Help out a noobie catch his first Walleye.

[Angelshare1]

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a good place to fish for Walleye from the shore in the twin cities. You don't have to give me your secret spots, just some decent ones. I've fished for carp a few times and that's about all the experience I have.

I'm a backpacker and I'm planning a trip up to the BWCA for some serious hiking and I would like to drop a line in for some dinner when I get tired of trail mix. I'd like to practice my angling skills before I head up though. Also I need to practice filleting.

I plan on eating my twin cities catch so no lakes near hog farms, nuclear facilities or south minneapolis.

I have a cheap zebco telescopic rod (don't laugh, it fits in the backpack nicely) and I was planning on using a Rapala jointed shad rap #4. If that's the wrong lure to use, let me know.

I just got back from Green Lake and drove up there realizing that the whole lake is surrounded by private property with the exception of a little skinny strip of land for a boat launch. I guess the maps don't tell you that part.

So if anyone could help me it would be greatly appreciated!

[Guest]

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I plan on eating my twin cities catch so no lakes near hog farms, nuclear facilities or south minneapolis.

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Have you even bothered to read the fish consuption advisories? Odds are, the lakes you will be hiking on in northern Minnesota have worse water quality than the lakes within the city.

Those lakes in south Minneapolis are the best lakes around for shore fishing, and are very accessable. There are some walleyes being caught.

[Angelshare1]

Wow, I didn't know that! I did plan on checking the advisories for up north just to be safe though. I didn't expect them to be negative though.

Why are they so dirty? Too much camping?

[archer59]

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Wow, I didn't know that! I did plan on checking the advisories for up north just to be safe though. I didn't expect them to be negative though.

Why are they so dirty? Too much camping?

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Part of the problem is all the new places going up on the northern lakes. Some folks are worried about the way their lawn looks and fertilize, or that they have weeds in front of their place. Everything that touches the soil will eventually end up in the lake. ( depending on the terain ) Even the legal chemicals for killing weeds ( with a permit ) are ok with the "parts per million" ratings. Can you tell what I think about all this.

Nick

[Slyster]

Even Quetico and BWCA fish is really contaminated.. it comes from the rain.. the atmosphere contains the heavy metals and other industrial crap and the rain carries it down and the fish concentrate it up the food chain.

[fisherman-andy]

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Even Quetico and BWCA fish is really contaminated.. it comes from the rain.. the atmosphere contains the heavy metals and other industrial crap and the rain carries it down and the fish concentrate it up the food chain.

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That's not really true. I was up in the BWCA earlier in the year and the water is still fresh and good enough to drink. In fact most campers out on the BWCA drink the fresh lake water.

If your looking Metro walleyes then I say the Croix is your best bet.

[Guest]

fisherman andy.. its very true what slyster stated. There is lots of junk falling from the sky in northern minnesota, and quite a bit of heavy metals that were already there from logging/etc in years past.

I am in no way an expert on the northern waterways, but I do know some of the watersheds are much more polluted than others. If your drinking water strait from any lake.. your taking your own risk. Use a purifier, or boil it at the least to get rid of bacteria. Just because water is clear sure doesnt mean its clean.

Go to the DNR site and use the fish consumption advisories on any body of water you intend to eat fish from. Most lakes have lake specific advisories. If there arent specific advisories, there are general advisories.

[fish4ed]

Hard to beat Calhoun and Harriet, in my opinion. There's also a decent stretch of shoreline on the St. Croix near Bluffs Regional Park; farther downstream near Prescott there's a fishing pier that gets a lot of use, for good reason.

It seems almost un-American to limit yourself to just "...a jointed shad rap #4...". Even packing light I somehow manage to jam enough baits into a box that nothing in there gets lonely. I'd suggest adding 1/8 and 1/16 oz jigheads and some 3 inch Powergrubs, at the very least. Fish low-light periods (to increase your odds AND cut down on competition).

[caddie05]

I'm not sure where the best place to catch walleye is in the cities, but I've done plenty of fishing for them up north. Let me know if you have any luck down here...

As for the BWCA water topic...I just got back from a trip up there a couple weeks ago (one of the last groups out before the fire consumed our entire path). We drink the water straight from the lake and don't have any issues. Just make sure you're out away from shore (50-100') in fairly deep, still water (25' or more). Dip your bottle just below the surface. All the stuff that you don't want to drink is heavier and will suspend below the surface. If you take water from the top layers, you should be fine...

[Pikester]

I just did a research paper about water pollution for school. Turns out that a lot of lakes up north do contain a high amount of pollution. And the big reason...taconite plants. Since they dont have the heavy pollution regulations against them like Xcel and other smokestack plants, they are a heavy contributor to pollution in the lakes.

[fisherman-andy]

I was under the impression that the DNR and Water control management on the BWCA did frequent water acid levels testing and it was clean & clear enough to drink. I have drinked the lake waters everytime i've gone up there on a camping & fishing trip since 1988. If the water was so bad you think our camping guide would've said to pack jugs of water along with us on trips.

Im not sure what bodies of water on the BWCA you guys think are polluted but where I go there's not a city or some sort of industrial plantation close around for like probably 30 to 50 miles.

[caddie05]

I agree with you. They don't even allow motors on the lakes I'm talking about. I think the area is pretty far removed from any taconite plants or whatever might pollute them. I'm not saying that there couldn't be some things that make their way into the water. However, you're not going to catch me dipping a cup in Calhoun and taking a swig, but I'll drink the water in the BWCA. I find it very hard to believe city lakes are anywhere near as clean...

[Guest]

I know a ouple places where the water is dumped into te river here from the water treatment plant.. it looks real clean.. doesnt mean I am going to drink it The water in my toilet looks clean too.. I dont carehow well it was cleaned out, I am not drinking from that either.

I am not saying for anyone to take my word for anything, rather than debate it here, do a little research on the water quality/fish consuption advisories out there. The advisories are on the DNR website, and I believe they are right in the regulations.

Yes, in cmparison, some lakes are *cleaner* than the city lakes, at the same time, some lakes are much worse. It seems too many people are assuming water isnt polluted because it looks clear. There is a lot more to do with the creation of pollution than boats allowed on a lake.

Drink up guys! Your going to anyway! Dont cry to me when bacteria gives you a nice intestinal flu, or your child comes out with brain damage from mercury based birth defects in the womb.

Water purifiers(fit in your pocket) are cheap and a good way not to risk getting sick.

[ctuma]

I have gone to the BWCA for the past 15 years and there is nothing wrong with drinking the water up there. Make sure you bring a water filter with.

As for the walleyes up there look for any lake that has rivers coming into them and fish the deep holes in the current. I like using 1/4 jig head with 3inch Berkley Power Tails or Mister Twister tails. Just cast up stream where the river is dumping into the lake and let your lure flow down with the current. You will know when a fish hits. The eyes will stack up on the downside of the river in the fall. I found that in the fall up there this is where the best walleye action will be.

[ctuma]

Also don't clean your fish next to your campsite or you might have some visitors in the middle of the night (unwanted animals). Your canoe paddle works good as a cutting board if you didn't already know that (one less thing to hall with you).

[croixeyes]

Man!!!!What a twist this thread took.Angelshare1,im not sure on shore fishing for eyes in the twn cities area but the St Croix has some descent shorelines to cast for eyes.This time of year you might find a few in the early morning hours.There is alot of riprap shore to cast on the south side of the 94 bridge,Hudson side.You can fish it legally with a minnesota license.Also the sconny side of the Stillwater bridge has riprap though not as long a stretch.

With the south winds we get this time of year the baitfish get piled up on that 94 bridge shoreline.Good luck..ps..nice smallmouth bass along there too..