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I got spooled

uwleagle

By uwleagle
in St. Croix River Fishing Reports

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uwleagle Collaborator

uwleagle

Posted
Posted

So today I went and fished close to the open water by the power plant for the first time. Everyone said they have been hooking into quite a few sturgeon there and also some sauger and crappies so I figured I would give it a try. Hooked into something (had to have been a huge sturgeon) took out all of the line on my reel in not much longer than a minute, I kept tightening my drag the whole time and couldnt even slow the thing down, when I could see my line was almost to the end I grabbed the line and it broke. I would have like to see how big this fish was. I have caught other stugeon close to 40 inches out there on my ultra light rod and reel with 2 pound test. With the fish today I had a medium action rod with Fireline 10 pound test and could not even slow this thing down for one second.

Before dark moved and tried for walleyes in 17 fow and all I caught was one smallmouth. Will be out again tomorrow morning.

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Infishquinn Enthusiast

Infishquinn

Posted
Posted

WOW, that must have been a donkey. I drove past there today with my jaw wide open. I have never seen anything like that, fishing within a flip of open water. I was tempted to try it out, but I decided not to. Next time I'll bring my life jacket and give it a shot. I'll have to bring my laker rod if those sturgeon are biting! I wonder if it would be worth casting a line in that open water? Good fishin'!

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Fishin4aLivin Enthusiast

Fishin4aLivin

Posted
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UW your crazy!! I talked with Blue yesterday and he told me about the hog that spooled you. Then he told me where you were fishing. I am not that brave. You going out tomorrow? I have to come into work in the morning for a few hours and then I am going to meet up with Blue in the afternoon. I however am going to be back down around the area we normally fish. I am making a run to Gander tonight to get all my rods and stuff ready for next weekend. Sounds like we are going to be fishing on buckets next Saturday unless it's too cold. Shoot me an email if you get a chance otherwise if your out tomorrow I'll see you down there.

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FL SNIPER Proficient

FL SNIPER

Posted
Posted

I've had some of my best walleye/sauger ice fishing ever in front of that open water...jigging raps...have had fish race up 10 to 15 feet off the bottom to smack the jig as it went down in 35 fow. Had a guy walk out from shore near the discharge area one time...he had just caught some shad....he cut them up and put them down on a catfish rig in some holes he had me drill for him...I witnessed him catch about a half dozen sturgeon in less than a half hour...a couple of big ones to boot. He even let my friend take the rod on one to feel the "power". We nik-named him "sturgeon guy". When his rod would start tapping he'd say "oooo....someone's being a bad boy." Good memories.

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magic_minnow Proficient

magic_minnow

Posted
Posted

Howdy anglers!

Got friday off so i'll be setting up in the am. I was out there last week and saw some guys fishing by the open water. I think thats just nuts but I knew they must of be marking some fish! I hope no one falls in! I won't be near that plant at all! Anywho, haven't had much luck out there, been on Frostee spoons tipped with minnow heads and actually caught a small crappie on a Chubby Darter. I'll be in a Tan Ford Explorer if you want to drop by. Good luck out there!

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AuggieDawg11 Community Regular

AuggieDawg11

Posted
Posted

We were probably 20 feet off of the edge and still had over a foot of ice to stand on. Saw one guy set up his flip over shack on the bad side of the open water markers.

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Fishin4aLivin Enthusiast

Fishin4aLivin

Posted
Posted

Hey Auggie it was nice meeting you down on the river last Friday. If you keep fishing that close to the open water I probably won't be seeing you guys again. BE CAREFUL!!! If your going to be on the river tomorrow swing by and say hi, we will probably be fishing near the same area as we usually do.

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UncleKes Rising Star

UncleKes

Posted
Posted

uwleague: I wonder if you did not get into a large Flathead. I have hooked into a few near the power plant a time of two myself. Still and all you might be right and it WAS a big sturgeon. Whatever? I am sorry you lost him. A fish that spools your reel is a once in a lifetime fish. Too bad! But I'll bet you will be talking about the fight he gave you for years to come and THAT is also part of why we fish!

Anyway, good luck! Maybe next time!

Tight Lines!

Uncle Kes

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uwleagle Collaborator

uwleagle

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Possibly it could have been a flathead. Yeah it'll be a good story to tell. It was just neat feeling something that powerfull on the end of a little ice fishing pole.

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turn_in_poachers Collaborator

turn_in_poachers

Posted
Posted

Cant you fish from shore if there's open water there? Or is it not as productive?

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b1gf1sh1 Community Regular

b1gf1sh1

Posted
Posted

hey uweagle. sorry to hear about the line. expensive. anyway here a little trick that my Grandpappy Amos taught me. at times when i am on shore and in danger of being spooled by a large fish. give the fish almost no resistence. line between fingers in freespool is best that way you can keep the drag set where you want it. most times the fish will stop running after a bit. after that it's just a waiting game for it it come back to you. does not work every time but it does work. keep in mind that fish was where it was because it wanted to be there and will want to go back when it feels the danger has passed. don't let too much slack accumulate but don't let it feel you. rememmber you got those larger fish on 2 lb. test. as a result there was very little resistence. hopefully you can try this sooner rather than later. hey if you know your going to be spooled anyway, what you got to lose. i don't icefish but can't see a reason it would'nt work confused.gif what about a rubber raft to get closer to the edge of that open water? one man paddle pontoons. small boat. just a thought. seen a guy put on some flippers and climb into his float tube years ago. caught a bunch of fish but holy cow man. thats dedication. well good luck.

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chillythe1 Newbie

chillythe1

Posted
Posted

my old man said that people would bring their canoes onto the ice and then go out into that open water and just slay the fish...as far as being safe people are parking trucks pretty close to the open water and it must be sufficient amount of ice, i was about 50 - 100 yards away and the ice was 28" thick so im sure there is no huge concern,..i was told that even up to the edge there is still 6" of ice

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chillythe1 Newbie

chillythe1

Posted
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also this summer at my work a kid seen a 7 ft sturgeon in our harbor i missed it but he pointed to a dock section that the fish covered, we measured it and it was a little over 7 ft. you still have to give or take a few inches being that it was still a little under water, but imagine pulling that one up uwleagle

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UncleKes Rising Star

UncleKes

Posted
Posted

The warm water discharge from the power plant keeps the ice open around there and promotes the growth of plankton. Those tiny critters you remember looking at in a drop of pond water through the microscope in biology class. Minnows and to some extent small fish feed on plankton. The larger fish follow the minnows into the warmer water and so the fishing is ALWAYS good around the power plant. Especially in winter.

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2izm Apprentice

2izm

Posted
Posted

Fishing from the ice in open water on the St. Croix by the power plant..............that's CRAZY! I hope the fishing is as good as they say.

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