Winter Wanderbouts

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, Wanderer said:

 The more you know, the more you can go…. 

 

 

THAT'S why I ask questions on a Fishing Forum!  

[Wanderer]

24 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

 

THAT'S why I ask questions on a Fishing Forum!  

Sure, it seems like the info you’ve gotten is never enough for you to actually GO. 

 

The inverse of that statement is true too:

The more you go, the more you know…

 

At some point you just gotta send it. 
 

I’ll tell ya this; I have several people that tell me they want to go fishing many times but when it comes time to go, they get quiet on me.  I’ve missed too many days waiting on people that eventually back out.  I have some, but fewer, people who really do go no matter what once we make plans.  Those are the people I fish with and share the most info with.  

We put in our dues together and learn more faster.

 

It only takes 1 or 2 to multiply your efforts and subsequent real time knowledge but you have to be one of the team and put in some work.  When I get called a liar for giving specific info on a daily changing condition I honestly don’t feel like I owe anybody who’s not out there too, one dam thing. 
 

A true conservative I guess. 

Edited February 15, 2022 by Wanderer

[smurfy]

what really bad is i grew up like a mile from the horseshoe chain, even less to the river access and now only 5 miles away.....unless you count the cold spring river access, and i have barely a clue where to go!!!!!!! 

[leech~~]

4 hours ago, Wanderer said:

Sure, it seems like the info you’ve gotten is never enough for you to actually GO. 

 

The inverse of that statement is true too:

The more you go, the more you know…

 

At some point you just gotta send it. 
 

I’ll tell ya this; I have several people that tell me they want to go fishing many times but when it comes time to go, they get quiet on me.  I’ve missed too many days waiting on people that eventually back out.  I have some, but fewer, people who really do go no matter what once we make plans.  Those are the people I fish with and share the most info with.  

We put in our dues together and learn more faster.

 

It only takes 1 or 2 to multiply your efforts and subsequent real time knowledge but you have to be one of the team and put in some work.  When I get called a liar for giving specific info on a daily changing condition I honestly don’t feel like I owe anybody who’s not out there too, one dam thing. 
 

A true conservative I guess. 

 

You know you really shouldn't let it bother you.  I don't live 20mins from Brainerd.  If the forums were going like they use to, it wouldn't be so hard to get some feed back from folks about lake conditions.  Instead of loading up the sled, house and gear just to drive 2hrs north, spend $40 on gas to find out I'm going to spend half the day digging my sled off a lake.  

Relax and take a load off, your still the hero of the North! 

[Wanderer]

41 minutes ago, smurfy said:

what really bad is i grew up like a mile from the horseshoe chain, even less to the river access and now only 5 miles away.....unless you count the cold spring river access, and i have barely a clue where to go!!!!!!! 

The Horseshoe Chain used to be my absolute favorite system to fish for bass once I figured it out.  15 lb bags minimum on tourney day and usually anchored with a 5 lbr.  No idea if the cats have changed the bass fishing there but it was awesome.

 

The year I got my new boat (1990 Ranger 482 with 150 Yammy) there was smack talk in the club between me and a buddy who had the newest boat up till then (1988 360 Ranger with a 150 Merc XR4) about being the fastest.  We raced once on Big Marine but there was a lot of other boat traffic and wakes so when we got the opportunity to run the Sauk from the Cold Spring launch to the chain at 5:30 one morning we were giddy.  
 

Learning the river route with all the islands and bays was one thing but running that whole distance at a 60 mph neck and neck boat race was a rush I still remember details of!  It was awesome!  Called it draw when we peeled off to our start spots.  Neither of us gave an inch.  Best boat race I’ve ever had.

 

Spent plenty of summer hours out there but very few winter ones.  Tom Sawyer got me out there one day for cats. We did pretty good plus I speared a carp.  Otherwise winter would be a whole new game out there for me.

[Wanderer]

7 hours ago, leech~~ said:

 

You know you really shouldn't let it bother you.  I don't live 20mins from Brainerd.  If the forums were going like they use to, it wouldn't be so hard to get some feed back from folks about lake conditions.  Instead of loading up the sled, house and gear just to drive 2hrs north, spend $40 on gas to find out I'm going to spend half the day digging my sled off a lake.  

Relax and take a load off, your still the hero of the North! 

It doesn’t bother me that much - hence the emoji’s .  
 

I’m no hero.  Just sharing.

Edited February 16, 2022 by Wanderer

[gimruis]

11 hours ago, Wanderer said:

The Horseshoe Chain used to be my absolute favorite system to fish for bass once I figured it out.  15 lb bags minimum on tourney day and usually anchored with a 5 lbr.  No idea if the cats have changed the bass fishing there but it was awesome.

 

The catfish have changed the fishery, but they haven't really altered the bass population.  Tournament pressure on bass may have simply made the bass tougher to catch.  Catfish are voracious predators, more than people think.  I sometimes hear of people complaining that the panfish population has suffered because of the catfish though.  I don't know if that's scientifically true or anecdotally true; it could be that the same anglers who filled their bucket with panfish for years of over harvest just need a reason to blame something else other than themselves.

 

I have heard people blame the muskies in there in this fashion too, and that has actually been scientifically proven not to be the case with stomach content studies.

[smurfy]

the fact that they changed the limit of catfish from 5 to 10 a few years ago gotta tell ya something.  not sure if this is true or not but heard the carp population isnt near as bad either. 

 

last winter i caught i pretty nice catfish.......i thought what the heck.kept it, cleaned it and brought it down to the wild game feed.i actually thought it was pretty good!!!!!!!

[gimruis]

30 minutes ago, smurfy said:

kept it, cleaned it and brought it down to the wild game feed.i actually thought it was pretty good!!!!!!!

 

Catfish is good.  Its very popular in the south.  People around here have a tough time getting past the barbs on the fins and those long whisker-type barbels.

[smurfy]

11 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

Catfish is good.  Its very popular in the south.  People around here have a tough time getting past the barbs on the fins and those long whisker-type barbels.

growing up, we lived in richmond, my grandparents lived along the sauk river, we had access to fishing there and what was at one time knowN as brinky's channel, right next to what is now channel marine. we pulled a many bullheads out of that system. we had an old feller that would smoke them....man they were good.

 

the wiskers never bothered us..but man the pokes with them stickers on therE back...OUCHY!!!!! so that never phased me with the catfish.

 

my next endeavor is to get over the disqusting eelpout!!!!!!!!

[Wanderer]

5 hours ago, smurfy said:

my next endeavor is to get over the disqusting eelpout!!!!!!!!

Just prepped some for dinner tonight! 

One side filleted better ‘n da other but after it’s cubed it’s all the same.

[Wanderer]

Cubed, breaded and air fried pretty much like most other fish except firmer.  That firmness is what holds up to the boiling process but I just wasn’t feelin’ that tonight.  So, more proof they eat just fine otherwise.

 

I’d actually rate the firmness similar to halibut but not quite the taste.

 

So, that being said, I probably won’t keep keeping them unless I wanna do a boil, they swallow the hook, or I don’t have much else in da bucket.

[Wanderer]

Oh yeah, almost forgot. 
 

Did about a 50-60 mile tour and checked 4 lakes this evening.  1 I’ve never fished, 1 I’ve fished once, and the other two I’ve fished a few times.  
 

There were a few houses on the ones I fished before, right about where I expected they would be.  But the two others I was a little surprised at how everyone was set.  I can’t tell if they’re after walleyes or panfish for sure.  Sooo, I guess I have to investigate.

 

22 inches of ice, maybe a foot of hard packed snow and no current slush that I could see.  Looked like there had been some before but it’s all locked up now.  Plowed roads are all drifted in but driveable.

 

Now, which direction from Nunya did I go? 

[Wanderer]

Uff da!  Wind gusts to almost 50 today!

 

 

[smurfy]

Yea you might wanna stay away from 371 by hole in the day bay. Big butt pile up there, roads closed. Along with a whole bunch more in north western minn according to 511.

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, smurfy said:

Yea you might wanna stay away from 371 by hole in the day bay. Big butt pile up there, roads closed. Along with a whole bunch more in north western minn according to 511.

I heard like 30 cars!

[Rick G]

Here is the video...crazy

[leech~~]

2 hours ago, smurfy said:

Yea you might wanna stay away from 371 by hole in the day bay. Big butt pile up there, roads closed. Along with a whole bunch more in north western minn according to 511.

Thanks for the update. Just text my daughter and her husband not to try and run up to their cabin tonight!  

[Wanderer]

I’m bailing on fishing overnight night tonight but staying on call in case my bud needs help out there.

 

He says he hasn’t fished enough yet this year to let a free night pass. 

[Mike89]

sounds like it's getting slowly opened up ..  one lane for sure I read..

[leech~~]

53 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

Thanks for the update. Just text my daughter and her husband not to try and run up to their cabin tonight!  

 

Well I knew it. Sure enough she said that she went by Hold in the Day to their cabin on Roy, 2hrs before the pile up!  

[smurfy]

34 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

 

Well I knew it. Sure enough she said that she went by Hold in the Day to their cabin on Roy, 2hrs before the pile up!  

Darn kids, 

 

Hey they don't happen to drive past this nunya lake do they!!!

Edited February 19, 2022 by smurfy

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, smurfy said:

Darn kids, 

 

Hey they don't happen to drive past this nunya lake do they!!!

North Nunya is…. A little further north of Roy. 

[leech~~]

11 hours ago, smurfy said:

Darn kids, 

 

Hey they don't happen to drive past this nunya lake do they!!!

Silly, every lake is Nunya lake to somebody!

[Wanderer]

On 12/12/2021 at 8:02 AM, Wanderer said:

I usually spend most of my time in central to north central MN so that’s most of what you’ll see here.  I don’t name lakes much unless they’re bigger.

 

< 500 acres ain’t big.

[Wanderer]

Yep, it’ll be a grind with this bite tonight.  Sucking minnows down but not holding. Mouthing waxies on tungsten.  But a couple pulled a little too much so far.

 

Deep fish; keeping them all. 
 

11.75”

 

 

[smurfy]

Hey at least you have a TV to watch!!5

[Rick G]

Yep, tonight's bite was tough. Had my best luck ripping a small spoon. Making them chase, reaction bites. The ones that took too long to look weren't interested enough to bite

1 hour ago, Wanderer said:

Yep, it’ll be a grind with this bite tonight.  

[Wanderer]

2 hours ago, Rick G said:

Yep, tonight's bite was tough. Had my best luck ripping a small spoon. Making them chase, reaction bites. The ones that took too long to look weren't interested enough to bite

I might try a glow slender spoon here for a bit.  The blade spoon called a few in for a while but lost its magic.

 

My little 13 Fishing tungsten with a waxie has taken most of em.  A little Billy Rub might’ve helped for a couple too.

 

 

4 hours ago, smurfy said:

Hey at least you have a TV to watch!!5

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by Wanderer
1 too many pics!

[Wanderer]

Eeesch…. Had a little action around 5:30 this morning.  Caught one jigging and then my set line got hit.  The one on the set line didn’t feel like too much so I purposely didn’t work it too hard and it came off below the ice but not real far.

 

45-50 minutes later, checking the bobber, this guy is just laying there.

 

That’s why I don’t C&R deep fish right there… 35 down over 45.