Open Water Season

[CraigP83]

High of 70 today and 75 tomorrow. Ice should be off most lakes shortly, Can't wait to get out on a boat. I'll post pics when I do. Unfortunately Bass opener isn't until May 29th! i really wish MN would implement a catch and release only season and have it open before that.

[Groma]

Craig ,

Its always "catch and release"  Just make sure you release it before they catch you !

[CraigP83]

 

I like that one...Of course I could alway go "crappie fishing" with my DT10's and Senkos 

[CraigP83]

Ok here are the 1st pics I have of the year. They were taken on a cell phone so the quality isnt the best. I was out with my buddy fishing for...cough...northern pike...cough cough and these two bass ended up biting.

Interesting note, Groma these 2 fish are from the lake just down the road from you believe it or not.
Me.

And my buddy (I know he's got a dumb look on his face but I'm partly to blame, he wasn't ready for the pic)

[Ron Fogelson]

(I know he's got a dumb look on his face but I'm partly to blame, he wasn't ready for the pic)

I think he was just saying that this Northern surre is funny looking   

[Groma]

They must of snuck those bass into Colby Lake when I wasn't looking.

I new they had dumped a bunch of perch fingerlings in about 7years ago . Luckily the winter freeze didn't kill all of them off. I need a small kayak or something....

[Lipripper]

Nice looking PIKE Craig 

[CraigP83]

Did lots of fishing this weekend. Went out on friday with a friend on his Legend boat and a 250 hanging on the back (Makes me down right jealous to be in such a sweet boat!) We spent a couple hours and managed a few fish on frogs which is always great cause I never seem to do well on topwaters. Then on saturday I went out with my dad on a small lake with little structure. Found most of the fish in the middle deeper (8ft) portion of the lake concentrated to the weeds. I caught the majority of my fish using a sweet beaver T-rigged (1st time catching fish with that bait). We didnt get any large ones but here in one of the "biggest"

Then on Sunday I went out on a differant lake with my dad. fishing was much tougher as the temps dropped 10 degrees. I caught one short bass on a chatterbait and that was it. Memorial Day I got out again, this time with my buddy Adam. It was bluebird skys and I figured fishing would be tough so I decided to use a finesse bait. I tied on a drop shot rig (which Ive never really used before) and managed to catch 3 short bass and one monster sunfish that thought he was a bass. Adam caught 5 bass and one pike using a senko. I probably should have switched to a senko but I was determined to learn and improve at the dropshot rig. He may have out fished me but I think learning a new technique will pay off in the long run. Here my buddys "big fish" of the day.

All in all it was a great weekend. I took at least one fish for a boat ride on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday...How can I complain

[Swede]

Nice job!!!  Thanks for the report.  Need more of them from the land of 10000 lakes. 

Are the water temps into the 70s yet?  Top water bite ought to be turning on soon.  I've fished a small 1/8oz white buzzbait in numerous lakes across MN with some fast and furious action in past years.  Both for bass and pike - need a few handy as the pike will destroy these little baits. 

Reason I bring up this little buzzbait here is that it really shines early in the year when the baitfish are small and bass fry are plentiful.  Surprisingly not every buzzbait manufacturer makes a 1/8oz size.  A simple search on the internet will yield the ones that do.

[CraigP83]

Thanks Swede, Ill have to find one of those...Do you put a trailer hook on it also?

btw. from what I could tell water temps were in the 73 degree range and the lakes I fished appeared to be post spawn.

Edit: I just realized my buddy is wearing two sets of sunglasses, what a doofus. that's 2 bad pics in a row, he must  not be very photogenic

[Swede]

Thanks Swede, Ill have to find one of those...Do you put a trailer hook on it also?

btw. from what I could tell water temps were in the 73 degree range and the lakes I fished appeared to be post spawn.

Edit: I just realized my buddy is wearing two sets of sunglasses, what a doofus. that's 2 bad pics in a row, he must  not be very photogenic

You can use a trailer - but I rarely do.  Good Luck!!

[Ron Fogelson]

Nice job!!!  Thanks for the report.  Need more of them from the land of 10000 lakes. 

I agree as of now Craig is our link back to the home land 

[CraigP83]

I'll share another outing...
Got out again last Saturday, It was an overcast day then it started raining around 1pm  Before the rain however I was having some luck tossing out a sweet beaver (Those baits are really becoming one of my favorites.) Caught fish in about 4-5 fow tossing to individual hardstems. I also caught my first dock fish of the year, here is a picture of it.

After that we went into some midlake weeds and my buddy did well using a senko until the rain drove us off the lake.

I also got out on a metro lake called Gervais, We caught a couple dinky bass but it was cool cause you could spot them swimming in the shallows and you would pitch your plastic infront of them and you could watch them hammer it, Also caught 2 12-13''ers under docks.

[Ron Fogelson]

Thanks again for the report Craig.  THe beavers are great but if you get a chance check out Big Bite Baits, the yo-mama is a great sweat beaver type bait for about 1/2 the price. 

[CraigP83]

Had a tourny in Mankato on saturday, The weather was miserable but there was some big fish caught. I ended up bringing in 4 fish, I just couldnt manage to get my limit. My bag weighed in 13.6lbs and I took 4th place. The winner ended up with a new club record 21.5lb bag. Then on sunday I fished a tourny in faribault. I ended up weighing in one dink and taking last place I did have a 2 pounder break me off about halfway through the day. My wrist was hurting so bad that I didnt even fish the last 3 hours of the tourny.  I was very happy with the my results on Satuday but extremely dissappointed on Sunday. Here is the picture of my fish from Mankato.

[Swede]

 

Very nice bag of fish on Saturday - CONGRATS!!  Are they post spawn?  Are they still shallow as they are here in FL?  I needed a couple like those this past weekend.

[CraigP83]

Yea I caught these fish shallow, actually one of them was in probably 6 inches of water. I skipped a sluggo right up for the back under a little log I seen as soon as the sluggo stopped the water boiled and I set the hook into her. However the lake on saturday only had a maximum depth of 9ft, The tourny was one cranking the oustide weed edge though

[CraigP83]

Been a little while since I posted a report, just been busy working on selling my cabin and moving out. But I did manage to get the boat out on saturday. I went across the border to the land of cheese heads so fish a lake that eventually empties into the St. Croix river. Fishing was tough but we did manage 5 fish in about 4 hours. The two biggest were 15-16 inch largies that I caught on a 1/2oz spinnerbait and a DT10 rapala respectively, both fish were in somewhat deeper water. we also caught 3 little smallmouths on tubes and the DT10 (impaled the little guy). Almost capsized the boat due to an inconciderate pleasure boater, made my buddy fall over and break my shimano cumara, but justice was served someone called the cops on them and seen them getting the 5th degree at the launch. fun day in all

[CraigP83]

Ok, I see you guys must like pictures better. 

Got out Wednesday 7-21-10 after work and decided to take my boat out on pool 2 of the mighty mississippi. I was definately a little apprehensive as I only have a 14' john boat with a shallow hull and I've never been out on the river before. We launched fine and I made sure it was not windy so that matters would not be complicated. Ive never fished a river before, so trying to figure out what to do was definately a trip. I was like a lost puppy out on that river but I kept throwing what ever was in my tackle bag. I threw DT10's, Spinnerbaits, Jigs, Poppers, Zara Spooks, and chatter baits without much luck. On the way back there was a nice shoreline with lots of laydowns that we decided to work. My Sister got the first fish of the day, it looked like a walleye at first but once I got it in the net it turned out to be a channel catfish (her 1st one ever), It bit on a white chatterbait with a half of a fluke as a trailer.


A couple casts later I get this guy to bite, not big but a smallmouth none the less. This little guy bit on a spinnerbait.

All in all it was a fun day and I'm glad to know that my boat handled the river without a problem.

[Ron Fogelson]

Ok, I see you guys must like pictures better. 

Who us?             Of course we like photos 

[wvbassangler]

Who us?             Of course we like photos 

[CraigP83]

Got out on a metro lake called big carnelian the past two days. Really cool lake with lots of vegetation and super clear water. Me and my buddy were out this morning and probably caught about 10 fish. they were all very small largest being 14 inches.....but it was the FATTEST 14 inch fish I have ever seen, what do you guys think, did it swallow a softball?

[Swede]

Holy Cow!!  Limit of those would go 15lbs - nice!!   What kind of stuff were you using today regards baits??

[Lipripper]

dang that is one fat 14" Bass   

[wvbassangler]

great looking fat bass