Few thoughts about my first year with a boat..

[Kylersk]

First off, I definatly do not get out and fish as much as I do in the winter.

When I first got my boat, early spring, I went out a fair amount. But once the water warmed up, and the pleasure boaters were out, I've only been to a metro lake to fish 2 or 3 times.

One reason is, I hate the thought of having to park a mile or more away from the landing. I also hate busy landings. I've gotten far better and landing my boat, but when people are waiting, I do not like the extra pressure.

Another is I have not luck fishing for Walleyes, and I do not believe panfish taste good when the water temp is high. I could be wrong, but that's always been my impression. I'm also not real big into fishing for fish you cannot, or do not want to eat. I enjoy fishing alot, but I think I may enjoy bringing home dinner even more.

I did however take a couple of trips up north to fish, which is about as many as I did this past winter. I also brought the kids tubing 3 or 4 times. But for the past month or so, my boat has been a fixture in my drive way.

I hope once fall starts to roll around, the lakes will mellow out, and I'll get back out on the water.

My thoughts may be a bit rambled, but there they are.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Very interesting!!!

[DTro]

Quote:

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First off, I definatly do not get out and fish as much as I do in the winter.

When I first got my boat, early spring, I went out a fair amount. But once the water warmed up, and the pleasure boaters were out, I've only been to a metro lake to fish 2 or 3 times.

One reason is, I hate the thought of having to park a mile or more away from the landing. I also hate busy landings. I've gotten far better and landing my boat, but when people are waiting, I do not like the extra pressure.

Another is I have not luck fishing for Walleyes, and I do not believe panfish taste good when the water temp is high. I could be wrong, but that's always been my impression. I'm also not real big into fishing for fish you cannot, or do not want to eat. I enjoy fishing alot, but I think I may enjoy bringing home dinner even more.

I did however take a couple of trips up north to fish, which is about as many as I did this past winter. I also brought the kids tubing 3 or 4 times. But for the past month or so, my boat has been a fixture in my drive way.

I hope once fall starts to roll around, the lakes will mellow out, and I'll get back out on the water.

My thoughts may be a bit rambled, but there they are.

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That's why I quit fishing lakes and during the day altogether

[Sonicrunch]

Quote:

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Another is I have not luck fishing for Walleyes, and I do not believe panfish taste good when the water temp is high. I could be wrong, but that's always been my impression. I'm also not real big into fishing for fish you cannot, or do not want to eat.

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A big +1 here

[bgreen82]

this is my first year with my boat, and a lot of the stuff you said rings true for me too.

[Dan Thiem]

It's the same with me. Although I have no trouble at the ramp it's the long lines and the parking that can really be a let down. Let alone the busted tail light on the trailer when ya get back.

The winter is way better I think. Just my opinions.

[Queenswake]

It's hard to fish around the metro area these days for the reasons you've mentioned. Between the hassles at the ramp, traffic getting to the ramp, pleasure boat traffic once you are out there, and the prospects of catching decent fish slim, it's hardly worth it sometimes. The huge numbers of pleasure boats is something that the previous generation did not have to deal with.

I don't know what the answer is, but something needs to be done to increase the quality of fishing and the quantity and size of fish in the metro area. At the least, designate a few lakes pleasure boat-free. Restrict them to under 10 HP for all I care. Just something to create good fishing lakes close to the Cities again.

[BoxMN]

Actually, just about every single lake in the metro is what you describe... if you just get there early. No kidding. We usually plan to hit the lake at sun-up or just before, or when serious an hour or two before, then leave by about 8 or 9 am. The whole time is beautiful, not many people, most at that time of morning are very pleasant. And it has been like that for many, many years.

Once 9 am rolls around, it is just not as fun. And if you are pulling out at that time it is perfect, cause the pleasure boaters and anglers who are not as serious about fishing come out about 9-11 in our experience.

Anyway, try getting up a bit earlier... errrrr.... nooooo, you are right, the fishing in the metro is horrible (tongue firmly in cheek, and there are some big fish in metro lakes, on morning and three 27" and three 22" walleyes later, and all before 9 am helped me keep the faith!)

Anyway, you know what they say about the early worm

[Sandmannd]

I agree with Box, this is my second year with a boat. I try to hit it early and get off the water by 10 and it's been good so far.

[PerchJerker]

There's two things in particular I do when fishing busy metro lakes.

One is to go early (or late), like has been mentioned by some other guys. Several times I'll be one of the first 1-3 vehicles at the ramp, almost always am in the first 10 vehicles. Hit the water until 10 or 11 am, then quit for the day and go spend time with my family. Or hit the lake in the evening, for the last few hours of daylight and maybe an hour or two of darkness.

The other thing I do is an attitude adjustment. Expect to be around a lot of pleasure boats and other fisherman. Expect there to be crowds. Think of it as Mille Lacs on the Opener. Just relax and enjoy yourself, be friendly with the other boaters (plenty of them are friendly) and don't let the crowds annoy you. There's a lot of worse things you could be doing with your time.

[Slyster]

Or go back to school to become a teacher. Lakes are dead on weekdays until late afternoon.... even evenings are slow on weekdays for recreational traffic!

[Whopper Stopper]

We try to go early as suggested and for getting out on the lake there is never a problem. When we decide we have been crowded enough and head back in then there is almost always a problem. We have been playing the access game for a few years now, I still cannot believe how inconsiderate people can be. I thought it was just the pleasure boaters and even though crowded I thought the bigger lakes like Mille Laces would at least have a better quality boater. Wrong!. We have been checked at the access a few times this year for creel check, Weed school, and greeted by the CO's themselves for license, equipment and fish counts. This is all good and I have no problem with it. However just like a busy intersection in certain parts of the metro I would love to see a ramp moderator for the first month of fishing season. I know it will never happen (Not in the budget) but I would love to see some of these impolite, inconsiderate, half boozed up (Contact Us Please) get Policed from the time they arrived at the ramp until they are parked (between the lines). Especially if they found the right ex-marine drill sergeant type! Can you imagine some one telling them to get in line! Get your boat prepared! pull up to the ramp! Back it in! You need help? Come on lets get it off the trailer and get your vehicle parked! Come on ! Come on! Lets hustle. People are waiting! Or when they are ready to leave........pull up to the dock and one of you get out and get your vehicle! You , wait at the dock if you are not in anyone's way other wises make some room for your fellow boater. Come on you are next big Ford lets get it backed down here! You with the boat get over here and load it up. What's the problem here? You are backed in to far pull up a little, or, come on back in further your rope isn't that long! Let's start cranking people, times a wasting! OK pull it out of here and strap it down up there out of the way of everyone! Move it!, Move it!, Move it! You people did a good job but there are some things you need to work on! Here they are.....................

Anyway you get the idea. Man that made me feel better right there!

WS

[solbes]

I remember some of the same frustrations about metro lakes during my first couple of years after getting a boat. I liked to fish Independence and the launch site could be a little crazy. It could be a little unnerving when there are 10 boats in line to drop in and people have very little patience.

Also everyone has their own preference on why they like to fish. I started out keeping a lot of fish that I caught. I'm catch and release 98% of the time now and just enjoy the tug on the line, plus the peace and quiet of getting out. I'll still keep the odd walleye, or northern if we have guests.

But I really enjoy fishing in northern MN more. There are only 3 weekends a year where I might have to wait at the boat launch, and often I'm the only one out on early Saturday mornings. My suggestion to the original poster is to find a quieter fishing lake around the metro, even if it means driving 30-60 minutes.

[BigWadeS]

It has?

[federline]

This issue depends on outlook, location, and timing - going fishing looking to get fish makes the trip in and out a hassle. Going fishing to go fishing makes any hassle quickly disappear.

If I wait in line at the ramp, if I have to park a little farther away, if the fishing is slow, if the wind and rain is a bit much... it isn't much of a detractor for me by the time I'm driving home from the strap-down area at the landing, I've been recharged by then.

I do make an effort, tho, to pick smaller sleeper lakes with smaller landings and parking areas and/or I time my put-in and take-out outside of peak times. Best times to fish lakes w/ lots of recreational traffic is sunrise to 10AM while family units are still complaining about the outside air temp or getting out of bed. I also like to put in at dinnertime (people eating) and take-out after civil twilight - so many people want to use daylight to land, I have the ramp to myself in the dark.

[SledNeck]

Lake Vermilion is kinda busy, but its never been a problem with me.

[Dave B]

Sometimes I need to wait 3-5 minutes for the ramp to clear, but I usually have it to myself. The walk is up to 100-150' at times. During the week, I might see 3-5 boats. I would love to catch 20 or so eyes per night plus a bunch of other stuff, but too bad there are no fish in Pool 2.

[Shack]

Whopper stopper,

If Boat launchs were like that, I think no one would use them. The drill sargent would become the a-hole and it seems alot like the a-hole's them selves. Ah well, you were just venting.

[archer59]

I have more fun fishing in the fall than any other time. It's cooler, changing leaves are beautiful, lakes and rivers are less crowded, and I might catch a fish or two. For me it's all about being there ... but I mainly muskie fish. I agree with the early and late suggestions. I fish Minnetonka once in a while, and it's best to get off before 10:00 am. After that everything but the Queen Mary is out there.

Good Luck,

Nick

[DinkADunk]

Well, I find it hard to raise up my troops early in the morning so I go a bit later. I do find that around 2pm isn't a bad time to launch on Minnetonka. A lot of the lunch time traffic has settled down and it's fairly quiet until 4pm when folk's are getting off. I tend to find docks to whack at and play with the Bass and Pike for awhile before heading out to the Muskie and Walleye grounds. A bit of Muskie hunting in the late afternoon and then trolling for Muskie and Walleye in the early evening. later we just troll or jig for Walleye, but by then there is very little traffic. Around 1am we head in and the landings are pretty clear.

[papabear]

According to the article in the Strib the number of fishing boats is down while the number of pleasure boats is up. Doing my tech school math I believe we are becoming outnumbered. I may be sad but that is reality. We have the advantage though early mornings, late evenings, rain, and cold are great times to fish and avoid the pleasure boaters. I noticed the othr day that as I got out for some evening fishing the tubers were heading off the lake. I got there just before they decided to use the ramp so there was no wating. So I was able to relax and watch my kid get her biggest eye to date on a near empty lake.

PS if you can do it work shift work 12 hour days, you have many midweek opportunities to have the lake nearly to yourself while everyone else is working. Now that is great fishing.

[Fishbreath1]

There are some fish in pool 2, but I grew up there so maybe its not fair

Dude who posted: I love open water, fish rivers all the time, and don't like ice fishing very much (I know, I know, MN folks like ice fishing better as evidenced by the number of people viewing the ice fishing forum). If you don't like the boat and the crowded lakes, hook me up, brotha! I've been looking...