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With the soft water almost behind us just wanted to get everyone elses take on the year. For us it started off very good on opener and it pretty much stayed that way all year. The summer bite was fairly consistent with only a couple of dry stretches. This fall I think we really started to see the impact of the slot. In years past we would get 10-15 fish over 20 a year. This last trip I think we got 25 over 20 and at least another 20 over 17. The biggest fish of the year was a 25 caught by yours truely in the middle of the summer. I cannot believe this lake seems to be getting better and better.

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The bite for us was pretty consistent all summer after a slow start this spring. Biggest 25.5" caught 6/16. Smaller walleye's started showing up in the fall. The slot is a good thing. Can't wait til next year. Forgot to mention my buddies 31" er caught on opener.

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I had a very good open water season this year. There was a total of 3,997 walleyes boated in my boat this summer.

We usually managed at least 2 slot fish each trip. The most slot fish boated in one outing was 16. Our largest was 28-1/2 inches.

Cliff

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Quote:

There was a total of 3,997 walleyes boated in my boat this summer.


Cliff you better be carefull the DNR might soon be adopting strict legislation for whatever watercraft you might be on board! haha j/k

Way to go! that is a cool stat!

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Best Bass fishing year of my life on Vermilion this year 30-50 a day. Dont know if its just me getting better or the Lake itself. I'll take it either way. Picked up a few big pike for a change, also.

vermil003.jpg

pig6.jpg

PIG1.jpg

vm1.jpg

ve8.jpg

ve2.jpg

and lastly

w1-1.jpg

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Those are some real HOG smallies!

Just like in the "good old days!" smile.gif

Cliff

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3997 walleyes and all those big bass. Guess the muskies didn't eat them all, in fact I'd say they probably ate less than the release mortality on all those fish.

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Quote:

Those are some real HOG smallies!

Just like in the "good old days!"
smile.gif

Cliff


Curious to know how the bass fishing was back in the "good or days". As I come from many generations of walleye only fisherman, so I never had the privilage of going after bass full time until I got my own boat. From what I hear, these ARE the good old days now. In about 1994 or so on opening weekend I caught a 6.5lb smallie on a spinner bait...no camera and I let it go after weighing it...but cant ever remember getting into bass like now.

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You are right as far as there being many more smallies in Vermilion now then there were in the good old days, but I did catch more really big smallies back then. Like you, I also spent all of my time fishing walleyes,still do for that matter, but did catch more 5# to 6# fish by accident back then.

Cliff

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Quote:

3997 walleyes and all those big bass. Guess the muskies didn't eat them all, in fact I'd say they probably ate less than the release mortality on all those fish.


I only had a few walleyes that we released that I think probably did not survive. frown.gif I also had at least 10 walleyes hit by muskies when we were reeling them in that I am pretty sure did not survive after they were ripped off of our hooks. grin.gif

All part of nature and part of fishing.

Cliff

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10 out of 4000 isn't very many like .0025%. How does this compare to other years as far as muskies grabbing walleyes?

Did I tell you I saw a really large shaggy timber wolf coming from your place, crossed between the dam and the Ledge, last week. What have you been feeding that thing? It was a biggun.

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Sledneck, those are some nice smallies! Cliff, wish I could've added a few to your boat count this year, but hopefully next soft water season we can hook up. Or maybe once the hard stuff is solid... cool.gif

Myself, I had a pretty good season for the few times I was able to get up there. Boated plenty of 'Eyes, did some Smallie fishing with better success than I have in the past (That's me getting better with the bass techniques, not the lake, though. I can guarantee that...) Included a couple of 18 & 19'ers in that bunch. Nothing huge, but still nice fish to catch, you know?

No big slimy toothy critters this year, but the smaller tasty ones were more coopereative for me than in the past. I know that in the week I was up in August I boated around 75 or so 'Eyes, one slot fish, none under 13". not bad for that time of year, considering that the weather wasn't cooperating at all that week. Big winds on the big water, but hey, that's fishing.

I look forward to next year, and have a small tear in my eye as I prepare the boat for winter... but I'll see ya on the ice! grin.gif

cool.gif

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Silver Scale,

That number is probably lower then most years. The muskies must have been concentrating on the better then average tulibee hatch that the DNR said we got last year. I think that the walleyes were also following that same hatch much of the summer. They sure were not as predictable as most years! confused.gif

I also saw that wolf! It sure is a big one!

Yesterday the large 14-point buck that has been hanging around my place got hit by a car. Our neighbor saw an out-of-state-car stop and cut off the head and cape and leave the rest laying! mad.gif He got part of the lic. # though so maybe they will be caught!

Cliff

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Could be the number of muskies is down too. Seems like they took a pretty good hit the last two years. Be interesting to see what next year brings. DNR muskie assessment won't happen again until 2010 on the East end so that won't tell us much until then. Bummer on the buck.

Good luck deer hunting.

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Cliff, someone ran over the the big guy? What a shame. I always enjoyed watching him, watch me when I visited your house in the evenings. Good luck this weekend, I have a few more trees to remove at the site. Later Darrell.

ps: Looks like you had another banner year walleye fishing.

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Quote:

Sledneck, those are some nice smallies! Smallie fishing with better success than I have in the past (That's me getting better with the bass techniques, not the lake, though. I can guarantee that...) Included a couple of 18 & 19'ers in that bunch. Nothing huge, but still nice fish to catch, you know?

:

cool.gif


While not by most standards considered a trophy, a 19" smallmouth out of vermilion or anywhere is a VERY quality fish. Vermilion smallies have more weight per inch than most lakes. (due to crayfish most likely) If I catch few fish and I get a 19" or bigger, its a good day on the water.

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Quote:

I thought picking up road kill was now legal in minnesota.


I do not think it is legal to posess any part of a deer unless you have obtained a permit to do so from a DNR agent.

Not positive on that one though.

Cliff

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I ran over a deer last year and was issued a Road Kill tag by the St. Louis Co. Sheriff. I took it over to the processor to have gound up and he asked for the tag. So I think you have to have a tag.

TS

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That is a bummer to watch a deer in your yard and then see it on the side of the road. You need a tag to posess any venison, or at least have the license # from the person who gave it to you. Also they do not let you take the parts of the deer you want and leave the rest on the side of the road. They guy is going to have to mount it himself cuz the taxidermist is going to tell him to get the illegal deer out of his business or he is going to be shut down.

Those are some big Smallies WOW.

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It makes sense that you would need some sort of a tag. Why anyone would want to mount a deer that they found along side the road is beyond me. Is there a market for deer heads?

It used to be unlawful to pick up road kill altogether.

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In regards to the smallmouth, I would have to agree with Cliff that the numbers are much better now but I did catch more big fish 15 years ago. I remember when I first starting fishing muskies on Vermilion (when there supposedly werent muskies in the lake) and we caught quite a few 20 plus inch fish on bucktails and other musky baits. I would have to think that with the good numbers of fish we have now the "pigs" should be there, maybe they are just harder to catch smile.gif In all, it was a good year for all species of fish. Cant wait for ice fishing. Hope to see you guys on the water.....or ice I guess tongue.gif.

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In regards to the deer head, I doubt that there's a market for the heads, but I wouldn't pu it past someone to take it home & try to claim it as one they shot... lots of strange folks out there.

Some states (West Virginia & Virginia for sure) actually encourage you to pick up road kill & take it home... maybe someone was confused?

Sledneck - I agree that those 18's & 19's are quality fish! Believe me, I've caught a few thinking that they were 23 or something because of how heavy they are. It's amazing how much heavier they are in Vermilion than say in the Mississippi. I caught an 18 in the big river this fall & was thinking it was going to be a 13 or 14.. no girth or heft to it at all compared to the Vermilion smallies...

Looking for a 20+ now... graphite mount... always release them breeders! grin.gif

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Seriously?

Geez, I never woulda figured. They've gotten so good at making replicas, I wouldn't think that the market for real ones would be real strong.

On a side note... what part of Embarrass are you from, SS?

My family has had a place on Hwy. 21 for years...

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First off Happy Birthday to all former, current and future Marines out there if there are any. My year in review is as follows, fishing was good when I had the time to go out. Now if you will give me a minute or two I will give you the rest of the story. Two years ago I was released from my position as a Facility Manager for a Mpls. corporation, I had 28 years with the company, best thing they could have done to me. I took their retirement and ran. My wife decided that I had worked hard enough through the years and decided that we should sell our house in Plymouth, which we did in 3 weeks time, not to bad for the current market, after selling the house we bought a new home to be set on our lake lots on Vermilion, the excavating is done the concrete is in place and they will be putting the house up next week. I have the best of two worlds I have a very understanding wife who enjoys the Range area, and she is going to stay in Mpls. for a year or two prior to her joining me on the lake. In other words I will be moving back to the area I was born and somewhat raised, next summer I will have that big decision to make, golf or fish.

I am 57 years old now and look forward to many good years ahead of me. Thanks for your time and yes, I had a very good year now that I sit back and think about it.

Hope to see you all sometime.

Kind regards to all;

Darrell Larson

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Darrell,

Welcome back to Da-Range! grin.gif

Hope we can spend a few day fishing in the condo this winter!

Cliff

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