I talked with the folks out at The Bobber Shop. I'm aiming to hit up area bait shops this year and provided better fishing reports.
In some cases, this works, in some cases, I might just have to drive out to the landings of local lakes and talk with some anglers.
Anyhow, the guys at The Bobber Shop also make time for me, so here is what they gave me for you, good fishing friends:
Walleye action, overall, is slow. Small walleyes are being taken in 14-20 feet of water on Madison Lake. Lake Hanska is also giving up some walleyes; river action for 'eyes has been slow.
Crappies are still pretty active on Lake Washington, and channel cats are starting to really take off in the Blue Earth river. No northern pike action is really being reported.
Personally, I worked West Jefferson for pike near the German and Jefferson Sportsman fishing pier, and while the pike action was slow, a lot of bass and some pretty big sunfish hit my Flat Rap (this should be good news for bass fishermen looking forward to Saturday's opener). A quick move over to Lake George drummed up a nice swirl on the Flat Rap, and because the water was so clear, I saw a second strike by a pike.
As always, if you have a fishing report you'd like to share, post a comment or e-mail Tanner or myself, and we'll pass it along.
Showing posts with label minnesota river. Show all posts
Showing posts with label minnesota river. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Countdown to opener: Minnesota River near Courtland
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has a public access just south of Courtland off of Highway 24, which connects Highway 14 at Courtland with Highway 68.
Fishing directly on the river in this area is a little more difficult, but a series of beaten-down walking paths on the west end of the parking lot will lead you down to the river.
The better fishing, in my opinion, can be found in the back water on the east end of the parking lot. This narrow stretch of water next to the river has easy access points off to your right as you drive into the parking lot, but a hidden path, wedged between the boat landing and the clean opening to the Minnesota River backwater, provides a chance for anglers to sneak back into relative obscurity and work through excellent underwater cover (timber, rocks, weedlines) as well as overhanging trees.
Here's what you need to know about this backwater. Three years or so ago, winterkill took most of the good fish. I stopped out and talked with a local about it, and he said the variety of fish on the shoreline amazed him. We're talking sunnies, crappies, walleyes, northerns, largemouth bass, carp and bullhead.
Before the winterkill, Tanner and I caught quite a few northerns and bass from that little backwater. And since the winterkill, I've caught one northern, but stopped wasting my gas. But with the recent flooding from this past spring, I'd venture to say that the likelihood some of the fishing population has been naturally restocked is pretty good.
And since there wide, relatively flat opening to the backwater, the area is a good place to take a child river fishing without actually fishing next to the dangerous, spring currents. If you do decide to venture through some of the thick trees to get to a more inaccessible fishing points, be prepared to a) check for ticks, b) check for ticks.
One final thing about this backwater: Spring fishing before the winterkill was pretty decent, but as soon as summer took hold and the water levels dropped, carp and bullhead occupied the shallows while the game fish moved into the deeper waters on the south end (which are accessible, but again you'll have to force your way through tight-knit trees to make it to the water).
In the past, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps drummed up a lot of our catches (I can remember being bit off a half dozen times or so by big fish, too), for both northern and bass, but we also had a lot of luck fishing plastics, which oddly enough, brought in a few small northerns. But will the backwater being turned over from that winterkill, all bets are off on what might attract them now.
It's a jaunt from Mankato, but sometimes a trip to a good fishing hole can be worth it. Good luck.
Fishing directly on the river in this area is a little more difficult, but a series of beaten-down walking paths on the west end of the parking lot will lead you down to the river.
The better fishing, in my opinion, can be found in the back water on the east end of the parking lot. This narrow stretch of water next to the river has easy access points off to your right as you drive into the parking lot, but a hidden path, wedged between the boat landing and the clean opening to the Minnesota River backwater, provides a chance for anglers to sneak back into relative obscurity and work through excellent underwater cover (timber, rocks, weedlines) as well as overhanging trees.
Here's what you need to know about this backwater. Three years or so ago, winterkill took most of the good fish. I stopped out and talked with a local about it, and he said the variety of fish on the shoreline amazed him. We're talking sunnies, crappies, walleyes, northerns, largemouth bass, carp and bullhead.
Before the winterkill, Tanner and I caught quite a few northerns and bass from that little backwater. And since the winterkill, I've caught one northern, but stopped wasting my gas. But with the recent flooding from this past spring, I'd venture to say that the likelihood some of the fishing population has been naturally restocked is pretty good.
And since there wide, relatively flat opening to the backwater, the area is a good place to take a child river fishing without actually fishing next to the dangerous, spring currents. If you do decide to venture through some of the thick trees to get to a more inaccessible fishing points, be prepared to a) check for ticks, b) check for ticks.
One final thing about this backwater: Spring fishing before the winterkill was pretty decent, but as soon as summer took hold and the water levels dropped, carp and bullhead occupied the shallows while the game fish moved into the deeper waters on the south end (which are accessible, but again you'll have to force your way through tight-knit trees to make it to the water).
In the past, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps drummed up a lot of our catches (I can remember being bit off a half dozen times or so by big fish, too), for both northern and bass, but we also had a lot of luck fishing plastics, which oddly enough, brought in a few small northerns. But will the backwater being turned over from that winterkill, all bets are off on what might attract them now.
It's a jaunt from Mankato, but sometimes a trip to a good fishing hole can be worth it. Good luck.
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