9-11-12- report???

[smallie_hawgin]

Well, fishin up between St. Cloud and Sartell was not stellar, but I managed a 20.5 incher!!!! Sorry eyeguy!

And the folks I took with managed a musky.

So all in all not too bad. Definitely slower than before the water rise. We were out for 5 hours and managed 17 smallies on assorted baits and presentations. Average size for me was pretty good, although, we did end up with a couple of smaller fish as well. Either way still a better way to spend a few hours. Gosh I love the river!!!

[HawgTide]

Nice Hawg, SH.

We had a good day also, with 32 total. Being the nice guide and host that I am , I let BLB catch the Biggest (& the Most).

[This message has been edited by HawgTide (edited 09-12-2004).]

[Royce Aardahl]

Congrats Eric! Dandy !! Got out yesturday for about an hour and got half a dozen with one at 18. Helped fonz with a tree stand today. Looks like you guys had some fun. Not sure when I will get out again. Busy week and the archery opener is on the 18th.

[smallie_hawgin]

Guess I got to learn how to hold my fish so they actually look as big as they are??? I see BLB has it down now . HT, funny when you guide on the river how the guy in the back basically gets to "front end the guy running the troller...... Ah I see why BLB doesn't want to buy himself a jet ....Doh!!! Just teasin' BLB. Heck I beat you by .75 inch and my fish doesn't look nearly as nice. It only weighed 3 lb 14 oz on the digtial boga grip, I imagine it was on the later end of life..... just my guess. Either way all nice fish.

[Kevin Turner]

Lookin' good! Somebody needs to order a boat, so I HAVE to make a "business" trip North.

[sakman]

River Rat,

I leave here at around 5:00, so I didn't see your note until this morning. Sorry. We'll have to try again, but with hunting and hockey season approaching (my son is in the ER program) fishing ends up dropping on my list of things to do on weekends.

Things didn't go as I had hoped, so I didn't get out until after 4:00 Saturday. We fished for about 90 min and caught fourteen with the biggest 17.5, plus a couple of eater walleyes (yum). Lots of little ones on this outing.

Someone went tooling past in a River Pro. Who was that?

[HawgTide]

My digital scale was dead, but BLB's was easily 4.5lbs. He caught a 19.5 inch a few weeks ago and it went 4.2lbs and this one was a lot bigger. It may have been closer to 4.75 or 5lbs. I'm going to have to start going head first down river.

[Mark Christianson]

Crud, you guys are gettin smarter.
There are a lot of key elements to being the passenger in a river boat. Here are a few:
1. You get the "fresh" water
2. You don't have to make insurance claims on your rig every year
3. The cooler in HT's boat is right next to my feet in the back
4. You can look forward to hitting rocks as the passenger.(Kinda a thrill like a roller coaster ride when you run boulder fields) Being the owner and hitting rocks sucks.

These are just a few of the benefits.
KT,
I tried again yesterday to talk the wife into a RiverPro. She just doesn't think I should get a new boat, and still keep the other one. Whats her problem?
She also said a LoPro isn't much of a family boat with 2 small kids. I just don't understand her sometimes.

HT, I don't think my 19 3/4 was pushing 5 lbs. That would be a beast. Low 4's seemed about right. Thanks for the guide trip again. One of these days, I'll show you how to catch fish...

[This message has been edited by biglakeba$$ (edited 09-13-2004).]

[This message has been edited by biglakeba$$ (edited 09-13-2004).]

[HawgTide]

if that wasn't a beast, then I don't know what a beast is. It sure looked a lot bigger than your 19.5".

[BigMike]

Well Ebass and I launched with HT & BLB but HT's jet blew past us never to be seen again. EB and I had a decent outing. A little rough in the late morning. EB had a couple nicer fish with lots of little guys and I managed one decent 16''. Then nothing but small fish for the rest of the morning as we floated down. Then about a hour before we loaded up, things got cookin' and we landed a handful in the 15-16 inch range. We even had a double on 18.5'' & 16.5''. That last hour saved the trip.

EB with a 18.5incher

EB with another 16.5'' football

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Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

[This message has been edited by BigMike (edited 09-13-2004).]

[Mark Christianson]

HT
It just looked bigger, because you keep catching all those yearling bass.
Anything looks like a beast next to an oversized minnow..... lol

Man I love the river.

[EBass]

A rough AM indeed and BM can post in detail if he wants - How's that salt BM? Oh well, now you know. Well maybe .. any ways, yes it was a fun time with swift current. Rocks are my friends, right? We couldn't ask for better weather.

Where's your pic BM?

BM caught several nice fish back to back to back. We also got a lot of pocket bass and the trolling motor battery got rather weak towards the end, but that's to be expected. We scared several nice fish in the shallows to. We also saw two bald eagles and a weasel which was weird, but there it was.

[tinman122]

also got out Saturday afternoon, had the opportunity of watching BM and EB pulling them out on the other side of the river. not much happening initially with the fly but then did improve my personal best with a 17.5 and enough 12-15's to keep my interest. also landed my first walleye on a fly.

[BigMike]

Congrats Tinman on a personal fly rod best... that is a nicer fish than I caught this weekend, although it was fun catching a bunch of 16’s back to back to back... That spot really produced for us and saved the day (but only you and EB know the spot we are talking about ).

EB – sorry about that. Here is my pic...

I nailed a handful of fish just like this on several consecutive casts.

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Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

[Royce Aardahl]

Only outlaws post pics of 16 inchers

[BigMike]

I think I might have to edit your post eyeguy. J/K!

Why do you think I didn't post to begin with... EB made me do it. Although that fish is the same size range for all the fish I went back to back to back on... It made for a real fun hour!

I think your new found smallie magnet title is going to your head. LOL. I've been hearing of some challenges coming from BLB lately, he wants a rematch. Make him wait 'til next year LOL.

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Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

[Royce Aardahl]

I think BLB could handle it better if my handle was bronzeback kid or smallyaholic or something like that. That eyeguy thing really gets him. BM we know you had a big trap in that spot and didn't feed the 3 fish that were in it for a week so you could catch them over and over again and again. heehee.

[Mark Christianson]

REMATCH!!!!!

In the Sartell area baby.

[EBass]

Put me in Coach, I want to play

[HawgTide]

This Saturday is a good day. The river will be up.

[Royce Aardahl]

Deer opener Saturday. I have an outing to go to so can't hunt till Sunday. I have an idea for the smally magnet, see what you think. I think it should be a traveling trophy. I have it now but I would be willing to give it up to the next 20 incher or better caught after our get together. That means I'd hand the title over to smallie-hawgin. He keeps the title till the next 20 incher is measured. So on and so forth. Or it could start right now and I will keep the tittle till the next 20 is caught or the next get together with 18 being the minimum size to take away the title during a mini tourney. If the tittle holder can't make the get together the 18 incher would take it. What you guys think.??

[BigMike]

I'm in for Saturday - I just need a lift in a boat. I've already got it ok'd to be fishing from sunup until early afternoon (back in Metro by 2 or 3ish)... if no boat, I'll be wading somewhere up there. I've already got data sheets made up

With the river being up, navigation is better, and fishing tougher. A real smallie magnet will adapt and overcome.

EB - are you going to show up this time... you ditched us last time for Tonka. River rule 5.2.24 clearly states that anyone who missed a previous smallie event starts with a -2inches, -4inches if he was fishing somewhere else that day.

Eyeguy - I like that idea. What does everyone think of starting that now (Eye you keep it until next 20+")? In between gatherings/events, the next person to have a verified & measured 20+incher gets the title (must have picture to verify size & take title in between gatherings). You then have to top that size to take title between events. Then at the next official gathering it is up for grabs to the one who catches the biggest smallie in order to keep it fresh & attainable (otherwise we'll have someone catch a 21+ and no one will be able to catch him for a long while).

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Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

[This message has been edited by BigMike (edited 09-15-2004).]

[Mark Christianson]

I vote for 19 3/4".

I am 100% for sure out this weekend, and the next 3 for sure.....

Gun/bow time.

[EBass]

Rule 5.2.24 sucks But I do like the traveling trophy idea. Smallie_Hawgin has it now, even though BLB's bass looks bigger. Also, this is only for River Smallies. Millelacs doesn't count. Cool fellow river weasels?

All you hunters start hunting. There's a 12 point buck waiting for you And it also means more bass for us fishermen!

HT I may see you up there Sat AM. (Key word may) But you'll be going 40MPH past me - D'OH!

[BigMike]

BLB - see the thumbs down in my tag line. That's for your 19.75''.

EB - good clarification, river smallies only. Mille Lacs would crush us, I remember reading somewhere that river smallies take twice as long to reach 20+ inches as lake smallies. A kid in my youth group took a charter on Mille Lacs with his grandpa and caught a verified 23incher! He has pictures, when he showed me I started drooling! It looked like something you see on a magazine. He gave the fish to the lodge/charter to have mounted for their lodge. They grow big in the pond.

Ok, back to the river... so smallie hawgin has the smallie magnet title now with 20.5''. Enjoy it while you have it smallie hawgin, I'll be taking that off your hands this Saturday . HT are you going to have an opening per BLB being out?

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Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

[Royce Aardahl]

OK then I hand it over to smallie-hawgin effective last Saturday with that dandy 20.5 incher. I think the next fish to take it just has to be 20 or better, not bigger than 20.5. That's my story and I'm stickin to it. We don't want somebody to have braggin rights so long that the old nogin swells up and explodes ya know! Good luck this weekend!

[Mark Christianson]

BM
I come here for love and support. Gee. I support you, and help you, and look what I get in return.

Question for everyone:
How many have gotten a 20 inch bass this year?
That size might be high. At this point, SH would be the only guy to have the prestige all summer I think.
If the size were smaller, the prestige could have a chance to float around. (Mainly to me, cuz I can't catch 20 inchers )

[This message has been edited by biglakeba$$ (edited 09-15-2004).]

[BigMike]

Congrats to Smallie Hawgin... hopefully he won't hawg the smallie magnet title .

I think the 20inch mark is good mark for in between events/gatherings. I was the smallie magnet for 1 year before it changed... you want to have the title keep it's prestige. Although at each event we have (probably 1 or 2) next year we'll name a new smallie magnet at each event (even if the biggest smallie is less than 20). However, in between gatherings you can only take the title of smallie magnet by topping the mark set at the gathering (or current s.magnet) with a 20+" (or bigger than current) smallie.

FM is awesome - friendly competition to keep things fun!

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Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

[This message has been edited by BigMike (edited 09-15-2004).]

[EBass]

I had a 20" er The pic of the 18.5 is my biggest this year.

[Royce Aardahl]

BM we agree I'll be after it again soon. I got a good feeling about this fall. Hey Eric did you get the variety pak I dropped off? You are in deep dodo if you get another 20 on the green ones!