Opening weekend reports.....

[ghotierman]

Those that braved the drizzle on saturday met with marginal success. Lake Mary drew a crowd of anglers, but no reports of crowded stringers. Lake Oscar was a good choice on saturday, the crappies provide an excellent diversion when the 'eyes don't cooperate. Some anglers found 'em on Oscar though.

Smaller lakes west of town did better. Barret, Stowes and Lower Elk all produced some walleyes. Smith lake, to the east did well for northerns....where the water was closer to 48 degrees.

Look for the action to heat up as the water temps do. The next few days should see the fish get more aggressive. Success this weekend was limited by cold water and weather. The best fishing seemed to be in the channel areas around the chain. Pulling cranks through the current in the shallows produced some nice fish for the midnight anglers, and again saturday and sunday evenings.

Crappies continue to be active. Oscar and Geneva have been favorite spots. The public pier on the north end of Geneva had quite a crowd last night. Several boats fished the bay there as well.

Look for the rest of the chain and the larger lakes like Ida and Miltona to get the bite on in the coming days. And hope for the shiners to start running!

Weigh in with your weekend report....successful or no?....hot bait, presentation?....let us know what worked on this wet weekend.

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Northeast Outfitters
915 Hwy 29 N NE
Alexandria, MN 56308
(320) 763-9598

[CAMOMAN]

A BAD WATER PUMP KEPT US OFF MINNEWASKA FOR SATURDAY. FROM WHAT I HEARD THOUGH, DOES NOT SOUND LIKE WE MISSED TOO MUCH. SOUNDS LIKE MOST OF THE ANGLERS WERE FINDING THE FISH TIGHT LIPPED. MANAGED TO GET OUT FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS ON SUNDAY AND WE FOUND THE SAME TO BE TRUE. OH WELL, GUESS IT CAN ONLY GET BETTER!
HOPE EVERYONE ELSE HAD BETTER LUCK THAN WE DID!

[Guest]

I was not able to get out this weekend, but a very good friend was on Lake Mary Saturday morning and he said that he was fishing around 200 boats and only saw two walleyes caught. He was skunked, only a small northerns. The water temp was 47 degrees.

[Kicker]

The only success I had was in getting a cold right hand!! Tried fishing Minnewaska Saturday morning and only boated one 19 incher. Fished Pelican all afternoon in the Rain and wind and only had one bite...talked to several people staying on Pelican and they said it was a dead sea out there Saturday and Sunday. Tried to get into Gilchrest and almost got my Ranger stuck for good. Thought I was going to have to leave it there!!! But, I got it back out and got out of there...reports at the landing weren't that good either. A few fish, but very finiky. Water temps were 48.5 degrees (give or take a half degree) where I fished. This is 8-10 degress colder than the last 2 years when we have been very very successful. Guess we'll just have keep the hooks sharp and wait a week or two!!!

[Murdock]

We were on Carlos Friady midnight, across the lake from the camp ground, very slow night. Netted two small eye's and a 25 pound carp. One of the worst openers in memory. Water temps are in the mid to low 40s, still to cold for the fish to be aggresive. Weather is suppose to warm up a little this week with more sun than clouds, should warm the shallows a few degrees by next weekend.

[Guest]

not the best to us but we ended up with 9 on otter tail. dont know what the temp was on the water but the opener wasnt too nice to us all.

[mabr]

if oscar was the lake to be at id sure like to know where and how .. i have a cabin on the lake and know it all to well ...we fished at 12 am sat morning for 3 hours with 2 bites, one was missed and the other just let go like a walleye does .. so we left to wait till the morn ,, went sat morn again at about 9 and fished till 3 and didnt see a single walleye caught or hear about any caught .. now im not saying the reports were wrong but i was there .. and id sure like to know what we were doing wrong ..im no rookie at this lake ...we moved around trying to find them and we did mark alot of fish but werent able to coax them into bitting ...the northerns did though ...

[Guest]

Hay guys Mary was slow Picked up 2 eyes. One sat one Sun.Im not sure about 200 Boats. Icounted 74 from my vantage. We missed a few just mouthing our bait.But there time will come in a week to a week and a half. Sounds like a somewhat poor opener. I see Jesse Venture likes to keep them really small ones!

[Guest]

VERY few walleyes... but my buddies and I musta caught 20 2# plus crappies just on Sun night alone, all on my favorite lake in the whole wide world. (And no I'm not sayin because since I threw em all back.. I don't any of y'all grabbin em).

[fishman]

Was on Oscar on Saturday a.m. and ended up with 4 Eyes, 3 between 18-20 inches and one at 16 inches. Went back Sunday a.m. and only could find one. Water temp was 46 degrees where we fished. Caught all of the fish in 10-13 feet on Jig and minnow and or leech.

[WaveWacker]

All I can say is glad that I'm not the only one. Was fishing on Ida. Went out at midnight and pulled some plugs in the traditional shallow sand/rock areas that traditionally have been good. NOTHING!! Toughed it out in the rain on Sat., deep, shallow, minnow, leech. Still NOTHING!! Water temps where in the lower 40's. Even with the cold weather got up Sunday morning and managed to get into some crappies that salvaged the weekend. White Flu Flu tipped with a minnow in about 6ft. of water. Looking forward to some warmer weather and what is yet to come.

[WalleyeGetter]

I have a cabin on lake osakis and know the lake rather well. Even do some guiding from time to time. Out of 3 boats and 6 well versed anglers zero walleyes. My neighebor did O.K. with 6 all weekend, bobber fishing in 4-7 feet of water by mooon bar. Very early A.M. I fished mostly the north side narrows and a little bit on the south side by moon bar. Only saw one walleye caught all weekend. Hopefully as the water temp heats up so does the fishing. Good Luck everbody.

[Kicker]

Atleast we shouldn't have to worry about missing the bite this year!! The next couple weeks could get pretty interesting!!

Kicker

[Guest]

Kicker,... I saw you at the launch on Gilchrist. I was wondering how you'd get that rig into that lake. That landing stinks! It's been that way for the last 10 years. My boats smaller (17') and I even have trouble. You did not miss anything there though. Usually, it's the best for opener. Not this year. I have over 20 years on that lake. Not a thing this past weekend though. 6 guys, three boats from my place. 2 pike, 1 bass! No eyes! Nobody else on the lake did any good either. Emily also stunk up the county. Water was 48. Lowest I've seen it on opener in years. ......Maybe next weekend though.... Spring has to come some day.
Splitshot.

[Kicker]

Splitshot...

Do you have a cabin right there by the landing on Ghilcrest or were you pulling into the landing when I was taking off? I put that boat in that landing 10 times last spring, then I tried to go back there again later in the summer for some bass fishing and burried my jeep pretty good, i had to float the boat back off to get the truck out. On Sunday I even backed it in, thought about it for a while and then said hell with it...the way fishing was around the area I had a feeling I wasn't missing much.

Anyway, if you see me contemplating at any other landings swing by and say hi!!

Kicker

[Guest]

Kicker,...
My parents had a place near the access for 25+ years. Second lot to north. I kind of grew up there. They sold it five years ago and moved to other side of bay. Built a new home and retired there. I saw you come into access. You had not launched yet though....right before I left. It would sure be great if the DNR sent someone by with a front end loader to scoup out a couple of loads of sand there. ....At least down to the original concrete landing. It would make things a lot easier. The local lake-shore owners like it that way though. They think it keeps people off the lake. ....Maybe so, but I come and go.
If there is a next time,...I'll be sure to stop and say Hi.
Splitshot