Annandale-Buffalo-Hutchinson fishing reports

[20lbSloughShark]

Very slow, but eventually one snagged a sucker on Sugar today. It was 29" 5 pounds, but because my dad refuses to try circle hooks, it ended up in 4 kinds of seasonings.

[SpearPike]

SUGAR LAKE (Wright County) crappie: Possession limit five. northern

pike: All from 24-36" must be immediately released

I be careful bragging online about eating illegal fish.

[Beast26]

Nice fish Matt! I have only been out 1 time this year since the ice went out and that was an utter failure. Going to go out on the Friday after the fourth and see if I can find some panfish and walleyes.

[Rick G]

SUGAR LAKE (Wright County) crappie: Possession limit five. northern

pike: All from 24-36" must be immediately released

I be careful bragging online about eating illegal fish.

If you look close at his post, he mentions it's sucker, not pike that is on the plate...

BTW, nice pic sloughshark

[mattpaumen]

Nice fish Matt! I have only been out 1 time this year since the ice went out and that was an utter failure. Going to go out on the Friday after the fourth and see if I can find some panfish and walleyes.

Thanks! Good luck to you this weekend! I hope to sneak out at some point this weekend, but it's looking like a busy weekend with the family at this point. It will definitely be a short outing if I do get out! Better than no fishing I guess!

[RumRiverRat]

SUGAR LAKE (Wright County) crappie: Possession limit five. northern

pike: All from 24-36" must be immediately released

I be careful bragging online about eating illegal fish.

Try reading his post again.

Or continue to make unfounded accusations because you are not so good at reading comprehension.

[SpearPike]

Wow u guys are also jumping to conclusions, "One snagged a sucker". I can read and comprehend. Thanks Maybe u need to read it again.

[Mo Gator]

I'm pretty sure he was referring to a 29" 5 lb northern pike taking a sucker minnow that was being presented on a regular hook (not a circle hook), which resulted in a deep hook set, which resulted in the northern pike being cooked in four different types of seasonings and eaten with a side of green beans. But maybe I'm wrong about the green beans, cause seriously, who eats green beans with fish? It's supposed to be baked beans, duh

[Hester]

I'm pretty sure he was referring to a 29" 5 lb northern pike taking a sucker minnow that was being presented on a regular hook (not a circle hook), which resulted in a deep hook set, which resulted in the northern pike being cooked in four different types of seasonings and eaten with a side of green beans. But maybe I'm wrong about the green beans, cause seriously, who eats green beans with fish? It's supposed to be baked beans, duh

Agreed 100%

[Rick G]

You got me guess I didn't read between the lines. 29in sucker would be HUGE, and sure would weigh more than 5lbs

[20lbSloughShark]

Nope, I ate an illegal fish, if it was my fish I would never have kept it. Anything over 3 pounds gets released for me, and most smaller ones do too. I told him, but we didn't have dinner, and that was our only fish of the day.

[Dylan33]

I'm confused....you(or your dad) kept and ate...then admitted to keeping an illegal fish?

Doesn't matter if it was gut hooked and would have died....you broke the law by keeping that fish.

[20lbSloughShark]

yeah, so? and you drive at least 5 mph over the speed limit. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.

[Hester]

If I know a fish would die for sure, I too would keep it. Its the chance you take. It is still wrong but yet kind of right. If you get fined, you just deal with it.

On a slot lake the law is like that because unfortunately some people would try kill them on purpose just to keep them. So you are not supposed to keep them dead or alive.

Having said that, I have only had to do it once in my life, 10+ years ago.

[Dylan33]

yeah, so? and you drive at least 5 mph over the speed limit. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.

But then i don't go on an online message board and brag about it. Maybe I'm in the wrong for pressing the issue. But If you break the law, why come here and tell us about it? It's just weird, IMO.

[SpearPike]

100% agree. I hate to see fish go to waste very much, but the law is the law.

[SpearPike]

"Try reading his post again.

Or continue to make unfounded accusations because you are not so good at reading comprehension. "'

Very quite? No apology or anything for slamming my reading skills?

[20lbSloughShark]

But then i don't go on an online message board and brag about it. Maybe I'm in the wrong for pressing the issue. But If you break the law, why come here and tell us about it? It's just weird, IMO.

I didn't know there was a slot limit, until you guys told me. I could have went forever and never thought about that fish again. Funny how the its the only other lake I don't use the public access of, and it happens to be a slot limit lake.

[Dylan33]

alright....I think this has been drawn out enough. A mistake was made...let's move forward.

So, How's fishing been?

[perry p]

Mistakes are made. A relative of mine has done that on Pearl lake. Hooking mortality is an often talked about subject on Mille Lacs. You're an honest sportsman, Sloughshark. Live and learn. Hoping to get out this weekend, but sounds like storms.

[20lbSloughShark]

I got out today on Cedar, but the fishing was awful. I was marking fish but they just would not bite. I tried trolling, casting, and bobber fishing. I got a hit when trolling really slow around 1 mph with a deep diving crank over a hump that came up to 20'. Most of the fish I saw were in 15'-30'. Its possible that they were smaller walleye, that wont take my pike lures, but there were no pike in the shallows. Usually when all else fails a sucker will at least get some kind of fish, but none today. I was really surprised; it was one of those days you feel you are doing everything right, but just don't get bit.

[Avid Angler]

Hey everybody,

It seems the walleye fishing has dried up around here. I was wondering if anyone is cranking deep water and having any success? I have always wanted to try lead core or some DT's or even deep bottom bouncing mid-summer. Just no confidence in it because of lack of experience and success.

Thoughts?

Avid

[workin4bait]

Deep cranking does work from time to time. For me clear water lakes seem better. Staying above the thermocline is generally a good idea.

I have not attempted this yet this year. The deep weeds do not seem as deep this year and most lakes I have been at seem to have lower visablity.

workin'

[20lbSloughShark]

I got out for a few hours today and fishing was kind of slow, but ok. I ended up giving up for northerns, when I started catching bass. I moved in shallower and I invented a new technique. I always said spoons are the most versatile lure, but I pushed it to a new level... Top water. The trick is to use a very light for its size spoon (although a 1 oz dardevle worked fine). Keep your rod tip at 12 o'clock and move the rod tip as rapidly as you can in a rhythm. Its a lot like "walking the dog" with other top waters, and the spoon has nearly the same action. Sometimes it dives underwater, just keep reeling and it will come back to the surface. Most bass took it from the surface. I ended with around 10 bass this way, while not my go-to for topwater, it does work.

[mwal]

There is a thick plastic spoon designed for that called the moss boss used to do it on Clearwater years ago.

Mwal

[walleyeking19]

Fishing has been slow for me. I had to give up chasing walleyes cause they all went deep and are very tight lipped. Bass are starting to bite a little better up shallow. Using a texas rigged worm has getting some bites up shallow, anwyhere there is shade

[20lbSloughShark]

I decided to start collecting meat, because I am moving to Brainerd to start life as a college student on Tuesday. I went to maple lake because I have heard it has lots of little northers. This is an understatement, and the lake is absolutely over run. I started off with the usual pike between 18"-24" as keepers, however I never hit that limit. I caught probably 20 of the things and the biggest way maybe 17". When I decided it was almost time to leave, I kept every fish I caught. I ended with 4 northerns 15"-16" and a 14" bass (2 people). Next time I will bring more people and keep every northern, and it was surprisingly fun. I usually get annoyed with small fish, but when your going after them on purpose, and succeeding, it is a good fight. They slam baits, but unless they dive into weeds, they are useless after about 2 seconds. You really cant go wrong on this lake, but by far the best we found was 3/4oz-1oz spoons. 5' seemed to be the hotspot for hammer handles, we usually had the boat in 10' and casted to shore. I usually avoid lakes like this, because they will just never grow big pike, however they seem to spawn plenty of bad rep about pike (especially the myth that they are easy to catch). I still laugh at the ice fishing contest on maple. Some guy caught a pike just over 10 pounds and the announcer was talking it up like it was a fish of a life time. Don't get me wrong, a 10 pound pike is good no matter where you are, but when its the biggest fish in the lake, its pretty bad.

[LMITOUT]

Went to Collinwood this morning but it has turned into the soup we all know and love. Didn't even bother to put the boat in the water.

Only one truck at the landing.

[clKiekhafer]

Went out yesterday morning, managed one walleye, but say more. Switched over to bass and had a ball.

[jmg]

Thanks for the warning, Lmit.