Back in the winter of 2015-2016 i did a couple of ice fishing segments with Tom Gruenwald Outdoors on Pool 9. It was an exceptionally cold winter.

In one segment we were catching crappies & pike in Indian slough, a little wing of Minnesota slough just north of the Iowa/Minnesota state line. The ambient temp was -15 degrees. We caught some respectable pike on tip-ups and talked about using HT Enterprises product to catch a 13″ crappie. Tom said “we better put him back down the hole before his eyes freeze”.

The next day we lightfooted across the ice from Wisconsin just above Lock & Dam 8 at Genoa then walked down to catch walleyes, sauger and perch in the pool 9 tailwaters below Clement’s fishing float. Perch were in about 13 fow, sauger and eyes about twice that deep. (some things never change!) We were standing on 13-20 inches of GOOD ice.

The tailwaters segment aired the weekend after we filmed. The Week after that. A couple days before the Indian segment aired Tom called to ask how the ice fishing was going below the dam. He was blown away when told ice below the dam was already GONE.

Fast forward to Feb. 26-March 5, 2025. Mark Clements used his work boat to clear the area between the Genoa boat launch and the dam tailwaters of ice for fisherman access on March 1.

On Feb. 26 I had already been catching slab crappies up in the Indian for a couple of weeks. Nice fish up to 14.5″. Since its almost a mile walk up there, I took my UTV equipped with 1000 lbs of floatation.

There was 20+” of clear ice on the Minnesota slough mainstem on Valentine’s Day. By Feb. 26 ice depth in areas with a slight current was 13″. You needed to drill two holes about 18″ apart, putting the transducer down the 2nd hole to monitor a #3 puppet minnow fished thru the upstream hole.

My ol’ pal Ronnie Barefield jumped in the UTV yesterday for another trip to “the well” looking for those slab crappies that have been coming thru the ice for over a month. We caught a few, plus 8 walleyes/sauger. All but one was short. But Ron got broke off 3 times.

I went to check the ice down by the “S’ turn. Had to use a #5 puppet minnow with the transducer 2′ downstream, fishing thru just THREE INCHES of good, clear ice.

Needless to say, the UTV was parked on white ice out of the current before lightfooting out to look for walleyes. From 13>3 inches of ice in less than a week!

Ice fishing trips on the River will be by foot only starting today. I plan on being back in the boat by March 15–Lord willin’. Between now and then a quick raid down on the Santee, which will likely be the subject of my next blog.

The guide biz shingle goes back up next week. The first open date is March 24. FINALLY got my Coast Guard credential on Feb. 27. Now River legal til 2030…if i live that long. The USCG has had the completed paperwork since Oct. 24, 2024. Maybe i’ll call ol’ Elon and sic the DOGE on these loafers.

So what’s the headline about a snapdragon ? The winter River is a lot like that. Don’t think the winter River will kill you quick? buzz around and find out!