albert lea fishing report

[robj]

Went out on saturday, just to try my new LX-3. Caught a few sunnies in my little "honey hole" Ice was about 3 inches.

Went to the channel. Ice was about 5-6 inches. Bite was lite. The guy next to me caught his limit of crappies, but he was out there for 4 hours. Long time for 10 crappies.

[brava-pesca]

I think I may be the guy you are talking about. I fished the channel area Sat. and Sun. I caught 30-40 crappies each morning(most in the 4-5 inch range and did manage to get my limit of 9-10 inchers. I also picked up some very small perch and small sunfish. The crappies were really finicky. I really had to work them hard with plastics to get them to bite. I also used 1lb test line. The crappies were suspended around 4 feet and the sunfish were feeding off the bottom. I was using my St Croix Legend Ice rod with the spring bobber and this was the key for detecting the very lite bites. Most of the bites barely moved the spring bobber. I fished around the structure (if you fish the channel you know what I am talking about)and moved around a bit between the 10 holes I drilled. Sat night I fished the area which leads to the main part of the lake and caught and released 2 small walleyes.I didn't mark too many fish and most just took a look at the bait and moved on. I took my boy out Sun evening and we moved closer to the open water near the bridge and fished the structure. We drilled around 8 holes (no more the 4 feet apart)before we found our honey hole. We caught around 30 nice crappies in about an hour. I didn't see many others catch many crappies. The key for fishing success this weekend was to use plastics, a spring bobber, lite line, fish the structure and drilling more holes until you marked fish.

[katoguy]

Used to have some slabs in there. Any nicer crappies since the freeze out?

[k-rudy]

I am going to catch some of those channel slabbers after work. I totally agree about the light line. Hopefully Dave Lundak won't be down there and I can get to the honney hole

[brava-pesca]

The lake is rebounding, however, it will still take some time. This summer I caught plenty of crappies in A.L.and only had two in the 12 inch range. The majority are 4-5 inchers. The crappies in the 9-10 in. range survived the freeze out and you can still catch them mixed in with the smaller crappies.

[crappie patrol]

That Dave Lundak the guy who wairs camo all the time and keeps about every crappie he catches? Was down at the dam today at about 11a.m. and noticed once again Jose Rebeh was down there again takin his limit of 12 to 13 inch walleyes as he does everyday, and I mean everyday. For those who don't know him he's the 1 that has his suitcase style tacklebox, he use to use his 6 foot pole for ice fishing. It sure would be nice to see them eyes get a little bigger.

[robj]

If dave kept every crappie he caught, he'd be WAY over his limit. That guy can catch fish....period.

[mitch]

I went out to the channel this morning from 9-11. Didn't even get a bite. We were using minnows.

[robj]

waxies are the way to go.

[brava-pesca]

Try using plastics. Rastso are the way to go.

[crappie patrol]

plastics are the key, especially ratsos try slowing your presentation down a tad. Spring bobber helps tremendously. I myself tried using waxies and did'nt even get a bump.

[mitch]

I did have a shrimpo on one rod but no bites on that either.

[brava-pesca]

Do you have a flasher? Don't fish a hole if you don't mark fish. Last weekend I had to switch holes quit a bit in order to stay on top of the crappies. A lot of the bites were almost invisible. You really need to concentrate on the line or spring bobber to see the very lite bites. Good Luck.

[mitch]

This year is only my second year of really ice fishing. I don't have anything fancy. I don't even have an auger. I go with people that have one. I don't have a flasher either. I can't tell if there are fish underneath me so I don't know if its worth my time sitting there. I would get one but they're pretty expensive for a 17 year old.

[robj]

This was the first year i have ever bought a ratso or a shrimpo, and I have fished the AL area for years. Always done well with a teardrop a waxie.

Just got to watch your line

[k-rudy]

I AGREE WITH YOU THERE ROB, ITS ALL ABOUT THE LINE. NORMALLY THE CRAPPIES AROUND HERE DON'T REALLY BITE YOU JUST SEE YOUR LINE SLACK AND YOU USUALLY HAVE ONE ON. YOU MUST BE A SLABBER PRO!

[robj]

k-rudy

I see you're from hayward. We should get together and I'll teach you how to catch some fish...LOL