With most Minnesota lakes sporting glare ice thanks to a cleansing rain, anglers are returning in growing numbers to their winter fishing holes with hopes of a longer season than a year ago.
From near the Canadian border to south of the Twin Cities, fishing reports are upbeat and tinged with confidence that lake ice will thicken fully at a fast pace. But for now, except for far north, full-sized pickup trucks in tandem with trailered fish houses are on hold until there's more than a foot or 15 inches of core ice.
"Our store is getting busier and busier every day,'' said Greg Fisher, co-owner of Vados Bait & Tackle in Spring Lake Park.
As a supplier of live bait to anglers who fish all over the state, Fisher said the heavy rain that fell on Christmas Day was a blessing shared far and wide. The rain knocked down a slushy snowpack that was insulating the ice from air temperatures. Once the rain fell, temps dropped quickly and the ice grew.
"That rain did wonders for us. It's basically glare ice everywhere,'' Fisher said. "Bring your cleats and wear 'em.''
Already last week, the ice was thick enough around Rush City and farther north for ATVs and snowmobiles to pull fish houses into place, Fisher said. And on metro area lakes such as Peltier Lake in Centerville, Long Lake to the west, Bald Eagle Lake to the east and White Bear Lake, anglers on foot were punching holes in 4-6 inches of ice. Even on Marion Lake, just south of the metro area near Lakeville, there were 3 inches of solid ice by midweek, said John Larson of the Minnesota Valley In-Fisherman Club.
Larson said he places spearing houses on three lakes, including Marion. He's bullish about the prospects of a season that will start earlier and hopefully end later than last year. Larson's optimism, shared by many, was being bolstered by a near-term forecast of below-normal temperatures by midweek.
"I'm looking forward to it,'' Larson said.