Annandale-Buffalo-Hutchinson fishing reports

[Hester]

Ha Faner, I remember that too. Now cedar froze out, so it does not matter much.

I did get a few fish over the last couple days but why would I or anyone post their hot lake?

Go put some time in and find your own fish.

Be sure to let us know how you do.

Good luck.

By the way, I'm not a farmer. But I did put some grass seed down today. Sure could use some rain!

[CaptainMusky]

I fished 3 lakes in the Hutchinson area on the fishing opener. Started at 6:00 AM and fished until 4:00 PM because I had some other engagements to attend to.

Water temps at the highest were 52, lowest 49.

Multiple pike (largest about 32"), a jumbo perch (12"), countless bass and a fistfull of crappies but no walleyes which was the target.

The fish were there, but just didnt want to cooperate.

Tried depths from 5' to 17' altering presentations from trolling crankbaits, to lindy rig with chubs, to jig and minnow, jig and plastic, to corking (for crappies). Caught fish with every presentation.

I havent fish these lakes in many years so it was fun to do it once again.

[Avid Angler]

People are way too efficient at cleaning out a lake, so I will never post where I am catching fish.

There are too many people that have nothing better to do, but keep going back to the same lake day after day until the bite quits.

Same story as always. I over heard a guy braggin about keeping over 100 crappies out of the lagoon on Belle this spring. Rediculous.

One thing I have noticed, it seems that the majority of these fish hogs seem to be age 50 or older. Not saying all, but the majority. I think it is how they were brought up to fish. No conservation practice in those days.

Avid

[57johnson]

I am thinking they should close the panfish season April 1 - bass opener. Keeps the fisherman safe from late ice and give the fish a chance to spawn after making it through a hundred fish houses a night. Every year the size goes down where historically there is a hot bite until they are all gone. When did an 8" crappie become a keeper? Everyone thinks they are entitled to their limit, some come back 3 times a day. It's not just Hutch it's Alex, DL, and of course the metro as well as other destinations statewide. Remember when it was cool to go check out the big northerns in the creek yet leave them alone, I think it be fun to see some massive crappies again in the lagoons. Let's face it you don't need the latest technique to catch a spawning crappie. There is still quality size fishing around, but I for one am throwing in the towel on the spawn bite. If you are determined to catch a fish some border waters are still open.

[Faner50]

Thx for the reply Hester... I have lake property in the area but don't fish it much anymore since. the last few years seemed to be in favor of the Cormorants, millfoil pontoons with 110hp, skidos etc. Have yet to walleye fish this year but heading to my haunts on Millelacs. This past winter...and I am not kidding...110 walleyes on Red Lake in 2 days and brought home my limit of 4 plus the 3 I ate in the fish house. Call me a skeptic but those who won't post a lake name in the name of conservation, sorry I do not believe it. They just don't want their favorite spot over run by that over 50 years old crowd. LMAO. Anyway...have a good season. Know where I might get a deal on sweet corn in August LOL ?

[Faner50]

By the way, here is a fishing report I posted in 2008 concerning Manuella.

It's HOT !! Drilled holes on the north/northeast side of the lake just out from that house with the big white pillars. We found the drop from 8' to 16' and set up. Twenty minutes after drilling we lowered the camera. Wow ! Walleyes just hugging the edge of the weed bed in 10' -> 13' on the drop. The camera must have spooked them so we switched from horizontal viewing to vertical with the lens up at the 5' level. Slowly the fish moved back in.

It was a little frustrating at first in that they just wouldn't bite. They'd look at the bait, circle and circle but wouldn't take. We tried plain hooks to lures and they just wouldn't bite. My buddy then pinched the head off a minnow, hooked the head horizontally on a gold jigging spoon and POW, a 13 incher smacked it. We had to jig the bait in that the dead sticks produced nothing. In the late afternoon we must have caught a dozen small walleyes which we returned to the lake. Between the walleyes we were bothered by some small perch but it still was fun. As it got dark around 5:30 the bigger fish moved in. We ended up with 9 (after 5:30) ranging from 14 to 16 inches. By 7:30 it was dead. Nothing on the vexi or the cameras. Darn near froze to death but worth it even with cold fingers and toes.

Faner50

[Hester]

Um.....great report.

I will grab the auger and go drill some holes tomorrow.

Just having some fun with you faner.

good luck out there.

[mnguy152]

hwy 7 between lester and silver lake has great sweet corn. if he can get it in the ground this year.

[grizrunner]

Spent just a couple hours on Clearwater today. No serious fishing done. Main lake was 48-49*. Warmest I found in a couple lagoons and close to shore was 52-53*.

[thats all i do]

thanks that's cold

[185Competitor]

Well here is an actual fishing report, fished koronis opening day, fishing was very tough did not have much luck. Fished Jennie Sunday night pulled up four walleyes, all were released. Fished minne - belle on Tuesday got 4 crappies, also caught a lot of Northern and bass. Went out Tuesday night to Washington caught 8 walleyes released 3 kept 5 for fish fry on Wednesday. Even though I am in the 50 and older crowd, I did release some fish:) maybe there is a difference between my generation and avids, I not only fish for the pure enjoyment, but I also fish to get some fresh fish, that's why I buy a license. I am not going to leave them all for the cormorants. I have no problem telling people where I am fishing, but I will not share my techniques, it takes a lot of time to consistently catch fish on these lakes, that is half the fun learning a lake. And for the guy that caught 100 crappies, I learned along time ago not to judge people, maybe the guy fell on hard times and needed the fish. I will be running the circle again the middle of the week, if things are picking up on koronis, Washington, and Jennie, I will let you know, just don't ask for specifics:)

[1eyeReD]

Was out with the wife and kid yesterday afternoon on an area lake lookin for crappies. No crappies found. Just wind, waves and one walleye for the box. But I do know... Where I'll be bass fishin come opener. Holy cow, do them big girls love crappie jigs!

[perry p]

185 Comp,

I appreciate your honesty. I am turning 50 next month. I am excited to learn both Washington and Jennie. I love to bass fish and catch an accidental walleye for the frying pan. I don't fish Koronis, but I do enjoy Rice lake. Washington and Jennie are calling my name, because I prefer to fish shallow. Washington's smallmouth population is quite well, from what I understand. I'll be looking for your reports!

[aanderud]

I have no problem telling people where I am fishing, but I will not share my techniques, it takes a lot of time to consistently catch fish on these lakes

I'm the opposite -- I'd more gladly share techniques than locations, because often those techniques can be applied to many lakes in a particular geographic region at the same time of year or same water temps, and thus it might help someone else out without revealing a honey hole on a potentially small lake and making me go somewhere else next time out due to the zoo of people out there chasing the hot bite.

[185Competitor]

Perry

I have not got any smallies yet, but have pulled some beauties up on Washington while walleye fishing.

Aanderud

I have watched to many people fish my same spots and not get a bite, I feel the technique is the secret to it all, colors, speed, wind, current, and all that changes on each lake, you could tell me you were catching them on a orange lazy ike, trolled at 2.0 mph, but not knowing which lake that worked on really does no good. But if I tell you that the walleyes are biting on Jennie, at least you can go to a lake where you know people have been successful, it is up to you to figure out the particulars.

I am used to fishing more glacial lakes, it took me awhile to figure out these shallow weed lakes in this

Area , there is good fishing to be had, but it is not as good as it was 5 years ago. There is a lot of information on the Web on different techniques for weed walleyes, try them out. Write what works and what doesn't, before you know it you will have a journal to help you in years to come. Instead of organizing my journal by the month I organize by water temp. I will give a report Memorial weekend, I plan on fishing all the lakes again.

[Avid Angler]

Hey 185,

You do have a point about telling people about lakes and not the techniques. I gave up on giving out either. I just found out over the years that there is a high percentage of greedy and lazy fisherman out there and that I don't need to be helping those clean out our lakes.

It is a real problem out there and if the people that are reading this don't beleive it, you are in denial.

Just like you said, our lakes aren't as good as they were five years ago. New technolgy has made finding fish easier, plus all the information out there if you want to take the time to study it.

I am not going to help the lazy fisherman, I have done too much research and spent too much time on the water to just give the knowledge away on a site like this. I'll let In-Fisherman do that because they get paid for it, I don't.

Avid

[Slab_Supper]

Heard the bite is going on High Island

[Avid Angler]

LOL!! I bet!

[185Competitor]

Avid,

the fisherman in the area could not do as much damage as the cormorants are doing, they are cleaning the lakes out, Collinwood, Jennie, Washington, and Stella are ones that are really affected. For example, in 2010, the stocking report on Washington was at about 18 walleyes per net, in 2012, it was at 9. Now the dnr does not do a dam thing because they say that the numbers are acceptable for that lake, that is just a lot of bull####. I have been fishing Washington for 25 years and I know what that lake used to be like. You see when leech lake had a cormorant problem how they handled it, and now fishing is great again. Are lakes are not important enough for the dnr to worry about, there is no tourism dollars down here. I just wish the dnr would quit peeing on my head and telling me it's raining. We have gone from 500 nesting pairs to over 3000, and that is just pigeon Island. So my advice is, if you get some walleyes on any of these lakes, take them home, fry them up and enjoy, in a few more years you won't be able to buy a fish out there, and it won't be because of the fisherman. Also if the dnr pulls you over to check your license out, voice your concern with what is happening, the only to get anything done is to keep on them and demanding they do something before it is to late.

[185Competitor]

Assuming the nesting period of cormorants is April through September, cormorants are responsible for eating 1,158,300 pounds of fish per season.

Using the same method for pelicans, which eat about 4 pounds of fish per day individually, 781,920 pounds of fish are eaten seasonally.

The combined fish consumption of cormorants and pelicans is equal to taking 5,390 2-pound fish per day, or 970,110 2-pound fish per season (April - September).

Fernstrom calculated that to be the equivalent of 1,347 fisherman taking four fish every day from April through September.

[workin4bait]

185 Comp.,

The C.O. that checks your license has nothing to do with the fisheries department whom you believe are peeing upon your head.

I caught 8 walleyes out of area lakes and released 6 of them[i would really like to see a cormorant eat those 22"-27" walleyes]. If cormorants are such a problem than how come has my fishing been getting better every year?[i have been fishing for better than forty years.] Maybe it is because the cormorants are eating all the baitfish,so the walleyes are eating crankbaits.

workin'

[perry p]

Interesting statements guys...releasing some fish is a respectable practice, thanks. I do think something needs to be done about the cormorant issue. I believe Lake Waconia had the same problem. I was told by the family who owns the Marina that cormorants affected the walleye population on that lake, they were nesting on Coney island. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they were culled just as they were on Leech lake. I will be investing some time on Washington lake and some of the other ones so I hope the fishery can be preserved.

[Avid Angler]

I don't doubt that the birds are affecting our lakes, but I still think more people need to govern themselves better and not get hoggish when they find a hot bite. For example: Let say three guys are fishing bluegills during the spawn and their limit is 60 total they could take home. The bite is hot, maybe they only take home 40 fish for the table. That is still 80 fillets. Each person gets about 26 fillets. That should feed a family of four if they have some potatos or something else with them.

Just because the DNR allows a person to take a certain amount, doesn't mean we have to max it out.

It is too bad we can't get the birds to do the same. We may have to give them lead poisoning from a rifle!!

Avid

[185Competitor]

Workin,

you are right, the cormorants have a problem eating bigger fish, the problem is getting the younger fish to grow up to be big fish. Catching 8 fish is nothing, 10 years ago you could go out and catch 20 to 30 walleyes, keep some for a nice meal and release the rest for another day. My cousin went to red lake on opener, in two hours they caught over 100 fish, now that is exceptional fishing, not saying that the lakes around here will ever be as good as red, but they used to be really decent for the area they were in. As far as the C.O. goes, a good friend of mine was a CO, they do a lot more than check your license, they are involved in all aspects of hunting and fishing, they will also help to make sure concerns are heard.

Avid,

I am mainly discussing walleyes, but I agree there are fish hogs out there, and I believe age has no bearing on there greed. The cormorants are a bigger threat than any fisherman, our jobs as sportsman is to help keep the balance in nature, and the dnr sets the regulations to help us keep everything in check, after all they are doing the population evaluations. I also no that our local dnr has it's hands tied, because the cormorant is protected by the federal government. I think people concentrate to much on the max size of fish, I would like to see the dnr impose a minimum size on fish, 10" for crappies, 15"for walleyes and so forth, I think that would help in giving us a better fishery with more quality fish.

[Slab_Supper]

Maybe you were a better fisherman back then compared to now?!

[MN Shutterbug]

Maybe the walleye are getting smarter.

[CaptainMusky]

More bigger fish isn't really the answer either look at mille lacs! So many 22 to 27 inch fish your head will spin but try and get a 17 to 19!.

[Hester]

Maybe the cormorants are just getting dumber.

[Slab_Supper]

went out to High Island Lake over the weekend. Caught a few walleye. Nice lake!

[Avid Angler]

Awesome!! Maybe get some of the pressure off the hot bite on Lake Addie!!