Jump to content

  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

OK, I now officially submit to open water

Guest
 Share

Recommended Posts

Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

Yes, I am rather down that this weekend will be my first without ice fishing since December 15th. So, I guess I'll have to garner some enthusiasm to fish open water. I am a panfish freak, but I'm rather excited for walleye opener. Admittedly, I am a walleye illiterate. But, I can hold my own early in the year when the 'eyes will crack a jig and minnow combo.

So, with that in mind, where will all the East Central fisherman be on opening day? What's your never-fail tactic? What's your best opener in recent memory? Let's here it folks.

I'll open on the Cross-Pokegama-Snake River system. Jig and minnow rarely lets me down in those waters. My best opener was 3 years ago when 3 of us boated 39 walleyes (kept 10 for eats), a couple dozen nice crappies, numerous monster silver bass, and a gazzilion sheephead in about 6 hours. We figured we went through at least 12 dozen minnows. We finally quit when we ran out of minnows and could not get a bite on leeches or crawlers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ethan77 Community Regular

ethan77

Posted
Posted

You know... that is unbelievable. I ahve tried my haredest to fish those two lakes but to NO avail. I ahve learned to stick to the lakes around my house or head to the "dead sea" or soon will be. If you don't mind me asking... where one those lakes are you catching those fish? I would love to find new lakes around the area that can produce fish like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

B. If I do go out on the opener, it will most likely be to E. and W. Rush. Over the years the Ol Fart and I have fished them more and more. Their close to his place in E. Bethel, and even tho they get a lot of pressure, theres allways a spot to plop a bobber! Last year he put back a 34" eye off of the west lake, it was a gas watching it take him around the boat a few times!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

34" 'eye. Wow. That's enormous.

You know, normally I'd question the validity of a 34" 'eye, but not out of Rush. There are some absolute monsters in this lake.

Plus, Labrat is not a known FM forum fibber. Now, if he tells us he stuck a 55" musky. Well we might...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

Yeah I did! It was two 22.5"ers dat was fightin ta get dat sucker dat I had on. Oh yeah! I forgot, dat sucker was a 54"er too! and dey was a tryn ta get'em from boat ends! So ifs ya count all tree IT VAS A 109"ER!!!

I did see a nice 40-45" that was caught and released right off the channel a couple of springs ago, the guy worked his buns off trying to revive it, must have taken him twenty minutes and three repositions to grab it again before it would go.

The kicker on the Ol Farts fish.... no camera, and his old DeLiar only goes to 8Lbs. I'm gonna pick him up one of the digital scales as a pre-fathers day thingy this year, and then I'll have to listen to how "in the old days we'd just keep 5 pound rocks in the boat and use the rod as a balance scale" or some such!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • mulefarm
      Big Kandiyohi

      By mulefarm · Posted

      With the early ice out, how is the curlyleaf pondweed doing?
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      Big Traverse Ice Free

      By LakeofthewoodsMN · Posted

      On the south end...   The big basin, otherwise known as Big Traverse Bay, is ice free.  Zippel Bay and Four Mile Bay are ice free as well.  Everything is shaping up nicely for the MN Fishing Opener on May 11th. With the walleye / sauger season currently closed, most anglers are targeting sturgeon and pike.  Some sturgeon anglers are fishing at the mouth of the Rainy River, but most sturgeon are targeted in Four Mile Bay or the Rainy River.  Hence, pike are the targeted species on the south shore and various bays currently.   Pike fishing this time of year is a unique opportunity, as LOW is border water with Canada, the pike season is open year round. The limit is 3 pike per day with one being able to be more than 40 inches. All fish 30 - 40 inches must be released. Back bays hold pike as they go through the various stages of the spawn.  Deadbait under a bobber, spinners, spoons and shallow diving crankbaits are all viable options.   Four Mile Bay, Bostic Bay and Zippel Bay are all small water and boats of various sizes work well. On the Rainy River...  Great news this week as we learned sturgeon will not be placed on the endangered species list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.     The organization had to make a decision by June 30 and listing sturgeon could have ended sturgeon fishing.  Thankfully, after looking at the many success stories across the nation, including LOW and the Rainy River, sturgeon fishing and successful sturgeon management continues.   A good week sturgeon fishing on the Rainy River.  Speaking to some sturgeon aficionados, fishing will actually get even better as water temps rise.     Four Mile Bay at the mouth of the Rainy River near the Wheeler's Point Boat Ramp is still producing good numbers of fish, as are various holes along the 42 miles of navigable Rainy River from the mouth to Birchdale.   The sturgeon season continues through May 15th and resumes again July 1st.   Oct 1 - April 23, Catch and Release April 24 - May 7, Harvest Season May 8 - May 15, Catch and Release May 16 - June 30, Sturgeon Fishing Closed July 1 - Sep 30, Harvest Season If you fish during the sturgeon harvest season and you want to keep a sturgeon, you must purchase a sturgeon tag for $5 prior to fishing.    One sturgeon per calendar year (45 - 50" inclusive, or over 75"). Most sturgeon anglers are either a glob of crawlers or a combo of crawlers and frozen emerald shiners on a sturgeon rig, which is an 18" leader with a 4/0 circle hook combined with a no roll sinker.  Local bait shops have all of the gear and bait. Up at the NW Angle...  A few spots with rotten ice, but as a rule, most of the Angle is showing off open water.  In these parts, most are looking ahead to the MN Fishing Opener.  Based on late ice fishing success, it should be a good one.  
    • leech~~
      St Cloud Fishing Reports

      By leech~~ · Posted

      Nice fish. I moved to the Sartell area last summer and just thought it was windy like this everyday up here? 🤭
    • Rick G
      St Cloud Fishing Reports

      By Rick G · Posted

      Crazy windy again today.... This is has been the norm this spring. Between the wind and the cold fronts, fishing has been more challenging for me than most years.  Panfish have been moving in and out of the shallows quite a bit. One day they are up in the slop, the next they are out relating to cabbage or the newly sprouting lilly pads.  Today eye guy and I found them in 4-5 ft of water, hanging close to any tree branches that happened to be laying in the water.  Bigger fish were liking a 1/32 head and a Bobby Garland baby shad.   Highlight of the day way this healthy 15incher
    • monstermoose78
      Moose's Report - Cambridge-Elk River-Foley-Milaca-Mora-Ogilvie Fishing Reports

      By monstermoose78 · Posted

    • monstermoose78
      Moose's Report - Cambridge-Elk River-Foley-Milaca-Mora-Ogilvie Fishing Reports

      By monstermoose78 · Posted

      As I typed that here came a hen.  IMG_7032.mov   IMG_7032.mov
    • monstermoose78
      Moose's Report - Cambridge-Elk River-Foley-Milaca-Mora-Ogilvie Fishing Reports

      By monstermoose78 · Posted

      So far this morning nothing but non turkeys. 
    • monstermoose78
      Moose's Report - Cambridge-Elk River-Foley-Milaca-Mora-Ogilvie Fishing Reports

      By monstermoose78 · Posted

      Well yesterday I got a little excited and let a turkey get to close and I hit the blind!!
    • smurfy
      Moose's Report - Cambridge-Elk River-Foley-Milaca-Mora-Ogilvie Fishing Reports

      By smurfy · Posted

      good......you?? living the dream..in my basement playing internet thug right now!!!!!! 🤣 working on getting the boat ready.......bought a new cheatmaster locator for the boat so working on that.   waiting for warmer weather to start my garden!!!
    • monstermoose78
      Moose's Report - Cambridge-Elk River-Foley-Milaca-Mora-Ogilvie Fishing Reports

      By monstermoose78 · Posted

      How is everyone doing? Holy moly it’s chilly this morning I stayed in bed and will hunt later today when it warms up.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

  I accept