Minnesota River Fishing Report

[Gordie]

I was hoping to put up a great report this evening but when I dumped the boat in at the Jordan landing found out the water pump wasn't working

Got it home and apart found out the pick up tube was cracked in half.

Well I guess it was better to have in happen before it was 4 or 5 miles away from the landing.

Should have it up and ready to go by morning or by at least noon Sunday.

[Live2Fish1234]

Is there anything to do to target shovel nose sturgeon other than a hook/crawler combo on the bottom? Are they common in the MN river?

Btw, my spring has consisted of a bunch of sheepshead, bunch of carp, and a few small channel cats around the bloomington stretch of the river. No flatties (yet). Lookout for gators!

[Roscoe010]

I catch a few of them every year. Target them near wings dams and sandy/gravelly areas. You got the rig right. If it's one fish I am absolutely tired of catching it's sheephead. Ever catch any bighead buffalo on the MN RIver?

[DTro]

No open season on shovelnose on the MN...you can catch then by accident though on crawlers. We catch a fair amount in the spring fishing for channels and carp

either that or you can hire a shovelnose guide on Pool 4 of the Mississippi where they have an open season.

[Roscoe010]

So, if you caught, say a state record size shovelnose on the MN River, would you still have to put it back in the water, since there is no open season there?

[DTro]

Yep most definitely

[esoxrocks01]

Just got back from carp fishing the river. Saw some make jumps. but I got skunked. Better luck next time I guess.

[Live2Fish1234]

So if you happen to catch a record fish out of season can you be fined for taking pictures before releasing? Seems like a grey area...

[DTro]

No the regs clearly state you can take a picture. Read the rules

[Live2Fish1234]

Ok, I read the regs. They don't say that it's okay to take a picture, just doesn't specifically say you can't. It say's that any fish that won't be kept/eaten must be immediately returned to the water alive. Still seems grey.

[Lowblazah]

Ok, I read the regs. They don't say that it's okay to take a picture, just doesn't specifically say you can't. It say's that any fish that won't be kept/eaten must be immediately returned to the water alive. Still seems grey.

See page 3...under Immediately released or returned to the water

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/fishing/fishing2012.pdf

[DTro]

See page 3...under Immediately released or returned to the water

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/fishing/fishing2012.pdf

Exactly

Immediately released or returned to the water– Fish must not

be retained longer than is needed at the site of capture to unhook, identify, measure, and photograph. Placing the fish in any type of container or on a stringer is not immediately released. Any fish not immediately released is considered to be “reduced to possession.”

[Gordie]

Immediately released or returned to the water– Fish must not

be retained longer than is needed at the site of capture to unhook, identify, measure, and photograph. Placing the fish in any type of container or on a stringer is not immediately released. Any fish not immediately released is considered to be “reduced to possession.”

This is where it gets grey for me and this was just a thought I had.

Let's say you catch a fish during a contest and it has a size restriction of one fish over a certain length you put that fish in the live well take it in and weight it. Then it is released Under this law you can not catch another fish that is over the one fish rule. Am I Correct in thinking this because the first fish you did this to was considered "reduced to possession .

Sorry to get off track might have to move this

[DTro]

I think you could go round and round with that one Gordie, but if you release the fish, then I see it as no longer in your possession and as long as you stay at least one fish under the bag limit you can cull as many fish as you want.

That is what most contest in MN do.

[aanderud]

I think you could go round and round with that one Gordie, but if you release the fish, then I see it as no longer in your possession and as long as you stay at least one fish under the bag limit you can cull as many fish as you want.

That is what most contest in MN do.

That's the way I read this type of rule too. Some lakes actually have no-cull restrictions, at least on some species. I think Mille Lacs is one of these. And of course on any lake if you are throwing back fish that don't swim away, you're likely going to be facing a charge of wanton waste.

Other than that, as long as it is in season and you have a license, and the size is legal to keep, you can throw it back any time and the fish is not in your possession. One example of when I do this is the following -- I catch an nice eater crappie right when I get there and throw him in the livewell. Several hours later I still have no craps to go with him because I got to the lake as the bite was about over. I'm not going to clean that single crappie. I'll let that guy go and hope to catch a whole meal the next time I'm out. I certainly don't think that one counts toward my possession limit.

[TruthWalleyes]

I had a good outing on friday. HOT and pretty windy, but fish cooperated. Got 6 nice channels in the boat, and 3 in the cooler. I got my first channel on fresh cut sucker, and then a long lull, i switched to a pile of worms. Once the worms were on, fish were biting. Also caught 2 15# carp.

Once i ran out of worms and the sky was rumbling, it was time for a move closer to the landing. Found another spot with boulders and tossed out a large chunk of cut bait. 15m later i was tied into a large catfish, 30# or better, but it was shortlived and the hook came loose. Tied into another of the same size before heading out for the day with the same results.

I had never fished rocky structure before, but it just looked so darn appetizing. Areas with rocks and LARGE boulders worked the best for me.

Felt GREAT to be back on the river.

[TruthWalleyes]

Managed another 5 channels last night with several misses...I'm about ready to throw my circle hooks away! They're hooking up with the smaller fish, but i'm loosing quite a few bigger fish within 20-30 seconds of hooking up.

Worms for bait. Then some cut sheephead. Both worked well.

[Gordie]

thought about trying a different style of cicle hook Truth or better yet what kind are you using?

I still can't say that I sold on the cicles yet but the more I use them the more I like them. I'm not even sure what brand I have but I think they are a Octupus style from gamma.

I do like The stout/heavy wire Kahles for channels but I will not tie one on for flats ever.

[rbs]

I really like my circles...there is times that I have lost fish but mainly right away, not after I let them load up the rod. After they load up I fight them for a couple seconds and then set the hook(I know shouldn't need to and probably not the thing to do) I figure if I pull it out when I set the hook that I wasn't going to get it in anyways. I use Eagle claw circles.

[TruthWalleyes]

I'm using gamma octopus 8/0.

Worked great this year for sturgeon and it has put over a dozen cats in the boat this year, but i've also missed a dozen.

I've been leaving the rod in the holder (9' spinning rod, lots of bend) with the drag set fairly lightly. When a fish pulls line, i tighten the drag slightly and then reel in, typically the rod is doubled over at this point. I'll pull the rod out of the holder and reel in, and give a little extra hook set like rbs does. This when the hook comes out, or shortly after, and it's more of a sweeping hookset than a big jerk...I'll pick up some 10/0, and maybe another style, but i'm also going to start using J hooks from time to time.

[Gordie]

I think you could go round and round with that one Gordie, but if you release the fish, then I see it as no longer in your possession and as long as you stay at least one fish under the bag limit you can cull as many fish as you want.

That is what most contest in MN do.

I had hoped you would say that DTro.

In my mind thats what I alway thought.

But just had to throw it out there to satisfy my curiousity thanks.

[jeff127]

I hit a creek mouth this morning with raps, twisters, and jig/minnow------- no bites. Water was chocolate milk and running fast. The water rose 1.5 inches in the 90 min I was there. As soon as the water coming in slows and clears up a bit the eyes should be snappin.

[chuckwagon]

How long does it take for things to settle down? How clear will things get if rains hold off a long time?

[jeff127]

The river will be pretty muddy for a while but the creeks should start to get clearer and slow down in a day or two(at least the ones I fish).

[BEEFEATER]

getting tons of pike off the sand bars. One sand bar was surrounded by 35 fow, and 9 feet deep on top. caught a dozen pike throwing a chartruese shad raps across the top. then found another sand bar that only had about 2 feet of water atop of it but 7 feet around it, got 3 pike of that one with a bollig rigs. biggest was only 35 inches but it was still a blast. Been really gettin into the fish as of late. Cleaned house on a 2 day trip to wisconsin for muskie only ta return home ta pop local waters for pike, eyes and saugers. water clarity hassent seemed to matter much for the eyes and pike, just use bigger stuff such as twin tail twisters or stuff with lots of vibrations such as red eyes, rattle traps, bollig rigs, shad raps. No need for minnows right now. Fishing should get even better when she starts ta drop

[BEEFEATER]

shes up shes up oh shes up Floodstage baby floodstage baby my favorite lady my favorite lady floodstage baby floodstage baby

[Scott K]

shes up shes up oh shes up Floodstage baby floodstage baby my favorite lady my favorite lady floodstage baby floodstage baby

Do you drink a lot during the days?

[Alagnak]

shes up shes up oh shes up Floodstage baby floodstage baby my favorite lady my favorite lady floodstage baby floodstage baby

So what you're saying is its on fire!

[BEEFEATER]

So what you're saying is its on fire!

[BEEFEATER]

As for the drinking, no.... I quite drinking in the mid 80s. I was a heavy alch, after nam but decided to put that behind me