Fishing Star lake

[mad trapper]

My family and myself will be at Star lake June 19-26 I fished star a couple times when I was a kid but that was along time ago. I would appreciate any advice or information on catching fish, mainly Northern. Any suggestions on lures?Is there an area of the lake or depth I should focus on? Is trolling better than casting?I don't know that much about northerns; there aren't many here in Kansas.Thanks.

[GRAND DAD]

If you are going for northers you will get a hole bunch of them just not any big ones unless you get real lucky you can catch them with just about any thing I cought most of mine trolling with a shiner this week end when it wasn't raining

[mad trapper]

Thanks for the reply, that sounds great,my kids are not the most patient fisherman in the world. Were you trolling weed lines close to shore? What artifical lures do you reccomened?

[GRAND DAD]

You can use just about anything and just find weed lines or drop offs

[Smitty]

I agree. Northerns run small there, but they can be downright pesky.. Just find weedlines on the edges of dropoffs and troll your favorite crankbait (easier than giving them live bait).. Shad Raps work great in 6-12' on those edges..

[Thunderstick]

mad trapper, where you staying at that week at Star Lake? That's the same week I'll be staying at the Galaxy. BTW, I'm from the KC area.

This will be my nine consecutive year and probably my 12th overall trip to Star Lake. The northern seem to bite on everything although we seem to catch the largest ones trolling with large minnows or leaches in 15' or so.

We don't go after northerns but we do get into quite a few going after walleyes, crappie, or bluegill. Seems from one year to the next we hit one of those pretty well.

[This message has been edited by Thunderstick (edited 06-06-2004).]

[mad trapper]

We are staying at spruce lodge cabin 5. Iam glad to hear that we should catch some northerns. What is the average size of northerns you catch on star? Iam sure at some point we will fish for walleye and other types of fish, but my main goal is northern. Most of the other species I catch here in Ks. We catch alot of walleye on Marion lake, and every farm pond around here has largemouth,crappie and channel in them.

[Thunderstick]

That's funny! Most folks from these parts don't like the Northern! But then again, we spend at least one night fishing for bullheads in Star....not too many northern folks think that's cool but I used to do it with my grandparents so it's a family tradition.

We usually catch a few in the 3-4lb range but many smaller. When you hook one with an ultra light, it's quite a battle.

Since we don't fish strictly for northerns, I'm afraid I can't help you too much. However, you can catch northern just about anywhere on the lake. I'm not sure where to send you for the bigger ones.

You'll need a map of the lake if you don't already have one. Get that here:
http://thoreau.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/lakemaps/b0231010.pdf

Good Luck!

[Flipnripem]

Fellas, I`ll give you one of the spots that usually produce walleyes for me. If you leave the galaxy and run down the bay. Turn right at the corner and head towards the small island. If you follow the contour in 14 ft. the break will make a boomerang shape. Watch the shoreline and there is a dead tree and a little cabin on the hill. Work the break in and out till you find the fish. There should be other boats fishing there. You should catch everything out there. Stick em. Flip

[mad trapper]

Thanks for the map I am sure it will come in handy. We use to fish for bullheads when I was a kid, It sounds like a good family tradition. I may have to give it a try. Size of the northern sounds pretty good, I usually fish with an ultra light so I am really looking foward to a few battles with those toothy critters.Iam starting to believe folks up north view the Northern the same as most Kansans view the carp. Do you know of any small lakes close by that may produce larger northerns. Oh! by the way I use to be cool, or at least I think I was.

[mad trapper]

Thanks, for the info, Flip I will definetly spend some time in that area.Will I be best off trolling that area? Do you know of any other small lakes that may produce larger Northern?

[Thunderstick]

mad trapper, you actually have it backwards on the northern/carp comparison. MN folks like the walleye better but the northern isn't far behind. I saw a post card up in MN once that had catching bullhead right below getting skunked.

My dad caught a 8 lb northern on Round Lake on Hwy 108 between Rockys and Dent. I'm not saying it's a big northern hot spot....just that the biggest we've caught was there. Sorry but I can't help you with nortern hotspots.

However, I'll let you guys in on another really cool secret! A free product but you'll need highspeed internet to get to it. Yes, it's free....no spam....no adware...no strings attached!

The MN Land Management Information Center (aka LMIC) has color airphotos dated 5/2003 for Ottertail county available for free downloading at http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/naip03mrsid.html

Ottertail is a huge file (441 megs) and unzips to a couple gig. The file is in a MrSID format. You can go to this link http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/mrsid_help.html for some free viewing software including stand alone and browser plug-ins.

If you have access to ArcGIS software, that'll open the file too. (Note: If you don't know what ArcGIS is, you ain't got it!)

I produced a large poster size image of Star Lake and you can clearly see the hogsbacks in the water and the 2nd island referenced in an earlier message.

If you want a copy of the airphotos and have problems downloading the MrSID file, email me at [email protected] and I'll send you a smaller PDF file containing just Star Lake. It'll still probably run a couple meg.

[GRAND DAD]

MAD TRAPPER Just so you know there are some bigger ones in the lake I just haven't seen many off them but my daughter cought the biggest one I have ever seen out of the lake ice fishing last year it was her first Northern she ever cought all be her self she's 10 yr but any way it was about 11lb and It went back so that ones in there some where!!!

[Thunderstick]

hey flipnripem,

Is that boomerang contour you were talking about the one at 40' plus just southwest of the small island?

[FLB]

Thunderstick,
I loaded the SID for Ottertail County, along with installing the viewer software. This is awesome! I can't thank you enough for the post.
FLB

[Thunderstick]

No problem, flb! You can actually get something back from your tax dollars! Yes, it looks sweet but the pixel resolution is so fine it looks good postersized too!

[Flipnripem]

The boomerang shape I was refering to was also named the hogsback in another post. It is north of the small island. If you look for the cabin on the hill and the dead tree north of the island go out to the break and work it in and out or along its edge. Wish I was going to be there. Some of my inlaws will be up there next week. They rent a cabin on the north shore of the north arm. Now that I am thinking obout it my north may not be so north, but If you come out of the bay from galaxy and turn right after the sand bar bouys, on your right. You will cut across the large flat in which I am talking about. Oh! I mostly drag a lindy rig and a crawler or a leech with a red hook. Good luck. Flip

[This message has been edited by Flipnripem (edited 06-09-2004).]

[mad trapper]

Out of town for several days got back tonight wife could not wait to show me maps all I can say is WOW!!! and thanks. I have already emailed it to a friend who goes to Minnesota every year. I know he'll be blown away. Thanks again, Thunderstick if you have any free time swing by spruce lodge and say hey,I'll be at cabin 5. Are YOu leaving friday night? Best of luck and have a safe drive.

[mad trapper]

Grand Dad, I hope you got some pictures, That is an impressive fish. I' just hope my daughters,[8 and 12], catch at least one a piece of any size, it will be a good memory. If you are out and about Star next week stop by cabin 5 at spruce lodge.Thanks for every thing. MAD TRAPPER of Kansas.

[melloyello]

Thunderstruck left this morning by way of some relatives in Minneapolis.

I'm leaving Saturday morning to meet him at Galaxy on Saturday evening. I will pass on your message to him.