Pike fishermen

[widetrack]

FYI, the Warroad river has opened up out past the docks at the Jetty.

[hanson]

Thanks Widetrack.<P>Figured the ice would be gone by this weekend after seeing the condition of it last weekend. There were some big potholes out there that I didn't dare step in to see if they went down a foot or all the way through. <P>Anybody up there use canoes to get out onto the ice at all? That thought briefly crossed my mind but I didn't want to end up being the guy making the paper for doing something stupid.<P>Put my ice fishing gear away for the year. Well almost. Sorting through it to see what I need to replenish for next year and getting my Otter organized for some high speed travel.

[widetrack]

Hanson:<P>I've got a mustang suit you can borrow if you are crazy enough to be in a canoe in these frigid waters, fighting big fish.<P>Otherwise I don't think I'd try it.

[Spunky]

Widetrack, I was up there last weekend and did not find any pike, would the river be holding some this weekend? How does a person go about fishing for them now? How deep is the warroad river? <P>------------------<BR>Rip sum Lips

[widetrack]

Spunky:<P>To be perfectly honest, I'm not all that close with the pike fishing thing. I catch plenty by accident though. I could tell you a few things about muskies, but thats a different story.<P>I know guys fish them off the docks there, and also from boats. It all depends on if they are upstream or not yet I would guess. I think it's typically better a little later, as they get them with dead bait after they are returning to the lake after spawn. <P>Perhaps someone else will chime in with a better response.<P>PS: It sure is fun to drive around and check the shallow stretches of river water this time of year though. I've seen some dandies swimming about usually followed by a male or two with smiles on their faces.<P><p>[This message has been edited by widetrack (edited 04-08-2004).]

[JIGGIT]

I will be up this weekend to visit some family. i have been watching the posts to see when the ice would be off the river in warroad, and my question is where exactly is jetty. i'm not new to the area, but new enough i'm not sure what/where jetty is located. i have done enough hard water fishing this year (mostly near wheelers & longpoint area) to know that it has been really slow compared to previous years (walleye). is this true with the pike as well & do the normally show in the river this time of year??

[hanson]

Widetrack,<BR>Thanks for the advice on the canoe. I tell you what, we've done some pretty crazy things hunting ducks in the fall. The water can't be much colder now than it is then. I'm just not too familiar with late winter ice and I honestly don't know how familiar I want to get with it. Sometimes I just have a hard time putting my ice fishing gear away and crazy ideas start popping into my head about how to extend the season.<P>JIGGIT,<BR>Head to the public access on the river past the casino. There is a long concrete walk going out into the lake with a blinker on the end of it. That would be the jetty. I haven't fished open water on LOW since my grandpa quit parking his motorhome at Springsteel years ago so I'm not too in tune with fishing Pike in the river. I do know a few years ago, a kid from Crookston had his picture on the front of the Crookston Times with a 24 or 25 lb Pike he caught fishing from the jetty sometime in the early spring. Some guys we talked with when we were Pike fishing last weekend said they've set up at the mouth of the river on the ice and have just hammered the Pike. This year they said had been real slow for them.

[widetrack]

Hanson:<P>I have a vivid memory of setting decoys out in the late fall from a canoe with my brother at 0dark30. I was only 13yrs old, and yep we managed to roll it over. Made it to shore, and back to the truck with out hypothermia, but I bet I was darn close. I've had a lot of respect for cold water ever since.

[AaronM]

Has anybody been catching northerns yet?

[widetrack]

Talked to Fisky at the Warroad dock yesterday. So far it has been real quiet.

[JIGGIT]

we were out at the warroad docks today. not only was today really slow, but it was very cold. nothing happening.

[AaronM]

I'll confirm the slow and the cold for last night's fishing. Anyone have a report from today?