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the BIGGEST gizzard shad I ever caught!


CALVINIST

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I was on the St. Croix on saturday with Carp-Fisher (Ben). I was using a Reef Runner Lil Ripper. Suddenly I got a pretty good sized fish on. It fought like a smallie. When we got it into the boat, lo and behold, it's this gigantic Gizzard Shad. I didn't measure it, but it was probably at least 15 inches in length and a hefty 2lbs! This thing must have been on steriods. Anyone else ever catch a huge Gizzard Shad before?

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We caught some fish yesterday that we werent sure what they were. Whats a gizzard shad look like? Just got into fishing the St. Croix on Friday and went back again on Sunday. Its an awesome fishery. I love the fact that you don't always know whats on your line!

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hey calvinist, were you out fishing around william Obrien when you caught that big old gizzard? I'll bet that would qualify for some sort of record. I never heard of one that big! Get any pictures of it? Post them if you have some!

Tunrevir~ cool.gif

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I launched out of W. O'Brian, and caught that bugger about a mile or so north of there. I have a picture, just don't have it developed yet. I'll try to post it once I do. Yeah. I thought this must qualify for something. It was fun to see shocked.gif.

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positive. If you look on the dorsal fin it had a sort of long thread-like extension that trailed the fish as it swims no doubt. This is the exact same thing I saw on a pictures of gizzard shads doing a google search. Looked the same to me.

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Googles' Gizzards and Mooneyes, Oh MY!! Sounds like something from the river of OZ! Great catch anyway and I hope to see the pics. Any panfish around the rocks on Obrien? Have caught a few nice sunfish in that area on jig and crawler bits in the past. I spent the early a.m. up at Franconia Saturday morning. Lots of variety but the panfish bite was a bit slower then I expected. Should pick up this week as the weather warms. You gotta love the river, never know what is going to bite next!

Tunrevir~

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Hey Casey,

I did some google searching today too...that fish definitely was not a quillback. Down in Iowa I used to net and use gizzard shad quite frequently and that fish looked exactly like a giant shad. According to some info I found, gizzard shad can get up to 3lbs in weight. That sucker was probably between 2 and 2.5 lbs...looked like a hubcap with fins.

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tunrevir,

Very funny! tongue.gif I didn't check the "rocks" around O'Brian. We fished only the river north of the launch, where hardly any rocks were noticed...just a ton of sand. We went as far as Cedar Bend, which looks suspiciously fishy! On my next outing I'll have to do a bit more exploring!

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Calvinist, I will be going up to Franconia again this weekend to try my luck. If you do try for the pannies, the rocks along the edge of the park are where I found the sunfish. Right up tight to shore. There may be a few walters and sauger hanging in that area as well but the bottom is a jig magnet so don't let them sit to long. I typically start my year at the marine landing and work south to the park casting cranks on the way down and trolling back up to the landing. The island across from the marine landing has a nice deep hole along its upper edge that might hold some eyes and the Minnesota shoreline from the landing to the first point is deep and gravel studded and has held a few fish as well. Walleyes and sauger early with a few silvers thrown in, but after June, I focus all my attention around Franconia. If you ever get up in that neck of the woods give me a shout. I have a 12' smokercraft painted battleship grey that I nicknamed "the tin can" it has a 15 hp Johnson on the back. The other boat that I fish out of when I have a coangler along is a 16' tan and brown Crestliner with a 90 h.p. Yamaha on it. I don't really need the big motor other then to move from spot to spot. Mostly use the bowmount to get around. Can't wait for the weekend so I can get on the water again. I might get out tomorrow if home obligations are taken care of.

Tunrevir~

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tunrevir,

Where is Franconia, or this marine landing, in relation to O'Brian? I suffer from inexperience in matters of the St. Croix. I did buy a hotspots map last week before our trip, and that proved indispensible! The farthest we got was around Cedar Bend, which was a really cool area. My brother fishes the area north of Wild river state park a bit, and I have fished it myself. Of course, many boulders and rubble abound up there. Thanks for those tips. I will probably spend more time on the river over the next year, checkin' things out. I noticed you live in Forest Lake. I live in the mpls/st paul area (Plymouth) but grew up in lino lakes; I went to Forest Lake High school, graduated in 80", my name is Casey. Would I know you?

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Calvinist, 85 grad with sisters in 83, and 81. Non fisherpeople but they just don't understand the whole outdoors thing very well. I know quite a few of the elders from those classes due to potential suiters for my sisters. Lino, huh? Where abouts? Lake drive? The marine landing is south of hwy 97 about 1 mile. Ever hear of Crabtrees Kitchens? It is closed now but the road leads back north from the parking area to the landing. If you are at Obrien, go north from there about a mile-mile and a half look to your left along the minnesota shore. There is one prominent point on the minnesota side that is probably in about 1-2 feet of water right now. Upriver about one half to three quarters of a mile up from there, there is the landing. I can't recall the name of the road but you do have to cross the railroad tracks to get to it in either direction. Great early season fishery, I haven't tried there this time of year but the deep spots are there to jig away or pull spinners and cranks through. Keep in touch and let me know if you are having a tough time finding it. It is kind of a local river rat landing. Back down the hill and jack knife the trailer at the bottom of the ramp and your are in. You might have difficulty getting a larger boat in down there and maybe that is why the landing isn't listed so obvious. Good luck fishing, send me a line as to how things go this weekend and I'll let you know how I did up Nort!.

Tunrevir~

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Lino...Lake Drive. Me and my brother used to fish Peltier and Centerville lake alot as kids. Thanks for that info. I probably won't get out there this weekend, but perhaps soon. Let me know how you do. I live very close to Tonka, abuut 5 minutes away. The muskies have not got going yet, but this friday night I might try for a hog walleye, being a full moon and all.I pulled a 28.5" earlier this year, and a 28" last year. Walleyes in Tonka generally are pigs! 22-24" fish pretty common! Some of the best action is yet to come. Thing about Tonka is all the rec boaters can drive ya nuts! The river is a nice quiet alternative. Yes, peace and quiet! smile.gif Anyway, me and my brother's family will be staying at O'Brian the 2nd week of September, so that info you gave me is valuable. BTW, will the gills take a small paddletail type grub? I have been killin' craps and gills on these on lake Sarah! What colors work best? Anyway, if you see a 16' red Lowe with a 35 HP Johnson, give a yell...I'll keep an eye out for the "tin can". cool.gifsmile.gifgrin.gif

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Small world, I grew up fishing carp and bullheads on Peltier. Grew up on Mill Rd. I knew the area when it was dirt roads down to Peltier. I actually moved back to that area when I graduated from college and built a house off mill Rd where I used to explore the Rice creek and ride dirt bikes(indian 50, automatic). Long time ago, Peltier and Centerville have came into the limelight the last few years. Used to be a handful of locals 4-5 spear shacks and four to five fish houses. Now the lake has twenty to thirty houses in the winter and the weekends are wild with portables. I used to like the lake because it had some really nice crappies and sunnies but the overall size has declined since it gets fished so heavily now. I also think that when they used to let it freeze out in heavy winters it really let the remaining fish take off. I still fish it in the winter pretty often. The day bite untill about 1/2 hour after dark is pretty good. Tree top is the best action but you can still hook enough fish throughout the day to make it interesting. Tonka, well, that is a bit out of my league as far as the driving is concerned. It sounds like a great fishery but the reason I rarely fish on Forest Lake anymore during the summer is the traffic. I'm 5 minutes from Forest and grew up on the lake and fished it hard but have really come to appreciate the quiet and solitude of the upper Croix. It is twenty minutes away and I don't have to deal with boats and jetskiers. I do like to fish it in June on those nights that there is a steady drizzle! The lake is all yours then and only a handful of other fisherpeople are out. Might not see another boat on nights like that! Flake has some really nice muskies and some quality pike as well. A buddy fishes muskies exclusively and has landed 1/2 dozen 50-53 inch fish. The walleye fishery is pretty good as well, I fish it in the winter and put a premenant shack out once the ice is thick enough and fish all over with my portable when the ice is thin. Again busy in the winter once people realize the ice is thick enough but by that time, I am already off the beaten path and fishing areas that can produce without the hassele of the traffic. I will keep my eyes out for the red lowe. I have changed plans for the weekend and am heading into Packerland to fish the Flambeau flowage near Ladysmith. The smallies are a callin and I might even tag a muskie or two. The best part is I can sit by the campfire and catch big old blue cats all night if my wife lets me with the possibility of latching into a really nice sturgeon or two. I fish all catch and release unless I catch a few smaller pike to debone and throw into the frypan. Fish Waconia at all? Great little fishery. Coming into this full moon phase I am looking foreward to hitting millacs(sp) this fall. The big eyes are fun in the pale moonlight! September through November if the weather permits I hit the big pond and troll from 10 p.m.-5 a.m. and am home by 7 with digital pics of the lost evening. That way my wife knows that I didn't go out carousing. Although she knows that I am serious enough about my finny adventures that she doesn't have to worry about anything other then me busting into the house in the wee hours with another big fish story! Keep in contact and maybe I can get you hooked up on the upper regions of the St Croix. I believe that carpfisher would probably enjoy the action as well! Keep fishin!!

Tunrevir~ smile.gif

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Just curious but did that shad have a black spot right behind the gill. I was just looking them up my self recently. I believe I read that the world record was 4 pounds somthing,caught out of lake Mich by IN.

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