cookies upper red lake report from the shores of upper red lake

[cookie]

Its that time of year .Dug the houses out of the woods last week. 4 feet of snow had blown in off the lake. I had to have david come over with loader as there was just to much snow to move. I think what little snow we have had all ended up on our lake shore.
Blue thunder two arrived friday evning and we got her unloaded. saturday we spent the day working out a few bugs and installing the plow. It was then time to give her it first test moving houses and plowing. It did not take long two find another hiccup with the rearend,we were able to add some gear oil after having to drill a hole in the cover as the filler plug would not budge. It seems fine now but will have to keep a eye on it..
Round two and we were off with florida .I took it out past the first break and then came back for old minnesota. I took old minnesota out to 8 feet of water where we measured 16 inches of clear ice. Then Jeff and I set her up for the evning bite. I got jeff and shell chick set up just before dark. It was a bit slow but we managed 5 with 3 being keepers before I came off the lake. Lets hope the rattle wheels kept them up all night.
The guys in the cabin over the weekend have done welll and have had walleye for dinner two nights in a row.They were going to fish well after dark last night so I will see how they did later this morning. Man were there people on the lake yesterday had to be 200+
I ll have montana out on the ice later today and all three houses will be ready to start the season

[Fawkinnae]

Looking forward to a Red Lake trip.

[The General]

Same here

[Cody Gruchow]

I plan on getting up there this winter so I'll be in contact with you cookie!

[cookie]

Headed over to hillmens to help clean up the snow and build the burm to the south of buddy's road with blue thunder 2.
Things started off well as I pushed the snow to the south. Just as I was arriving at the end of the road blue thunder died? Odd I thought and she fired right backup. A few minutes later and again she died? Darn another hiccup. Seems likes its not getting any fuel. I kept at it for a couple hours with it dying off and on the whole time very frustrating. I decided to limp her home before Buddy had to tow me.  After taking a look the fuel pump lines are next to impossible to get to arrrr!! I headed to blackduck for a fuel pump and today will try and replace fuel pump. I have until Friday to set up the houses as all three are rented Friday night. I did not talk to any fishermen out of hillmens so no fish report .I did talk to Phil a local and he tried a new location with poor results allthough he was not fishing out of hillmens

[snow1]

No offense cookie but url is a long haul to fish with a 17"to 26" protected slot pretty much a catch and release lake since 12/1 eh?

[JohnWester]

i disagree... not many places you can go and catch the quantity of fish, and nice ones, get your "shore lunch" and bring home fish. my house is still on the lake.

[Cody Gruchow]

we kept perfect eatters last time we were there. it is a long haul, but IMO completely worth it.  not many places you can go and bang walleyes like that over and over again. keeping them is a plus, but I honestly don't care to keep many anyways

[dew2]

we kept perfect eatters last time we were there. it is a long haul, but IMO completely worth it.  not many places you can go and bang walleyes like that over and over again. keeping them is a plus, but I honestly don't care to keep many anyways

Yah Cody that,s got it!! For the cherished walleye its the best!! Even people who cant catch many score heavily on Red. Have a friend who just got back with the scrawny limit! They didnt take the last fish for a day just to have fun cat-chin so many! They had fun! Fine lake to take some kids or start out fishin people! Cant beat it!

[dew2]

Headed over to hillmens to help clean up the snow and build the burm to the south of buddy's road with blue thunder 2.
Things started off well as I pushed the snow to the south. Just as I was arriving at the end of the road blue thunder died? Odd I thought and she fired right backup. A few minutes later and again she died? Darn another hiccup. Seems likes its not getting any fuel. I kept at it for a couple hours with it dying off and on the whole time very frustrating. I decided to limp her home before Buddy had to tow me.  After taking a look the fuel pump lines are next to impossible to get to arrrr!! I headed to blackduck for a fuel pump and today will try and replace fuel pump. I have until Friday to set up the houses as all three are rented Friday night. I did not talk to any fishermen out of hillmens so no fish report .I did talk to Phil a local and he tried a new location with poor results allthough he was not fishing out of hillmens

Hey cookie ever tried a electric fuel pump?? Bet it will solve yer problems and last longer with better results of a mechanical pump! super easy to install to!

[kenhuntin]

Replace the fuel filter first

[cookie]

well the good news it was the fuel filter and I did not have to try and replace fuel pump. I have ran a electric pump on blue thunder for years and seemed to have to replace them once a year. If the manual pump goes out I will have to go electric as its impossiblee  to get  the lines off the way its set up now. I do have a racing pump but also need a regulator as I hooked it up without and had gas running out the top of the carb, I still can not beleave it did not catch fire when all that gas was flowing over the top after taking it for a test drive.
As far as slot they say there plenty of keepers in here .I do have concerns as the only weekend I'm totally booked is over the new year. Buddy Hillmen also said he was not getting many calls at this time.

[dew2]

If  fuel is blowin out the carb the check valve aint sealing.With a mechinal pump you may not notice it much a elec pump will blow it out.That should be looked into.
 What make truck and engine? I dont do that work anymore but stay a bit up on it.Hows it so hard to get to?

[cookie]

The racing pump I installed was years ago and it said to have a regulator but I did not have one. That was on a 3/4 ton 82 chevy. The new truck is a 84 chevy 4x4 350. The fuel pump is inbetween the engine block and frame rail. There is a bracket witch I beleave is a smog pump in front of fuel pump and that it also in the way and would had to be taken off. Then the fuel line that goes to the carb is under neith the pump with no way to get a standar wrench on it, Getting the two bolts off the fuel pump are  easy but no finger room to start the bolts once its removed.

[Fawkinnae]

No offense cookie but url is a long haul to fish with a 17"to 26" protected slot pretty much a catch and release lake since 12/1 eh?

For me the trip to Red Lake has nothing to do with how much meat I can bring home. I love everything about the trip, the landscape around Red Lake, the remoteness of it, and of course the fishing. Every trip has been a great adventure and I always look forward to the next trip.

[The General]

No offense cookie but url is a long haul to fish with a 17"to 26" protected slot pretty much a catch and release lake since 12/1 eh?

For me the trip to Red Lake has nothing to do with how much meat I can bring home. I love everything about the trip, the landscape around Red Lake, the remoteness of it, and of course the fishing. Every trip has been a great adventure and I always look forward to the next trip.

Same here and Cookie is a great guy.  I just enjoy getting away.

[cookie]

I gave blue thuinder2 another good workout yesterday. All three houses are now on the other side of the burm. Gene and a buddy are arriving this morning for old minnesota. Talked to Hoagie and his buddy they had there 6 and were still fishing. I told them they were not allowed to fish with 6 so they gave me a nice 16incher I brought home for a fish sandwich for lunch, Lettuce tamato tarter sauce on a dried out hoagie bun  and it was one of the best fish sandswiches I ever had.
After lunch went and had Gary the farmer I work for weld a couple broken welds on my plow and then prepped old minnesota for Gene. Pang is coming for florida and montana friday evning. Kevin and his buddies  will be up friday and staying at the cabin . They are going to do some extra scoutting for me so will see how that goes.Lol

[Boar]

Really?? Its all aboht the fish. Its to long of a haul to not bring home 1 extra fish 3"bigger. Wow! I went ther with my daughter this last weekend. We had a blast, had a fifty fish even saturday. I even caught a rock. Just to add to the memory of the trip. We gourge ourselves on our six fish with other family memebrs in kelliher and brought home our limit on sunday. Six georgous red lake walleyes. That 12 felletes that cook up so even and delicate. Its the best. But i guesse its not good enough for some. Mabe those people can go further to LOW and bring home a limit of dink saugs and eyes. Samevolume but far less numbers. Get real.

[cookie]

Sue and Gene came down from lake of the woods and fished old minnesota from 8:30 tell 4 and got there 6 plus a couple over 17. Neal and his two buddies also came down from lake of the woods. They arrrrived around noon and fished florida. ,After I checked them in I was headed in to take carb off of auger as she was spitting ang sputtering when i was augering the holes in florida. I jumped in blue thunder2 and hit the key and all I got was a click. Must have a dead spot on starter,having Neal hit the key while I hit the starter with a pipe she fired up . The sweethart will have to pick up a starter in blackduck today. Pang and his group have florida and montana tonight and Julie and her family have old minnesota for the weekend. All 3 houses will stay where they are as none have been fished after dark.

[cookie]

JUlie and Gene have had consistant fishing in old minnesota, Peng,Molly,Yoo and Nadide fished florida friday night. They arrived around 8 30 pm and fished untell noon today. I little slow for them. They did miss a few and only landed a couple. They set up there portable for the rest of the day just  a few yards from florida and had a little fluurrie  around 3. Molly served me a asian dish and I had her send me the receipe chicken lettuce wraps very good.
 Garret was in montana last night and had only caught one fish when I checked in on him. He plans on staying around today and fishing montana after I move it. Kevin, Phil, Max, Trent and I headed out yesterday morning to do  a little scoutting. The first place we fished At the crack of dawn Max,Kevin and I each landed a 14 inch walleye. I yhink it was the same one all three times. I then headed over to fill the generators while they headed out deeper to spend the day scoutting. They found the mother load later yesterday with Kevin landing a elusive yet still catchable 16 inch crappie. He planns on getting it mouted and it was a beautiful fish. I will be traveling  to that spot this morning on a wheeler to see if its possible to get the shacks into that area. I lettle nervouse with all the standing water on the lake and most of the snow meltted away. I'll measure some spots as we go and look at others before I take the houses that far. It will be interesting to see where they take me as I explained it had to be a area I cann get to. I was way happy with the first place we fished and will have that spot as a second choice.
Gary and his crew of 5 had 5 keepers where they were fishinng. Standing out on the lake enjoying the day they were happy with there catch as Gary said when ws the last time you could stand out on the ice this time of year and catch a few fish with good friends and family.
Roger and his crew of three had 6 in the pail and had caught quite a few over the slot. I escorted Matt  out friday evning and I think he said they got 7 over night.

[cookie]

Headed out to new area at the crack of dawn with Kevin and his crew.  With all the fog I'm not quite sure where were at other then north west of hillmens road. It will be interesting to see the shoreline once the fog breaks. I moved florida and montana into the area. I did find 15 to 17 inches of ice and I think with these temps we may of lost a inch of ice if not a little more.
Garret went to westwind for breakfast while I moved montana and seemed way happy about the move his plan was to fish untell dark last night before heading home. He had  some great fishing and said he could not keep two lines down at one point.
Cody and his crew arrived for florida around three. I had to load up blue thunder with snow to bank the house as there is no snow left on the lake . When I talked to them at 8 they were catching fish so all was good, the fog was so bad I decided not to check in on them if they were ok.
Today I will dig minnesota out and haul her out  in that area, I then will move montana a few yards to put it on fresh ice.  With those two houses open I will block them up and worry about banking them later this week. I also need to load up blue thunder with some more snow to bank florida before this weather turns cold.

[cookie]

Cody and his group are doing well and happy with florida. I got minnesota moved over into the area and now have all three houses on fresh ice. With montana and minnesota open all week I turned off the heat . I'm liking the area I'm at and will work it hard untell the fishing gets bad. Its way easy to get to in all conditions. The temps have dropped and what water is on the lake is glazing over. Floridas banking will turn to solid ice but thats just the way it is. I will head out later to check on the guys. They had odd/different names and I can not remember them at this time.Yesterday I told them to fish all the holes that Kevin and his crew augered they took my advise with the balmy weather and one of the guys landed 4 elusive yet still catchable per red  lake crappies. I wanted a pic but they ate them.

[cookie]

Around 4 yesterday I popped the hood on blue thunder to see if I could take hoses off of heater core and flush as the heat is not working as well as it should. I did notice I have been losing a little antifreeze and thought  the over flow tank  may have a crack. The hoses looked like they are corroded on pretty good and the clamps were in bad shape. With no clamps I decided I would have to wait tell I had parts on hand as a simple job looked like it could be trouble. I then headed down to the lake shore to load up some snow for banking . Heading out on the lake and the cold and wind have firmed upp the last of the standing water .Good ol mother nature working for us. When I arrived to the pressure ridge I noticed  the heat was blowing cold air but the temp gauge was around 180. The plan was to keep a eye on the gauge ,check in with the guys and get back home asap. When I arrived at florida I made the mistake of leaving the truck running, when I came back out she was pegged and spewing. I shut her down and with the flash lite in hand found a hole in the radiator, I also got a taste of antifreeze in the   mouth laying undeneith. With the wind howling I had Cody bring me to shore, the fishing has been slower in the house then when they were hole hopping but that's to expected. They figured they landed 25 all day witch in my book is good fishing. They got spoiled hole hopping. The banking on florida is hard as a rock or ice. Good ol mother nature. It was nice too see a few flurries on the ground this morning and with mother natures help  we may get some drifting snow around the houses by the weekend. I will spend the morning looking for a radiator then go top off blue thunder and limp her home for repairs . Old blue thunder has what I need but is 200 miles away in pine city.
Hillmen's road will be in great shape with all the melting and now refreezing. Buddy Has it marked 6 miles out with the pressure ridge stopping us from heading west at this time.
Last night I counted 3 trucks out there fishing so real quiet on the lake out of hillmens

[cookie]

WOW what a beautiful morning it was on the lake. I headed out to florida to say goodby to Cody,Thane,Gabe Kaleb. The fishing was slow for them last night all though Cody and Gabe had a portable about 50 yards away and hammered them. Since they stayed 3 nighs it would of been nice to move them on to fresh ice yesterday but my repairs on blue thunder did not go as well sa I expected. I twistted the transmission line  and now have to also repair that. I have a radiator coming from mpls and need to make a run to Bemidji when it comes in.
Lee and Carl are on there way up and Lee will be helping me bank minnesota,montana and florida for a couple free nights of fishing, we will also move florida. I also have a two man house on shore  that needs some beefing up and I then can get it out there North Carolina will be its name. David is on his way over to help me get my bridge out of the woods  and then were going to go get hillmens bridge out of the woods as it looks like we will need two to get over the pressure ridge.

[cookie]

Lee and Carl arrived around 3 yesterday and I sent them out to bank minnesota by hand. I moved a little snow around with the v-plow on red baron earlier when I was cleaning florida(I still gt a kick out of vacumming the fish houses) so they have some to work with. They also augered  the holes and will fish and relaxe untill today when I put them to work. They had three keepers when I talked to them at 6 and were going to have fresh walleye for dinner. I drove the 1 ton out there yesterday, the red baron ,I went nice and slow and had no issues. I only drove where I have been driving to the houses. Theer were a few fishermen out of hillmens but very quiet out there. Buddy Has scoped out the pressure ridge and has a plan once we need to go further west. For now the fishing is still good a mile out. All though one of the spots we scoutted last week we were the closest fishermen to shore and we landed 3 at the crack of dawn before we moved.

[cookie]

Lee and Larry stayed in montana last night and I went out and had duinner with them  .I caught a jumbo jumbo perch and 1 keeper walleye while visitting. They had fish for lunch yesterday. It was nice of Lee to clean fish outside instead of the fish house. I headed over to Gary's and welded up some ends for north carolina and Lee and I beefed up the ends. I hope to haul her out once I have blue thunder running again and will have a two manWe had a very productive day yesterday. Lee and Larry not Carl, banked montana and florida with snow shovels as blue thunder is still down. We moved florida next to minnesota for Frank and his crew that will be here this morning around 8am, I will be heading out shortly to auger the holes in minnesota and florida.  sleeper. I then headed to bemidji to get radiator and transmission cooler which I will install today.
The road and Ice is in great condition. Stay away from the pressure ridges as there unstable

[cookie]

At one point yesterday both the red baron and blue thunder were down  ugg. The red baron was a esy fis as the starter connection went bad and I had no ignition. A two hour fix and she was up and running. Blue thunder on the other hand has turned into more of a project.I had a charlie brown moment and installed the trans cooler on the wroung side of the radiator, I had to improvise reeasttaching it as I ruin the four clips that came withthe kit. Then the bottom trans line broke in the new radiator ugg again. I will have time to work on it again today and hope to have it up and running for my nightly rounds.
 Jim amd Mark checked into montana and have had slow fishing with only 2 keepers and two jumbo perch ,they plan on using there portable today  and fish a rock pile that Jim found a few years back if they can get there. Frank and his crew are having a blast ,there playing cards, drinking beer and catching enough fish for a late nite fish fry. There a hoot and are constently shelling each other. They stay down at the lake every opener.
We got about a half inch of snow last night which will help with the banking.
 Frank at North Country food and fuel said from his house on the shores of upper red lake he could drive all the way to center bar with no pressure ridges.He has his house four miles out and said  its just crazy out on center bar. Buddy  Hillmen was scoping out a path to cross the pressure ridge so we can push west and finish his road. I need blue thunder up and running today 

[cookie]

From every thing I heard the fishing was a bit slow yesterday. Mark and Jim are here one more nite so I will move them today..I also have to move florida  as Jim and his crew check in at 2. Kellie and I had freash fish with the guys in minnesota and florida last nite. Frank the rimg leader, Swaggs, little buddy/Dan, Mike and Bradly. We then played some texas holdem and had a good time. We got another lite coating of snow last night. Blue thunder is still down . I need a special tool to put a bubble on the trans line so the hose does not come off I will check with Tom later today to see if he has one. I will have to move  the houses with the red baron which is no big deal. I never got to talk to the guys in the cabin and will have to wonder how they did.

[cookie]

For sone reason it has been slow for quite a few fishermen the last couple days. Not sure why. I'm heading out this morning to wet a line . 34 degrees out good day to auger some holes and fish outside. Yesterday I moved florida and montana.  Jim and Mark helped move montana as they are here one more day. Mike and his wife arrive later today for florida.
 Tomm the local mechanic would not borrow me the tool I need for blue thunder as its a expensive tool and easy to break. I think I have a plan b and will try and buttom her up today with out driving all the way to bemidji. I have a couple days before I need to move old minnesota and stilll have to get North Carolina  my new two man house out of the woods. I can move houses with the red baron but would rather use blue thunder as I can then un bank and bank the houses</b

[cookie]

Spent my morning detailing old minnesota and doing a little fishing. I got my 3 for lunch and missed a couple more. Fatheads on a rattling flyer and vexlar. Missed a couple on the rattle wheel also. Jim and Mark are heading home and did well with the move. They went exploring yesterday and said they caught more in the house then fishing outside on the lake.  Thanks guys