Minnesota River Fishing Report

[pureinsanity]

I do not really think it matters that much really. For all we know that could have just been a fish swimming through the area. Maybe there are more big cats there. There is only one way to find out though!

I have a few bait spots that I kept secret for a while. After chatting with a few people I found out they are not that secret after all. Seems no matter where you go someone or someway we run into fish and people that use the same spot too. Doesn't really matter to me. That's fishing in my eyes. Get there first and hope the next person that comes along doesn't butt right in next to you?!

Maybe that's the real reason John keeps a sling shot and paintball's handy Anyone gets to close! SPLAT!

[Larry FlatCaster]

Dude, it's fishing, not gold panning! My wife is a professional photographer and I'm sure she could shop our fishing pics onto the top of the Statue of Liberty if we wanted, but it's just not worth that much work! We talked for a while with wastewaterguru and it sounds like there are a LOT of undisturbed places where the big ones are likely to be hiding. There are lots of places that will be unproductive for several trips, then all of a sudden they're filled with fish. Just how fishing goes...

AAAAnyway, best of luck with the league. Have fun, and thanks!!

Dude, your right... its not gold panning and I tip the hat to those willing to share specific spots....(you... and its not a bad thing.... It's cool that your wife is a professional photographer... but you don't need to be one to photo shop pics or adjust your shot minus the background.

WWG is right there are lots of places out there... but the majority of newbies out there don't understand that and will hammer spots publicly posted.... not realizing how dynamic the river is and how fish are EVERYWHERE!!! Put the sensitivity pills away if that was the gist of your last post...though I'm guessing not.

We are making a recommendation based on experience... and etiquette for online posting.. There are enough meat hunters lurking out there that would gladly take home any and all they catch... and with Large Flats that just does not work.

We're all happy for you breaking the ice on some nice flats... and we hope you can do a repeat and bag some more if not bigger fish.

No hard feelings on this end... hope there's none on yours.

Thanks for the wish of luck, alot of leaguer's need it..... myself included.

[pureinsanity]

I do agree 100% with LFC on the people who will take home big fish... I was talking to a guy about cats at a local hardware store and he had caught a 30lber and was gonna bring it home to show everyone and than eat it? Probably not, He probably would just pitch it after he showed everyone his big catch! Luckily the ending of the story was the stringer he had the fish on broke and away she went back into the river to grow bigger for another day!

I know for a fact there are people who just lurk on here who never participate. I have actually had a few people come up to me and say they saw me on there and I ask what their screen name is and they say they do not post.

Now I share some stuff with certain people off of here. But most likely they already know about the spots described already. When I caught my personal best, my buddies cousin told everyone where the spot was and the next time I went out there it was occupied. I wasn't happy but such is life.

To each their own. LFC is right though. I just do not let it bother me. Specially since 99% of my fishing is done from shore and easily accessible from launches and where everyone else already fishes. lol

In other word's cherish your spots unless you really don't care. Or you can just tell us where and we will go try to pull some hawgs out

[DTro]

Generally the forum policy here at FM is to never discourage sharing info. That is what we are about here. Share and share alike.

For me personally, I really don't care anymore, I've spent enough time on the water to know plenty of spots to hit and fish can be anywhere. I just shrug it off nowadays.

Where you need to be careful though is if you want to fish a certain spot again and now that tens of thousand of people know about it, you might find it occupied when you get there.

I happen to remember a certain someone who posted a handwritten map to his favorite shore spot last year and then got a little defensive when a bunch of us suggested that it might be better not to do that. I'd have to go back and look, but I'm pretty sure I remember that same person complaining this year about the competition for shore spots every time he went out

Consider LFC's post a friendly suggestion from someone with several years of experiences and nothing more than that.

[Larry FlatCaster]

Generally the forum policy here at FM is to never discourage sharing info. That is what we are about here. Share and share alike.

For me personally, I really don't care anymore, I've spent enough time on the water to know plenty of spots to hit and fish can be anywhere. I just shrug it off nowadays.

Where you need to be careful though is if you want to fish a certain spot again and now that tens of thousand of people know about it, you might find it occupied when you get there.

I happen to remember a certain someone who posted a handwritten map to his favorite shore spot last year and then got a little defensive when a bunch of us suggested that it might be better not to do that. I'd have to go back and look, but I'm pretty sure I remember that same person complaining this year about the competition for shore spots every time he went out

Consider LFC's post a friendly suggestion from someone with several years of experiences and nothing more than that.

Well said. thanks

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Generally the forum policy here at FM is to never discourage sharing info. That is what we are about here. Share and share alike.

For me personally, I really don't care anymore, I've spent enough time on the water to know plenty of spots to hit and fish can be anywhere. I just shrug it off nowadays.

Where you need to be careful though is if you want to fish a certain spot again and now that tens of thousand of people know about it, you might find it occupied when you get there.

I happen to remember a certain someone who posted a handwritten map to his favorite shore spot last year and then got a little defensive when a bunch of us suggested that it might be better not to do that. I'd have to go back and look, but I'm pretty sure I remember that same person complaining this year about the competition for shore spots every time he went out

Consider LFC's post a friendly suggestion from someone with several years of experiences and nothing more than that.

This is true Darren but the spots that I really wanted that were taken all the time were definitely not that spot. Everyone and their mother knows the spot I posted and yeah I was a noob and didn't know any better and I did get defensive but I learned quickly how fast info spreads on here and have since filtered it out.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

And the main problem I had with other people was a certain group that kept coming to the spot I got to early and setting up all their junk RIGHT next to us and casting out in front of our lines. I know it's not MY spot but when I see a group set up at a spot I shrug it off and go to the next, not budge in next to them.

[DTro]

I think the exact quote was, "the more the merrier"

Just givin ya the needle Jeff

[JohnWayne]

Points taken, but this is no news to me. IMHO, this subject seems no different than tournament fishing: whether a shotgun start or random draw, if someone beats you to your "spot", tough S#%*. Move on and find fish elsewhere. Especially on a river, where even 10 years can bring about significant change, there will always be new "spots".

Anyway, this has wandered a little too far for my liking (the title IS "MN River Fishing Report"). I consider it put to rest, and if anyone DOES happen to fish where we were, please let me know how you did! No hard feelings towards anyone, hope to see some of you out fishing soon!

[tweedlap]

Amen.

tweed

[JimBuck]

Getting back on topic, I'll throw out my report for the evening....fished from 7 until 11 with nothing but a cheap beer buzz. While heading upstream I passed a RiverPro(LoPro's are Saweeet) and a Jon boat with a beavertail both heading downstream. It was then that I decided to probably stop heading further upstream and work with what I had (a prop). Shad are really starting to show up in numbers.

[Lowblazah]

We were also out last night until about 11. Had a 2 runs...one which grabbed my bully, then took off sideways and somehow got itself around hotpockets line. I fought the fish for about 3 mins before it came unbuttoned. Reeled in a baitless hook with HP's line around it.

Second run, Whisker Warrior actually sunk his hook into about 50yds from the boat and landed a nice 41.5x24 flat. The way she was fighting we thought we had a trophy channel cat boat bound. This flat still had some healing scar marks on the top of its head.

Al in all...slow night. But at least we had some action. (Including 2 sheephead...none which were bait worthy)

[Scott K]

My night was rather slow as well, in my boat, 1 channel, 1 turtle, one hook set and came off half way to the boat, and one run that just teased me, as when I picked it up there wasn't anything there. I fished sand bar, rocks, a snag, and a deep hole. The channel and the unbutton came from the snag, the turtle came from the rock bar, nothing from the sand bar or the deep hole.

[Whisker Warrior]

Went out with Rushing on Tuesday night from about midnight-730am....Started off getting a nice run on cut bait and set the hook to only have the upgrade channel get off right in front of shore Then the night slowed down but had some good radio (Coast to Coast) and a nap on the river. As we were packing in for the day Rushing sets his hook to rid the bullhead on it only to have a fish on the other end....Turns out it was a nice 28" Eye! Rushing wasn't too thrilled in fact he said its his PB but he didn't want picks....True cat man I guess.....Thanks again rushing it was fun...Will hit you up next week to do it again.

[AceintheHole]

Rough fish

[Gordie]

no pics of the bait

[rushing]

Stupid bait wasters! Maybe if the eye was like 35in it would be worthy to have its picture taken with me.

Was good meeting you Justin..gimme a call next week.

[aanderud]

Rob, when was the last time you checked your bait on that rod? You might have had him on there for HOURS without even knowing it. Stupid waste of space.

[Carp-fisher]

Caught a 50 lb hog last night...I'll post a pic of it in the catfish forum.....

[DTro]

Caught a 50 lb hog last night...I'll post a pic of it in the catfish forum.....

Sweet!!

[rushing]

He might of been on there for like an hour. If he was he didnt take out any clicker.

[aanderud]

If you have a 28 inch walleye on, that is actually probably bait-sized for some kind of monster fish, so he isn't completely wasting space. In theory you could get a 75 inch flathead to eat him.

Think of using 28 inch eyes as bait this way -- keeps the pesky channel cats off. I hear they grown them big upstream from Jordan, near the dam.

[rushing]

I think a channel would hit it before a flathead...a flathead has standards but a channel will hit anything.

[Lowblazah]

.a flathead has standards but a channel will hit anything.

LOL! not at all bias are you Rob?

[Loose]

Boxxman and I hit up the landing last night. Nothing big, a 11 and 8 lbs and missed two.

[Gordie]

I think a channel would hit it before a flathead...a flathead has standards but a channel will hit anything.

awe man its just a sucker with teeth

[pureinsanity]

Jordan seems to be the place for those eyes. I recall keven having a 26.5" on and not even knowing it. Guess you can call it bait if you do not know its on your line

[Scott K]

Boxxman and I hit up the landing last night. Nothing big, a 11 and 8 lbs and missed two.

At least it is some action, that is more then I can say I had in the last month or so.

[rushing]

We got a few Sat night. Nothin big. Fishin water shallow enough for the fish to break the surface after the hook set. lol

[Loose]

Went out lastnight for a few hours not even a bite. Gonna put the canoes in this weekend and go to the "hotspot" hopefully hook into some.