Medicine Lake

[Lee the bonehead]

I'm interested. Walked out from Harty's Monday night and poked around for an hour or so. Got the auger started, caught a couple perch off the sandbar just north of his place and called it a day. The ice was fine for walking but it's gonna be a while before the crappie towns spring up. There was one permanent house on the weed edge out from the 3 new houses by Harty's but it was still up on skids.

[John Mickish]

Hanson that sounds like a good idea. I like your choice of days to as not as many people will be out there.

[moby1]

sounds like a good idea. I can usually be out there by 3:30 or 4, which nights depends on the wife. She usually has belly-dance class mondays so that is ALMOST a given opening for me.

[Marshall1117]

I have never fished the lake, and I too only work a few blocks from the East side of the lake. Would you guys care if a rookie came out and bs'ed and learned a few things about the lake? I would be there around 4:45. What part of the lake do you guys fish?

[metrojoe]

I'd be interested. I'm not familiar with early ice on this lake, but later in the season the panfish bite all day long.

[tisch008]

I'm sure I could stop by once in a while. Med is on my way home from work and the wife works nights every other week.

[AQUAJOE]

I am game I'm a newbie to. But I live real close and could stop after work.

[Tripleplay]

Chris,

I'm not sure how often I could sneak out to fish on a week night but I'll see what I can do once you establish a night of the week.

I'll definitely be haunting the crappie holes and the northern end for gills at least once a weekend unless there is a get-together or other fishing trip planned. Just don't want to exhaust any all day weekend fishing kitchen passes by stopping for a few hours on a week night--not worth the risk!

Irv

[AQUAJOE]

Quote:

---

Just don't want to exhaust any all day weekend fishing kitchen passes by stopping for a few hours on a week night--not worth the risk!

Irv

---

What does the mean? Fishing Kitchen??

[ddp]

DDP guy here..

I believe in CPR. I moved to the north metro and started fishing med lake last year. Loved the fishing out there. The vex was lit up much of the time. Fished deeper water than I really ever have before. I am use to the 8-10 foot range(carl's lake, south metro) Catching suspended craps in 40 ft of water with a little spoon. Any suggestions about keeping the fish alive for release. I know real them up slow but when they come to hole, some are, I wouldn't say dead but not movin all that much. I noticed if I move them around for a bit they swim back down the hole. Is that a quick fix and eventually float up or do they make it? I'd hate to see a bunch of fish floating under the ice. Let me know if any of you have any thoughts.

Thanks!

[Askov]

I drive relatively close to Medicine Lake on my way home. I could probably sneak out early from work one day a week and be to the lake by 5. Any day works for me.

[Mr. Pike1]

DDP, my trick when bringing crappies from the deep is hold them by the tail bit above the whole and drop. The fish will come to and dart down the hole.

I am home from work by 3:30 and a during the week get together with some FMers sounds like a great idea. I will try to get out there one night a week or every other week depending on schedule.

[ddp]

Thanks Mr. Pike.

I have done the triple lindy trick and seemed to work. Hopefully the fish bite like last year.

be safe,

DDP

[AQUAJOE]

I was going to head over to the East park tonight and try out the new Auger and Vexlar and Camera.

I drive a full Size Conversion Van (Tan) with Loon Plates.

[Tripleplay]

It means the boss at home won't give me my weekend passes to fish all day if I've spent some evenings on the ice.

[metrojoe]

bahh...kill some of that vacation time. You can't take it with you.

[Lee the bonehead]

There's been loads of discussion about survival rates of fish brought up from deep water. Most studies I read don't give the fish much chance of long term survival. Most of the stuff I saw was Walleye data, but the gist of it was that the pressure change does internal organ damage that weakens the fish - they die within a few days. 'Fizzing' didn't help, since the damage had already been done by the time the fish was out of the water. Probably not a good idea to hammer crappies and throw 'em back down the hole in deep water (I have no idea how much stress from how deep of water). Reeling slow seems to help, and holding 'em by the tail and dropping 'em into the hole does seem to revive 'em almost all the time, but either way they're probably living on borrowed time.

Catching and releasing fish with surface temps over 70 degrees is another way to kill them slowly.

Do a Google search for 'columnaris'. Bacterial infection associated with stress. I've caught several crappies out of Medicine in the winter with it, and Bass in the summer.

[ddp]

Bonehead,

Thanks for the useful info... I was thinking it can't be healthy for the fish. My brother-in-law owns Faribault bait and tackle. He said they had some major issues on french lake in the spring. A lot of winter kill. I guess anglers fish the deep whole and released fish that were coming from 50ft down. I will check out the web on columnaris.

Thanks again,

DDP

[Lee the bonehead]

Just to be clear. I do fish deep water crappies and some do get thrown back, but since I read this stuff I'm more likely to go to the weed edge and chase sunnies when I feel more like catching than keeping (way more fun with the Aqua-Vu too). I also was catching & releasing bass last summer when the temps were in the 80's, but after reading all this stress/columnaris stuff I kinda don't feel so good about it.

[ddp]

Hey, I am with ya...

Love to fish... too lazy to clean'um. Plus the wife gets on me for cleaning in the house

Take care

[AQUAJOE]

If anyone is interested I will be over at the west park tonight. I will be fishing out of a Fishtrap Voyager stop on by.

I should be out there by 4 or so.

I have a full sized Conversion Van. (Loon Plates)

[Lee the bonehead]

I may just stop by and say hey.

[AQUAJOE]

Lee I email Medman to see if he was coming out to.

[Lee the bonehead]

Well Aqua, I went out about 2:30 and decided to scout the east side for a while. Found loads of perch, and then about 4:00 bigger things started cruising through. Kept me sitting out there (no house) for another 1`/2 hour. That's when I realized just how cold I was and so I hauled a$$ back to the car and drove home. I'm still shivering as I type.

I might go out tomorrow. If I do I WILL BRING MY SHACK! What was I thinking (another bonehead move on my part).

[MedicineMan]

Hey Lee, you have mail.

[AQUAJOE]

I fished with Medicineman for awhile. Saw some small stuff on the FL8se but caught nothing. I left about 7:30.

[golden gopher]

glad to hear someone else gets skunked too

[Lee the bonehead]

Sorry to hear the fish were lazy, but if you were sitting with Meddie at least your ears stayed busy!

He's always fun to fish with.

[sticky_nuglets]

fished the west beach last night after recovering from dragging out the portable i didn't catch a thing marked a lot of fish just no bites i was in 22 feet

[golden gopher]

when you say marked do you mean you saw fish on a vexilar? just curious what that means.