First Ice Trip to Strawberry

[Robster10]

Evening,
I've never fished Strawberry in the winter. Don't have a snowmobile and always a little concerned about the depth of fresh snow or slush. Kids have been buggin me to do it though and I was thinking about this coming weekend. 
I was looking at the shuttle service since most seem to think this is a good way to go. What is anyone's experience with having the driver pick a spot for you? Were just looking for cutts and rainbows, maybe a kokanee if lucky.
White paddle bugs seem to be doing well right now. I don't have any of those, just green and orange. I do have some white and glow tubes, Cut'r bugs and even some Charlie Fox. Will these work? I also have them in orange, pink and green.
I also have kokanee gear if that might be useful.
From what I have read here, tipping with meal worms, waxies or shrimp seems to be the way to go...anything else?
Thanks for any advice, Rob

[T-Boz]

Sounds like you’ve got all the right gear I’ve had success with white orange and green paddle bugs and tubes. The koke gear will catch cutts and rainbows as well. The shuttle service can add up depending on your party size but if you wanna have better success you need to get away from the marina. Good luck!!

[Robster10]

T-Boz, Thanks for the info.
We are still . Seems like the forecast has changed and were a little worried about slush...
Anybody have a take on the upcoming weather this Sunday Monday and what the slush monster might do?
Thanks, Rob

[Troutster]

I was on Strawberry Friday night to Sat morning. The slush monster is alive and well. By Sat at noon every step sank down thru the snow to the ice with water up to your ankles. Waterproof boots are a must. It’s really exhausting moving around. I’d bring snow shoes. The shuttle service works good but sometimes you have to wait because there is a line. Fishing was slowish but that’s because I don’t know where to go. I talked to a guy who had a 100 fish overnighter. I caught 21. Glow tubes and paddle bugs seemed to work the best. We tipped with night crawler or chub meat or shrimp. Good luck.

[Robster10]

Troutster, Thanks for the good info. Do you still have to wait if you get a reservation with the shuttle service for a certain time. The shuttle is completely new to me. Rob

[Troutster]

I thought it was 1st come 1st served, if you can make a reservation, get the earliest you can. I think 8:00 am. I haven’t used it in 2 years because I bought a snowmobile. Tired of the $$ and getting on the lake late for the morning bite and off the lake right during the evening bite. Latest pickup is 4:00. I think they have a decent idea of where to take you for good fishing. Once they drop you it’s on foot to move. I have ok cell service with T-Mobile. Can usually make calls so you could reach them on the lake if needed.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Rob, I've always did well on Strawberry with the Cut'r bugs either crazy glo orange or the whitish one that glows green have always served me well down there... I actually liked tipping them with the crappie nibbles, especially the ones with the gold or silver glitter on them... Good luck... Jeff

[Jig-fisher]

I used the shuttle service for the 1st time 2 Saturdays ago. The earliest appointment available is 8 am. I booked it for that time. I arrived 15 minutes early and there were at least 20 people already lined up that also had 8 am appointments. I put my stuff in line and then checked in at the store. At 8 am they started taking people out. I waited 45 minutes for my turn. You had to schedule a pickup time before 4 pm.

Pros: Didn't have to walk!  They take you anywhere you want to go on the Strawberry side including Renegade. I picked where, and they dropped me where I wanted.

Cons: Late start. I hit the end of the morning bite but it slowed after that. I still caught fish, but not as fast as that 1st hour. Bite started to pick up again when they showed up to take me back. I lost an hour just waiting for my turn to go out. 

Would I use it again?  Probably.  I don't have a snowmobile or snowdog and would not have been able to fish where I wanted. I only ice fish the Berry once a year and it was worth it to use. I would show up at least an hour early or more to get as close to the front of the line as possible. Weekdays probably are better with not as many people using the service. If I could I would go during the week.

[MrShane]

I used the shuttle service for the 1st time 2 Saturdays ago. The earliest appointment available is 8 am. I booked it for that time. I arrived 15 minutes early and there were at least 20 people already lined up that also had 8 am appointments. I put my stuff in line and then checked in at the store. At 8 am they started taking people out. I waited 45 minutes for my turn. You had to schedule a pickup time before 4 pm.

Pros: Didn't have to walk!  They take you anywhere you want to go on the Strawberry side including Renegade. I picked where, and they dropped me where I wanted.

Cons: Late start. I hit the end of the morning bite but it slowed after that. I still caught fish, but not as fast as that 1st hour. Bite started to pick up again when they showed up to take me back. I lost an hour just waiting for my turn to go out. 

Would I use it again?  Probably.  I don't have a snowmobile or snowdog and would not have been able to fish where I wanted. I only ice fish the Berry once a year and it was worth it to use. I would show up at least an hour early or more to get as close to the front of the line as possible. Weekdays probably are better with not as many people using the service. If I could I would go during the week.

They take you out in tracked Rangers or something? 
Small sled trailer behind or similar to put gear in?
I ask because I have a tracked Grizzly and never been stranded yet, and I don’t want it to be next week two miles out on the ice.

[2knots]

I used the shuttle service for the 1st time 2 Saturdays ago. The earliest appointment available is 8 am. I booked it for that time. I arrived 15 minutes early and there were at least 20 people already lined up that also had 8 am appointments. I put my stuff in line and then checked in at the store. At 8 am they started taking people out. I waited 45 minutes for my turn. You had to schedule a pickup time before 4 pm.

Pros: Didn't have to walk!  They take you anywhere you want to go on the Strawberry side including Renegade. I picked where, and they dropped me where I wanted.

Cons: Late start. I hit the end of the morning bite but it slowed after that. I still caught fish, but not as fast as that 1st hour. Bite started to pick up again when they showed up to take me back. I lost an hour just waiting for my turn to go out. 

Would I use it again?  Probably.  I don't have a snowmobile or snowdog and would not have been able to fish where I wanted. I only ice fish the Berry once a year and it was worth it to use. I would show up at least an hour early or more to get as close to the front of the line as possible. Weekdays probably are better with not as many people using the service. If I could I would go during the week.

They take you out in tracked Rangers or something? 
Small sled trailer behind or similar to put gear in?
I ask because I have a tracked Grizzly and never been stranded yet, and I don’t want it to be next week two miles out on the ice.

They take you out on snowmobiles, the time I used it they just hooked my sled to the back of the snowmobile

[Jig-fisher]

Yes, they used 2 seat snowmobiles with handles for the person riding behind. I just tied my sled to the back with my tow rope. They also had a couple of snowmobiles with big tub sleds already attached that you could put your gear in if you didn't have a sled.

[Robster10]

A lot of good information - Thank you