Briggs/Julia/Rush... Help needed.....

[Mark Christianson]

Went there last night. Man, tough fishing.
I have my league out there Thursday night, and I was wondering what may work? (Yes, we release all the fish brought in)
We are multi-species, so any feedback would be great.
My son and I caught several dink crappies, and some small sunnies, and one 15 inch bass.
What is the secret with this chain? Not exactly clean water, with nice weed growth.....

Thanks in advance.

[Mark Christianson]

Man, I tried way shallow. I was tossing the Senkos and spinnerbaits right to the shoreline.
Here is the big problem. The carp are THICK in the real shallow stuff. I am sure that is not the favorite hide out for bass when all those things are clogging the shorelines. And the carp were everywhere. Well, not everywhere, but I really felt good about the spots that did not have carp infesting the shallows, and NOTHING.

[Navigator]

Go shallow man....okay that sounded like a hippie response. I find fish real shallow in that chain, under docks and tight to the shoreline. Also, bump up the size of the lure and use brighter stuff. Buffalo is the same - same for me, dingy water. Nav

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Jon Navratil
Navigator Guide Service
www.naviguides.com
Central MN rivers & lakes

[basguy31]

Try the two points on the west side of Briggs. I talked to someone yesterday who said the fishing was tough out there, but they manages to catch a few fish off of those points. I believe they were in about 8 to 10 ft of water. They were catching small walleyes and bluegills.

[Big Mo']

ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT BRIGGS LAKE???
THAT IS FUNNY BECAUSE A GUY THAT I WORK WITH HAS BEEN ABSOLUTLEY KILLING EM OUT THERE. IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS HE HAS BOATED 1-18', 1-19', 2-20", 2-21',AND ONE 25". I AM NOT SURE WHAT HE IS DOING BUT I KNOW HE CANT WAIT EVERY NIGHT TILL HE GETS HOME TO DROP THE BOAT IN THE LAKE.

[Mark Christianson]

Boy did the Briggs chain stink.

If anyone is planning on fishing there, go elsewhere.

Out of 13 boats, the most fish brought in for measurement was 2 fish.

It was awful.

[Guest]

I was out there two weeks ago for the first time. Got a tip from a local. Caught 3 10"-12" walleyes, 2 twin 22 1/2" walleyes, 3 bullhead, 1 dogfish,and 1 9" crappie. All within 2 hours. All within a 20 foot radius(bobber fishing). All in 3 foot of water after dark. Used medium leeches. All were released except one of the 22" walleyes and the crappie, which I ate. The fillets were really slimey, and they didn't taste the best either. Fun evening fishin, but I won't be taking anymore home from there again.

[RiverRunner]

BigLake Bass is right my league fished that lake two weeks ago. Out of 8 boats their was 4 fished measured. It's decent for Crappie and small walleyes anything else its no good.

[BackHerUp]

That's some of the nastiest water in Sherburne County (because of the Elk River)...it has so much algae and phosphates from farm run-off it's not the least bit funny...I did real well there with crappies and sunnies (18 keepers one afternoon), but they were real wormy, feel sorry for the fish in that water

[knoppers]

fishin m, I can concur, the last time I ate some crappie from the lake, I think they tasted bad. I was thinking it was just me since everyone else said they tasted fine.
now I know, its the fish.
if there is that many roughfish (carp) in the lake, maybe it would be better to retonone the lake and start over?
as far as the elk river, I have done very well with northerns and walleyes down towards the big lake are.