elk river Cambridge-Elk River-Foley-Milaca-Mora Fishing Reports

[monstermoose78]

Jeremy yes I kept grandma a couple.She eats the fish as fast I bring it to her. She told me to Thank you and eyeguy for giving up the couple extra as she had a fish fry for her brother last week and sister in-law.

Rick I am using the light one. it has the orange spot on it. What spring are you using? I really like the St Croix Legends and because of them I think I will garage sale to sell some of my old noodle rods I have. I really want to get another Legend and find a good inline kind of reel that you reel with your right hand and has a good drag system. Any Suggestions?

On my way to the Lake I came across something I have never seen before a flock of turkeys. I know I have seen many flocks of turkeys but this group had 2 Toms and 2 hens that were white with black and they had 3 normal hens as well. To bad Eyeguy was not around with his fancy camera I tried with my flip phone and they look like small snow piles.

[amateurfishing]

I was out yesterday am. timing was poor (10 -noon), tough time finding em, tougher time with biters, small gill & perch only takers, only used plastics

ice is still 3 feet deep (should be around a while yet), top 3-4 inches definitely weaker though a& easier to cut through

[Beast26]

So am I going to be able to get out on the ice tomorrow? We drove on the lake last Saturday. There was still 2.5 feet of ice on Saturday so i would think I will be okay tomorrow. Anyone been out?

[amateurfishing]

I have not been but drove by this am. open water has barely touched the shoreline, im thinkin still 2 1/2 plus feet of ice out there, im hoping to make some sunsets n sunrises this weekend

[amateurfishing]

bitterly disappointed this am as I thought I would have one or 2 trips left on the ice this season but had 10-15 ft of ice skimmed open water shoreline instead. no reason to do anything dumb, wait till winter and enjoy the boat till then.

[monstermoose78]

Well I took a drive today and caught some fish with the long rods. Little Elk is open, Blue Lake is very close to be open still a few chunks of ice floating around out there, Baxter is open and no dead fish floating that I could see. I did not make it up to Green or Spec. lakes. Get your long rods rigged up and get ready for some fun people.

[monstermoose78]

Well I am sure word is out that Little Elk Lake full of hungry crappies and gills in the shallows. I have yet to catch a crappies big enough to keep so far. I have caught one gill that was about 8 inches only a handful of ones over 7 inches. I can say that I put on a new flu flu jig and now it does not have any flu flu left. I have been tipping them with a piece of gulp angle worms about a half inch piece will do. Remember to take it off when your done fishing because when dried it never comes off the hook.

As for hunting reports the turkeys are still out smarting me and the nephew. I know it is a matter of time before they across the brook and meet their match. I will be hunting with my crossbow unless the nephew comes out again. It was an awesome more no wind, sunshine, and gobbles all over on the other side of the brook.

[amateurfishing]

took boat out for spin this am to test out, play with graph, and recon. boat was in great shape, 20 ft shallow bays starting to collect fish but most were deep with possible bug hatches....

[Snowking]

I got out and fished today. Caught 10 crappies kept 3 for dinner. Water temp was 54 degrees. I'd bet by Saturday the crappies will be hitting good. On a side note the dock wasn't out yet.

[monstermoose78]

The crappies were on the munch as were the gills. Crappies were hitting crappies minnows the gills were hitting wax worms on a green flu flu jig. I will be starting to post with photos again. As I got a different camera today. Good Luck to all.

[JeremyCampbell]

Nice report..

Sounds like eyeguy and I are due for another trip there soon.

[monstermoose78]

Well the fishing was slow on the rum, but a sucker, 2 little smallies, and 3 bullheads. The bugs are so bad. The flies are killer and so is everything else. Heard Green lake is putting some walleyes out and crappies in the 8-13 foot depths. Bass have been biting on most lakes if you are fishing for them. Lori has been putting some crappies out but the size is lacking for the most part.

[Juan Grande]

Found a big school of crappies on Blue this weekend. Probably 90% of them were 8" or smaller, but did some sorting and got 10 for the pan between 9-10".

[ozzie]

nice catch Juan!!

[monstermoose78]

Those will be tasty Juan very nice work getting them crappies.

[monstermoose78]

There is a crappie and sunfish bite going on lory lake in 8-12 feet of water range. Green Lake has been kicking out some crappies and a few walleyes mixed in the 10-16 foot range. Northern Pike have been active along the weed lines of most lakes. Bass have been being caught in the deeper weed lines during the day and the early morning or late evening topwater bite has been okay. Smallies and walleyes are being caught on the rum river.

[monstermoose78]

Well boy and girls,

I did it!! I went ice fishing today on Baxter and the ice was around 4 inches. I was out there with river rat316 in my new house. I have to say Thank you to Clam!! I love the Jason Mitchell Flipover. It made it nice to ice fish today and the seats are huge up grade from my old Voyager. I did not bring my camera for pictures but maybe river rat will post a couple for us. The fishing was okay for a first try. I normally bounce around fishing for gills, but the wind was cold. Lots of small fish, but a couple eaters were caught and released.

For rods I was using a St Croix legend with a shimano reel the ax 500. I was running 4 pound mono on that rod with a blue colored Clam Dingle Drop jig tipped with a wax worm. The other rod I was running was a Frabil in line combo with with the titanium spring bobber spooled with 2 pound test with a white tungsten jig. I do not remember what company made it and it was tipped with a wax worm.

Be careful on the ice!! Not all lakes have enough ice yet. Bring your safety gear.

[monstermoose78]

only pictures I had on my phone

[JeremyCampbell]

Nice job Moose and great report.

I also just picked up a St croix legend, its the "silver".Cant wait to try it out.Picked up the same heater you have in your pic a week ago too.I had what I think they call a sunflower heater last year.Seemed to fall over all the time , all I had to do was look at it.

[monstermoose78]

Awesome Jeremy let's find some big gills this winter

[monstermoose78]

Well I went and bought a new rod a St. Croix Silver and put a Black Betty 6061 I think it is called. I spooled it with 2 pound mono and put on a tungsten jig and tipped it with a wax worm. I have to say I knew the rod would do awesome, but with my big hands I was having trouble using the reel at first. It was okay once I got used to it. My nephew was using my set up from the my first trip out which was a St. Croix legend with the ax 500 and 4 pound test with white tungsten jig and wax worm.

He was watching the his jig on the underwater camera and he figured it out quick that you need to wait until the whole wax worm is in the fish's mouth before setting the hook. We were in 7 feet of water on Baxter Lake. Our northern pike set up was rod and reel spooled with 14 pound mono and steel leader with a good sized hook and pretty good nice sized float. We fished that 2 feet off the bottom with medium sucker minnows. There were lots of gills and crappies but boy them pike can clear them out fast. I only broke off once today on a pike and that was on my rod with 2 pound test.

We caught some okay size gills but not that many that were keepers, but we did not keep any fish. There was a lot of guys fishing out there today and they all seemed to trying to catch a limit of gills and crappies. Biggest crappie was like 9.5 inches and biggest gill was 8 and 5/16ths. We turned the heater on for few minutes and then it got to hot so we turned it off. We each caught one pike my nephew caught his personal best 29 inches and round 6-7 pounds and mine as 36 and about 10-14 pounds maybe a little more. It was a respectable northern and a great fish to keep the little fish under control. Photos are posted on another thread in this area. Good Luck and I hope this helps if you have questions please ask.

[amateurfishing]

Any local lakes kicking out fish? East twin seems to b dead......literally. tough time finding them and onlyba handful of 3 inchers in 3 outings

[monstermoose78]

Head north man head north. Little Elk is giving up some crappies and gills and so is Baxter.

[monstermoose78]

Well yesterday for my short outing a white tungsten jig with a pink underside was a good jig to use. I did not switch to any other rods or jigs, because the fish was on the munch. They were coming up 3 or 4 feet to bite. That may not seem like a lot to some of you, but when you are in 7 feet a water it seems like a lot more. I did not get bite off so I was extremely happy. I made the ice look like swiss cheese in the area I was fishing. Most were hunkered down in there houses, but I was bouncing around from hole to hole.

I just got home from spending the day in the Miller Center in St Cloud doing homework with my group. I need to pack up a few items for my night out with the wife. You all know a HAPPY WIFE IS A HAPPY LIFE. I do a few things for her and I get the pass to go fishing at will most of the time. Good Luck to everyone going ice fishing today it is so nice out and please post some reports and pictures for those who could not go out ice fishing today or any more.

[amateurfishing]

I tested Elk Lake south side side sat am for the very first time.......apparently comletely unprepared. The lake was much bigger than expected (im a walker) and I stayed on the ghost town of south side way to far to walk to honey hole from boat landing. 8-9 inches of excellent ice though.

[monstermoose78]

The honey hole is just a place people group up. Nothing special about it. I have always done better fishing in 10-13 feet of water away from the party hole.

[amateurfishing]

That depth still avoids 80% of lake still, doesnt it monstermoose? I walked quite a way out to well deeper than 10ft (according to navionics app) and never marked deeper than 4 ft on HB (20-30 yards past 10ft contour line on app).

[monstermoose78]

Yes it does. I do know the catch walleyes along the south shore in early part of the year. I have not done well for walleyes on Elk for a long time, but I do know guys who catch some. I normally fish it for gills and crappies

[monstermoose78]

I went looking for fish on the south side of Blue Lake. I found lots of perch and couple of them that could have been keepers in the 9 inch range. I think if I up sized to jigging spoon it may have kept the little ones from bugging me as much. I punched holes from 4 to 25 feet of water. I did switch to jigging spoon thinking that I might get lucky and pick up a eye or 2, but that did not work. I did not make it to the south hump, but I think if I could kept going I would have found some crappies and maybe some eyes.

[monstermoose78]

I went out fishing seeing I needed the relaxation it provides me. I did not break one line today. I brought the house out and I know better when I am on mission for gills. When I bring the house I do not move enough. I forgot the camera today. I did get some ok gills nothing over 9 again. I need to get out for full day of chasing gills on a lake that I know has some monsters in it. I am pumped because in 2 weeks finals are done and I will be on a mission quest for giant gill. I hope all of you are on some good bites.