Northland Walleye Ice Adventures

[Pete Brzezinski]

Hey guys, Pete Brzezinski from Northland Muskie Adventures Guide Service. This season I will be offering evening walleye/eel pout guide trips through the ice. Rods, lures, bait, shacks, and flashers will be provided. Trips will be $150 a night for two people, $50 per extra person. See the In-Fisherman Ice Edition about the St. Louis River walleye fishery. Here is a link to our ice fishing album.

http://www.northlandmuskieadventures.com/lake_vermilion_minnesota_photo_album.shtml

Pete Brzezinski
nbkguideservice@yahoo.com
(715)574-1813

[Pete Brzezinski]

The ice is starting to firm up a bit and the walleyes are starting to show up in the river. Just getting the word out. I'll be doing walleye ice trips again this season. Prices will be the same. I'm doing half day evening/night trips for $150 for 2 people. This includes the use of my ice shacks, rods, tackle and bait.

Pete Brzezinski
(715)574-1813

[Pete Brzezinski]

Well, good news is that Mother Nature started to cooperate and we got some cold weather. This has made most of the St. Louis open to foot travel. There's still some shipping activity going on so use caution when out in the harbor and lower river areas. The walleye bite has been great, lake fish are already here in the river and hungry. Mornings and evening like usual are the key to getting into a good numbers of fish. Size has been good, most fish are from 15"-24" with a few bigger females making their way on the ice. (have to download pic I'll have some soon) As for the Pouts most of them have moved out of the spawning areas and are on their way back out to the lake. We'll pick up a few here and there but my guiding focus has now switched to the walleyes.
Jigs like rattl'in flyers, buckshot rattle spoons and jigging raps tipped with a minnow head have been taking fish. The dead rods also have been getting some action.
If anyone is interested I have openings in the mornings and evenings, I have clam thermal shacks, vexliars, heaters, rods, and bait for two people for $150.

Pete Brzezinski
(715)574-1813

[Pete Brzezinski]

Walleyes have been in the river since we've had good ice to get out on. Most nights/mornings we are about to ice 4-8 walleyes per person. Like anything some days are better and some are worst. The past few days, marking lots of fish on the vexilars and hummingbirds. Just having a tough time getting them to eat. If your marking fish you’re in the right spot, stick it out and keep changing jigs to see what they want.
As you can see in the photos, big fish seem to be showing up during daylight hours before (evening) or after(morning) primetime. As February goes on we'll see more and more aggressive fish showing up as they start to stage before this spring’s spawn. Same as before jigging raps, buckshot rattle spoons...pretty much anything that will be heavy enough to cut current tipped with a minnow head will get bit. As for colors, red glow, white, rainbow trout patterns, and gold all have been good.

Pete Brzezinski
(715) 574-1813

[Pete Brzezinski]

Here are a few more photos of some of the nice eyes that are hitting the ice!
I still have openings for next weekend 2/10 evening 2/11 morning or evning or 2/12 morning if anyone is interested $150 for a half day morning or evening. I have a Nanook Thermal two man, hummingbird ice 55, rods and bait for two people.

Pete Brzezinski
(715)574-1813

[Pete Brzezinski]

Over the past week the walleye bite continues to be good. Really good numbers of fish in the 13"-20" range. In the last five days the overall size went down with the bigger fish (25"+) seeming to have vanished. The daytime bite on the bigger fish slowed down and now there is an intense 30 min window as the sun hits the tree line into first dark. Still marking fish during the day (I suspect those are larger fish) just having a hard time getting them to bite. The build up to the full moon may have something to do with it. Last week with the warm weather ice was starting to get spooky. Holes that were drilled in the morning with 10" of ice had ice cut away from underneath and holes where coned shaped. With less than 6 inches! Good news is, there is cold weather in our future and should make it safe to travel in a few more spots out here.


Snow machine travel is limited to where there is snow or patches of snow. ATV’s can move around good and still the best is foot travel with a pair of cleats. Same as before, buckshots, rattlin fliers and other jigs that cut current are getting into some fish.

Pete Brzezinski
(715)574-1813

[Pete Brzezinski]

Once again this year I'll be guiding for walleyes and crappies here on the St. Louis River. Ice conditions are leaps and bounds ahead of last season. Early cold temps have set the stage for a foot of fantastic clear ice. Four Wheeler and snowmobile travel is possible nearly all over the river. Note. the river is never completely safe there are always spots that are not safe so be safe! Cost will be $175 for a half day morning or night for two people, includes use of my shacks, electronics, heaters, rods, lures and baits.

Now for the fishing report, walleyes are steady but not crazy yet. Limits of fish are coming everyday with a few really big fish thrown in the mix. Over the past week with some of the extreme wind, temps and a wild barometer, eyes have been more picky. Marking lots of fish and getting the fish we need. 5-10 ft of water seems to be the key deeps depending on the cloud cover. Jigs in blue, white and silver have been good for me tipped with a minnow head. Main thing is trying to stay away from all the people that are lurking around. Mornings are the best for that because of the darkness, guys that don't have a lot of commons sense seem to think that groups of shacks attract fish. There is nothing worst than setting up by 2:00pm, catch a few fish waiting for primetime to have some knuckle head drive up on a four wheeler and start ripping holes at 4:30pm. But enough of that. There does seem to be enough walleyes in from Lake Superior to make it worth while to start banging around and start to have a few fish frys along with the chance of a good fish.

Pete Brzezinski
Northland Walleye Ice Adventures
(715)574-1813