I'm sitting on an area lake at the moment. That's right, I'm bidding farewell to 2009 as I do every year: fishing with the brother-in-laws.
We've been practicing this exercise for the better part of a decade, and the results, fishing-wise, have been mixed.
I must interrupt myself to tell you that one bro-in-law, Dave, just had something big on but lost it. And where we are fishing, you catch only two fish that draws this kind of reaction -- pike and walleye.
Anyhow, I am hoping to end 2009 with a fishing bang.
To all of you: Be safe, have fun, and may 2010 be better than 2009.
No, seriously, let's keep our fingers crossed.
P.S. I've been twittering all of our catches the past three days. If you want to know how this year's season-ending fishing outing is going, click the twitter link on the side of the page.
Sorry to make you work, but I am doing all of this from my phone.
Baby steps people, baby steps.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Snow & ice
I'd been wondering what kind of affect the snow would have on the ice conditions on area lakes since this recent storm rolled through.
Since my last post, I'd been hearing good reports on ice conditions, with most anglers agreeing that the ice was roughly around a foot on area lakes.
As of Dec. 19, Lake Washington was anywhere from 9 to 12 inches. But what would a good foot of snow do to those lake conditions?
Well, for one, it is making travel on the lakes difficult. Free Press staffer John Cross reported Saturday that Washington still had good ice, but the snow was making it very difficult to get around on the lake.
So even moving 20 yards to a better spot becomes less enjoyable.
He said Scotch also had "good" ice but a lot of snow.
In Monday's print edition of The Free Press, Dan Neinaber interviewed Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Chris Howe.
Howe suggested what my gut was telling me: All this snow is going to be troublesome for continued ice making. What I mean is that the more snow we get to insulate the ice, the less we can count on good ice to keep forming even if the temps are cold enough for good ice.
Howe goes into more depth on other concerns heavy snow causes for ice conditions in the article.
This also tells me I worry for those who have to drive out on any of our area lakes.
And as the anglers I spoke to out on Washington said, you can go 40 yards and find a big difference in the depth of ice.
So what I'm trying to say, people, is wait to drive out with your trucks and SUVs (you'll be lucky to get a car through this deep of snow). And if you must, please, please practice safety.
Updates coming
I can't say they'll be good updates, but I'll be out Wednesday and Thursday this week. I'm not sure of the destination, but I'll make sure to snap a few photos, take a few measurements, and get back to you on the quality of fishing.
Hopefully, all goes well.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
And then there was ice
Stopped out to Lake Washington before work today.
I figured there would be a few good ice-fishing communities scattered across the lake, which there was between first and second point.
The parking lot next to Westwood Marina Bar & Grill wasn't as full as we'll see it in coming weeks, but still, 30 to 40 vehicles were parked at the water's edge.
I estimated probably 90 percent of the houses on the lake were portables, but a few people were gearing up to move their permanent houses onto the lake.
Two guys gearing up for an afternoon of fishing were kind enough to give me a quick ice report.
They fished Friday on the lake and found ice as deep as 12 inches and as thin as 9 inches. One of them caught a five-pound northern and the other was a little more tight-lipped about the fishing.
I saw a few ATVs traveling on the lake, but no trucks or cars.
The two men I was talking with both recalled one person who drove a Ford Explorer out Friday, the ice cracking as he moved to a fishing spot.
I'm not sold on vehicles on the lake yet, especially SUV/truck type vehicles. But 9 to 12 inches of ice on Washington tells me most area lakes, especially the shallower bays, are good to go for fishing.
And if nothing else, you can always follow the Rule of 21. Find 20 houses and make it 21. Good luck.
I figured there would be a few good ice-fishing communities scattered across the lake, which there was between first and second point.
The parking lot next to Westwood Marina Bar & Grill wasn't as full as we'll see it in coming weeks, but still, 30 to 40 vehicles were parked at the water's edge.
I estimated probably 90 percent of the houses on the lake were portables, but a few people were gearing up to move their permanent houses onto the lake.
Two guys gearing up for an afternoon of fishing were kind enough to give me a quick ice report.
They fished Friday on the lake and found ice as deep as 12 inches and as thin as 9 inches. One of them caught a five-pound northern and the other was a little more tight-lipped about the fishing.
I saw a few ATVs traveling on the lake, but no trucks or cars.
The two men I was talking with both recalled one person who drove a Ford Explorer out Friday, the ice cracking as he moved to a fishing spot.
I'm not sold on vehicles on the lake yet, especially SUV/truck type vehicles. But 9 to 12 inches of ice on Washington tells me most area lakes, especially the shallower bays, are good to go for fishing.
And if nothing else, you can always follow the Rule of 21. Find 20 houses and make it 21. Good luck.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
My love hate with Christmas
I used to love Christmas. And then I hated it.
Now I love Christmas again.
My first love with the holiday, of course, was as a child. My family had enough, but we didn't have a lot. But somehow, on Christmas, my mom made sure we felt like the richest kids in the world.
Her love, of course, was all us children needed. But my mom had a knack for compiling loads of presents for her five children. And somehow, we never really stopped to think where all this once-a-year wealth came from.
In college, I worked at K-Mart. Let me say, if you've never worked in retail but you're an avid shopper, give those workers a break. Sure, every job has its less-than-productive workers, and those workers can be a headache for shoppers, but a lot of good people are just trying to make a wage, or put themselves through college.
Retail is ugly, and dealing with holidays could be painful. At the ol' Mart, we'd start receiving Christmas products as early as August. The shelves would often go up a day or two after Halloween, and then there was the working Black Friday thing.
For a deal, people are crazy. And often the holiday spirit seemed lost on shoppers — it was always about the deal, the deal, the DEAL.
So I hated Christmas for a very long time. Much longer than my time spent in retail. And I started to realize that other than a few items here and there, I don't need a whole lot. Gifts are nice, but only if they are useful.
And my mom, of course, still wants to spoil us within her means, which always makes me feel a bit guilty — I tell her to get me fishing lures, which makes us both feel better.
People, it seems, get greedy when Christmas rolls around. They aren't greedy because they are bad people; I think sometimes the holiday and knowing of potential gifts clouds why we celebrate the season.
My son is getting older now, and he's starting to fall into the Santa/present excitement. His excitement has become my excitement, and now I love Christmas again. Funny how that works.
And since my first outing on the ice usually doesn't come until after Christmas with my brother-in-laws, I'll just enjoy his anxiety as he counts down the days until Christmas.
"Is it Christmas yet, Daddy?"
"No, Ty, 11 more days."
Holding up six fingers, "This many, Daddy?"
"Close, Ty, close."
Merry Christmas!
Now I love Christmas again.
My first love with the holiday, of course, was as a child. My family had enough, but we didn't have a lot. But somehow, on Christmas, my mom made sure we felt like the richest kids in the world.
Her love, of course, was all us children needed. But my mom had a knack for compiling loads of presents for her five children. And somehow, we never really stopped to think where all this once-a-year wealth came from.
In college, I worked at K-Mart. Let me say, if you've never worked in retail but you're an avid shopper, give those workers a break. Sure, every job has its less-than-productive workers, and those workers can be a headache for shoppers, but a lot of good people are just trying to make a wage, or put themselves through college.
Retail is ugly, and dealing with holidays could be painful. At the ol' Mart, we'd start receiving Christmas products as early as August. The shelves would often go up a day or two after Halloween, and then there was the working Black Friday thing.
For a deal, people are crazy. And often the holiday spirit seemed lost on shoppers — it was always about the deal, the deal, the DEAL.
So I hated Christmas for a very long time. Much longer than my time spent in retail. And I started to realize that other than a few items here and there, I don't need a whole lot. Gifts are nice, but only if they are useful.
And my mom, of course, still wants to spoil us within her means, which always makes me feel a bit guilty — I tell her to get me fishing lures, which makes us both feel better.
People, it seems, get greedy when Christmas rolls around. They aren't greedy because they are bad people; I think sometimes the holiday and knowing of potential gifts clouds why we celebrate the season.
My son is getting older now, and he's starting to fall into the Santa/present excitement. His excitement has become my excitement, and now I love Christmas again. Funny how that works.
And since my first outing on the ice usually doesn't come until after Christmas with my brother-in-laws, I'll just enjoy his anxiety as he counts down the days until Christmas.
"Is it Christmas yet, Daddy?"
"No, Ty, 11 more days."
Holding up six fingers, "This many, Daddy?"
"Close, Ty, close."
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Ice reports needed
Well, we were fortunate to stave off winter for quite some time, but boy did it roll in with a bitter reminder.
That should mean good things for ice, provided the snow blew off the lakes instead of piling on thin ice.
I see in the Wednesday edition of The Free Press, we ran an Associated Press brief from the DNR warning of thin ice. I always love these reminders, because you know it won't be long and you'll hear about some goofball who just had to drive his truck/car on the lake and went in.
Anyhow, the brief basically said as of Monday, Dec. 7, there was no place in the state with good ice, which, according to the DNR, is 4 inches for walking weight.
This is all funny to me because Free Press photographer and outdoor guru John Cross was telling me that people were fishing Lake Elysian with portables. Mind you, he told me this on Monday, a full day before — to steal a bit from KFAN — the "snownami" hit Minnesota and the same day that the DNR lists in its release.
There you have it. Have ice, will fish.
For the record, I need good ice before I'll travel out on a lake. Once the ice is thick enough, I'm more than willing to travel out lightly on the lake, but I need a good 6 inches for walking weight, maybe more.
So send this chicken your ice reports. It doesn't have to be special. You don't have to give up what you're catching, just what lake you were fishing and how much ice you were fishing on. Simple enough.
That should mean good things for ice, provided the snow blew off the lakes instead of piling on thin ice.
I see in the Wednesday edition of The Free Press, we ran an Associated Press brief from the DNR warning of thin ice. I always love these reminders, because you know it won't be long and you'll hear about some goofball who just had to drive his truck/car on the lake and went in.
Anyhow, the brief basically said as of Monday, Dec. 7, there was no place in the state with good ice, which, according to the DNR, is 4 inches for walking weight.
This is all funny to me because Free Press photographer and outdoor guru John Cross was telling me that people were fishing Lake Elysian with portables. Mind you, he told me this on Monday, a full day before — to steal a bit from KFAN — the "snownami" hit Minnesota and the same day that the DNR lists in its release.
There you have it. Have ice, will fish.
For the record, I need good ice before I'll travel out on a lake. Once the ice is thick enough, I'm more than willing to travel out lightly on the lake, but I need a good 6 inches for walking weight, maybe more.
So send this chicken your ice reports. It doesn't have to be special. You don't have to give up what you're catching, just what lake you were fishing and how much ice you were fishing on. Simple enough.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Score one for Minnesota
I just spent a good deal of time looking around the Web for something to write about.
Yeah, the lack of ice is making me look hard for ideas.
Anyhow, when searching around for topics, I tend to stay away from anything that is a Google ad. You know, these are the items that appear on the side rails of your search engine or in the shaded boxes above your search results.
For this search, I was trying to find something new in the world of ice fishing I could share with you, my valued readers. Instead, I ended up clicking on the "Evening Secret," which, let me tell you, is still somewhat of a secret.
I'm always skeptical when a site selling something is full of testimonials but never really shows the product or explains exactly how it works. Even on this site, the author tells us he has spoken with researchers at the University of Michigan, and they agree that it works, but he doesn't really go into detail on how it works, just that the researchers noted the attraction of zooplankton, which in turn attract bait fish, which eventually attract trophy fish.
If you're adventurous enough — or bored enough — to read to the bottom of the site, you'll probably draw the same conclusion that I did — the Evening Secret somehow sends impulses into the water that attract the zooplankton, which attract the bait fish and eventually the trophy fish.
You'll also learn that two states, Wyoming and Minnesota, have banned the Evening Secret. Last year, I also wrote about two other products, the Bite Lite and the Walking Worm, both by NGC Sports. These two lures were said to produce at ridiculous rates, and in the Bite Lite's case, Wyoming had banned it, too.
This begs the question, is it right for these states to ban such items, when indeed those items can make fishing more enjoyable for a good many people? My first inclination, especially when talking about the lures, is to go ahead and let them be used. Seriously, unless people are fishing in a tournament, what's the big deal? Our DNR puts restrictions into place on the size and amount of fish people can catch, so what's the harm if they are aided by gimmicks or not?
Having said that, after I read the Evening Secret testimonials, I'm not too upset that Minnesota has a ban on this gadget. For all the hoopla this site tries to drum up, something about taking away the hunt leaves me less interested in the catch. I like to target pools of bait fish, and then go to work for a lunker sitting in wait.
The reward is always so much better after the hunt. But maybe that's the old-school fisherman in me talking. Either way, I'll take my chances doing the hunting rather than letting the fish come to me.
Yeah, the lack of ice is making me look hard for ideas.
Anyhow, when searching around for topics, I tend to stay away from anything that is a Google ad. You know, these are the items that appear on the side rails of your search engine or in the shaded boxes above your search results.
For this search, I was trying to find something new in the world of ice fishing I could share with you, my valued readers. Instead, I ended up clicking on the "Evening Secret," which, let me tell you, is still somewhat of a secret.
I'm always skeptical when a site selling something is full of testimonials but never really shows the product or explains exactly how it works. Even on this site, the author tells us he has spoken with researchers at the University of Michigan, and they agree that it works, but he doesn't really go into detail on how it works, just that the researchers noted the attraction of zooplankton, which in turn attract bait fish, which eventually attract trophy fish.
If you're adventurous enough — or bored enough — to read to the bottom of the site, you'll probably draw the same conclusion that I did — the Evening Secret somehow sends impulses into the water that attract the zooplankton, which attract the bait fish and eventually the trophy fish.
You'll also learn that two states, Wyoming and Minnesota, have banned the Evening Secret. Last year, I also wrote about two other products, the Bite Lite and the Walking Worm, both by NGC Sports. These two lures were said to produce at ridiculous rates, and in the Bite Lite's case, Wyoming had banned it, too.
This begs the question, is it right for these states to ban such items, when indeed those items can make fishing more enjoyable for a good many people? My first inclination, especially when talking about the lures, is to go ahead and let them be used. Seriously, unless people are fishing in a tournament, what's the big deal? Our DNR puts restrictions into place on the size and amount of fish people can catch, so what's the harm if they are aided by gimmicks or not?
Having said that, after I read the Evening Secret testimonials, I'm not too upset that Minnesota has a ban on this gadget. For all the hoopla this site tries to drum up, something about taking away the hunt leaves me less interested in the catch. I like to target pools of bait fish, and then go to work for a lunker sitting in wait.
The reward is always so much better after the hunt. But maybe that's the old-school fisherman in me talking. Either way, I'll take my chances doing the hunting rather than letting the fish come to me.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Well, so much for the weather
Relatively speaking, November has been one of the nicer months of 2009. Still, there is little to be desired on the fishing forefront.Dare I say it? We need ice.
I had a few days off last week and hit up Buckmaster Bridge on Madison Lake. The conditions were right, but other than losing one to a slow bite and even slower reactions, there were few bites to be had.
I saw three other anglers on my multiple outings. They didn't catch anything either, though one guy had a follow. From what I gathered between the three of them, Buckmaster wasn't faring well in November.
The north side of Elysian however, sounded like it was drawing a crowd.
I took the above picture with my phone as the sun was going down on my first outing It's nothing special, and there is a reason I'm not a photographer, but at least it is something sunny on a rainy day.
Normally I reserve my camera for a big catch, but as I said, November has been a slow month.
Monday, November 16, 2009
At least the Vikings are winning
I wonder how many ice fishermen are sitting around in the garage after a hard day's work, knocking back a cold one or two, and just staring at their gear?
Hello? Winter, you out there?
I'm happy that winter is staying away ... for now. I'm not sure I ever want the cold months to come. I guess winter is inevitable, and knowing this makes me accept my fishing habits will turn to the ice sooner than later.
But seriously, have you checked out the 10-day forecast lately? Lots of 40s and 50s folks. We're seeing freezing temps more at night, but we're above freezing during the day, and that doesn't make for a whole lot of ice.
I'm wondering if we should start an ice watch, although I'm guessing a good many of you are soaking up the hunting in the various seasons. Perhaps a few of you are still chasing walleye (which is what I plan to do with all these warm temps in the near future).
At least my favorite purple team continues to roll, even if Favre and Co. looked a little rusty coming off a bye week.
A few good chances yet on the water, and a winning football team ... I'll take both over ice any day.
Hello? Winter, you out there?
I'm happy that winter is staying away ... for now. I'm not sure I ever want the cold months to come. I guess winter is inevitable, and knowing this makes me accept my fishing habits will turn to the ice sooner than later.
But seriously, have you checked out the 10-day forecast lately? Lots of 40s and 50s folks. We're seeing freezing temps more at night, but we're above freezing during the day, and that doesn't make for a whole lot of ice.
I'm wondering if we should start an ice watch, although I'm guessing a good many of you are soaking up the hunting in the various seasons. Perhaps a few of you are still chasing walleye (which is what I plan to do with all these warm temps in the near future).
At least my favorite purple team continues to roll, even if Favre and Co. looked a little rusty coming off a bye week.
A few good chances yet on the water, and a winning football team ... I'll take both over ice any day.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Oh this technology
When someone mentions technology to a fisherman, it's likely he or she will start daydreaming about the next Hummingbird fish finder or Minn Kota motor, underwater camera or perhaps the next Vexilar flasher coming out.Normally, I would be thinking about those things too, but I just can't help but throw myself into the abyss of my new Blackberry to see what it all has to offer.
So this past Saturday, during deer hunting firearms opener, I tested out my new phone on an area lake fishing for bass. And while the outing yielded just one bass for myself, none for fellow Free Presser Tanner Kent, I had the opportunity to try out a few features.
One of those features being the camera. It's nice to know that I don't always have to have a disposable handy when I can snap a quick picture with my phone and e-mail it to myself with a few clicks of the buttons.
I can also add the photo to Facebook or Twitter and I'm sure a billion other social networks (I'd prefer not to do any, but that's not really an option).
So while I spent a few minutes texting and e-mailing rather than fishing, all was not a loss. Tanner and I spent one last run on open water hunting for bass; I caught one more bass before winter to finish with 99, down quite a bit from last season, but still fun nonetheless; and I was able to get on the water later than any year in recent memory, which is always nice.
By the way, the boat Tanner owns is a 1977 Sears fiberglass boat. It was a Ted Williams series, which I've always found very entertaining, considering the man was a baseball legend, but also one heck of a fisherman. The photo below is a picture of the signage on Tanner's boat.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Ha, who needs deer opener?
The past few days I have spent a good deal of my time winterizing the yard and garage, which has been a bit more painful than normal.
Having bought my first boat, without a functioning motor, I've only been able to relish in the comforts of my man cave.
But lately, as I've winterized, I've found the boat to be another great place to pack away the boy's outdoor toys, which will free up room for a parking space for my wife.
Ouch ... a boat as a storage device. That's not right ... no, it just ain't right.
Thankfully, warmer days are ahead. That's right, one more chance to land a fat lunker.
Now, despite the wind, I think the conditions have been rather good for walleye fishing, though the only the die-hards are left.
Hunting is the prime sport, and deer hunting (firearm) opens Saturday. (I think it is important to note that I heard today on KFAN that nearly 500,000 Minnesotans participate in the firearms deer hunting season. Those are pretty impressive numbers.)
So with a nice run of sun, I'm thinking a low-pressured outing for some fall bass is the perfect way to say good bye to the summer tackle. Besides, people don't hunt deer on lakes!
And I suppose, hello to my ice fishing gear, which I can pull down to make room for something else I won't need during the winter.
Hope all is well, and you all find time for one last fall outing, even if you're fishing from the shore.
Having bought my first boat, without a functioning motor, I've only been able to relish in the comforts of my man cave.
But lately, as I've winterized, I've found the boat to be another great place to pack away the boy's outdoor toys, which will free up room for a parking space for my wife.
Ouch ... a boat as a storage device. That's not right ... no, it just ain't right.
Thankfully, warmer days are ahead. That's right, one more chance to land a fat lunker.
Now, despite the wind, I think the conditions have been rather good for walleye fishing, though the only the die-hards are left.
Hunting is the prime sport, and deer hunting (firearm) opens Saturday. (I think it is important to note that I heard today on KFAN that nearly 500,000 Minnesotans participate in the firearms deer hunting season. Those are pretty impressive numbers.)
So with a nice run of sun, I'm thinking a low-pressured outing for some fall bass is the perfect way to say good bye to the summer tackle. Besides, people don't hunt deer on lakes!
And I suppose, hello to my ice fishing gear, which I can pull down to make room for something else I won't need during the winter.
Hope all is well, and you all find time for one last fall outing, even if you're fishing from the shore.
Monday, October 26, 2009
The lessons of Scotch Lake
Do you remember two years ago when Scotch Lake near Cleveland kicked out so many walleye during the ice fishing season it looked like a one-stop shop for area, and non-area, anglers?
Well, I do. It seemed people were going back with their limit every outing, and I'm quite sure a few were going back with their limit and then coming back for more.
I don't ice fish nearly as much as I do during the open-water months, but one thing I've learned is a quality fishing spot in the winter is even more important to protect than a quality spot in the summer.
I'm not exactly sure why this is, but after watching Scotch Lake get fished out at a spooky, almost irresponsible pace, I'm fully on board with the secrecy thing.
Now, I think it is important to note that last year, Scotch Lake kicked out a lot less walleyes, and any time you actually caught a walleye, you didn't tell anyone but your inner circle.
Hmm, funny how lacking a little discretion, a little will power when hooking up all those walleyes had a lasting effect on the lake. I don't suppose it'll be much better out there this year.
Every year there is a honey hole that boasts quality fishing, and suddenly small towns start forming daily on the ice that holds those fish. And when you're not exactly sure where to fish, those small villages of fish houses become a beacon of light.
And then you follow the rule of 21, as fellow Free Press staffer and avid outdoorsmen John Cross always says to me — find 20 houses and make it 21.
Personally, I follow my brother-in-laws to the good fishing spot. Between Dave and Pete, they usually put me on some pretty good spots. And these two, especially Pete, know how to keep a good spot secret.
But more importantly, they know enough to respect limits, and also respect the quantity and quality of these smaller lakes in the area that produce walleye.
Lakes like Washington and Madison are gems that can go in streaks, but the numbers of fish are such that those lakes take minor dents in population during a winter season.
But lakes like Scotch, on the other hand, well, just think back to the last two years, and the tale practically tells itself.
On a somewhat side note, and just to get the juices flowing a little bit, here's a look at what Swedish Pimple has available.
Well, I do. It seemed people were going back with their limit every outing, and I'm quite sure a few were going back with their limit and then coming back for more.
I don't ice fish nearly as much as I do during the open-water months, but one thing I've learned is a quality fishing spot in the winter is even more important to protect than a quality spot in the summer.
I'm not exactly sure why this is, but after watching Scotch Lake get fished out at a spooky, almost irresponsible pace, I'm fully on board with the secrecy thing.
Now, I think it is important to note that last year, Scotch Lake kicked out a lot less walleyes, and any time you actually caught a walleye, you didn't tell anyone but your inner circle.
Hmm, funny how lacking a little discretion, a little will power when hooking up all those walleyes had a lasting effect on the lake. I don't suppose it'll be much better out there this year.
Every year there is a honey hole that boasts quality fishing, and suddenly small towns start forming daily on the ice that holds those fish. And when you're not exactly sure where to fish, those small villages of fish houses become a beacon of light.
And then you follow the rule of 21, as fellow Free Press staffer and avid outdoorsmen John Cross always says to me — find 20 houses and make it 21.
Personally, I follow my brother-in-laws to the good fishing spot. Between Dave and Pete, they usually put me on some pretty good spots. And these two, especially Pete, know how to keep a good spot secret.
But more importantly, they know enough to respect limits, and also respect the quantity and quality of these smaller lakes in the area that produce walleye.
Lakes like Washington and Madison are gems that can go in streaks, but the numbers of fish are such that those lakes take minor dents in population during a winter season.
But lakes like Scotch, on the other hand, well, just think back to the last two years, and the tale practically tells itself.
On a somewhat side note, and just to get the juices flowing a little bit, here's a look at what Swedish Pimple has available.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Winter wonderland
On Thursday, I caught a 4-pound bass on one of the Jefferson lakes.
The hawg served as a nice fish on a rather cold, cold day. Free Press education writer Tanner Kent accompanied me. He caught a 17-inch bass, also a nice fish.
Both of the bass looked like they were on the feed, which is pretty understandable, considering we've already seen our first snow and it's only Oct. 10.
I'm sure ice fishermen are eagerly licking their chops.
But we'll see warmer days ahead.
Still, the fishing has been different this year, and I mostly attribute it to the weather. There was never the long, hot, drought-like streak in July or August.
Some days, the fishing was great, others, not so great. I wonder if that means the ice fishing will be above average, or if it will be a struggle?
At this rate, we'll have a long year with ice on the lakes, but then again, this IS Minnesota, and the weather is fickle.
Probably the hardest thing about seeing snow so early in the fall is that I'm torn between trying to get out for some last open-water fish, or taking a break until the ice forms on the lakes.
Cross your fingers we don't get more snow.
The hawg served as a nice fish on a rather cold, cold day. Free Press education writer Tanner Kent accompanied me. He caught a 17-inch bass, also a nice fish.
Both of the bass looked like they were on the feed, which is pretty understandable, considering we've already seen our first snow and it's only Oct. 10.
I'm sure ice fishermen are eagerly licking their chops.
But we'll see warmer days ahead.
Still, the fishing has been different this year, and I mostly attribute it to the weather. There was never the long, hot, drought-like streak in July or August.
Some days, the fishing was great, others, not so great. I wonder if that means the ice fishing will be above average, or if it will be a struggle?
At this rate, we'll have a long year with ice on the lakes, but then again, this IS Minnesota, and the weather is fickle.
Probably the hardest thing about seeing snow so early in the fall is that I'm torn between trying to get out for some last open-water fish, or taking a break until the ice forms on the lakes.
Cross your fingers we don't get more snow.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Going to your ground game
You think Adrian Peterson knows something about going to the ground? Well, Minnesota fishermen, eager to store their boats and turn to hunting, should know a thing or two about working on the ground.
Shorefishing is by far one of the better ways to spend a fall afternoon, early evening or even for an early morning outing.
Now, I'm well aware the diehards aren't anywhere close to putting the boat away, but for those of you who think its time to wrap up the season by storing the boat, I'd like to suggest a few places to put a line in and still catch up on some quality fishing.
Buckmaster Bridge
Madison Lake's most popular shoreline offers good weedlines only 50 yards out into the main lake. I see a lot of people fishing the pier as well, but I'm inclined to tell you to move toward the bridge.
Last year I talked with a guy who only fishes the pier, and he said he throws a 3-inch chartreuse twister tipped with a minnow and catches plenty of walleye.
I throw crank baits up and down the shoreline and catch walleye and bass. Occasionally I hook into a northern or some really big buffalo carp, too. I like the versatility of the shoreline.
Cannon Lake
If you don't mind a crowd, setting up for some shore walleye along Cannon Lake can be rewarding. Take Cannon Lake trail, which follows the north side of the lake, and when you get to the part of the road that splits lakes Cannon and Wells, you'll see the people fishing. If not, get out with your favorite 5-gallon bucket and settle into a quality spot.
Little Jefferson
Your walleye options here are limited, but that doesn't mean your fishing is limited. A simple stop to the German and Jefferson Lakes Sportsman's Pier off Le Sueur County Road 105 should ensure you a chance for some fall crappies and sunfish. And come Saturday, which is duck opener, you're sure to be serenaded with a chorus or two of shotgun blasts echoing in the near distance.
Minnesota River
I don't fish it often, and my days of river fishing are fewer and far between, but that doesn't mean others shouldn't take advantage of the river.
The one problem I find with fishing the river in the fall is finding quality spots where the water is deep enough to work from shore. I know a few people who like to make it simple and hit the river at Sibley Park.
I also know people who work the river along Judson Bottom Road and do pretty well for themselves. I personally like fishing the river off the northbound lane of Highway 169 on the way to St. Peter. It's hard to explain exactly where to fish, but the most recent tornado that sideswiped the south side of St. Peter and the shoreline of the river left a pretty good landmark.
When the damage starts to appear in the trees along the river, find the first place that has a slight drive-in, and pull of the road.
These are just a few of the spots I like to fish from the shore, especially in the fall. There's more, but I can't tell you all of my favorite spots. There are some things a fisherman just doesn't tell.
Shorefishing is by far one of the better ways to spend a fall afternoon, early evening or even for an early morning outing.
Now, I'm well aware the diehards aren't anywhere close to putting the boat away, but for those of you who think its time to wrap up the season by storing the boat, I'd like to suggest a few places to put a line in and still catch up on some quality fishing.
Buckmaster Bridge
Madison Lake's most popular shoreline offers good weedlines only 50 yards out into the main lake. I see a lot of people fishing the pier as well, but I'm inclined to tell you to move toward the bridge.
Last year I talked with a guy who only fishes the pier, and he said he throws a 3-inch chartreuse twister tipped with a minnow and catches plenty of walleye.
I throw crank baits up and down the shoreline and catch walleye and bass. Occasionally I hook into a northern or some really big buffalo carp, too. I like the versatility of the shoreline.
Cannon Lake
If you don't mind a crowd, setting up for some shore walleye along Cannon Lake can be rewarding. Take Cannon Lake trail, which follows the north side of the lake, and when you get to the part of the road that splits lakes Cannon and Wells, you'll see the people fishing. If not, get out with your favorite 5-gallon bucket and settle into a quality spot.
Little Jefferson
Your walleye options here are limited, but that doesn't mean your fishing is limited. A simple stop to the German and Jefferson Lakes Sportsman's Pier off Le Sueur County Road 105 should ensure you a chance for some fall crappies and sunfish. And come Saturday, which is duck opener, you're sure to be serenaded with a chorus or two of shotgun blasts echoing in the near distance.
Minnesota River
I don't fish it often, and my days of river fishing are fewer and far between, but that doesn't mean others shouldn't take advantage of the river.
The one problem I find with fishing the river in the fall is finding quality spots where the water is deep enough to work from shore. I know a few people who like to make it simple and hit the river at Sibley Park.
I also know people who work the river along Judson Bottom Road and do pretty well for themselves. I personally like fishing the river off the northbound lane of Highway 169 on the way to St. Peter. It's hard to explain exactly where to fish, but the most recent tornado that sideswiped the south side of St. Peter and the shoreline of the river left a pretty good landmark.
When the damage starts to appear in the trees along the river, find the first place that has a slight drive-in, and pull of the road.
These are just a few of the spots I like to fish from the shore, especially in the fall. There's more, but I can't tell you all of my favorite spots. There are some things a fisherman just doesn't tell.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Fishing and Favre
There are a few things that are for certain when the Minnesota Vikings take the field every year: Fall isn't far behind; I turn some of my attention to football (OK, I turn a lot of my attention to football; Minnesota fish are gearing up for winter with a hunger only a fisherman can enjoy.
So while a lot of my attention has been on watching Brett Favre get acclimated to the 2009 Vikings squad, fishing fall bass is always in the back of my mind.
I bring this up because last season by brother-in-law, Dave, and I bucked the conventional, wind-blown outing to Mille Lacs for a Sunday run at Gull Lake in Brainerd. The Vikings played the Indianapolis Colts on Week 2 at the Dome, and we listened while fishing a chilly, on-again-off-again, rainy lake.
The Vikings jumped out to a 15-0 lead and, other than not being able to punch it in the end zone, appeared dominant. We talked about how important it was for Tarvaris Jackson to figure things out. I talked about how fans would be calling for his head and Brad Childress' head if he didn't have a good season.
And then the Colts started to make a run. What made matters worse was the Vikings were blowing it on the field and we were getting skunked on a less-than comforting Gull, our rain gear providing the only real comfort.
Somewhere in the third quarter, with the anger of the two disappointments mounting (I think by now we'd both hooked into a 6-inch bass (heck, maybe they were 4-inchers) I turned to Dave and said, "Mark my words, the Vikings are going to lose this thing in regulation."
"You think so," he asked.
Long story short, the Colts outscored the Vikings 11-0 in the fourth quarter for an 18-15 victory. The loss riled us both up, and we decided to change our strategy, part of which required a long boat ride to a foreign spot.
If you've read this blog or even my column in our print edition, you'll know I talk a lot about the fishing gods. The day the Vikings blew it against the Colts, the football gods weren't on our side. But after that horrid loss and the move across the lake, I figure the fishing gods felt bad for us, because we hauled in 42 fish in about three hours.
I bring this all up because Dave and I will make a second trip to Gull during a Week 2 Vikings game, this time against the Detroit Lions. Now, a little back history that doesn't get talked about as much with Detroit — the Lions obviously went 0-16 last season, but the team also lost seven of its last eight in 2007, including the final game of the season.
So with the loss to end 2007, and the loss to start 2009, the Lions are on an 18-game losing streak (and have lost 24 of their last 25). They have a young offense with some talent at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. Do you think they are hungry for a win?
And to top things off, the Vikings beat the Lions 12-10 and 20-16 in their two meetings last season — the Lions should have won at least one of those games, if not both. So yes, they are hungry for a win.
If the football gods let the Lions finally end this horrible streak (I'm rooting for a Detroit win, just not against the Vikes), the fishing gods are gonna need to send down a case of beer to go with about 1,000 fish in an hour for Dave and I!
So while a lot of my attention has been on watching Brett Favre get acclimated to the 2009 Vikings squad, fishing fall bass is always in the back of my mind.
I bring this up because last season by brother-in-law, Dave, and I bucked the conventional, wind-blown outing to Mille Lacs for a Sunday run at Gull Lake in Brainerd. The Vikings played the Indianapolis Colts on Week 2 at the Dome, and we listened while fishing a chilly, on-again-off-again, rainy lake.
The Vikings jumped out to a 15-0 lead and, other than not being able to punch it in the end zone, appeared dominant. We talked about how important it was for Tarvaris Jackson to figure things out. I talked about how fans would be calling for his head and Brad Childress' head if he didn't have a good season.
And then the Colts started to make a run. What made matters worse was the Vikings were blowing it on the field and we were getting skunked on a less-than comforting Gull, our rain gear providing the only real comfort.
Somewhere in the third quarter, with the anger of the two disappointments mounting (I think by now we'd both hooked into a 6-inch bass (heck, maybe they were 4-inchers) I turned to Dave and said, "Mark my words, the Vikings are going to lose this thing in regulation."
"You think so," he asked.
Long story short, the Colts outscored the Vikings 11-0 in the fourth quarter for an 18-15 victory. The loss riled us both up, and we decided to change our strategy, part of which required a long boat ride to a foreign spot.
If you've read this blog or even my column in our print edition, you'll know I talk a lot about the fishing gods. The day the Vikings blew it against the Colts, the football gods weren't on our side. But after that horrid loss and the move across the lake, I figure the fishing gods felt bad for us, because we hauled in 42 fish in about three hours.
I bring this all up because Dave and I will make a second trip to Gull during a Week 2 Vikings game, this time against the Detroit Lions. Now, a little back history that doesn't get talked about as much with Detroit — the Lions obviously went 0-16 last season, but the team also lost seven of its last eight in 2007, including the final game of the season.
So with the loss to end 2007, and the loss to start 2009, the Lions are on an 18-game losing streak (and have lost 24 of their last 25). They have a young offense with some talent at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. Do you think they are hungry for a win?
And to top things off, the Vikings beat the Lions 12-10 and 20-16 in their two meetings last season — the Lions should have won at least one of those games, if not both. So yes, they are hungry for a win.
If the football gods let the Lions finally end this horrible streak (I'm rooting for a Detroit win, just not against the Vikes), the fishing gods are gonna need to send down a case of beer to go with about 1,000 fish in an hour for Dave and I!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
McKee, Kramer take team of year
Going through your e-mail after a vacation can be quite a chore, especially when you've been gone as long as I've been gone.
But I did receive a nice little e-mail from Stu McKee with an update on the final regular-season Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourney at Lake Tetonka. I'll rehash a little of what Mckee said below, and after I track down Tim Hobbs, I'll get you a more detailed finish to the walleye tourney finale.
"Roger and I got First Place with Big Fish and Team of the year," Mckee wrote. "We had 3 walleyes — 4.9, 4.5 and 2.9."
Mckee said second place had 4 pounds, 4 ounces and two other boats each weighed a fish. Unofficially, I have the team of McKee and Kramer besting the team of Dan Griep and Bill Holland by five points for the title. That could change, but I'm pretty confident the final numbers will come out at 59-54.
Here's what McKee said about their strategy:
"We fished in 4 to 6 feet of water all night, bait was #7 Ratten(sic) Raps. We fished 30 and 50 lbs test line made by Fins. You need the heavy line because we are always hook in the heavy weeds. No weeds no fish."
Pretty good information from one of the area's experts. A reader once told me that he's never seen McKee fish with anything other than Rattlin' Raps — now he and Kramer have won their fourth-straight Team of the Year award.
Makes me think I should restock my selection of Raps in my tackle box. Oh wait, I've got plenty of those!
But I did receive a nice little e-mail from Stu McKee with an update on the final regular-season Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourney at Lake Tetonka. I'll rehash a little of what Mckee said below, and after I track down Tim Hobbs, I'll get you a more detailed finish to the walleye tourney finale.
"Roger and I got First Place with Big Fish and Team of the year," Mckee wrote. "We had 3 walleyes — 4.9, 4.5 and 2.9."
Mckee said second place had 4 pounds, 4 ounces and two other boats each weighed a fish. Unofficially, I have the team of McKee and Kramer besting the team of Dan Griep and Bill Holland by five points for the title. That could change, but I'm pretty confident the final numbers will come out at 59-54.
Here's what McKee said about their strategy:
"We fished in 4 to 6 feet of water all night, bait was #7 Ratten(sic) Raps. We fished 30 and 50 lbs test line made by Fins. You need the heavy line because we are always hook in the heavy weeds. No weeds no fish."
Pretty good information from one of the area's experts. A reader once told me that he's never seen McKee fish with anything other than Rattlin' Raps — now he and Kramer have won their fourth-straight Team of the Year award.
Makes me think I should restock my selection of Raps in my tackle box. Oh wait, I've got plenty of those!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The student and the teacher
When you're up against your best friend and mentor, Dan Griep says, you know it's a special moment.
"Stu (McKee) is the best fisherman in the area, and it's sort of a feather in your cap to be there with him," Griep said.
Griep and McKee, both of Cleveland and friends of 30 years, are members of the top two teams in the Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourneys series, which winds down the regular season Tuesday at Lake Tetonka with a winner being crowned.
McKee and partner Roger Kramer have won team of the year the last three years, so an upset by the student would be appropriate.
McKee says if Griep and partner Bill Holland win, he'll be very happy for them. Griep says the winning aspect wasn't the most important part of fishing the tournaments.
"I'm just out there on Tuesday nights to have fun," Griep says. "If I catch fish, great. If I win money, even better. If we win team of the year, of course we'd like that."
Griep's admiration for McKee goes beyond what he's learned technique wise.
"He's kept me on the cutting edge of what baits are out there," Griep says. "He'll share his information with you. He's not secretive at all. He likes to teach everybody so they can catch fish."
After Tuesday's tournament, the field will vote on which lake to hold the postseason tournament. Griep says his vote is for Lake Washington, but he'll fish where ever the tournament takes places.
McKee says he usually just waits to see what everyone else votes and then goes along with the vote. But he said he wouldn't mind seeing the tournament at Washington or Tetonka.
Monday, August 17, 2009
McKee's take
Received a nice little e-mail from Stu McKee the other day. Here's his take on Lake Tetonka:
"The Tetonka tournament should be a good one, and as of this last week there are a good number of walleye's biting. There are a bunch of fish in the 13 inch range, but the lake is giving up some nice 17-inch fish."
McKee says the Aug. 25, regular-season finale at Tetonka is shaping up to be a good one. He says the approach for he and teammate Roger Kramer will likely be the same.
"I've been getting some new lure from J.B. Lures and some new fishing line from Premium superlines (FINS Fishing) in the 30 and 50 pount test. This has really helped
Roger and I put some very big fish in the boat."
McKee said the trick is to stay in shallow water. To be fair to him, I won't give away the exact depths he is shooting for, just in case any of his competition is reading this blog. But I will say this, you'd be surprised at just how shallow they go.
The purpose of the heavy line is to allow them to get into tough spots and not worry about breaking their line, and also to keep their lures "up a bit."
We'll see if that strategy works or not.
"The Tetonka tournament should be a good one, and as of this last week there are a good number of walleye's biting. There are a bunch of fish in the 13 inch range, but the lake is giving up some nice 17-inch fish."
McKee says the Aug. 25, regular-season finale at Tetonka is shaping up to be a good one. He says the approach for he and teammate Roger Kramer will likely be the same.
"I've been getting some new lure from J.B. Lures and some new fishing line from Premium superlines (FINS Fishing) in the 30 and 50 pount test. This has really helped
Roger and I put some very big fish in the boat."
McKee said the trick is to stay in shallow water. To be fair to him, I won't give away the exact depths he is shooting for, just in case any of his competition is reading this blog. But I will say this, you'd be surprised at just how shallow they go.
The purpose of the heavy line is to allow them to get into tough spots and not worry about breaking their line, and also to keep their lures "up a bit."
We'll see if that strategy works or not.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Winding down the walleye tourneys
The Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourneys are coming to an end, with one regular-season tournament remaining on Aug. 25.
I wrote a column about the tournaments for Sunday's edition of The Free Press. It's also available online.
Without rehashing too much of what I wrote there, what you need to know is that Tuesday, Aug. 11, no one caught a walleye at Madison Lake.
That means two teams, locked in first place with 49 points, will be battling it out for team of the year. Stu Mckee and Roger Kramer, winners the last three years, are trying to hold of Dan Griep and Bill Holland.
The important thing to understand here is that all anglers receive five points just for fishing a tournament. If a team weighs a fish, they receive seven points, and placing nets you eight points for third, nine points for second and 10 points for first.
So basically, these two teams could come out in a tie after the Lake Tetonka tournament.
Now, the Tetonka tourney is the final regular-season tournament, but there is another tournament slated for anyone who fished in all the tournaments this year or placed in the top 10 in points.
That tournament is at a site to be determined. Basically, all of the anglers who fish the Tetonka tournament get to vote afterward for the lake they'd prefer to fish in the season-ending tournament. The lake with the most votes becomes the site of the winner-take all tournament.
Stay tuned, because it's sure to be a fantastic finish.
I wrote a column about the tournaments for Sunday's edition of The Free Press. It's also available online.
Without rehashing too much of what I wrote there, what you need to know is that Tuesday, Aug. 11, no one caught a walleye at Madison Lake.
That means two teams, locked in first place with 49 points, will be battling it out for team of the year. Stu Mckee and Roger Kramer, winners the last three years, are trying to hold of Dan Griep and Bill Holland.
The important thing to understand here is that all anglers receive five points just for fishing a tournament. If a team weighs a fish, they receive seven points, and placing nets you eight points for third, nine points for second and 10 points for first.
So basically, these two teams could come out in a tie after the Lake Tetonka tournament.
Now, the Tetonka tourney is the final regular-season tournament, but there is another tournament slated for anyone who fished in all the tournaments this year or placed in the top 10 in points.
That tournament is at a site to be determined. Basically, all of the anglers who fish the Tetonka tournament get to vote afterward for the lake they'd prefer to fish in the season-ending tournament. The lake with the most votes becomes the site of the winner-take all tournament.
Stay tuned, because it's sure to be a fantastic finish.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Comedy in fishing — The Streater file
(Editor's note: The link to the print edition of this story was incorrect and has now been fixed.)I had an interesting week.
On top of my normal duties as a copy editor for The Free Press — I've never liked that title because it doesn't begin to encapsulate the wide variety of duties I perform for the paper — I had the privilege to interview Dick Streater, one of the top authorities on collectible fishing lures.
But Streater isn't just a collector, he's also a funny gentleman who incorporates all those collectible fishing gadgets into a one hour talk.
"When I find something funny, you have to think of something funny to say," Streater says.
After talking with Streater for nearly an hour, it became clear to me there was no way I could tell all the interesting stories he told me in the space of a newspaper. It's just not possible my friends.
So I've compiled a few interesting things that didn't make my story in Sunday's print edition. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.
On Mankato
• Streater said he was deeply rooted to Mankato. Part of that, he's said, was because his father was the Chief Clerk of the Blue Earth County Rationing Board during World War II. His father was also the business manager of the Mankato Legion, and hence, because business manager of the Mankato Merchants baseball team.
"The players would crack their bat and my dad would bring them home, and I'd glue them and tape them up tight," he said, "and we'd go out and play with them."
• Voted the funniest guy in his senior class. "I guess I was just destined to do this (comedic lure talks)."
• Once bought a bottle of Kato Beer at an antique shop after it had stopped being brewed, and at a class reunion ordered a Budweiser and poured it into the Kato Beer bottle. Everyone asked him where he got it, and he'd tell them the bar. Then they'd say "that's impossible, they went out of business."
Which lures are better
Streater said a good many of the collectors out in his neck of the woods are switching back to the old lures and are having good success catching fish. From reels, to line, to lures, these guys are getting a feel for the classics.
"Of course, none of the old stuff has rattles or any of that monkey business," he said. But he said the equipment works just fine. "I've used several old lures that I've fished with and I enjoy it."
Odds and ends
• Once caught an 11 pound, 2 ounces bass in Mexico on a Zara Spook.
• Currently working on a collaboration with another guy on the history of mosquito repellents. Listening to him rattle of names like "Scram," "Scat" and "Swat that Skeeter" make me think he'll do just fine with his blend of humor and wit.
• Played trombone in both the University of Minnesota marching band and the Army Marching Band. He owns both a slide and valve trombone and is comfortable playing either one. Talking about the U of M band, he said, "It was a hell of a good part of my life."
• He introduced a variety of old lures and collectibles in his talks. I gather the format is much like a stand up routine tooled toward each interesting "gadget."
• Steater will be in Minnesota for about two weeks this fall — toward the end of September and into the early part of October. He said he'd like to give a few talks while he's here.
In a packet of information he sent me, I came across this: "I enjoy giving this talk so much that I have not established a charge for it. On the other hand, with gas and food and the time involved, I have never refused to accept an honorarium if offered."
I asked him about this and he stood by what I typed above. Basically, as I see it, that's a pretty cheap cost to get him out to an area sportsmen or fishing club. But that's just me.
• If you would like to contact Streater or get more information on his "talks," e-mail him at lureguru@aol.com.
On top of my normal duties as a copy editor for The Free Press — I've never liked that title because it doesn't begin to encapsulate the wide variety of duties I perform for the paper — I had the privilege to interview Dick Streater, one of the top authorities on collectible fishing lures.
But Streater isn't just a collector, he's also a funny gentleman who incorporates all those collectible fishing gadgets into a one hour talk.
"When I find something funny, you have to think of something funny to say," Streater says.
After talking with Streater for nearly an hour, it became clear to me there was no way I could tell all the interesting stories he told me in the space of a newspaper. It's just not possible my friends.
So I've compiled a few interesting things that didn't make my story in Sunday's print edition. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.
On Mankato
• Streater said he was deeply rooted to Mankato. Part of that, he's said, was because his father was the Chief Clerk of the Blue Earth County Rationing Board during World War II. His father was also the business manager of the Mankato Legion, and hence, because business manager of the Mankato Merchants baseball team.
"The players would crack their bat and my dad would bring them home, and I'd glue them and tape them up tight," he said, "and we'd go out and play with them."
• Voted the funniest guy in his senior class. "I guess I was just destined to do this (comedic lure talks)."
• Once bought a bottle of Kato Beer at an antique shop after it had stopped being brewed, and at a class reunion ordered a Budweiser and poured it into the Kato Beer bottle. Everyone asked him where he got it, and he'd tell them the bar. Then they'd say "that's impossible, they went out of business."
Which lures are better
Streater said a good many of the collectors out in his neck of the woods are switching back to the old lures and are having good success catching fish. From reels, to line, to lures, these guys are getting a feel for the classics.
"Of course, none of the old stuff has rattles or any of that monkey business," he said. But he said the equipment works just fine. "I've used several old lures that I've fished with and I enjoy it."
Odds and ends
• Once caught an 11 pound, 2 ounces bass in Mexico on a Zara Spook.
• Currently working on a collaboration with another guy on the history of mosquito repellents. Listening to him rattle of names like "Scram," "Scat" and "Swat that Skeeter" make me think he'll do just fine with his blend of humor and wit.
• Played trombone in both the University of Minnesota marching band and the Army Marching Band. He owns both a slide and valve trombone and is comfortable playing either one. Talking about the U of M band, he said, "It was a hell of a good part of my life."
• He introduced a variety of old lures and collectibles in his talks. I gather the format is much like a stand up routine tooled toward each interesting "gadget."
• Steater will be in Minnesota for about two weeks this fall — toward the end of September and into the early part of October. He said he'd like to give a few talks while he's here.
In a packet of information he sent me, I came across this: "I enjoy giving this talk so much that I have not established a charge for it. On the other hand, with gas and food and the time involved, I have never refused to accept an honorarium if offered."
I asked him about this and he stood by what I typed above. Basically, as I see it, that's a pretty cheap cost to get him out to an area sportsmen or fishing club. But that's just me.
• If you would like to contact Streater or get more information on his "talks," e-mail him at lureguru@aol.com.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Fun at Frances
A lot of little fish. But a lot of fish.
This is how are afternoon was at Lake Frances in Elysian. Fishing partner Dave caught 14 fish, all on Mimic Minnows. He caught seven bass and seven little pike.
I came in at nine fish — seven bass and two pike. I also lost two pike that bit me off, so the count could have been higher.
We pretty much worked around the shorelines and docks. There is a lot of weed cover, but if you look for pockets, it's pretty manageable.
It'd been a long time since I'd been on Frances, and I have to say, that's a nice little lake. The people living on the lake take good care of their properties, their shorelines. There is a nice beach that seems to get used, and the overall quality of the lake just seemed good.
I can't imagine fishing there on a weekend, as I'm sure the recreation traffic would be intense. Even for a Monday, we saw a lot of people making good use of the lake.
Most importantly, with all the fish we caught and the strikes we had, the future for Frances looks bright.
Correction
A reader said I miss spelled Ballantyne (Ballentine is how I'd labeled it). I took my spelling directly off Google maps, which happened to be wrong. I double checked the reader's spelling against the DNR Web site and found the reader was correct. So my bad and thanks for the heads up.
Monday, August 3, 2009
MIxing things up
I went out to Lake Ballentine near Madison Lake about a week ago. I'd heard good things about the action out there, both for bass and northern, and was interested in giving it a shot.
My fishing partners for the day were Danny Williams, a former standout athlete at St. Clair who is know going to school for golf management at Arizona State University, and his older brother Mike, who happens to have a pretty decent collection of newspaper clippings and photos of some pretty impressive fish.
One of those newspaper clippings happened to have a 15 pound striper, which was one big fish.
Mike Williams likes to fish bass, so naturally, we expected to get on top of some serious fish between the two of us. Danny Williams likes to get sun, and fish on occasion.
While pitching docks, locals would come out and tell us the big ones were "out there." One fella told us to work the weeds for northern.
We did all of that and then some, but Danny was the only one who actually caught a bass — two, as a matter of fact. Yours truly missed two fish. The first one, a fat hawg that boiled the water next to the boat, ran deep and snapped my line — operator error here; I set the drag too tight only moments before.
The second I missed on a scum frog — again operator error as I set the hook too soon.
The boat traffic, according to the locals that day, was the busiest they'd seen in a long time. The small public landing was full for most of the day, and the lake definitely was abuzz. Mike Williams blamed the boat traffic for our slow day, and was already making plans for a weekday trip where he could "enjoy" the lake.
The trip to Ballentine came on the heals of a trip to Lake Francis, which fell through. That trip, however, will take place tonight. We'll shoot for bass and northerns, but, as always, all fish are fair game.
I'll post a fishing update from Frances later.
My fishing partners for the day were Danny Williams, a former standout athlete at St. Clair who is know going to school for golf management at Arizona State University, and his older brother Mike, who happens to have a pretty decent collection of newspaper clippings and photos of some pretty impressive fish.
One of those newspaper clippings happened to have a 15 pound striper, which was one big fish.
Mike Williams likes to fish bass, so naturally, we expected to get on top of some serious fish between the two of us. Danny Williams likes to get sun, and fish on occasion.
While pitching docks, locals would come out and tell us the big ones were "out there." One fella told us to work the weeds for northern.
We did all of that and then some, but Danny was the only one who actually caught a bass — two, as a matter of fact. Yours truly missed two fish. The first one, a fat hawg that boiled the water next to the boat, ran deep and snapped my line — operator error here; I set the drag too tight only moments before.
The second I missed on a scum frog — again operator error as I set the hook too soon.
The boat traffic, according to the locals that day, was the busiest they'd seen in a long time. The small public landing was full for most of the day, and the lake definitely was abuzz. Mike Williams blamed the boat traffic for our slow day, and was already making plans for a weekday trip where he could "enjoy" the lake.
The trip to Ballentine came on the heals of a trip to Lake Francis, which fell through. That trip, however, will take place tonight. We'll shoot for bass and northerns, but, as always, all fish are fair game.
I'll post a fishing update from Frances later.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Pair of tourney winners
Well, I finally have results for you from the Lake German Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourney that took place July 14.
Nate Brunz and his teammate Andy (see below for more on Andy) pulled off the win, weighing two fish for a 10 pound, 8 ounce stringer.
Brothers Tom and Ken Davis finished second with one fish weighing in at 6 pounds 4.6 ounces. This also happened to be the big fish winner on German, which netted the pot money for big fish from East Jefferson. If you'll remember, the field was skunked at Jeff and all prize money carried over to German.
Third place went to the team of Troy Bessman and Steve Wolfe. The duo weighed one fish at 4 pounds, .8 ounces.
The tournament returned to Lake Washington Tuesday. Tournament director Tim Hobbs said the walleyes weren't nearly as big as the first time the tournament hit Washington — Stu McKee and Roger Kramer edged Bill Holland and Dan Griep despite weighing one less fish — plenty of small walleye were caught.
Bessman and Wolfe pulled in first place with a three fish, 4 pound 8.4 ounce stringer. Coming in second was McKee and Kramer. They weighed two fish at 2 pounds, 3.6 ounces.
Holland and Griep weighed in one fish at 1 pound, 4.1 ounces, which narrowlly handed them third place. Hobbs said he weighed in four other fish that landed between .9 ounces (wow, that's small!) to 1 pound, 2.4 ounces.
Hobbs said he expects a full, official tally of the standings later this week. I'd been tracking the progress of Holland/Griep, Kramer/McKee closely, because early on these two teams were the teams scoring all the points. Unofficially, I have them locked at 44 with two regular season tournaments to go.
This is very unofficial, however, as points for each tournament can be awarded for just showing up, and also for just weighing a fish. And I also have a sneaking suspicion that the team of Bessman/Wolfe isn't far behind the other two teams.
More on Andy
As a journalist, I'm trained to track down the facts. If you can't verify something, you cut it out or write around it. But here on this blog, and specifically with these walleye tournaments, I'm in a unique situation.
Nate Brunz and Andy were the German winners, but Hobbs couldn't come up with a last name for Andy. And with the increasing popularity of cell phones, I couldn't find a listing for Brunz to call and ask him.
Now, if this were going in our newspaper, I'd start calling other anglers from the tournament, hoping one or the other would know his name. Then I'd call him and verify. I will still do this to make sure Andy gets his proper credit, but I don't want to short change him now by not mentioning him along with Brunz as winners of the German tourney.
So if you know who Andy is, drop me a line. If you're out there Andy, drop me a line. In the meantime, I'll do my homework.
You might wonder how this could happen since both were fishing in a tournament, but until the newspaper started snooping around the walleye tournaments, there was probably little need for Hobbs to gather last names and correct spellings and such. Several of the anglers in this year's field have said that the best thing about fishing the tournaments was the camraderie.
Several of the anglers admit knowing a lot of the competition strictly through the walleye tournaments, so things like last names don't always crop up and complicate things.
Leave it to me to come along and make a casually event just a little more formal. Doh!
Nate Brunz and his teammate Andy (see below for more on Andy) pulled off the win, weighing two fish for a 10 pound, 8 ounce stringer.
Brothers Tom and Ken Davis finished second with one fish weighing in at 6 pounds 4.6 ounces. This also happened to be the big fish winner on German, which netted the pot money for big fish from East Jefferson. If you'll remember, the field was skunked at Jeff and all prize money carried over to German.
Third place went to the team of Troy Bessman and Steve Wolfe. The duo weighed one fish at 4 pounds, .8 ounces.
The tournament returned to Lake Washington Tuesday. Tournament director Tim Hobbs said the walleyes weren't nearly as big as the first time the tournament hit Washington — Stu McKee and Roger Kramer edged Bill Holland and Dan Griep despite weighing one less fish — plenty of small walleye were caught.
Bessman and Wolfe pulled in first place with a three fish, 4 pound 8.4 ounce stringer. Coming in second was McKee and Kramer. They weighed two fish at 2 pounds, 3.6 ounces.
Holland and Griep weighed in one fish at 1 pound, 4.1 ounces, which narrowlly handed them third place. Hobbs said he weighed in four other fish that landed between .9 ounces (wow, that's small!) to 1 pound, 2.4 ounces.
Hobbs said he expects a full, official tally of the standings later this week. I'd been tracking the progress of Holland/Griep, Kramer/McKee closely, because early on these two teams were the teams scoring all the points. Unofficially, I have them locked at 44 with two regular season tournaments to go.
This is very unofficial, however, as points for each tournament can be awarded for just showing up, and also for just weighing a fish. And I also have a sneaking suspicion that the team of Bessman/Wolfe isn't far behind the other two teams.
More on Andy
As a journalist, I'm trained to track down the facts. If you can't verify something, you cut it out or write around it. But here on this blog, and specifically with these walleye tournaments, I'm in a unique situation.
Nate Brunz and Andy were the German winners, but Hobbs couldn't come up with a last name for Andy. And with the increasing popularity of cell phones, I couldn't find a listing for Brunz to call and ask him.
Now, if this were going in our newspaper, I'd start calling other anglers from the tournament, hoping one or the other would know his name. Then I'd call him and verify. I will still do this to make sure Andy gets his proper credit, but I don't want to short change him now by not mentioning him along with Brunz as winners of the German tourney.
So if you know who Andy is, drop me a line. If you're out there Andy, drop me a line. In the meantime, I'll do my homework.
You might wonder how this could happen since both were fishing in a tournament, but until the newspaper started snooping around the walleye tournaments, there was probably little need for Hobbs to gather last names and correct spellings and such. Several of the anglers in this year's field have said that the best thing about fishing the tournaments was the camraderie.
Several of the anglers admit knowing a lot of the competition strictly through the walleye tournaments, so things like last names don't always crop up and complicate things.
Leave it to me to come along and make a casually event just a little more formal. Doh!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Boater up
Do you remember your first car?
I do — a 1986 Honda Accord with a moonroof and power windows. The radio wasn't that great, but it had a tape player, which I thought was the coolest thing next to the moonroof and power windows.
I bought that Accord after my senior year of high school. While playing a legion baseball tournament in Minnesota Lake, the moonroof went out on me and it rained that night. This was my first mechanical experience with a car, and needless to say, if it happened again, I'd be able to fix that moonroof.
Of course, I've had a few vehicles since that Accord. Starter cars are a must if you plan on respecting what you come to own later in life.
But, until recently, I've never owned a boat. I always imagined my first boat as a 14-footer with a one-armed bandit for a motor. I've operated plenty of those boats, but never had I owned one.
Now I'm the proud owner of a 1988 Lund Tyee — with a blown motor. I have no mechanical skills when it comes to boats, much like I had no mechanical skills when I bought that Accord. Yet I'm still very excited to get started.
This boat has a steering wheel, depth finder, trolling motor and a livewell — the equivalent of the moonroof and power windows from that Accord. It was my brother-in-laws starter boat before it became mine.
He upgraded to a new Lund Tyee, which is a beautiful boat by the way. I look at all the outings I had in his old boat, my new boat, and I feel fortunate to be able to start with this Lund. I also look at his ability to upgrade after paying his dues with an older boat, and I'm excited to know that I'll learn what I need to learn now, so some day I can upgrade to a newer boat, as well.
But for now, I'm learning; I'm learning about motors, I'm learning about boating regulations, and soon I'll be learning to back up a boat trailer. If it goes anything like the small trailers I backed up when I worked at U-Haul, well, I'm probably screwed.
So if you see me in the near future struggling at a boat landing, make sure you come up and laugh in my face. And then, after you gather your composure, reassure me that you were once a rookie at the boat launch, too, and that everything will get better.
Choice reading
We're in that time of summer where we get bogged down by hot weather (not so much this year), summer plans and life in general. For me, this means very little fishing. But I'm still able to get in some reading from time to time, and I came across a great bass article from Russ Bassdozer on weed fishing. Don't let the bass angle in this article throw you, because plenty of fish like the weeds.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Frustration
Well, apparently I'm a liar.
I still don't have results for last weeks Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourney. I talked with Tim Hobbs last week, but results weren't available. He really couldn't talk much about it that night because he was busy.
But since our last talk, we both keep missing each other. So I will continue to try and track down results. Perhaps I'll give Stu McKee a call and see how he and Roger Kramer did and how they feel about the season to date.
Berkley's Gulp Alive
John Cross wrote about the Gulp! Alive! minnows in Sunday's edition of the Free Press. John's old school, and he has great journalism ethics and beliefs. If any of you caught his column, he didn't name the little minnows he invested $20 in.
His point is that he's just like every other non-pro, and he has to pay for his lures. And since he pays for his lures, well, the manufacturer can just buy ad space in the paper if it wants marketing.
Now, I'm not making fun of John here or belittling what he wrote. I definitely have learned a lot from that man. I rather enjoyed the column, and I'm sure he figured many people knew exactly what artificial wonder he was talking about.
But here on the blog, I've come to believe that the more that I can offer you in way of links and other tidbits, the more informed you can become. And like John, I realize a good many people knew instantly that he was talking about Gulp! Alive!.
However, a reader e-mailed me a few weeks back asking me to break down some basics to fishing. This reader said the Internet can be overwhelming at times, and often fishing articles and columns are written for the more advanced fisherman.
So for the few out there who didn't know what artificial bait John was talking about ... well, now you know.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Walleye update
Talked with Tim Hobbs briefly today. He wasn't able to give me an update yet on Tuesday's walleye tourney at Lake German. I'm hoping to have an update for you sometime this afternoon.
It did sound like they caught a few out on German, so that has to be good news for the German and Jefferson Lakes Sportsmen's club. I imagine they like hearing success stories from the club's lakes.
Took the son out fishing Thursday. Best outing yet for the youngster. He's getting pretty good at casting, and that makes me proud.
It is amazing how easy it is to keep a kids interest when the fish are biting. Especially when, like today, they catch one on their first cast.
That hooked Tyler for sure. Other outings, he's lasted anywhere from half an hour to an hour, but mostly because he's trying to run around at the open space out at Madison Lake. Sometimes just trying to cast like his Daddy is enough to keep his interest.
But today, after 11 sunnies for him and eight sunnies and a walleye for the old man, the boy still wanted to fish more. We spent nearly two hours fishing, and he complained about leaving.
Now that's one heck of an outing. Even made his old man beam like a new father.
It did sound like they caught a few out on German, so that has to be good news for the German and Jefferson Lakes Sportsmen's club. I imagine they like hearing success stories from the club's lakes.
Took the son out fishing Thursday. Best outing yet for the youngster. He's getting pretty good at casting, and that makes me proud.
It is amazing how easy it is to keep a kids interest when the fish are biting. Especially when, like today, they catch one on their first cast.
That hooked Tyler for sure. Other outings, he's lasted anywhere from half an hour to an hour, but mostly because he's trying to run around at the open space out at Madison Lake. Sometimes just trying to cast like his Daddy is enough to keep his interest.
But today, after 11 sunnies for him and eight sunnies and a walleye for the old man, the boy still wanted to fish more. We spent nearly two hours fishing, and he complained about leaving.
Now that's one heck of an outing. Even made his old man beam like a new father.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Reel memories
I was cleaning in my garage the other day, and I started organizing a new area for my fishing stuff. I have a few old tackle boxes I've set aside for my son.
One tackle box is filled with things I no longer fish with, for one reason or another, but will be neat for a little boy when he gets his first tackle box.
I've also stopped bringing several spools of line with me, mostly preferring to have one extra spool and four poles, which can be a load at times, too.
Among my minnow buckets and ice fishing tackle and poles, I also have several reels I've used over the years that have gone to heck.
My first real reel purchase came in 1996, which was the spring of my freshman year at then Mankato State.
I bought a Daiwa spin-caster with a little wooden knob on the end of the handle for $60. I probably spent my money foolishly at the time, considering I should have put it toward expenses, but that golden beauty lasted me nearly 10 years and brought me many memories of big fish, among them my first 5-pound bass.
I also used a Quantum S220 with a firing pin. The firing-pin option, basically a flip switch with a pin that allows the line to be hooked without actually flipping open the bale and grabbing the line, sold me on the reel at the time.
This option also came with my Daiwa. I look at those two reels now and think I was foolish to love such a little gimmick, mostly because of all the times the little pin inside the firing switch would catch the line and send my lure on a kamikaze dive toward my face or neck.
But I also have three cheap reels I purchased at Gander Mountain, and the bales on those reels tend to snap shut for no apparent reason, also sending my lure on a kamikaze dive toward my face or neck.
As much as I fish, you'd think I'd want to go back to investing bigger money in my reels and poles. Logically, I'd love to be frivolous when it came to my fishing equipment.
But that's not realistic, and I'm not a pro. I think if I ever tried to fish tournaments where money was the drive to compete, I'd spare no expenses on equipment. Unfortunately, I'm not and there are better bills to concentrate on.
Do I regret spending cheap money on Gander's reels? Absolutely not. I'm a big believer that if you pick through poles and reels and find deals when there are deals to be had, you'll be happy with your equipment and it will last you a while.
Even those newer reels lasted me a couple of years. At $20 for a cheap reel, a person could still come out on the cheaper end of the shelf life of some of the more expensive reels.
Then again, you might have to teach yourself how to dodge lures if you opt for the cheaper route. It could be interesting; you might enjoy the adrenaline rush. And if nothing else, when the reel goes ca put, you can throw it on a shelf and look at it from time to time for fond memories.
Looking for reels? I'd suggest checking out reviews first. A couple to consider would be Fishing Reel Reviews (I know, real simple, huh?!) and TackleTour.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Back for more
I'd like to tell you all that I've been hitting the lakes with the same consistency as the past few years, but then I would be telling a lie.
Weddings, holidays, family reunions ... we're in the thick of summer.
But that doesn't mean I'm not thinking about fishing all the time. Lately I've been thinking about a big bass I let off the hook last Friday. Fishing a scumfrog — I'm continuing to hone my skills with this lure — I missed a modest strike, then casted back out to the same spot and hooked into a big one.
The strike reminded me of a shark attack out of the movie Jaws. One second, my frog is resting on top of the water. And then, with a quick, if-you-blink-your-gonna-miss-it move, something came from beneath the frog, snapped it, and the frog was gone.
I've been working the scumfrog a lot lately, mostly to work on my timing. With all topwater lures, the key to a good hook set is getting the slack out of your line. The frog is no different, except that the wait to get your line tense can seem like minutes, not seconds.
This is sort of what happened when that Jaws-like attack on my frog took place. A reader suggested I count to two before setting the hook whenever I fish with the frog. So earlier in the day, with other strikes, I did count to two, which improved my hook set dramatically.
But when that lunker snatched up my frog, I forgot the essence of counting because everything happened so fast. The normal violent, hungry strike was gone, replaced by the quick unseen.
Perhaps I didn't quiet set my hook on that lunker's lip. Perhaps I didn't even really give a good tug for the hook set at all. I'm not really sure. But that hawg stayed low with a lot of pull, driving the end of my pole into my ribs as it ripped through the water.
And then it shot its body up and out of the water, gave that signature bass shake, and poof, my frog was gliding, almost floating, 15 feet above my head, the line falling slack onto my shoulders as the frog dropped behind the boat.
It's been a while since I've seen a bass that big. Even I had to sit down for a second and just stare in awe.
A friend once asked me if it makes me mad when I lose a big fish like that. I suppose. I'm sure it makes most anglers mad, if even for only a little bit.
But truthfully, whenever I lose a good-sized fish like that, I spend a good part of that day, and the next few days, thinking about the one that got away.
After all, it's the memory of the one that got away that drives us back to the lake, back to the hunt, and maybe, just maybe, another shot at the one that got away.
Friday, July 3, 2009
What's that stink?!
Some people may think the stink coming from Big Jefferson is the blue-green algae that has dominated the lake.
But after Tuesday's walleye tournament on the eastern half of the Jefferson Lakes chain, the smell might actually be attributed to the skunk the anglers left behind.
That's right. Not a single walleye was caught during last Tuesday's tournament, something that hasn't happened in some time.
"I think we've gone two years without catching anything," Tim Hobbs said. "It does make it interesting though because it basically double the pot for German Lake."
Basically, Hobbs said the tournament money paid in for Big Jeff carries over to German Lake, where a variety of things could happen. If only one team is lucky enough to catch fish and win the German Lake tournament, that team would win all of the money carried over from Big Jeff plus first place in the German tournament. The second and third place prizes from German would then carry over.
No matter what, the money from Jeff will be paid out provided someone catches fish at German. Even if multiple teams catch fish, that money will be paid accordingly from the first tournament.
Stu McKee and Roger Kramer lead the Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourneys for top team. Unofficially, they have registered 30 points. Bill Holland and Dan Griep, week 1 winners, trail McKee and Kramer by a point and are situated at 29 points.
There are four tournaments left in the season before the year-end tournament. With a return to Washington, I think the top prize is still pretty wide open. McKee and Kramer took in four walleyes at Washington, one less than Holland and Griep, but their total weight was nearly 2 pounds more than Holland and Griep.
I imagine Washington, unless something drastic happens on German, will be where this season's top team is decided. But still, four tournaments are a lot, and anything can happen.
Weed control
Hobbs said, surprisingly, that a lot of the weed cover at Big Jefferson has either died off or been cut down. He said weeds weren't the issue with the anglers this past Tuesday, but he couldn't place a finger on what attributed to the slow bite.
Having not seen the lake in nearly two weeks, I'm not sure what to think. Generally in July we see a lot of area lakes start to shed some of the weeds that give us trouble in late spring and early summer, so Hobbs comment that the weeds weren't bad shouldn't be too surprising.
But the mass of weeds I saw on that lake has me surprised that the die-off is happening so quickly. And I'm a little unsure about the weeds being cut, because as I've stated before, if we were in 13 feet of water, we were in 13 feet of weeds. Who's out in the deeper stuff cutting the weeds?
I wouldn't be, that' for sure. But I know near shore, several property owners have been cutting and raking weeds, which must be a pain in the you know what. Weeds will always be a part of fishing, good, bad or otherwise.
But those weeds ... well that's not right.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Waiting for word
I'm still waiting to hear back from Tim Hobbs on the Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourney at East Jefferson.
I'm a little nervous for the participants, because after what I saw on that lake, the fishing had to have been tough.
Weeds, weeds and more weeds.
Of course, a good majority of the guys fishing these tournaments know a thing or two about walleye fishing. I'm sure at least one of the teams in the top 5 caught fish, but I won't know that until I talk to Tim.
On another note, I took my son fishing yesterday. These outings offer little time for me to fish, but they are fun for him — well, sort of.
About two weeks ago we couldn't get him to fish with worms, which we all know will allow him to catch something, even if that something is a carp or a bullhead.
Tyler wanted to fish like Daddy, so he kept reeling in his bobber set-up and casting it out. Then he'd reel it back in again.
"Like Daddy."
So I threw on a beetle spin for him because I figure that's just an easy lure to catch fish with. Well, in the two outings since switching to the beetle spin, he's been skunked (though my wife lost something yesterday that Tyler surely would have been able to reel in, had she set the hook).
When we left he was mad because, "I just want to catch a big fish!"
Of course, explaining to him patience is a failed experiment. He's a month shy of 3. But the fact that he can cast his little Spider-Man pole, and cast the beetle spin for distance, well that's worth every minute of being out there for ol' dad.
We can't predict what our children will grow up to be or what interests they will have. We can't push our children into the things we want them to love either; history has shown us this is a blueprint for failure.
But we can show our children the things we love with hopes that someday, they grow their own love for those things. Tyler may not be catching fish hand over hand, but he definitely shows an interest.
For that, I'm thankful.
I'm a little nervous for the participants, because after what I saw on that lake, the fishing had to have been tough.
Weeds, weeds and more weeds.
Of course, a good majority of the guys fishing these tournaments know a thing or two about walleye fishing. I'm sure at least one of the teams in the top 5 caught fish, but I won't know that until I talk to Tim.
On another note, I took my son fishing yesterday. These outings offer little time for me to fish, but they are fun for him — well, sort of.
About two weeks ago we couldn't get him to fish with worms, which we all know will allow him to catch something, even if that something is a carp or a bullhead.
Tyler wanted to fish like Daddy, so he kept reeling in his bobber set-up and casting it out. Then he'd reel it back in again.
"Like Daddy."
So I threw on a beetle spin for him because I figure that's just an easy lure to catch fish with. Well, in the two outings since switching to the beetle spin, he's been skunked (though my wife lost something yesterday that Tyler surely would have been able to reel in, had she set the hook).
When we left he was mad because, "I just want to catch a big fish!"
Of course, explaining to him patience is a failed experiment. He's a month shy of 3. But the fact that he can cast his little Spider-Man pole, and cast the beetle spin for distance, well that's worth every minute of being out there for ol' dad.
We can't predict what our children will grow up to be or what interests they will have. We can't push our children into the things we want them to love either; history has shown us this is a blueprint for failure.
But we can show our children the things we love with hopes that someday, they grow their own love for those things. Tyler may not be catching fish hand over hand, but he definitely shows an interest.
For that, I'm thankful.
Monday, June 29, 2009
One heck of a grand prize
I'm not much into scratch-off games. The Powerball either, although I waste a few dollars every time the money gets outrageous.
I like gambling, occasionally, but when I first came to Mankato, I learned a lot about gambling and why not to.
I sold pull tabs, which at the time had a 6 percent chance of payout. I'm not sure if those odds are the same, but I'm sure it is close. Those are horrible odds when you consider if you buy 100 tickets, you may only walk away with six $1 winners, provided you landed in that 6 percent range.
But scratch-off games likely do have better odds. I could look those up for all of you, but I think you get where I'm going with this. I like to add skill to the things I compete in. I like to think. That's why I like games like Texas Hold 'em, or why I'm drawn to fishing.
So when Rapala and the Minnesota State Lottery teamed up for Fishin' for Fortune, I really didn't have an interest in playing. But many did, and many lost. Yet five of those first-time losers landed bigger payouts when they actually followed through and sent in their losing tickets for second-chance winnings.
Last Tuesday, June 23, five people from across Minnesota got a chance to compete in a shopping spree at the Rapala wharehouse in Eagan. Two of those winners walked away with $5,000 in Rapala gear.
Unreal. Just think of all the tackles and accessories a person could stock up on if they won. Basically, to win, the contestants had to fill up their carts with Rapala products, and the closest one to $1,000 won the five grand in merchandise.
The grand-prize winners were Gene Provost of Alexandria and Glenn Henrikson of Moorhead. Three other finalists each won a $500 Visa gift card.
Well, I might not like the odds here either, considering the five finalists were picked out of a draw of more than 10,000 losing tickets, but I definitely like the prizes they walked away with.
I like gambling, occasionally, but when I first came to Mankato, I learned a lot about gambling and why not to.
I sold pull tabs, which at the time had a 6 percent chance of payout. I'm not sure if those odds are the same, but I'm sure it is close. Those are horrible odds when you consider if you buy 100 tickets, you may only walk away with six $1 winners, provided you landed in that 6 percent range.
But scratch-off games likely do have better odds. I could look those up for all of you, but I think you get where I'm going with this. I like to add skill to the things I compete in. I like to think. That's why I like games like Texas Hold 'em, or why I'm drawn to fishing.
So when Rapala and the Minnesota State Lottery teamed up for Fishin' for Fortune, I really didn't have an interest in playing. But many did, and many lost. Yet five of those first-time losers landed bigger payouts when they actually followed through and sent in their losing tickets for second-chance winnings.
Last Tuesday, June 23, five people from across Minnesota got a chance to compete in a shopping spree at the Rapala wharehouse in Eagan. Two of those winners walked away with $5,000 in Rapala gear.
Unreal. Just think of all the tackles and accessories a person could stock up on if they won. Basically, to win, the contestants had to fill up their carts with Rapala products, and the closest one to $1,000 won the five grand in merchandise.
The grand-prize winners were Gene Provost of Alexandria and Glenn Henrikson of Moorhead. Three other finalists each won a $500 Visa gift card.
Well, I might not like the odds here either, considering the five finalists were picked out of a draw of more than 10,000 losing tickets, but I definitely like the prizes they walked away with.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Scumdidlyumcious
I haven't been out fishing all that much since my trip to Big Jefferson. But something about that scum frog just made me get back out on a lake and test its worthiness.
What I've found is that I've ignored this tasty lure way to long. My first outing after the Jeff trip, I caught two bass, lost four that were on, and missed another five bites at least.
The action was fun, intense and also provided me with an on-the-go learning experience. Like all topwater baits, the scum frog needs a little touch when it comes to setting the hook.
I found out early on, and probably because the bite was just so violent, that you have to reel up the slack in your line or let the fish take the lure long enough to pull out the slack before you set the hook.
This is critical.
A slacked line ends in a poor hookset, which ends in a 2 for 6 performance. In baseball, a hitter can be happy with a .333 average. In fishing, this only causes heartache.
The two bass I did catch were more than enough to satisfy my curiosity about the frog. On those two catches, I tossed the scum frog on top of, well, scum that hugs the edges of my honey hole.
With the frog on the scum, I hopped and twitched the little lure slightly to the edge of the scum where I let it sit a second. And, like clockwork, I twitched the frog at the edge to let the bass know where the was, but before I could twitch the frog into the water, the bass would shoot through the scum and take both it and the lure in its mouth.
Wow. Fishing topwater is always a visual treat, but watching bass smack through muck and scum to get to my lure, that was truly something else.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you haven't tried a scum frog, do so. If you need a new experience and lure to add to your fishing arsenal, this little baby will more than seal the deal.
What I've found is that I've ignored this tasty lure way to long. My first outing after the Jeff trip, I caught two bass, lost four that were on, and missed another five bites at least.
The action was fun, intense and also provided me with an on-the-go learning experience. Like all topwater baits, the scum frog needs a little touch when it comes to setting the hook.
I found out early on, and probably because the bite was just so violent, that you have to reel up the slack in your line or let the fish take the lure long enough to pull out the slack before you set the hook.
This is critical.
A slacked line ends in a poor hookset, which ends in a 2 for 6 performance. In baseball, a hitter can be happy with a .333 average. In fishing, this only causes heartache.
The two bass I did catch were more than enough to satisfy my curiosity about the frog. On those two catches, I tossed the scum frog on top of, well, scum that hugs the edges of my honey hole.
With the frog on the scum, I hopped and twitched the little lure slightly to the edge of the scum where I let it sit a second. And, like clockwork, I twitched the frog at the edge to let the bass know where the was, but before I could twitch the frog into the water, the bass would shoot through the scum and take both it and the lure in its mouth.
Wow. Fishing topwater is always a visual treat, but watching bass smack through muck and scum to get to my lure, that was truly something else.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you haven't tried a scum frog, do so. If you need a new experience and lure to add to your fishing arsenal, this little baby will more than seal the deal.
Friday, June 19, 2009
McKee, Kramer repeat
After a strong showing on Lake Washington in which three-time defending champs Stu McKee and Roger Kramer posted a four-fish weigh-in over 13 pounds, the duo followed up with a two fish, 13 pound 3.8 ounce showing at Madison Lake.
The duo also won the big-fish prize for Madison, pulling in a walleye topping the scale at 8 pounds, 4.3 ounces. The top billing pushes the duo into first place, ahead of Dan Griep and Bill Holland, who didn't boat a fish at Madison Lake.
Second place went to Chris Roemhildt and Dan Bunde, who netted two fish for a 3-pound, 6.6-ounce stringer. Third place went to Lloyd Tru and Ron Patterson, who weighed one fish at 3 pounds, 2.9 ounces.
Tim Hobbs, who helps organize the tournaments, said 21 boats registered for Tuesday's Madison Lake tournament with 38 anglers participating, a good number considering the rainy weather.
"After the first 45 minutes, it wasn't too bad," Hobbs said.
Next up, the walleye tourney heads to Lake Jefferson, which brings me to my next thought.
Big Jefferson
Went out fishing Thursday with my brother-in-law, Dave. We really wanted to mix things up and try a lake we don't normally fish, so we headed out to Big Jefferson (East Jeff for those of you still confused).
I'd heard the rumors of overgrown weeds and the difficulty the weeds were causing anglers, but until I saw it, there was no way to really understand how bad it has gotten.
If we were in 5 feet of water, there would be 6 feet-plus of weeds. Thirteen feet of water, 13 feet of weeds. In close, out deep, the weeds were everywhere.
We spent the first three hours battling the weeds and finding pockets to fish through. Dave, being a master of the mimic minnow (he contends there is a special skill for using this lure that involves twitching and jerking, something a straight retrieve can't mimic), hooked into a couple of stripers before catching a small walleye.
For me, nothing but a bullhead. Needless to say, the frustration level was high, so much so that even I tied on a mimic minnow, which led to my first largemouth of the outing.
The struggle got so bad that I'd contemplated calling it a day, and anyone who knows me knows I hate to leave a lake. With little hope for the lake and with a big list of complaints growing in my head (something I intended to vent about here in this blog), I suggested to Dave it was time to throw on a scum frog.
"Well, you better do it soon, cause we're running out of daylight," Dave said.
With the invitation, I tied on the old scum frog, more so because I just wanted to throw a lure that I wasn't going to pick weeds out of.
Within a minute I lost a bass. Within five minutes I had two bass on. During those last waning moments of daylight, I managed to pull in five bass, all pretty decent in size and all very violent on the bite.
What went from a horrible outing on Big Jeff turned into a pretty tasty day on the lake. I just wonder if we would have caught bass all day had we switched to that presentation earlier.
The duo also won the big-fish prize for Madison, pulling in a walleye topping the scale at 8 pounds, 4.3 ounces. The top billing pushes the duo into first place, ahead of Dan Griep and Bill Holland, who didn't boat a fish at Madison Lake.
Second place went to Chris Roemhildt and Dan Bunde, who netted two fish for a 3-pound, 6.6-ounce stringer. Third place went to Lloyd Tru and Ron Patterson, who weighed one fish at 3 pounds, 2.9 ounces.
Tim Hobbs, who helps organize the tournaments, said 21 boats registered for Tuesday's Madison Lake tournament with 38 anglers participating, a good number considering the rainy weather.
"After the first 45 minutes, it wasn't too bad," Hobbs said.
Next up, the walleye tourney heads to Lake Jefferson, which brings me to my next thought.
Big Jefferson
Went out fishing Thursday with my brother-in-law, Dave. We really wanted to mix things up and try a lake we don't normally fish, so we headed out to Big Jefferson (East Jeff for those of you still confused).
I'd heard the rumors of overgrown weeds and the difficulty the weeds were causing anglers, but until I saw it, there was no way to really understand how bad it has gotten.
If we were in 5 feet of water, there would be 6 feet-plus of weeds. Thirteen feet of water, 13 feet of weeds. In close, out deep, the weeds were everywhere.
We spent the first three hours battling the weeds and finding pockets to fish through. Dave, being a master of the mimic minnow (he contends there is a special skill for using this lure that involves twitching and jerking, something a straight retrieve can't mimic), hooked into a couple of stripers before catching a small walleye.
For me, nothing but a bullhead. Needless to say, the frustration level was high, so much so that even I tied on a mimic minnow, which led to my first largemouth of the outing.
The struggle got so bad that I'd contemplated calling it a day, and anyone who knows me knows I hate to leave a lake. With little hope for the lake and with a big list of complaints growing in my head (something I intended to vent about here in this blog), I suggested to Dave it was time to throw on a scum frog.
"Well, you better do it soon, cause we're running out of daylight," Dave said.
With the invitation, I tied on the old scum frog, more so because I just wanted to throw a lure that I wasn't going to pick weeds out of.
Within a minute I lost a bass. Within five minutes I had two bass on. During those last waning moments of daylight, I managed to pull in five bass, all pretty decent in size and all very violent on the bite.
What went from a horrible outing on Big Jeff turned into a pretty tasty day on the lake. I just wonder if we would have caught bass all day had we switched to that presentation earlier.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Waiting for word ...
I was trying to wait to do a blog post until I talked with Tim Hobbs to see how the third Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourney turned out.
Unfortunately, between our schedules, we haven't talked yet. So hang in there, I'm sure I will have an update at some point tonight or early tomorrow.
Until then, I briefly went fishing at a new spot today. This rather unique body of water has a lot to offer, I think. I hooked into a 2 1/2 pound bass within my first few casts.
I'm trying to track down some official information on this spot before I give you a more in-depth analysis. And perhaps, just maybe, I'll let you all know where it is.
I'm hearing the water temps are rising quickly. Free Press photographer John Cross was out on Lake Washington this past weekend, and he said it was easy to catch a limit of crappie. Makes sense, considering the water temps in 8 to 10 feet were 65 degrees.
As I discussed in my last post, the crappie spawn begins to cap off around 65 degrees, and the sunfish spawn should be in full mode. So go catch some panfish while the catchin' is good.
Lastly, I'll try to give a little update on Big Jefferson. Oh, excuse me, that's East Jeff for those of you who prefer directional names as opposed to sized names.
I've heard the weeds are pretty thick, but I've also heard the bass action is picking up. We'll see.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Hot and bothered ... about the spawn
I'm hearing a lot of people talking about the spawn being off for panfish and bass. I'm also hearing the panfish on most area lakes are hitting and hitting hard.
But one such angler recently said after a good run of sunfish on Madison Lake that upon cleaning them, the fish were all full of eggs.
Nearly three weeks ago, I caught a 19-inch bass that barely weighed 3 pounds. A female, its belly looked about as skinny as it could be, so I naturally figured the bass in the area had spawned.
Not even a week ago, I caught a 14-inch female bass in the same spot on the lake, and it was full of eggs.
So what does this all mean?
Well, personally, I think the weather has had a lot to do with it. Every time our area waters start to reach those magical temperatures, the weather gets cool or down right cold.
Think of this past week of weather. We were seeing 50s and 60s during the day, 40s and 50s at night. I think it's awfully tough for water temperatures to warm when there isn't enough warmth in the air to raise those temperatures.
I figure a good week of warm weather and sunshine should help finish off the spawn in the lake I fish most often, but in larger lakes, spawning stages will vary throughout the lake.
Which brings us back to the sunfish, which had surprised this angler. He figured the spawn should have already been done.
Considering sunfish spawn later than crappies and need warmer water to do so, I don't find it odd to see sunfish still spawning. Most of the temps I'm hearing from people in the area are low to mid 60s. This is just below the magic temps for sunfish, but a great temperature range for bass and crappies.
As for walleyes, well those tough, cold-water fish spawn when the water temps creep into the low 40s and ends when the temps reach 50ish. So walleye should be good to go.
One last thing on the spawning period of fish in our area. A long time ago, this guy fishing an area lake from shore decided to pass along some wisdom to me.
He told me to always concentrate my energies on the parts of the lake that warm fastest. So I went home and started researching what parts of a lake would logically warm the fastest.
Aside from the obvious shallow-water answer, I've learned something about as obvious — the northern and western parts of a lake warm faster because those parts of the lake soak up the most sunlight throughout the day.
So consider where you are fishing on that area lake. Could you be finding fish in the northern parts that have spawned, while the fish in the southern and eastern parts of the lake are spawning or are in the prespawn?
In all, make notes of the temps from the various parts of the lake you fish. Watch for shallows with temperatures in the IT zone, and go to work on those fish.
But one such angler recently said after a good run of sunfish on Madison Lake that upon cleaning them, the fish were all full of eggs.
Nearly three weeks ago, I caught a 19-inch bass that barely weighed 3 pounds. A female, its belly looked about as skinny as it could be, so I naturally figured the bass in the area had spawned.
Not even a week ago, I caught a 14-inch female bass in the same spot on the lake, and it was full of eggs.
So what does this all mean?
Well, personally, I think the weather has had a lot to do with it. Every time our area waters start to reach those magical temperatures, the weather gets cool or down right cold.
Think of this past week of weather. We were seeing 50s and 60s during the day, 40s and 50s at night. I think it's awfully tough for water temperatures to warm when there isn't enough warmth in the air to raise those temperatures.
I figure a good week of warm weather and sunshine should help finish off the spawn in the lake I fish most often, but in larger lakes, spawning stages will vary throughout the lake.
Which brings us back to the sunfish, which had surprised this angler. He figured the spawn should have already been done.
Considering sunfish spawn later than crappies and need warmer water to do so, I don't find it odd to see sunfish still spawning. Most of the temps I'm hearing from people in the area are low to mid 60s. This is just below the magic temps for sunfish, but a great temperature range for bass and crappies.
As for walleyes, well those tough, cold-water fish spawn when the water temps creep into the low 40s and ends when the temps reach 50ish. So walleye should be good to go.
One last thing on the spawning period of fish in our area. A long time ago, this guy fishing an area lake from shore decided to pass along some wisdom to me.
He told me to always concentrate my energies on the parts of the lake that warm fastest. So I went home and started researching what parts of a lake would logically warm the fastest.
Aside from the obvious shallow-water answer, I've learned something about as obvious — the northern and western parts of a lake warm faster because those parts of the lake soak up the most sunlight throughout the day.
So consider where you are fishing on that area lake. Could you be finding fish in the northern parts that have spawned, while the fish in the southern and eastern parts of the lake are spawning or are in the prespawn?
In all, make notes of the temps from the various parts of the lake you fish. Watch for shallows with temperatures in the IT zone, and go to work on those fish.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Fantasy fishing
I'll admit, I'm really a nerd when it comes to fishing.
The past few winters, I've spent time snuggling up to bass fishing books. The reading always helps me get over the anticipation of spring and the upcoming fishing seasons.
But last year, I discovered Fantasy Fishing by FLW. This changed how I read (at least in 2008) during the winter. I went from understanding bass biology to understanding who Shinichi Fukae and Michael Bennett were, and how a couple of Minnesota anglers could compete with the boys down south.
While 2009 hasn't drawn me in as much as last season, I'm still enjoying reading about fishing. Now, however, I find myself looking forward to the tournaments because I know I can follow live updates via Twitter.
I follow FLW magazine edtior Jason Sealock on Twitter, and the most current FLW tour tournament happens to be on Kentucky and Berkley Lakes. Sealock just happens to live near Kentucky Lake (he often tweets about Kentucky Lake from his personal fishing trips), so he's been very busy since Thursday tweeting live coverage.
Possibly one of the hardest things about following pro fishing, whether it be bass, walleye or crappie, is that TV coverage of these events always comes out long after the tournament is over.
With 200 some boats in these tournaments, it is easy to understand how difficult live coverage could be. But, at least in the bass tournaments, the field is pared down to 10 anglers.
Ten anglers. Seems to me an outdoors network somewhere could cover the first couple hours of the field of 10. But I don't see this happening anytime soon.
Which brings me back to Twitter. I hate to admit that I'm addicted to the posts from Sealock. I hate to admit that I've logged on religiously to Twitter since Thursday just to catch his updates.
But like a baseball game on the radio, I find the Twitter updates to be an excellent alternative to television coverage, and I will probably be following religiously again Sunday.
As I said, I'm a fishing nerd.
The past few winters, I've spent time snuggling up to bass fishing books. The reading always helps me get over the anticipation of spring and the upcoming fishing seasons.
But last year, I discovered Fantasy Fishing by FLW. This changed how I read (at least in 2008) during the winter. I went from understanding bass biology to understanding who Shinichi Fukae and Michael Bennett were, and how a couple of Minnesota anglers could compete with the boys down south.
While 2009 hasn't drawn me in as much as last season, I'm still enjoying reading about fishing. Now, however, I find myself looking forward to the tournaments because I know I can follow live updates via Twitter.
I follow FLW magazine edtior Jason Sealock on Twitter, and the most current FLW tour tournament happens to be on Kentucky and Berkley Lakes. Sealock just happens to live near Kentucky Lake (he often tweets about Kentucky Lake from his personal fishing trips), so he's been very busy since Thursday tweeting live coverage.
Possibly one of the hardest things about following pro fishing, whether it be bass, walleye or crappie, is that TV coverage of these events always comes out long after the tournament is over.
With 200 some boats in these tournaments, it is easy to understand how difficult live coverage could be. But, at least in the bass tournaments, the field is pared down to 10 anglers.
Ten anglers. Seems to me an outdoors network somewhere could cover the first couple hours of the field of 10. But I don't see this happening anytime soon.
Which brings me back to Twitter. I hate to admit that I'm addicted to the posts from Sealock. I hate to admit that I've logged on religiously to Twitter since Thursday just to catch his updates.
But like a baseball game on the radio, I find the Twitter updates to be an excellent alternative to television coverage, and I will probably be following religiously again Sunday.
As I said, I'm a fishing nerd.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
A couple of good reads
I was thinking the other day about information I could pass along to people about fishing. Mostly, I tend direct my writing to people who have loads of fishing experience.
But sometimes, I wonder if people stopping to read what I write need a little direction on what or how to fish. While I can't provide all the answer, I can help keep you informed when I come across a good site or article with quality fishing tips.
Two such articles come to mind. I subscribe to Gary Yamamoto's Ezine Newsletter, and I often find the articles by Russ Bassdozer to be pretty informative. Recently, he put together a must know for catching bass all summer long.
I also spend time reading what is going on in the world of fishing on Twitter. While I haven't quite figured out a practical use for Twitter because I like complete sentences and punctuation, a lot of people post interesting tweets about fishing.
But wear your hip waders, cuz the stink you're going to wade through to find the good tweets gets pretty deep.
One such exploration landed me on the Web site Fishing Moz, which breaks down different species of fish and gives tips and tactics.
I most recently read a pretty good crappie article that gives basic crappie fishing advice, but takes into account that location plays a factor into how you chase a crappie. If crappies are your thing, I suggest giving it a read.
I'm sure reading fishing how-tos isn't nearly as fun as just hitting the lake and practicing what you already know. But sometimes, when you come across a good read, you'll find yourself putting those tactics into play during an outing on the lake.
And if any of those tricks work, well, they'll become part of your everyday arsenal.
But sometimes, I wonder if people stopping to read what I write need a little direction on what or how to fish. While I can't provide all the answer, I can help keep you informed when I come across a good site or article with quality fishing tips.
Two such articles come to mind. I subscribe to Gary Yamamoto's Ezine Newsletter, and I often find the articles by Russ Bassdozer to be pretty informative. Recently, he put together a must know for catching bass all summer long.
I also spend time reading what is going on in the world of fishing on Twitter. While I haven't quite figured out a practical use for Twitter because I like complete sentences and punctuation, a lot of people post interesting tweets about fishing.
But wear your hip waders, cuz the stink you're going to wade through to find the good tweets gets pretty deep.
One such exploration landed me on the Web site Fishing Moz, which breaks down different species of fish and gives tips and tactics.
I most recently read a pretty good crappie article that gives basic crappie fishing advice, but takes into account that location plays a factor into how you chase a crappie. If crappies are your thing, I suggest giving it a read.
I'm sure reading fishing how-tos isn't nearly as fun as just hitting the lake and practicing what you already know. But sometimes, when you come across a good read, you'll find yourself putting those tactics into play during an outing on the lake.
And if any of those tricks work, well, they'll become part of your everyday arsenal.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
No, I haven't forgotten you
Been a little busy lately. Not so much at the newspaper, but catching up with my family, my fishing hole.
I'm a sucker for going out fishing on my day off. Rain or shine, you can bet I'll be out somewhere working for bass.
The cold front killed off a lot of the bite, but I have to admit, the bite hasn't been that great. Some days things seem to be picking up, other days, I wonder if I shouldn't be doing something different.
Fishing-wise that is. I still value my time on the water, and I better mention now, I value my wife for allowing me that time on the water.
See, she's the key to the entire thing; without her I wouldn't be able to fish as often as I do, and let me tell you, I fish often.
So I'll quickly break down what's been working the last couple of weeks of fishing. The Texas rig has picked up. I'm seeing a lot of good hits on the 7 inch, blue fleck PowerBait worm. I'm also seeing a lot of hits on a 7 inch, Gander Mountain ripple tail worm in the crawfish orange swirl color.
Stick worms have worked well. I don't fish the 5" Yamamoto Senkos, but that's mainly because of the price. I know the baits will last me a while, so the investment is good, but when I can pick up a few Strike King, 5" stick for cheap at Wal-Mart, it's a no-brainer. The money I save can go to hooks, or more worms, or sinkers, or a spinnerbait.
Or perhaps, to a treat for my son. The options are limitless.
Anyhow, back to lures. I've continued to have success on my white, triple-blade Strike King buzzbait. Chartreuse and white/chartreuse spinnerbaits have worked well. Where I'm fishing, the crankbaits are slow, but mostly because of the weeds and snags.
The fish are finicky right now. Some days, slow, slow, slow, finessing with jigs and Texas rigs. The next day, the bass want something active. Some days they want neither and aggravating them seems to be the only option.
All I know is I'm ready for the a change in the weather. I'm betting that'll do the trick.
I'm a sucker for going out fishing on my day off. Rain or shine, you can bet I'll be out somewhere working for bass.
The cold front killed off a lot of the bite, but I have to admit, the bite hasn't been that great. Some days things seem to be picking up, other days, I wonder if I shouldn't be doing something different.
Fishing-wise that is. I still value my time on the water, and I better mention now, I value my wife for allowing me that time on the water.
See, she's the key to the entire thing; without her I wouldn't be able to fish as often as I do, and let me tell you, I fish often.
So I'll quickly break down what's been working the last couple of weeks of fishing. The Texas rig has picked up. I'm seeing a lot of good hits on the 7 inch, blue fleck PowerBait worm. I'm also seeing a lot of hits on a 7 inch, Gander Mountain ripple tail worm in the crawfish orange swirl color.
Stick worms have worked well. I don't fish the 5" Yamamoto Senkos, but that's mainly because of the price. I know the baits will last me a while, so the investment is good, but when I can pick up a few Strike King, 5" stick for cheap at Wal-Mart, it's a no-brainer. The money I save can go to hooks, or more worms, or sinkers, or a spinnerbait.
Or perhaps, to a treat for my son. The options are limitless.
Anyhow, back to lures. I've continued to have success on my white, triple-blade Strike King buzzbait. Chartreuse and white/chartreuse spinnerbaits have worked well. Where I'm fishing, the crankbaits are slow, but mostly because of the weeds and snags.
The fish are finicky right now. Some days, slow, slow, slow, finessing with jigs and Texas rigs. The next day, the bass want something active. Some days they want neither and aggravating them seems to be the only option.
All I know is I'm ready for the a change in the weather. I'm betting that'll do the trick.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Snuggling up to Mother Nature
Got out on the lake about 5:50 a.m. Wednesday morning. According to my Durango, the temperature was a cool 44 degrees on the drive out to the honey hole.
As I load the boat, I watch the fog roll and shift off the top of the water. With the exception of the chill in the air, the conditions are ripe for chasing bass.
Without getting too far off point, still mornings on the lake make for easier days for me — for now, I row. Soon I will motor to my spots, but for now, Dear Friends, I row.
I make the decision to row to the farthest point, which just also happens to be on the northwest edge of the lake. The trees that surround this little bay-like hideaway provide ample shade on a clear, sunny day, but Wednesday morning, the bay is cold.
Even as the fog on the rest of the lake gives way to sunlight, this bay still rolls that dreamy white.
I settle into the eastern curve of the north end of the bay. The timber and overhang is thick, and a new-this-year beaver dam along the way has my attention. But I ignore it for that northern most end of the bay.
I cast with a blue fleck, Texas-rigged worm and manage to pull out a quick, 16-inch bass. This passes the Milt test, so aptly named for a reader who suggested I only count bass 12 inches or longer for my season total.
As I work my Texas rig, getting caught up from time to time on branches and who knows what, I contemplate a change to the buzzbait. This has been my go-to lure, but I figure the water has to be too cold this morning.
Then I hear a sploosh, the kind of noise that whips your head around on a swivel looking for the big splash, the big fish. But, despite my hopes a bass smacked the top of the water, the noise comes from a pair of beavers.
I watch as both go under then reappear, their heads popping to look back at me.
I continue to fish as they head toward the beaver dam.
About 20 minutes later, a deer across the bay on the western shoreline splashes down into the water and runs south along the shoreline. Soon a second deer comes out of the treeline and follows the first deer, except this one stays parallel on land. When the two of them come to the mouth of the bay, each pause, turn and head back the way they came.
Here I am, just a small player in this morning of Mother Nature.
Just as I'm about to give up on this area of the bay and head to the beaver dam, I hear a rustling in the trees in front of me.
I know something big is tramping around in the trees, so I continue to watch deep within the leaves.
More broken branches, more rustling leaves, and then, head high, staring back through the dark shadows of the tree, another deer staring back at me.
I guess sometimes a good morning of fishing isn't always about watch we catch.
As I load the boat, I watch the fog roll and shift off the top of the water. With the exception of the chill in the air, the conditions are ripe for chasing bass.
Without getting too far off point, still mornings on the lake make for easier days for me — for now, I row. Soon I will motor to my spots, but for now, Dear Friends, I row.
I make the decision to row to the farthest point, which just also happens to be on the northwest edge of the lake. The trees that surround this little bay-like hideaway provide ample shade on a clear, sunny day, but Wednesday morning, the bay is cold.
Even as the fog on the rest of the lake gives way to sunlight, this bay still rolls that dreamy white.
I settle into the eastern curve of the north end of the bay. The timber and overhang is thick, and a new-this-year beaver dam along the way has my attention. But I ignore it for that northern most end of the bay.
I cast with a blue fleck, Texas-rigged worm and manage to pull out a quick, 16-inch bass. This passes the Milt test, so aptly named for a reader who suggested I only count bass 12 inches or longer for my season total.
As I work my Texas rig, getting caught up from time to time on branches and who knows what, I contemplate a change to the buzzbait. This has been my go-to lure, but I figure the water has to be too cold this morning.
Then I hear a sploosh, the kind of noise that whips your head around on a swivel looking for the big splash, the big fish. But, despite my hopes a bass smacked the top of the water, the noise comes from a pair of beavers.
I watch as both go under then reappear, their heads popping to look back at me.
I continue to fish as they head toward the beaver dam.
About 20 minutes later, a deer across the bay on the western shoreline splashes down into the water and runs south along the shoreline. Soon a second deer comes out of the treeline and follows the first deer, except this one stays parallel on land. When the two of them come to the mouth of the bay, each pause, turn and head back the way they came.
Here I am, just a small player in this morning of Mother Nature.
Just as I'm about to give up on this area of the bay and head to the beaver dam, I hear a rustling in the trees in front of me.
I know something big is tramping around in the trees, so I continue to watch deep within the leaves.
More broken branches, more rustling leaves, and then, head high, staring back through the dark shadows of the tree, another deer staring back at me.
I guess sometimes a good morning of fishing isn't always about watch we catch.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
McKee, Kramer take Lake Washington
The wind swept in quickly and moved out almost as quickly Tuesday night, providing the right cover for a couple of anglers of the Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourneys series.Stu McKee and Roger Kramer (McKee is at right, Kramer left in pic) teamed up for a first place finish, boating four walleyes for a total weight of 13.03 pounds. McKee and Kramer also took the big-fish prize, bringing in two walleyes over four pounds (4.57 and 4.35).
McKee said the winning presentation was artificial, namely crankbaits. He said his years of experience with hatcheries led him to believe throwing cranks was the right way to go.
"Most of the fish are staying shallow," McKee said. "So that's why I fish 'em that way."
Coming in second was the team of Dan Griep and Bill Holland. Griep and Holland boated one fish during the opening tournament May 26 at Lake Elysian, but they came in with the biggest fish, thus taking
first place.Griep and Holland (Holland at left, Griep at right in pic) boated five fish at Lake Washington Tuesday, but they weren't able to overcome the two big fish by McKee and Kramer, finishing second with a weight of 11.31 pounds.
Like the first place team, Griep and Holland concentrated on artificial baits.
"We kind of watched the water temperatures a little," Griep said. "When the water switches over to 62 degrees, I like to throw something more aggressive."
The team of Troy Bessman and Steve Wolfe finished third with a stringer of 4.67 pounds.
In all, 14 walleye came out of Lake Washington Tuesday, with cranks and artificial presentations proving the best option. The tourney now shifts to Madison Lake June 16.
The following are some pictures from Tuesday's tournament. The first picture is tournament organizer Tim Hobbs weighing in one of the big fish from Kramer and McKee's stringer. The other are just more general pictures. Enjoy.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Watchin' for walleyes
I'm planning on heading out to Lake Washington Tuesday night for the Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourney weigh-in. Should be interesting. I'm hoping the guys have a good night with lots of fish to weigh in.
I was reading Jason Sealock's blog the other day (he's an FLW Outdoor's edtior based in Kentucky), and he writes about an experience with a pro angler where he didn't realize the pro was giving him a helpful hint, and he just blew him off and continued to fish his way.
Basically, Sealock suggests there is always something to learn from other fisherman, which I find to be very true. And learning something new doesn't have to come from a pro fisherman. Nope, it just involves your willingness to learn something different and to ask questions when you see someone do something so different, you think they aren't in their right mind.
Walleye, bass, northern, muskie, it really doesn't matter. Sealock's sentiments transfer over to all types of fishing, because it's about the chase. Happy hunting.
I was reading Jason Sealock's blog the other day (he's an FLW Outdoor's edtior based in Kentucky), and he writes about an experience with a pro angler where he didn't realize the pro was giving him a helpful hint, and he just blew him off and continued to fish his way.
Basically, Sealock suggests there is always something to learn from other fisherman, which I find to be very true. And learning something new doesn't have to come from a pro fisherman. Nope, it just involves your willingness to learn something different and to ask questions when you see someone do something so different, you think they aren't in their right mind.
Walleye, bass, northern, muskie, it really doesn't matter. Sealock's sentiments transfer over to all types of fishing, because it's about the chase. Happy hunting.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Small fish in a big pond
I have to step back every now and then and reassess my take on bass fishing in Minnesota. First and foremost, I'm probably viewed as the equivalent of a traitor in my home state because I don't hunt walleye spring through fall each year, and then onto the icy lakes in the winter.
Nope, that's not for this guy. But I don't find anything wrong with catching a walleye here or there, and I definitely don't have a problem with eating them. Walleye are good eats.
But if I'm not casting, I get pretty bored. I suppose this comes from fishing creeks near my home town of Emmons, Minn., as a child. We fished pike in these narrow creeks, a chain that snaked around the rural country side, giving us kids a chance to hop on our bikes in the summer and pedal out to whichever creek we thought would be holding the northerns.
You learned to be a precision caster on those creeks. If you didn't, you lost your lure. We fished mainly with Dardevles or other spoons, and most summers we did all right fishing in those creeks.
Twice I pulled in eight-pound notherns, which isn't half bad considering these creeks couldn't have been more than 8 or 10 feet deep in their deepest spots.
A lot of what I learned there transferred over to bass fishing. And I still have soft spot for fishing from shore whenever I get out fishing.
But fishing from shore doesn't usually afford you the ability to catch large quantities of bass. And for the third year, I will calculate my bass total, which has grown each year as I've moved away from shore fishing.
The first year, with little boat time, I came in at 77 bass. Now, I'm aware some anglers, especially those in bass-rich lakes or reservoirs in the south and the west, catch hundreds of bass in one outing, to which I can only say, "You stink and I'm jealous."
The chances of that happening in and around the Mankato area are slim, and I can't afford myself the time to make it happen.
Last year, fishing mostly from a boat, my total climbed to 190. My best day came with my brother-in-law, Dave, on Gull Lake in Brainerd, Minn. There we pulled in 39 bass and three pike in a little under two hours.
So the potential for a big day is available. This year, I've tallied only 20 in-season bass, though I did catch 11 out of season. A reader suggested to me that I do as he does and only count those bass over 12 inches.
Well, an unofficial count of the 20 in-season bass at 12 inches or longer would probably be 15. Of the 31 I've caught in 2009, that total would probably fall between 20 and 25.
So the bite hasn't been what I'd like, but the fish have been decent considering I haven't come across any fat females. Good thing the season's just begun.
Nope, that's not for this guy. But I don't find anything wrong with catching a walleye here or there, and I definitely don't have a problem with eating them. Walleye are good eats.
But if I'm not casting, I get pretty bored. I suppose this comes from fishing creeks near my home town of Emmons, Minn., as a child. We fished pike in these narrow creeks, a chain that snaked around the rural country side, giving us kids a chance to hop on our bikes in the summer and pedal out to whichever creek we thought would be holding the northerns.
You learned to be a precision caster on those creeks. If you didn't, you lost your lure. We fished mainly with Dardevles or other spoons, and most summers we did all right fishing in those creeks.
Twice I pulled in eight-pound notherns, which isn't half bad considering these creeks couldn't have been more than 8 or 10 feet deep in their deepest spots.
A lot of what I learned there transferred over to bass fishing. And I still have soft spot for fishing from shore whenever I get out fishing.
But fishing from shore doesn't usually afford you the ability to catch large quantities of bass. And for the third year, I will calculate my bass total, which has grown each year as I've moved away from shore fishing.
The first year, with little boat time, I came in at 77 bass. Now, I'm aware some anglers, especially those in bass-rich lakes or reservoirs in the south and the west, catch hundreds of bass in one outing, to which I can only say, "You stink and I'm jealous."
The chances of that happening in and around the Mankato area are slim, and I can't afford myself the time to make it happen.
Last year, fishing mostly from a boat, my total climbed to 190. My best day came with my brother-in-law, Dave, on Gull Lake in Brainerd, Minn. There we pulled in 39 bass and three pike in a little under two hours.
So the potential for a big day is available. This year, I've tallied only 20 in-season bass, though I did catch 11 out of season. A reader suggested to me that I do as he does and only count those bass over 12 inches.
Well, an unofficial count of the 20 in-season bass at 12 inches or longer would probably be 15. Of the 31 I've caught in 2009, that total would probably fall between 20 and 25.
So the bite hasn't been what I'd like, but the fish have been decent considering I haven't come across any fat females. Good thing the season's just begun.
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