Bass Fishing

[George R]

How was the bass fishing over the week end? Can't wait, were headed out from Kansas City on Friday. Thanks for all the info many of you have shared with me.

[Guest]

Hi George,
The bass were biting very well for us on West Battle. We finished a tournament hosted by this site on Battle over the weekend and fishing was great!

Docks and lifts produced our bass, shallow water.

Looks like you might get a bit of a taste of MN weather this weekend. The temps are going to be feeling like fall already! Bring a jacket and warmer clothes. Highs in the low-mid 60's and lows at night in the upper 40's. You gotta love that compared to the heat of this summer!

Good luck.

[CPRBASS]

Hey CD,
My parents live in the Battle Lake area and I fish a lot of the area lakes, but I have never really tried West Battle. Can you give me any specifics on the bass there. Aren't most of the docks on pure sand with a lot of shallow water leading up to them or do these docks still hold fish? Have you had any luck with other patterns besides docks? Any information would be great.

George,
The bass fishing was great this last weekend, at least for the a.m. bite. Some of the lakes I have had good luck with this year are upper and middle comorrant (nelson & rossman), lida, lizzie, crystal, dead, east battle, and clitheral. I used to have success on Johnson and South Turtle in the past, but I haven't fished them lately. Texas rigged lizards and brush hogs, carolina rigs, and tubes have been really hot lately for me. I am not sure how to approach the cooler weather this weekend yet though. Good Luck.

[Guest]

CPR,
I couldn't believe it myself, but all of our quality sized bass came off of docks and lifts with an extremely long, shallow, sand flats with nothing for structure around. They were living right there at all times in about 2 feet of water.
In fact, our largest fish came from underneath a pontoon I caught one week B4 our tourney, I took us back to the spot and we caught that very same bass on the first cast!
There was nothing special to location. Our best spot was near a reed patch west of Sunset Beach Resort and westward about 1/2 mile from there.

Also more docks east of Sand Bay Resort in very, very shallow water was another favorite.

We also caught lots of small bass trolling cranks for northerns and walleye. All depths too, 8-25 feet! I caught lots of bass targeting walleye with live bait in 20-30 feet too. They are everywhere!

For lures, Senkos work great, Power worms with a small weight and jig n pigs caught big fish too. Spinnerbaits produced bass in the reeds only, they must have been more aggressive fish.

[CPRBASS]

CD,
That is very interesting and somewhat suprising. Thanks for the information.

[George R]

What a weather change....I think it's going to cool off to about a 100 tomorrow in the 90's by Friday. Bassin sound great. Can't wait to catch & release a lot of them. I don't care what the weather is like....I'm gonna catch some of those Minn. bass.

P.S. Time for the Twins to fold and let the Royals win the division....

[FLB]

George R,
How did you do?
FLB

[CPRBASS]

I am curious too. How did it go for you George R? I hope the fishing was good.

[George R]

Fishing was "fantastic"...caught about 60 bass over a 5 day stretch. Biggest was 5lbs 15oz. over 19". about 10 in the 16-18" ranges. Many over 14 and throw in a couple 5.5lbs northerns and it was great. Norway is an awesome lake. I love the catch and release...fished Pickeral, caught my first small mouth. Big fish came out of south turtle. Clitherall furnished some decent bass also. You guys have a great "bass fishing" area. Clear water, stained water, lilly pads, grass...you got it all. And very little fishing pressure. Nothing like I'm use to. I can see over a 100 bass boats in a day on Truman. So much pressure down here it's unbelievable...would like to come up again before it gets too cold. Thanks for all the help. Will definitely be back next year. Plastic worms did the trick on most of them. Threw a 12" worm I use on Truman and Smithville and it worked great. Threw a lot of sliders also. You need to get some. Make sure it has some chartruese in it...and hang on.

[CPRBASS]

Great!
I am sure glad that you had success. You are right the lakes up here are excellent and there isn't much for fishing pressure either.

[Guest]

George R.......If you caught a big bass on South Turtle, and it was from under the dock or the pontoon on the very west end of the lake down in front of a red building with a deck between it and a screenhouse.....I hope you released him. He's a family pet. That's my place........Cryin' shame isn't it? I'm a walleye head with a cabin on a bass lake. WE CATCH (AND RELEASE) a ton of bass each year. The buggers even hit during ice season....T

[Guest]

George said that he C+R the bass. Thanks for the directions to your place Tbone...might have to give it a try! just kiddin.

South Turtle sounds fun though!

[Gissert]

CD-

You'll have to join T-Bone and I for some winter bass on S. Turtle this winter. They can be pretty active at first ice.

First, you will have to find a way to get us off Otter Tail, LOL.

[Guest]

Sounds like fun, I love catching bass through the ice.

Last year OT was on fire early ice...never caught that many nice eyes. It slowly died as the ice got thicker though.

I'm already itching for ice!! Gotta hunt the ducks first

[Guest]

The water level on the lake is dropping like a stone. Without any rain for weeks and pumping, it's lower than it's been in ages. Since the lake can't drain, it takes on all that North Turtle can send along. My brother the Gissert can tell you alot more. He's directly involved with the pumping process and workings. Before pumping, you could bobber fish for bluegills in front of his place from the outhouse!.....T

[FLB]

I'd love to have been able to s_it and fish out of that outhouse! You know...take a load off my mind while catching 'gills.
FLB

[CPRBASS]

Hey TBone, what is the water level like on S. Turtle? Are they still trying to drain the lake some or not? Has it affected the fishing much?

[Gissert]

CPRBASS -

The water level on S. Turtle should not drop a whole lot more a result of pumping this year. We only have From August 1 to September 30 to pump.

The pond that we pump from is about a half mile from the lake itself, and there is a tight narrows/high spot in between that is choking off the flow to our pump. In a 36 hour period, we are pumping 12 hours.

He have until September 30, and then we have to cease per an agreement with the landowner. Since August 1, we have dropped the lake roughly 13 inches. Some of that was due to evaporation of course. The lake is down 17 inches from its high point on July 12.

The lake is still VERY high. The ordinary high water elevation is a tad over 1318 MSL, and we are still a couple feet above that. Our engineering study estimated that we could get down to about 1320 MSL. The elevation on most maps shown the lake to be at 1316 MSL, and we have been close to 1322-1323 a couple of times. Parts of my lawn that were being mowed when my dad bought the place in the 70's have been under nearly six feet of water at times. Hopefully, the ground water inflow is slowed from years past. I would just as soon not pump next year. That is a LOT of work to set up for and keep going, not to mention expensive.

As far as hurting the fishing goes, I dont think there is a worry. We have worked very closely with the DNR on this project. The flooded backwaters are still attached to the main lake, so spawning should not be harmed next spring.

[CPRBASS]

Gissert,
Thanks for all of the information. I really appreciate it. I am quite familiar with the lake since my parents had a cabin on it while I was growing up, but have since moved (about 4 years ago). We used to be able to mow lawn that is out past the end of the dock.

By the way, do you have a S. Turtle fishing report for me?
Thanks again!

[Gissert]

CPRBASS -

Sorry, no reports. I have been working on my basement remodel project. I see in the BL paper some guy holding a six plus pound fish. The background looks like the bay I live on. I wonder if that fish was released?

[CASTnBLAST]

Haven't been on Turtle for a few years,what shape is the access in?Also I understand the resort on I beleive the west end has changed hands,can't remember the name,does anyone know if they still allow camping?

[Gissert]

The access is in decent shape.

The resort next to the access is still in business, although it changed hands a couple of years ago. The owners name is Roger Hertel.

The campgrounds on the west end is still there, but is seasonal camping only.

[CASTnBLAST]

Thank you,may try to get a day on Turtle yet this year...the 3 W's permiting,Work/Women/Weather somewhat in that order .Getting harder to find camping spots every year,everythings goin seasonal it seems or lotted out completely.Will have to try post a message come next spring to exchange spots for good camping places in the lakes area.

[Paul Rohweller]

I think a bunch of us should get togather and camp at the rest area on ottertail (like it used to be)in protest of all the seasonal only campgrounds. Its dang neared an impossible task to grab the wife and kid and pitch a tent for the weekend someplace nowadays.....Paul

------------------
Paul Rohweller
Pine to Prairie Guide Service
218-962-3387
N.P.A.A. 425
http://fishingminnesota.com/pinetoprairie

[Jigging Bob]

I think the water pumping project is a great, great deal for South Turtle. We have had a cabin on South Turtle for years now and the lake is finally looking decent again. The shores are actually looking like beaches instead of a lawn in the water. My dad helps quite a bit in the lake pumping process and there has been all positive feed back from most of the residents. As far as fishing reports I haven't been out for a couple weeks but I intend on being out this weekend. I will get back to you with a report. I do have one good tip, when putting your boats in be very careful. We put ours in and it seems deep when you first let your boat off the trailor but once you get to the end of the catails and tall weeds of the access keep your motor up a bit. We learned from experince and whacked one of those cement slabs that were for taction when driving your truck in before the flood stage. Cost us a new prop. A week later got a neighbors. Be alert. There are still good fish in the lake but they can be tough going alot of the time. Have fun and I am getting the Ice fishing bug also. Good Luck

[CASTnBLAST]

Thanks for access info Bob,looks like I might make it through a second season without having my prop redone.Last one (only 2 days old)is laying on the bottom of Long Lake by Vergas.If anyone happens to snag a 3 blade s/s LazerII prop out on Long let me know!