Fishin' with the boys

[Rick G]

Got together with Icehawk, Royce and Tommy S for a day of fishing North of town. We started out on a producer of big panfish....or atleast it used to be. We cut a ton of holes with nothing to show for it. Second and third lake were much the same story...small perch or small panfish. Lake number 4 was a bit better, we had to do some searching to find the gills and a lot of hole hoping to keep on them. Still, we managed to catch quite a few respectable fish through out the afternoon.    I have few pics, hopefully Tommy and Royce have some more to add.

 

 

 

[eyeguy 54]

fun day for sure!  thanks again guys for drilling and drilling and drilling and drilling.   

[IceHawk]

Had a great time guys!  The day started out a little slow but ended in a bang.  Was amazed lake # 1 didn't produce. Me and Rick were both looking at each other in amazement in my truck after we punched close to a 100 plus holes with no monster gills to be found.This lake has produced monster gills in the past for both of us and today they were a no show. Lake # 2 was okay for sure definitely caught a pile of fish but not what we came for. Off to Lake # 3 a small Fertile lake that should of been the one but nope they alluded us again. We had a mini staff meeting by the trucks  and put all our thoughts together lake number four was decided on. Off we go in route my phone rings and Its Tom S he suggested another option being we were close. By the way great call Tom . Why not its been good before. We headed to a waypoint spot that's produced over the yrs  and punched and punched. Me Rick and Tom are still  augering and  First fish up a nice Pie by Royce and he motioned we were on fish. We started catching decent fish but still not what we all came for. Then Ricky banged the first 9 1/2 inch gill then another then Royce hit a good one game on!!! We dialed in the area of the bigger fish and had a great afternoon of good fishing , good eats by Royce some excellent brats on the ice and some great laughs.  We didn't get our 11 incher  but a few 9 inch plus gills and some  11 inch pies and a bunch of 71/2-8 inch gills  to keep the excitement going. On the way home I was smileing and I thought two my self this is what FM should be again good times good laughs and good fishing  We will do it again boys that 11 incher is waiting for us.

[smurfy]

NIC  outing guys, but.................most of us gotta work!!!!!!!!!

[Tom Sawyer]

Tell me about it smury; after punching that many holes, I sure can feel it today. Might have to take a day off to recover and recharge the batteries. Haven't worked that hard in a while.

Great time on the ice yesterday guys. The decent fishing was a bonus. Nice catching up with you again Chris to rip some lips and talk fishing. A website wide GTG some Saturday, out on a centrally located MN lake would sure be a riot.

Anyone chasing panfish now, and this pattern should only get stronger as the days get longer and the sun rays warmer. Look more to the edges of deep basins and on top of weedy shallow flats, for fish gorging on insect life. The basins still hold fish, but the migration has definitely begun.   The other day I caught my best fish in 4'.

Good luck everyone........

 

 

 

 

 

[leech~~]

10 hours ago, Tom Sawyer said:

 

Nice never caught a MN Bone Fish in the winter. How was the fight?

[IceHawk]

He was using it for bait hopeing for that mystical 42 inch pike swimming out there.   Nice catch Royce cant say I ever iced one of those but I did catch a big carp on a jigging rap one time talk about a fight under the ice 

[Weathertite]

I still cant believe lake #1 didn't produce. Shocking !!!!!!  Glad you guys had other options and that they produced for you. Great fish pics.

[IceHawk]

I tell you Mike that lake was one of the best for years but defiantely was a bust this time.

[eyeguy 54]

the bone fish fought like a true champion.

[eyeguy 54]

pickles rock!  might just have to bring some next trip.

[smurfy]

there's that photogenic hounddog again!!!!!!!!! so is it really the camera or the food?

by the way, did you keep that bone fish to pickle?

 

[eyeguy 54]

Smoked a couple last year and did not care for it so probably wont pickle one. 

[smurfy]

got friends from up nort...............think deer river, that do the spring creek thing, they can them like a tuna thing?????

[IceHawk]

Can them wonder how they would b? Smurfy you be the test pilot and let us know how they are  I have had them smoked and really didn't care for them.  As a kid I remember my father and uncles stomping through the creek by pearl lake. They loved them smoked

[eyeguy 54]

I got spoiled smoking tullies.  tried 2 different types of suckers last spring and just not much flavor.  but I could have done it wrong. maybe a different brine or something. man I need some tullies to smoke!  none since last winter.

[IceHawk]

Royce think Millacs is giving some up. Maybe some of the millacs guys could pm one of us some coordinates. I could go for some smoked also plus  they are a blast to catch!

[eyeguy 54]

I would love to go Monday and try for some. The smoker is waiting! !  

[smurfy]

23 minutes ago, IceHawk said:

Can them wonder how they would b? Smurfy you be the test pilot and let us know how they are  I have had them smoked and really didn't care for them.  As a kid I remember my father and uncles stomping through the creek by pearl lake. They loved them smoked

never liked them smoked either. to many bones. tried there canned ones. wasn't a fan either. guess them northen folk are a bit different. they  go hog wild about them.

19 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

I got spoiled smoking tullies.  tried 2 different types of suckers last spring and just not much flavor.  but I could have done it wrong. maybe a different brine or something. man I need some tullies to smoke!  none since last winter.

man its been years since I caught and had smoked tullies. remember bringing hundreds to vogts in cold spring to smoke. back in the good old leech lake days. being seriously thinking about another tullibee trip to leech soon off of stoney point! 

[eyeguy 54]

I am ready to go if you know where they are. checking on mille lacs also. monday looks like a nice day.

[IceHawk]

Smurfy  Memories we brought ours there also John and Eric or Dave always got a laugh when we brought in a half of a 55 barrel drum full. Remember those days on Stoney point. We would all pile in trucks in Cold Spring and head up. A lot of times it would be foggy when you got out there once you broke out of the fog there were guys everywhere. Most of them you knew if not you got to know them  Defiantely was a tradition around our area. What a blast good times.

[eyeguy 54]

sounds like a hoot!

[smurfy]

no kidding. we made a weekend out of it. stayed at one of the andersons resorts. one year ya'd be fishing in t shirts getting sunburn. next year cold as heck. one year we went up early, thurs nite, cold blowing snow. ugly. no one in the parking lot. followed tracks out with snowmobile. watched odometer and about 2 miles out, drilled hole. BAM!  set up house.....no heater. off to reeds. just crushed them!!!!!

oh yea and met a lot of cold spring people out there!!!!!!!!!!

[leech~~]

Like the taste of smoked tullies but they or the MN Bone Fish!

I get some out of Pelican up in Brainerd every time I go and their pretty nice size. They are kind of fun the way they fly up and down like Lakers after the lure.

[smurfy]

We pickled tullies also and they were actually pretty darn good.