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How many big walleyes are there?!?


Stick in Mud

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Carmike: My daughter wants me to take her fishing this weekend on the Mississippi. She lives in Mora. I need to know where I can buy bait in the St. Cloud area. I thought I would try around the Sartell Dam from shore and I thought I would come to the Master for advice? I am really looking forward to this trip. We have not fished together in years and I want to make it an occaision for both of us. Any advice would be most welcome! Thanks! Tight Lines!

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Stop light bait is just off Hwy. 10 right by Copper Lantern and Taco Bell. Otherwise Tackle Box and More is on Clearwater Road.

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UnkleKes,

The "Master"????? I'm the guy who asked how to catch big walleyes in the first place grin.gif

Stop Light Bait is one choice; many of the gas stations also sell minnows. The entire shoreline from the mouth of the Watab River down to the Sartell Bridge will hold fish. i haven't beeh down there recently, so I can't get any more specific than that.

Again, try the shallow shad raps, twisters, and sassy shads. And the long bodied baits were working again last time i was down there, so the husky jerks and original floaters should be OK. I do know that the artificials have generally been outproducing live bait, but again, that may have changed.

Good luck!!!

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Thanks for the info everyone! My daughter and I snuck away a day early. Fished all day Friday and left around 1:00 Am Saturday. She got a 20 inch Walleye. What a wonderful day. My daughter has had a bad year. First she lost her baby. It died 2 weeks after it was born and then her fiance jilted her. Finally she ran her car out of anti freeze 2 weeks ago and cracked the block. I had a friend put a new engine in it for her.

She is a tough one though and is not crying about it. She is putting her life back together on her won terms and I am very proud of her. This trip was especially important to both of us bercasue we have been estranged for many years.

Anyway, I want to thank everyone for all the advice and stuff. I am always impressed with yopu guys! You always come through for people. Even those you never met! People who fish are the GREATEST in the world! Once agian, Thanks everyone!

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UncleKes,

I am sorry to hear that she's had such a tough time, but it sounds like things will work out. Thanks for the report, and congrats on having such a tough daughter.

Sorry you didn't get more fish. The river has dropped well over a foot over the last few weeks, so the fish have moved out away from shore. I'm glad to hear you got one, but it's a bummer you didn't get more.

Carl

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Carmike: Thanks! Briana Is doing well and I have no doubt she will survive and things will get better for her.

Actually I don't mind that she got the most fish. Sometimes in life you have to lose in order to win. (if you know what I mean?" I may not have gotten many fish but I feel I got something a lot more important! The look of happiness in my daughters eyes.

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I woke up early Saturday and could not go back to sleep so I headed over to Vados Bait Sfor a bucket of Fatheads and then went up to the Coon Rapids Dam 6:00 until around 10:00 AM. The Fatboys were a disappointment but I started to toss a 7 inch jointed Rapala in Perch color and hit on 3 walleyes right away. There was no one out and I was a bit surprized to have the place all to myself. About 9:oo the Smalies moved in and started hitting but I could not get a good hookset. They are still out there and are biting. Fish a floating rap 6 inches or better just under the water so that it skims the rocks.

A friend was fishing the dam below Elk River and got 2 Wallies and in the 19 inch range he said. He also nailed some smallmouth in the 18 to 20 inch range. Maybe the cold weather has turned off the fisherman and they are not getting pressured like they have the rest of the year.

Dress warm. I wore my old Army N3B Parka and a pair of Gore-Tex Overpants over my pants. Wool socks and a pair of HOT FINGERS Gloves. The whole point here is that if you can stand the cold you can still get fish, people!

Carmike. I almost called you to see if you wanted to join me, but I did not know how you would like a call from a perfect stranger at 05:00 AM. Now I wish I had called you! Sorry! I have next Saturday off. If you are around maybe I will give you a call. Let me know!

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Maybe you havent heard anything cause those of us smart enough to still be fishing are also smart enough to not p[ost about it wink.gif

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Riverrat: You might be right, but you know the people in this forum have been kind enough over the short time I have been in the room to share places and techniques and good fellowship with me. They have been unfailing in advice and such. I don;t think I have to be so selfish that I cannot share my good fortune with others in the forum. After all, if the object is simply to monopolize a honey hole the whole purpose of fishing is kind of shallow and selfish in my opinion. Maybe that is why I don't mind sharing things with others. You can always get fish in life. Getting friends is a whole lot more important!

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I haven't heard anyone share a "honey" hole but somethings are just better left unsaid, maybe you like fishing nuts to butts with everyone else and ther brother but I dont go fishing to make friends... or even talk to anyone for that matter, I go to relax and get away from people. Go ahead and share your experience fishing thats what boards like this are for, but theres a certain element out there that can't find a fish to save there lives and are only here to hoard in on posted spots. Fishing pressure in the Metro Area is insane and if you do find a "honey" hole keep it to yourself or it ain't gonna be there next time you go, fish are not a unlimited resource like some people think!

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thanks for the update unclekes ... ive been down there alot recently too and had my best luck with a perch shad rapala , maybe we'll run into each other sometime , im usually bundled up in my twins hoodie

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Brenen: Be nice to meet you! I have 3 days off starting Turkey day. I hope to spend some of it fishing. I will let you know.

As for the other guy. Some people are just plain unsociable! If you are being crowded off the water go some place else and I hope we do not meet! Some of us go fishing for the comrardierie as much as the fish!

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Quote:

I haven't heard anyone share a "honey" hole but somethings are just better left unsaid, maybe you like fishing nuts to butts with everyone else and ther brother but I dont go fishing to make friends... or even talk to anyone for that matter, I go to relax and get away from people. Go ahead and share your experience fishing thats what boards like this are for, but theres a certain element out there that can't find a fish to save there lives and are only here to hoard in on posted spots. Fishing pressure in the Metro Area is insane and if you do find a "honey" hole keep it to yourself or it ain't gonna be there next time you go, fish are not a unlimited resource like some people think!


RR unsociable? shocked.gif He don't even talk to me when I'm in his boat.smirk.gif

But he's as right as it gets on this one. tongue.gif

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RiverMouse: China Town? What century are YOU living in. We have not had a China Town in this country since around the 1950's. As for Tijuana? What does Tijuana have to do with a discussion about fishing? I'm still tryin to figure that one out. The only thing I can come up with is maybe you have been smokin too much wacky tobaccy and need to quit for a bit.

China Town and Tijuana, huh? OK! If you say so!!

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By the way, If I don't see the rest of you out there either on the water or in the forum. I want to wish each of you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving! Take care! Tight Lines!

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Happy ThanksGiving Kes.... and the China Town and Tijuana comments... take a look at any popular shore fishing spot and you'll soon realize what I mean blush.gifgrin.gif

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Hey guys,

I went out this weekend on a few spots around the St Cloud area. I got one fat walleye on a jig and minnow, but other than that, I wasn't able to find any fish. No smallies, no rock bass, no crappies, nuttin. I am glad to hear that many of you are still catching fish, but I couldn't get them on rapalas, sassy shads, twisters, shiners, fatheads, rogues, jigging spoons, or chubby darters. Needless to say, I was pretty bummed out.

If I could weigh in on the debate between UncleKes and RiverRat, I think both of you are right. Some people fish to catch fish; some people fish to socialize; some people fish to save money on dinner. I think the best way to resolve this friendly dispute is to avoid putting "honey hole" information on the post, preferring instead to share information via email or phone with those who are willing to share information themselves.

I have received tons of both general and specific advice from people on this forum; I try to share specific advice only over email or the phone because if I do know of a honey hole, I don't want the years I've spent working to find it to go to waste. I will glady share general advice about large areas, like 'The fish are biting on rapalas around st cloud' or 'troll the middle channel of the river if you want to catch smallies that no one else fishes,' but these are so general that I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna run into someone whose presence in my spot is due solely to my posting on this forum.

Another thing to keep in mind is that "honey hole" is a relative term. Who doesn't know that the Coon Rapids dam is a good place to fish--and if the person doesn't know, they will certainly find out pretty quickly if they want to know where people fish in the area. I guess my point is that these sorts of tips don't seem to be that harmful, that's all.

But RiverRat is right; if you've got a small spot, keep it a secret and share it with those who have earned (I use the word purposely) the right to know about it through their own willingness to share their secrets. This way, those of us willing to share our time, our boats, our lures, and our spots can learn from each other while excluding those parasitical folks whose only interest is in gaining information and not sharing it. I am more than willing to give these folks general advice (The walleyes are biting on the NW corner of Mille Lacs or The largemouth are hitting t-rigged worms on the inside weedline), but I'm pretty sure this general advice is more beneficial than harmful.

Whew. I'm done.

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Well I'll share my honey hole with all of you. It starts by Monticello and ends up by Little Falls. grin.gif

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Good Post CarMike... was what I was trying to get at with less words grin.gif. The funny thing is I say I don't fish to socialize but I am always open to people fishing in my boat confused.gif... I just don't talk much to people outside my boat grin.gif... and according to MSRD I don't talk much to people in my boat grin.gif

But on the "honey" hole thing, I haven't seen anyone post one in awhile on this forum, I try to be pretty vauge with everything people should be able to find there own fish... its the river for cripes sake the fish are always hungry somewhere ya just gotta find what triggers em grin.gif

And BTW Eyeguy I thought only Fonz knew about your honey hole blush.gif

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