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We decided to bail on our Vermilion trip w/ the late ice and are heading to my grandma's on 3rd Crow the weekend after opener. We do well from Memorial Day to June, but I havent fished the lake this early (plus w/ the late ice).

We usually find fish on the mid lake humps and weedlines, but I wasnt sure if they would be hanging in these areas or not so close to spawn.

How much weed growth (if any ) will I find? We are looking for walleye, but if that bite is dead, will the bass and pike be willing to hit some cranks?

Any suggestions?

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I have fished every opener since I can remember on the 3rd. Im usually in the group by the mouth of the river coming in from the 4th the first couple weeks of spring. I haven't really been out on the hump this early in the season. I usually stick to the shallows and current. You can always find a pike or 2 in that lake as well. There are always weeds off the islands down to 10 ft or so. Surface weeds are pretty scarce for the first month though.

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It is just a gradual sloping sandy/gravel flat out there, correct? I see lots of people fish there, but I have never caught an eye there.

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If you are talking about the hump in between the islands it is 11-12 ft deep on the top of the hump and it comes up out of 18-22 ft. of water depending on which side you come up on. Its really more of a dome with a little flat spot on top. Most of it is fairly hard bottom as I beleive the current runs on it/around it. You will find a few weeds on the shallowest part of it.

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Hey crow wing lad I am coming up to third on May 31st for a week are you going to be up at all fishing that week???

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Unfortunately I will not be hector00. I am on-call for work the 30th til the 6th down here in the cities. I am working on trying to get someone else to take it for me for the weekend so I can go, but its not looking good so far. I will be up every friday through Sunday until then though.

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My wife and I are making our first trip to MN and 3rd Crow Wing the 5/24 - 5/31. It has been a long time since I did any real fishing. Will be meeting my brother and his wife and my sister and her husband. Looking foward to some fun and hopefully some good Pike and panfishing.

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I will be up there from the 24th to the 28th with the wife, daughter and granddaughter. we are staying at big timber. I can't wait to hit the lake again. we always do pretty good. Of course I get out fished by the daughter alot!! I taught her way too well!!

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That's great we will be at Big Timber also. Would be nice to meet you and your family. My wife, not the fisherwoman, was asking what was in the area that we can do or see while I'm not on the lake. Any suggestions for her?

You sound like you have been there before any fishing hints? My brother has been up on 1st and 2nd Crow Wing a few years ago so we are relying on what he remembers and what I can find on the web.

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I have been at big timber for probably every year for the past 11 years or so. Before that we stayed at a friends place down the lake from big timber. Park Rapids has many little shops for the wife to explore as well as some places in Nevis. I have probably fished the lake for about 25 years or so or more. Started way back in High School. With the weather this year it is going to be anybody's guess where the fish are at. I know I can find them though....... I hope!!

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Thanks for the information. I'm sure we will get in a couple of trips to town to take in the sites and shopping. Hope to meet you at Big Timber...good luck.

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Hopefully you guys will do better than I did on opener up there. It snowed on Saturday, right after it had rained for most of day. Fishing was pretty slow. We did manage a few bigger eye's, but nothing small enough to keep for the frying pan. Hopefully the next few weekends will improve. I should be up there the next 2 weekends as well. Maybe I will see you guys out there. Im in a 16' red lund that says shamrock shores on it. We bought it from them a few years ago. Good luck guys!

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Rob Mc,

What are you looking to catch up there?

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We are mainly looking for a fun get together, I'm from Atlanta and my brother and sister are from Denver. As far as fishing goes we both my brother and I enjoy all kinds. We will be there a week and will be spending time looking for Northerns and also doing some fly fishing for gills or bass and some light weight stuff for crappie. I'm partial to the gills and crappie for eating but brother likes the norherns. So I guess we will see how the weather goes and play it day by day.

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We will be up for the evening bite on Friday in a black and white Skeeter.

Lets hope they are more willing this weekend!

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I just hope it doesn't snow on us after being rained on and being all wet again.

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We had a tough time finding crappies or sunfish/gills. Caught a good number of bass and pike while walleye fishing though, so you shouldn't have any trouble there.

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We caught nothing on the main lake, but did pretty well at the far end of the north bay. Tons of northern, several eyes (biggest 30") and some bass-everything released.

Hey 3rdcrowlad, anything on the fly rod?

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What was your choice of bait in the north bay? Usually it has been so mucky and full of weeds down at the end of the bay you can never troll anything down there anymore.

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Firetiger shadraps. Weeds are a problem, but you have to get into the weeds to get fish!

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Dave B

Thanks for the report. I sure would like to hear if anyone did any good on 1st - 4th with their flyrod. Would be great to get some fly action when I get there 23rd thru 30th next week.

Getting excited about this trip!

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I found a lot of 7-9" sunfish and bluegills there with the flyrod along with a few bass. I didnt feel like braving the wind this weekend.

Were you up the north end by where the creek comes in?

I did get a 32.5" eye in the 2nd. Naturally I forgot my camera, and it was too dark to get a decent picture with my phone. frown

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I found a load of sunfish and a few bass in really thick weeds close to shore on the flyrod on black wooly buggers this past weekend. The wind limited me on where I could fish, but i did ok with that.

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I was. We crossed paths a few times, we were in the big white/black Skeeter.

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I caught the biggest northern I ever caught down at that end of the bay. He was 42 inches and weighed just over 19 lbs and he should still b swimming down there unless somebody else caught him. I caught that fish 4 years ago on a firetiger rattle trap trolling real fast going towards the highline post and back across to the dock on the other side

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Oh sure, I say that my dad caught a 30" eye and you have to talk about your 32" eye.....terds.

Well, at least I have pictures!

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I thought I had seen you, but I wasn't sure.

Thats the 10 millionth or so comment I got since Sunday morning about not having a camera, and whether i actually caught it or not... oh well. I went out and bought a disposable camera Sunday afternoon that is gonna stay in my box now.

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Well we did pretty well this past weekend too. Will say we saw Dave B in the Skeeter Sunday morning in the north bay. We were in the 1850 fisherman using bobbers for crappies on the north shore. We got 2 big eyes in the main lake at 11 PM Friday night one went 25.5 and the other 24 but they both went back. Sunday we got a half dozen crappies and 3 bullheads. Overall my son had fun so it was all good.

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Yeah, Sunday I was only there for about 10 minutes while my dad drove the trailer around to that landing. I still managed 2 fish on one trolling run, it looked like a pretty good bite going. It was hard to leave.

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Dave did you hit them on the firetiger raps again? We got ours on jig minnow combos.

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