at VBL. I don’t think the lack of a work visa will be an issue. Or, he could just tell them that he is there to visit the queen. That always gets an interesting response from the border patrol. They like that as much as seeing the fruit on your dashboard.
    Andy

    1. Andy, Perchmaster also goes by the handle “Perch-Queen”, so coming to Canada on a “royal visit” should be a legitimate reason to give at the border. Would go over even better if he was to wear his crotch-less chaps, yellow beret and riding crop…….as he often does here in the privacy of cabin #1.
      Perhmaster……an invite by team Andy! No excuses now for not coming up.

      1. Professor
        first off if you ever get the chance to see us in action pulling “BULL PERCH” one after another you would be in awwww!!!!
        And why would you want to try and send one of your Wisconsin friends through customs?
        And you Gumby you must be having us mistaken for Mark R. maybe cause we don’t stay in cabin #1 remember…
        And these crotch-less chaps, yellow beret and riding crop the only time I have seen these is when Susanne has given us the yearly tour of the upgrade of your new home.

  3. A message to the mostly kind, considerate and thoughtful readers of this blog…Ice-out ought to be a joyous event for those of us who love coming to VBL to fish during the pleasant soft water season. Hope abounds and anticipation rises with the warming temps and longer days. A few of us may have even peed our pants, or at least dribbled a bit, due to the excitement brought about by springtime. Sadly, happiness seems to be turning into dispair for some.
    I believe winter’s hold on NW Ontario is throwing some people into a tizzy. How else do we explain guests coming to VBL in June asking about the availability of ice augers and snow- mobiles? My friend, Andy, has been planted in front of his monitor, transfixed on Holly’s whitefish going on six days now. His wife is beginning to get worried about the strange sounds he’s making. But, nobody concerns me more than the Perchmaster, a man I deeply admire for his fishing prowess. He appears to have fallen off the deep end after changing plans and choosing not to come to to VBL this year. He is now blaming the blog for trying to kill him. He has accused friends of scheming to wrap him up and send him via a delivery service to see the “Queen” of Canada. This seems paranoid to me. And asking for an audience to watch him catch “bull perch” defies explaination.
    Has the world gone mad? Perhaps not. Gord seems stable, offering up the usual blather about crotchless chaps, yellow berets and riding crops. This pleasant vision provides a calming influence for Gord. I’m grateful that he knows how to take care of himself during stressful times.
    I want to close by asking that you reach out to a VBL friend who is hurting. A kind word can be helpful. However, few things can brighten one’s day like receiving a shinny new Rapala as a get well gift. Please consider the desperate need.

    1. “…or at least dribbled a bit…”, stop it……you’re killing me! It is really a shame that more people don’t visit this blog. Oh well, membership has its privileges. I wonder how long trout-troll-o-rama will last in Vermilion Bay?????

      1. Well, so far (at noon today) over 50 people have visited the blog……..100 yesterday. Perhaps the select few visit the site multiple times per day….or…..most people come and look around but do not post anything. I would like to invite everyone to join in the stupidity!

    2. You’re right on Professor. I can see the commercial now……Perchmaster looking forlorn, a tear running down his cheek……several flies landing on his face…….perhaps a crumb of Johnsonville braut on his lip. For just pennies a day you can send the Perchmaster to VBL……

      1. O you guy’s just crack me up!!!!
        Professor when you arrive at VBL and have the chance to have your Sunday night fish fry have a talk with Mr Keith and his lovely wife Lovita.
        They will make you really think how “BULL PERCH” can be pulled from the depths one after another.
        I am sure Keith and Lovita will miss us taking them perch fishing this year….
        Do I or my partner Mark seem worried about you and Andy putting a dent in the perch population?
        I don’t think so. I picture you trying to pull that boat over one of the beaver dams in your crotchless chaps, yellow berets and riding crops.
        Probably glad I can’t see this so all of us viewing the blog will have to wait for Andy to post a picture of this…
        Mr. Bastable it is spelled brat here in America…
        I must admit that this post has sparked a fire here on the blog with much conversation going on!!

      2. Gord…I like your concept of the commercial to send the Perchmaster to VBL for only pennies a day. I would like to suggest one change that really would tug at people’s heart strings–go with mosquitoes instead of flies on Perchmaster’s face.

    1. I can live with it. I believe I might have eaten one or two that possibly were “spoiled”. It definitely resulted in my colon acting in a most “ill-mannered” fashion. The best brats come from Village Meats in Denmark Wisconsin……..”home of the boneless brat…..The Boner”. Give Earl a visit today!

  4. “In Canada, we have two seasons; winter and really bad ice.” I always thought that was supposed to be funny……….

  5. Professor,
    I am envisioning a blog reenactment of the trip back to the top secret bay where the bull perch lay waiting. Like the sugar plum fairies dancing in his head, the perchmaster has admitted that he is picturing how this all happens. Perhaps we can provide him photos this spring that fulfill his wildest imagination? I know you are trying to get in shape for your canoe trip, so you can do the pulling. I will bring the riding crop.
    Who knows, maybe water levels will rise. Rumor has it that 10,000 perch go to bed every night hungry in that bay. They are the ones deserving of a campaign. They deserve to be fed, and the perchmaster appears to be unwilling to help in 2013. We will just have to do our part.
    The boys from Green Bay were so kind as to share this perch information with us in the beginning. It just doesn’t seem fair that we will have it all to ourselves? We would be remiss if we didn’t thank them for their knowledge. As they taught us, it is far better to give than to receive. Perhaps they would like to share their top secret walleye spots so that we might pay them a visit in their absence? This might serve as a cleansing of sorts for the poor boys who have to give VBL a pass this year?
    Now…back to that whitefish.

    1. Andy
      I don’t mind sharing my knowledge to help you catch a few perch.
      You probably were not paying very close attention when we talked cause you were admiring Gord and how he would look cleaning those”BULL PERCH” in his crotchless chaps, yellow berets and riding crops…….
      As for the walleye spot I can say good luck that we never gave you a lesson on how to…
      Though I will admit I can’t wait to hear the truth on how you do invading our perch bay and walleye hole…
      Probably a good thing we found another spot that we have failed to share knowledge on…
      Yea how about that whitefish. It is huge!!!!

    2. Hi Andy…You raise many good points here. First off, I agree that too many bull perch are not good for Eagle Lake. So, I’m will to work with you to thin that herd out in May. And I’m willing to pull the boat if need be. However, I can’t say the riding crop will be an effective motivator for me. May I suggest a stout oak pointer instead? The nuns repeatedly used these on me while I served my eight-year sentence in Catholic grammer school. In the right hands, these handy tools can get me to do things I never thought possible.
      I also agree that Kurt and Mark are to be commended for putting us on to the bull perch bonanza. Perhaps we could shoot a little video to remind them of how much fun this kind of fishing can be. As for the top secret walleye spot, all I can say is that I would be very grateful to receive meaningful information on this little honey-hole. It should be thinned-out, too, for the good of Eagle Lake.
      Boys, Andy and I stand ready to do our very best in your absence. Give us the oppoutunity to be generous to you and we will deliver.

      1. I see a very confident Professor here.
        You do damage on one species at a time guy’s and will talk about the other spot.
        I look forward to this video you plan to shoot for us I just hope I can stay awake watching you guy’s looking over the side of the boat asking where the F@&^ are these “BULL PERCH”
        they talk about….
        Keep the trash talking coming makes it easier on me working all these hours..

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Testimonials

On behalf of the Boyes Group, I would like to pass on our sincere thanks for hosting the Muskie Madness Week and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at VBL and had a great time!! This was our 7th year on Eagle Lake and we have stayed at a few other lodges but VBL takes the cake hands down! You can definitely count us in for next year. I’m happy to see you post some of my pics, they turned out well. Thanks again Gord for a wonderful week of fishing and your stellar hospitality, you run a first class operation, we look forward to seeing you next year!

Trevor Benner

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