Ice Out Contest

March 24, 2025

Spring has sprung and we have returned to the Great White North after 2 1/2 months in the Baja, Mexico. I arrived back to a pile of snail mail, including a number of Christmas cards (thank you)! The postal strike did throw a wrench into a number of things, one of which was the cancellation of my Christmas newsletter, The Beaver. Looking back on it a postal strike doesn’t seem that significant anymore with all the developments as of late. While it’s hard to predict the future I will say that all factors point to a normal season with a camp full of friendly regular guests and a mix of great fishing, great scenery and good times. We’ve had significant snow this winter so I’m hoping for some good water levels as well.

The Contest…

As with all previous ice out contests, the rules are pretty simple. Once the contest is announced you may enter a guess when you believe the ice will be gone from Vermilion Bay. There is only one winner, the person who first puts in the guess for the right date. So there is the conundrum. Do you wait and bide your time to put in a more informed guess, or do you throw caution to the wind to get in on your preferred date before someone else? Send your guess to Gord at VBL. I will be posting timely updates, hopefully with some interesting ice fishing photos (conditions look great right now!) The contest is open to anyone…..send in a guess! The winner will be able to pick any item from the VBL bling counter.

So what are the current conditions?

As of today, March 24……

Driving home from Winnipeg after returning from Mexico, there was virtually no snow until we reached home. A few inches yesterday adds to the fluffy look.

Some good snowbanks from recent plowing. Daytime temperatures are starting to feel like spring.

I haven’t drilled a hole in the ice yet but don’t see any signs of melting yet.

There you have it. Remember the contest starts today. If you submitted a guess earlier it doesn’t count, so email me a guess now……or wait for the next update. Good luck and we’ll be seeing many of you soon!

So what about the Baja?

Well, I don’t want to excite you with pictures of my bloated white body burning on the beach but I will leave you with a few images to capture the flavour….

On a trip to the “big city”, Cabo San Lucas, I meet my namesake(s). The El Gordo fleet.

Same day, different El Gordo.

Back in Los Barilles, the pace is a lot slower. Cows and goats can show up at any moment.

Our captain Chuy with a Jack Cravelle…..note the jacket.

A sailfish I caught back in January. Overall the fishing this year was slower than last year…..mainly because the water temperatures were 6-8 degrees colder. We did get into a good bite of pompano on the last 3 times out. Dorado was my favorite eating fish, but I’ve now switched to pompano! Hopefully some walleye will grace my frying pan soon……stay tuned!