Pelican Lake Fishing Reports - Ashby

[Catfish_Nuggets]

Has Pelican frozen over yet?

[oilguy]

clitheral 1/2 frozen battle 90% frozen ottertail 90% frozen rush 100% frozen first time I can remember all the lakes locking up at the same time. BTW essentially no late ducks lots of swans a few geese...where the heck are all of our late geese?

[Catfish_Nuggets]

I heard there were 40 people on Pelican by Ashby this weekend. Can anyone confirm?

[#fishhunt#]

Father-in-Law was our the last 2 days from 2-7:00 and only had 1 18" walleye to show for it. 9 FOW in the narrows. 2 small bites(perch?) on Tuesday and the wallaye yesterday. Pretty slow. Drove on the lake. Used minnow /plain hook.

[jjohnson5150]

Has anyone been out lately? We'll be up Fri. I hope to get out Fri night & Sat AM. Most of the neighborhood was up for new years. We fished 1/1 & 1/2. It was very slow. 2 fish is all. I'll be looking to the deepest water this weekend & hope the warm temps + new moon get the bite rolling.

[#fishhunt#]

JJohnson Did you have any luck up there on the 16th? I am heading up this weekend to try it.

[jjohnson5150]

It was very slow on the 16th. I heard the bite picked up at the end of last week just before the snow / rain / wind started. Then I heard it completely shut off again after the front passed.

[jjohnson5150]

Fishhunt- any luck last weekend?

[#fishhunt#]

We did not make it up there unfortunately. My next opportunity will be in 2 weeks. Probably not much happening up there right now as far as fish biting but you can't catch any at home so I am going to give it a try. Not sure how much snow they are getting up there. I would like to try to get off the beaten path but no smowmobile so I will need use the roads. Got a couple spots I would like to try but I highly doubt any roads are plowed out to that area.

[BoxMN]

So, how was the consensus of how the winter went so far on Pelican? I didn't ice fish it, but like keepig tabs on how they were biting. Any decent crappies this winter? Still lots of tiny perch?

[jjohnson5150]

I hit the lake at the wrong times this winter & only got a few walleyes - no crappies. However, I do know of some folks that got into both species pretty good. In my experience, Pelican dies off after mid Jan. I've always done best before then. Perhaps the fish slow down after the O2 levels start to drop. I'm looking forward to open water. It's going to be tough to beat last seasons success.

[fisherking01]

Oxygen in Christina never went below 6.6 ppm, which is high. Pelicans oxygen still remains at high levels and it was spotty all season with fish moving periodically around the lake. I did well the few times out on pelican with a skunk one night on first ice. Oh yeah, got skunked a couple other times, but thats fishing!! I will be out chasing pannies in OTC for the spring, but decoy making will take up my next few weeks getting ready for the "Gathering" in Perham!! as for this summer, there will be good fishing, but not like last year, that's my prediction anyway.

[BoxMN]

Do you guys go to the Coots banquet? This is the first time in many years that it falls on the weekend we will be there fishing. Will be a fun time, fishing and Cooting

[jjohnson5150]

I've never been to that event. When / where is it?

[BoxMN]

Its Coots Unlimited, held at Ashby Resort, but its not an event FOR the resort, its the local sportsmans club fund raiser. I think it is the 22nd of May this year. Weekend after the opener. Tons of items in several raffles, usually have about 20+ rifles/shotguns/bows and lots of minor stuff too, like fishing nets, turkey breasts (I always seem to win those... doh...), rods, reels, games, shirts.... anything they get donated. Have not been there for a while, so not sure what prizes are now. I won a shotgun at the fall event years ago, my bro won a shotgun at the spring event, and binocs and some other stuff. Tons of stuff though... oh yeah, and cheap beer You can catch a bus ride in town too, I think they still do that, but not sure. It used to be really big event, hope it still is.

You buy a $25 ticket and that gets you entered into the big raffle and gets you dinner. In "old" days it used to actually be coot stew, but not anymore, it is good stuff and plenty of it.

Anyway, I am not a active "member" but have all the hats and used to go to almost all of the events. fun times. Anyone in town would know more than me though

[duckhuntr21]

Do they still have the banquet at the resort? I thought they moved it to the Ashby Legion club a few years ago.

[BoxMN]

Hey duckhunter, that's a good question. I just assumed it was still at the resort, but I am not sure anymore. I will try to find out and post. Thanks.

[duckhuntr21]

I don't know for sure about last year but I thought since the resort was sold, or shortly after they moved it to the legion because of liability reasons.

[BoxMN]

You are right duckhunter, just got email from Mike at the resort. For about the last 6 years it has been at the Legion. Man, its been a long time since I was at it... Come to think of it, been a while since I was at the Legion too. Used to go all the time, but I guess as I get older I go more for the actual fishing and hunting hehe

[jjohnson5150]

Our guys fishing weekend is the weekend of the banquet this year. We'll see if we can get over there for the event. With the expected early ice out, the weekend after opener should be pretty good this year. I was up there this past weekend. Things are starting to come alive again. The ice was a week away from being out as far as I could tell. The bay by the inlet was completely open from the island by the corner of 19 / 82 over to the back side of the resort on Sat. Water levels appear to be about normal & not nearly as high as last year.

[BoxMN]

I got an email from Mike and Diane at Ashby Resort. They said the ice went out today, and that there are tons of ducks of all sorts in the area

They also said Coots tried to confirm the date for the banquet at the Legion, and there was a wedding second weekend of fishing, so Coot is now on Opening Weekend - so we will miss it again, darn. Oh well, more gas and bait money for us

[jjohnson5150]

Wow, that's the eearliest I can remember, but we've only been up there 6 years. The only thing that stinks about this is that I'm busy until Mid Apr. I guess I won't be the first with the boats in this year.

[BoxMN]

You guys get out after crappies yet?

[jjohnson5150]

I went out last Sat for a few hours. All I got was cold. Nothing biting except a Pike that hit my mr twister mini spinner off the end of the dock. Water was 56-58.

[duckhuntr21]

I was driving by the Arch last night on my way home from hunting and there were 2 cars parked alongside of the road. I was going to tour that way tonight but forgot about it.

[Elkaholic80]

Is anyone going to the Coots Unlimited Banquet on May 15? Fish in the morning and go to the banquet in the afternoon, sounds like a good opening Sat. too me.

[djrfishin]

Yeah, nothing beats an outdoor sportsmens banquet - beer, food, & b-s! Hope the weather is nice for fishing and the banquet. Is the banquet behind the legion in Ashby again this year?

[BoxMN]

Yep, at Legion. I haven't been to one since it was held at the Resort, but this year we are there a week after Coots, so not making it... So I won't win a ham or turkey breast this year, ha!

[Elkaholic80]

Coots will be a great time rain or shine, so I hope all who can make it come and support the local sportsmans group.

[jjohnson5150]

We didn't make the banquet since we were having such a good time on the lake. This weekend was awesome all around. We only got 2 Walleye's, but got around 20 Pike on Sat & got about 8 more yesterday morning. We were mainly trolling in 6-8 ft of water. There was a TON of traffic this weekend. Most boats I've seen on opener. No accidental Bass or Crappies. I'll be up with the guys this weekend & plan to put in some serious time in pursuit of the Walleyes. Might even venture into Widows bay in pursuit of Crappies. Water temp was 55-57, so the Crappies are going to be hitting good now if you can find where they are. Has anyone been able to find Crappies in numbers? I've also looked at the large shallow bay by the arches, but never seem to make it over there.

Box MN - I know you guys will be up this weekend. Send me an e-mail if you want to know what I heard about bait / presentation this weekend. jjohnson5150 at yahoo