Zumbro below Silver lake...

[CrappieJohn]

Having been home alone today and having gotten the "do list" finished early this afternoon, I set out to rig up a rod to try for some bass along the Zumbro River below the silver lake Dam and met with some success. Since bassing is pretty far down on the list of fishing techniques I consider "mastered" I kept things simple using an Exude Comida rigged wacky and had a go of it.

Concentrating on anything that looked as though it might break current or offer some shade I was soon into a largemouth of about two pounds. It was lying next to a submerged log. I worked my way down the west shoreline to the 19th street bridge picking up three more fish, none being as large as the first one. When I got to the bridge I began reach the casts to the first pylon in the water and hit a mother lode of fish...I took five of that piece of structure before things cooled off and one was in the neighborhood of four pounds.

The heat and bugs finally sent me home, but the hour of casting was well worth the hike and just might become a regular routine.

The Comida I was using is an Exude bait that is identical in length and weight to a senko of six inches. I was using the watermelon/red flake hooked wacky using a weedless Gamakatsu hook, size 1/0. These baits a much tougher than the senkos....I used only the one bait and it is still good to go for another trip.

[Dan Thiem]

I think Tom could find a fish in the middle of the desert. He must be able to sniff them out.

I guess I should have took you up on that offer Tom.

[CrappieJohn]

I really was tempted to hit the pit we talked about, but then I thought to heck with it and took the short walk behind the house. I only tooktwo pieces of plastic with me.

These bass hit different than I am used to and I'm sure I missed several. It took me a while to get in the habit of the immediate hit. I was getting an exaggerated tap-tap and then I'd set only to come up empty. Hitting right at the first tap did it though.

I see a while ago a couple others down there, so I did the stroll and one was doing the plastics too. He had a couple different worms and a few senkos in some different colors. I got all the way home and it dawned on me that I never even asked the guy his name. He gave a few tips for me to try the next time around.

Right now I am thinking that tomorrow might have to be a day on the Zumbro looking for crappies. Maybe try this bass stuff out there, eh?

[CrappieJohn]

Ma and I took a stroll last night along the river and found a place, not very far from the dam, that was absolutely crawling with sunfish. And some nice ones at that! Sooooo, I may have to break out the small stuff again and go on a hunt.

While we were walking we noticed a mega-turtle crawling around on the spillway apron. If I would have had the junk shoes on I'd have taken a beeter look, but the thing looked to have a carapace of at least 18 inches in length and maybe 14 inches wide. Not more than twenty feet away was a duck with six chicks. I'd be willing to be that the turtle was on a hunt, but the hard current in that shallow water kept sweeping him out of reach.

It never ceases to amaze me at the simple wonders that this lake provides.

[TIMS454]

Funny you should mention turtles...

Took my wife and kids to the stairs saturday night at about 11:00 to show them about catfishing,using chicken liver,

we caught them softshells non-stop. A few were pretty darn big. Oh yeah, we did manage a few cats also..

[CrappieJohn]

Tim....Welcome to FishingMinnesota.com. Always nice to get a new perspective. We walk the bike paths almost every night and since we live right there the path/trail along that stretch of the river down to 19th street gets heavy use from us. We probably could not have counted the turtles we say last night. The heat and high water temps brings them up in that pool at the stairs.

Again, Welcome aboard!