Moose's Report - Cambridge-Elk River-Foley-Milaca-Mora-Ogilvie Fishing Reports

[gim]

1 hour ago, monstermoose78 said:

Hey guys don’t forget Shakopee lake has new bluegill rules now. 

 

I fish that lake about twice a year (usually in May before the weeds take over) and last year was the lowest I've ever seen it.  That area represents the flow of the Rum River so I hope it comes WAY up this spring.  The access was basically unusable by Memorial Day last year.

[Rick G]

15 hours ago, monstermoose78 said:

Hey guys don’t forget Shakopee lake has new bluegill rules now.

This lake has been known as the Foley fish market for years.  It gets piss pounded every winter from locals and folks coming up from the metro area. 

I for one am happy to see the strict bag limit imposed here. Shako has the potential to grown HUGE bluegills,. Hopefully it's not too late to save this one. Overall size has been filtered down to mostly smaller fish now. Like I said, hopefully not too late to save this one.

[gim]

On 3/15/2022 at 9:26 PM, Rick G said:

This lake has been known as the Foley fish market for years.  It gets piss pounded every winter from locals and folks coming up from the metro area. 

I for one am happy to see the strict bag limit imposed here. Shako has the potential to grown HUGE bluegills,. Hopefully it's not too late to save this one. Overall size has been filtered down to mostly smaller fish now. Like I said, hopefully not too late to save this one.

 

I've never fished it in the winter.  Just the open water season.  Its LOADED with small pike.

 

There are some days when I'm out there bass fishing and I catch 40 of those things in a few hours.  Its a good alternative to Mille Lacs when its too windy on the big lake.

[monstermoose78]

Went out today and enjoyed the wonderful weather. Tip for the day use sun screen or you will get burnt !! I found the fish to still be deep. 18-21 feet of water  the fish did not want the pinhead minnow or the maki white mino. They wanted a mayfly nymph in pink or purple with a 3 mm jig. I tried upsizing and it did not work. The fish were crushing the 3 mm jig with the nymph. I sure gave the Kichler Custom black ice a workout. I was releasing fish until I heard a voice in my mind say “let’s make a stink in the frying pan” so I kept some fish for fishing buddy’s family to have a fish fry in memory of him. 

[monstermoose78]

On 3/15/2022 at 9:26 PM, Rick G said:

This lake has been known as the Foley fish market for years.  It gets piss pounded every winter from locals and folks coming up from the metro area. 

I for one am happy to see the strict bag limit imposed here. Shako has the potential to grown HUGE bluegills,. Hopefully it's not too late to save this one. Overall size has been filtered down to mostly smaller fish now. Like I said, hopefully not too late to save this one.

I totally agree and I hope the new regs help the big gills come back in better numbers.

[monstermoose78]

Hit Mille Lacs today for gills, crappies, and perch. Fished from 5-21 feet of water and caught lots tiny perch. My buddy caught two keeper perch around 10-11 inches. No gills or crappies found. Ice is in great shape and around 26-28 inches. I maybe trying this again as I got an idea where to look.

[leech~~]

33 minutes ago, monstermoose78 said:

Hit Mille Lacs today for gills, crappies, and perch. Fished from 5-21 feet of water and caught lots tiny perch. My buddy caught two keeper perch around 10-11 inches. No gills or crappies found. Ice is in great shape and around 26-28 inches. I maybe trying this again as I got an idea where to look.

 

Was up there last weekend. About the same results.  

[Wanderer]

33 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

 

Was up there last weekend. About the same results.  

How was the slush?

[Rick G]

12 hours ago, monstermoose78 said:

Hit Mille Lacs today for gills, crappies, and perch. Fished from 5-21 feet of water and caught lots tiny perch. My buddy caught two keeper perch around 10-11 inches. No gills or crappies found. Ice is in great shape and around 26-28 inches. I maybe trying this again as I got an idea where to look.

Been a few years since I did that...lots of work, but can be worth the effort sometimes Definitely a fun time when you can find the gamefish .  Underwater camera is a huge benefit here... Stay in and around the broad leaf weeds, stay away from the sandgrass.  Soon as you start catching those tiny perch it's time to move.  

 

 

[monstermoose78]

21 hours ago, Rick G said:

Been a few years since I did that...lots of work, but can be worth the effort sometimes Definitely a fun time when you can find the gamefish .  Underwater camera is a huge benefit here... Stay in and around the broad leaf weeds, stay away from the sandgrass.  Soon as you start catching those tiny perch it's time to move.  

 

 

Rick We both went through 2 batteries drilling holes. We were always on the move and yeah a camera could have really helped. Made it out to the gator hole hoping to find some of the big crappies I know that live in the lake, but nothing. Rick maybe you can show me how to find em.

[gim]

On 4/5/2022 at 5:48 AM, monstermoose78 said:

Made it out to the gator hole hoping to find some of the big crappies I know that live in the lake, but nothing.

Crappies in that lake are a head scratcher.  I have seen some enormous slabs come out of there right after ice out in the back waters and marina areas.  In 2011 my Grandfather caught 2 crappies one April day and they were 15 and 18 inches.  He didn't think an 18 inch crappie was anything special either.  He showed it to me and I almost crapped my pants.

Edited April 7, 2022 by gimruis

[monstermoose78]

10 hours ago, gimruis said:

Crappies in that lake are a head scratcher.  I have seen some enormous slabs come out of there right after ice out in the back waters and marina areas.  In 2011 my Grandfather caught 2 crappies one April day and they were 15 and 18 inches.  He didn't think an 18 inch crappie was anything special either.  He showed it to me and I almost crapped my pants.

I have done well in the past but this trip was not what I was hoping for.

[monstermoose78]

Who is ready for turkey season?

[gim]

11 hours ago, monstermoose78 said:

Who is ready for turkey season?

I'm going during season B north of Princeton.  I have permission at three properties all right next to each other in case I need to move my blind around.  There are about 40 turkeys living in the immediate area.

 

The problem is that I've been hunting this flock for 3 years now.  The first year it was relatively easy, but the last 2 seasons they have wised up.  I saw over 50 turkeys in 4.5 days of hunting last spring, but not a single legal bearded male turkey would come within range.  It was extremely frustrating.  I'd just watch them for hours on the field and there was nothing I could do.

[Wanderer]

I hope to get some time.  Seems like I say that every year now instead of having any hunts actually planned.  Birds are just starting to show up where I can go.

 

@gimruis did you ever consider crawling out to those birds in the field using one of those turkey fan blinds? Seems like a last resort tactic but what do you have to lose at a certain point?

 

Also, when I hunted fields it was hit or miss for me too.  The best thing I ever did was get back into the woods and make them look for me. 
 

Good luck.

[leech~~]

Hope to give it a shot north of Brainerd where I have been seeing some birds.  It can be a tough area with not much for fields and lot of room to roam.  They don't seem to call as much as the birds I hunted down by Caledonia, mn.  It maybe their a little more wary of all the predator's up there?    

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, leech~~ said:

They don't seem to call as much as the birds I hunted down by Caledonia, mn.  It maybe their a little more wary of all the predator's up there?    

They very well may not call as much in the northern MN woods but I honestly believe cover and topography has ALOT to do with how well we can hear them.

 

I’ve the hunted the MN bluff country, Black Hills, Dakota prairies, MN flat farm land and river bottoms.  Some birds are quiet for sure but to hear them well at a distance you have to have a pretty unobstructed straight line between you and the bird with the cooperation of the wind.  Either none or the right direction.
 

I learned in the bluffs and hills if I heard the bird well and could pin point them, they were either really close or on the other hill.  I got excited when I couldn’t pinpoint them well at a distance cuz they were on the side of my hill.  Valleys are great sound chambers.  Flat ground with lots of trees is not.

 

The last river bottom bird I got, he was up on the field (maybe 20-30 feet higher) and I was down in the maple tree bottom near his roost that I let him leave that morning before sliding in.  I could only faintly hear him and I had to call LOUD for him to hear me.  The first time I saw him on his way back he was about 200 yards away and I still couldn’t hear him well even watching him gobble.  It was kinda surreal.  He gobbled a lot but was never loud and clear as the sound bounced around in the trees until he got close.

 

 

[gim]

On 4/13/2022 at 11:21 AM, Wanderer said:

did you ever consider crawling out to those birds in the field using one of those turkey fan blinds? Seems like a last resort tactic but what do you have to lose at a certain point?

Crawling out to them in the field?  I'll pass.  I like filling my tag but not that much!

 

Seems like I go through this problem every few years when I find a new place to hunt with a lot of bird activity around.  Its relatively easy for the first year or two, and then its becomes significantly tougher.  The last area I hunted still had birds, but I had hunted them every spring for a number of years and it just simply became too difficult, so I looked for new ground.  Luckily I can obtain permission on private property when I ask most of the time.

 

Normally I place my blind so that its relatively hidden or at least blends in with the surroundings like on the edge of the woods, amongst some pine trees, etc.  I'm considering plopping my blind right down smack in the middle of the field though.  What do you think of that?  To me it looks very unnatural but I've heard that turkeys aren't bothered by it.  I'll be hunting exactly one week from today.

Edited April 14, 2022 by gimruis

[leech~~]

Sniping, can be fun. My last bird was around noon off a logging road at the top of a big hill. The road had a lot of up and down dips. He never called, I just saw the top of his fan go up. I got down and crawled about 80 yards to the next raise and got ready. As soon as he topped it and I could see his 10" beard boom! One of the funniest hunts I ever had.

Edited April 15, 2022 by leech~~

[Wanderer]

6 hours ago, gimruis said:

Crawling out to them in the field?  I'll pass.  I like filling my tag but not that much!

I’ve crawled in to a few birds.  Some people don’t like it - not the traditional way of doing things but it has its own mystique in my mind.  I’ve never felt more like a true predator than getting into a toms zone when he hangs up and figures another bird is there.

 

6 hours ago, gimruis said:

I'm considering plopping my blind right down smack in the middle of the field though.  What do you think of that?  To me it looks very unnatural but I've heard that turkeys aren't bothered by it.  I'll be hunting exactly one week from today.

It works for a lot of people.  I’ve never done it.  Plus I kinda hate sitting in a blind.  I only do it if I’m trying with a bow.  I’ve killed only one bird from a blind.

[monstermoose78]

Holy cold!! I am waiting to put the blind up sometime this week unless they say more snow is coming. 

[Wanderer]

Snow tonight, rain Wednesday.  Rain again for next weekend. 

[Mike89]

snowing here now...   was 1 to 3 now back down to 1 inch... 

[gim]

On 4/14/2022 at 8:32 PM, Wanderer said:

It works for a lot of people.  I’ve never done it.  Plus I kinda hate sitting in a blind.  I only do it if I’m trying with a bow.  I’ve killed only one bird from a blind.

I've always hunted from a blind.  Its a really nice one that my deceased Grandfather gifted to me before he died, so it holds some sentimental value too.  Its a Lucky's brand one made in Michigan.  I realize that the mobility is not as good, but a blind has advantages that outweigh not using one for me.  I can move a little so I can drink coffee, look through binoculars, and use a hand call from a very comfortable chair.  I can bring someone with because there's enough room for 2.  Plus if it rains, I stay completely dry.  I've turkey hunted for 17 seasons and I've taken 8 turkeys from it.  This will be my 18th season, and I've never gone 3 seasons in a row without tagging a bird.  I currently have a 2 year drought so I need to end that this season!

 

I am going to plop that blind down right in the middle of a field if I need to this season and just see how they react.  I'm sure they'll re-route past the location I had my blind the day before along the edge of the woods. 

 

My two best strategies have always been scouting ahead of time and patience.  Never been much of a caller or decoy guy.  Scouting and waiting usually pays off if I sit there long enough.  Lately though, it has not worked.  The scouting part I have down, but the distance needs to be closed so I can take a shot.

Edited April 18, 2022 by gimruis

[monstermoose78]

Working with hazel a couple times a night has been making a big difference. She is still a stubborn cuss, but she is coming along. I will try to take some photos tomorrow. Hazel looks so small next to Finn, but she is 59.7 pounds as of last Thursday. Her prey instinct is extremely high and she will be a hunting machine. I do have Hazel going to training for blind retrieves and few other things in June. I thought I would try with her and so I can learn how did that in the future. 

[gim]

I forgot to post this but I got a jake during season B north of Princeton on some private land.  I had been hunting this flock of birds for 3 seasons now.  I hear and/or see them every day, but simply could not get a legal bearded turkey to come within range.  Finally, a hen came walking out with a jake and I dusted the jake on the 4th day of my hunt.  There's plenty of birds there, including several mature toms, so I intend to keep hunting there in the future as long as I can obtain permission.  The weather was downright terrible.  I had one nice morning of sunshine and then it was windy, rainy, and raw for days.  Saturday morning even produced a heavy summer-type down pour.  I was so thankful to be hunting in a blind.  I also saw a fair amount of other wildlife in four days, including deer, pheasants, a pair of raccoons, and a coyote.

[monstermoose78]

Hazel loves antlers

[gim]

Fishing has been OK recently.  Biggest largemouth I have recently caught was a 18 inch beat up female in post-spawn mode.  After the warmer temps this week, I think everything will be completely done spawning and fish will set up in a summer-type pattern.

[gim]

Floated the Rum for about 4.5 hours on Saturday and caught 14 smallmouth and 2 pike.  A shallow crayfish colored crank bait did most of the damage.  When a fish would swipe at it and miss, I'd toss right back in with a small tube and the same fish hit that.  This tactic worked several times.  All the brownies were between 12-17 inches.  I might give it a try again later this week.  Was good to be back on the river.  Haven't been able to do this in almost 3 years.

[monstermoose78]

I have been working with the pups and Hazel’s training went well. She learned a lot there and it made my life much better. As you can see Finn was not happy with her return from training.

 

Edited July 12, 2022 by monstermoose78