Garden,farm, white iron

[ChompChomp_YANK]

I am comming up with my wife & 2 boys june 9-16th we will be staying @ deer ridge resort on garden lk. I will be targeting smallies & eyes looking for some info & what to expect on these lakes, maby some good areas to start. I have herd good & bad from some friends. Last year we did vermillion & cought lots of fish but didn't care for the resort. Thanks to all that apply.

[ChompChomp_YANK]

Anybody ? Just looking to get the most out of our week in gods country thanks

[Trout_Slayer_77]

Send me an email ([email protected]) and I will give you some info.

[Wanderer]

Sorry Chomp Chomp,

I read your post earlier today and saw no feedback. I was going to suggest checking some of the previous posts about that system. I printed one off while the ice was still on and dreaming of opener. At the bottom on the right, click on some page numbers to find past info. I don't have the sheets with me now to tell ya.

Trout Slayer,

I have a neighbor with a cabin on that system that shares your last name. Is Mike your relative?

[Steve Foss]

CCY: Hope you got some good info from trout slayer.

You should also pump the folks who run the resort. They absolutely want you to catch fish and should be able to put you on good spots. If their clients don't catch a few, pretty soon their clients will be few.

[threeball]

I was up there over Memorial day weekend for a family cabin opening. It was my first time on that water. We didn't get to spend much time fishing, but did catch a few when we went out. I don't mean a bunch, but enough to keep your interest.

I saw people trying many different techniques. Jigging or rigging around Silver Rapids was popular, as was the slip bobber technique just about everywhere. It seemes very much like a morning and evening deal. Very pretty.

[NoMiss]

Have a place on White Iron. Here's a Memorial Day weekend report:

Lots of 12" - 18" eyes caught rigging nightcrawlers and leeches. Shallow (8'-15' FOW)during low light and 15'-26' FOW in daylight. Nothing big but the slot restriction sure is producing numbers. Northerns on a tear. No smallies - guess is their protecting beds.

White Iron fishes more like a river than a lake - keep moving. I love slip bobbing but it is not my main choice on this lake - no real good mid-lake structure unlike Saganaga.

For smallies the islands in front of your resort on Garden are very good. Toss Torpedos right up against the rock shorelines. Attend the fishing seminar given by the resort, Sunday night, I believe. Very helpful. Todd will point out some good walleye spots on Garden.

Hope this helps. Throw those big ones back, let the slot work!

[threeball]

Where on Garden is Deer Ridge Resort?

[Trout_Slayer_77]

Yeah, Mike would be my dad. Are you right next to him?

[Jackpine Rob]

Its the first place upstream of the Fernberg bridge.

[threeball]

Thanks for the report on White Iron. Does the water move enough to drift, do you anchor, or is a troller generally the way to go?

[ChompChomp_YANK]

T-SLAYER you should have mail

[NoMiss]

Threeball:

Boat control is always a must no matter where you fish. White Iron and Farm are big bodies of water that catch alot of wind so controlled drifting is a good option. Last weekend I saw many boats anchored either slip bobbng against the steeper shorelines or jigging in current areas. I do all three depending on the wind and fish location.

My comment that the lakes fish somewhat like a river just means the fish hunker down facing the current but outside the current itself in necked down areas like Silver Rapids.

[threeball]

Thanks NoMiss. I have fished the shallow upper Mississippi exclusively the last few years. We use controlled slipping downstream and casting at current breaks at almost all times.

I have now bought a place on Garden and will have to get used to fishing lakes with current. I have figured out somewhat where the current is going in Garden and the north part of Farm. Does the current in White Iron go through a fairly defined area or is it just that much of the lake flows?

BTW, thanks for the reports. I'm anxious to become somewhat proficient so that my fishing buddies don't think I'm crazy when they come to visit.

[Wanderer]

TS_77

Hey Cool, I thought that was you. No, we're not next to him, we're 599. You and I may have met on last year's opener for a couple minutes. I'm one of the users of the deeded access Mike was so thoughtful to allow.

Mike rescued the forgotten case of pop in the trailer when we shut down last Fall And I never did hear if he got a deer last year. He asked about hunting on my lot, which was OK.

I took a look to see if you guys were around for the first week of season again, but didn't notice anyone at the cabin when I went by. How was it?

[Trout_Slayer_77]

Yes, I do remember you meeting you briefly last year.

We were up there on the Opener. I was there until Tuesday and the rest of the family was there all week. We did pretty well on White Iron opening day. Between the 3 of us we kept 15 fish but most of them were around 13 inches with the biggest 19" (which was released of course). On Sunday of opener we went to Basswood and did real well. We were limited out by noon with 15 - 20 inch walleyes. The biggest was only 22.5" (again, this one was released).

Monday was slow with all 11 - 12 inch fish on White Iron, but we did finish the day with a 26.5 incher caught by Silver Rapids.

As for deer hunting, my dad always plans to hunt in Ely and then gets to busy to actually go. We did hunt back home in southern MN and did well, but he never made it out in Ely. I alwasy laugh when he tells me he is going to hunt in Ely, because he never actually gets around to it!!

We will be up there for a week starting June 9, will you be around?

[Wanderer]

Mike's hunting plans! Much like my own fantasies...

This Spring there were some GIANT nuggets left on the main trail through my lot. I'm pretty sure they were moose as I was only a week out from seeing elk stuff and this was bigger.

Sounds like you guys did pretty well to start the season compared to average. Good job!

We have a graduation party at home on the 9th so I won't be going anywhere that weekend. Originally I was hoping to join the FM Veteran's outing on the St. Louis which would have put me closer to Ely for maybe a couple day stop.

Miraculously I don't have ANY plans on the calendar for the 16th/17th or 23rd/24th and was thinking of slipping up there one of those weekends. Are you guys still going to be around on the 16th?

I've got fishin on the brain!

[Trout_Slayer_77]

We will be up there from the 9th till the 17th. Only 5 more days, but whose counting

[Wanderer]

Well, today is under way, so I'll remind you that its two days and counting!

I talked to the Mrs. last night and if all goes well, we'll be up the weekend of the 16th. So, 9 days and counting!

I'll have to reline the trolling rods so I don't break off another nice fish on Farm this time. That is if they are still around the 12 foot mark.

Hopefully we'll see you guys then. Good luck!

[Trout_Slayer_77]

Stop by when you get up there and hopefully we will be able to give you some tips on where the fish are biting. That is assuming we are able to find them, although I am hoping that won't be a problem.

[rodmaker]

Check out the post dated Jan 26. Walleyes & Crappies on Farm. Good Walleye fishing on Farm. Leeches and glow jigs on slip bobbers

[Wanderer]

You bet Nate!

Rodmaker,

I think that was the post I printed and mentioned at the beginning of this - thanks for clarifying.