Pelican Lake Fishing Reports - Ashby

[BoxMN]

In the fall, when Christina has one of the "good" years with tons and tons of ducks and coot, when an eagle flies over the lake ALL the birds get up - what an awesome sight and sound. We were hunting with Jimmy Ry. on his point once when either an eagle or a hang glider was in the air (back over the sisters hills) and the whoel lake of ducks got up at once - it sounded like a train going over the lake! Very cool! After they all got up we even got a few redheads out of it

We had our best ever crappie fishing many years ago, just up down in the bay by Wigwam resort. We caught a ton (our limit, I think then 15 each) of legitmate 1 pound+ crappies for 4 of us. We weight the whole basket when we got back and it was over 50 pounds for 45 fish. Wow. Looking back, we wouldn't take that many again, but all the crappies in those years were big, you could not find a small one.

Also had good crappie fishing just on the bay side of the narrows, anywhere you could find reeds that were just starting to turn green was the key. A buddy got a 2 pounder on the south end shore, just the year before he died. I think that picture might still be up at the resort.

Can't wait for the second weekend to try it all again

[BoxMN]

Hey guys, just wondering if you have found the crappies biting on Pelican yet? Can't wait to get up there in a couple weeks. Have a good opener!

[vister]

Keeping fish like that is why today those are considered dandy's. But, back then it was more so you caught it, you brought it with ya. But yeah, that is by no means a bad basket of fish. Wouldn't it be nice to have a secret lake that you don't even bring some friends out to in fear of the public catching em like that all the time.

[BoxMN]

Yeah, long time ago, a different time and mind set. different today. Pelican has historically for us been a big fish, but not that many fish lake.

two weeks to go

[fisherking01]

Talking about baskets of fish, When I was young, fishing with my grandfather on the SE end of the lake, we would throw back legitimate 8-9 inch sunfish, keeping only the "nice" ones. The ones with the big bump on their back! We caught lots of 1+ pound sunnies. Crappies some years were legit 14 inchers with many topping 15.

When My buddy got back from the first gulf war (desert storm), we hit christina for some fishing. Got into some great sunnies. ended up with 38 sunnies weighing in at a total of 42 pounds.

The winter before the last "treatment" (killing) of lake Christina, I was catching an easy 30 + crappies an hour, mostly in the 6-8 inch range, it would have been great now with the growth rates of the lake, putting them around 11 inches. Luckily they effectively killed all the pannies and game fish (most of them anyway) and left a great portion of the bullheads and carp to thrive.

What a waste of money, that's another story for another time. It sure would be nice to get the lakes back to where they were when they were essentially working together to produce awesome fishing. think about pelican having a 4 thousand acre rearing pond attached!! Wow!!

Hope you fellas that get to pelican for opener can enjoy a few tugs on your lines, and a tasty meal of some of the finest eating fish in the world!! Good luck to you all, Brent

[101winchester]

Good luck to all this weekend, I'll be thinking of you at work. But will be out on Pelican next weekend for sure.

[BoxMN]

Hey 101, I will be there next weekend as well. Will either be in a gree/tan Alumacraft TP 175 with 150 merc, or a tan "duck hunting" alumacraft old 16' with a 50 merc. Big Island pt or Phillips pt, or the grassy island area, or the south beech area is our likely haunts.

If you see us say hi! Can't wait.

[101winchester]

We'll be camped on that south beach if its still not flooded. Will be in buddies Lund Tyee on the lake fishing the sunken humps and the big gravel bar. Stop in for a cold one.

[BoxMN]

See you up there 101 We're heading up early tomorrow to get all day of fishing on this beautiful Friday coming up. Keep the lines tight and the beers cold

[BoxMN]

Hey 101, didn't see a tyee up there, but it was a pretty windy and cold weekend, for the most part, so figured you might not be there.

It was sort of the dead sea for us again. Some friends got a couple eyes in the bay near the resort, over by the road. We got some nice pike (26-31 inches) over by the outlet. All these came on perch cranks. Nothing on bait.

Then on Sat night a buddy got a 27" eye near the inlet from Christina, he was fishing for bullheads for his buddy. Heh, figures

We went to Ten Mile on Sat morn and got a few nice walleyes, and a couple nice smallies bit (released off course). So we had a nice fish fry Sat night.

Sun morn got nothing fishing for eyes, so we tried crappies in the pencil reeds - they were biting! The big ones again! Smallest we got was 11". We kept about 15 between 4 of us, but they were biting pretty good, even got some nice (but not huge) sunnies. All on plastic tubes, and some on crappie minnows. Anyway, it was good to see there are still the big crappies there. I didn't see anybody fishing them, and hardly anybody on the lake at all.

Still tons of small perch, and a few were getting near 8-9 inches.

That's the report. Not great, but caught enough to have fun and a fish fry.

[101winchester]

Between boat problems on Friday am, we decided to stick to a smaller lake, because the way things were going we would have been floating or like I say DDT (Drift, Drink & Talk) until somone rescued us, which wouldn't be all bad either. We did good went thru a couple of scoops of fatheads but only caught 3 eyes that were decent size. Threw back a bunch of them under 14" should be good in a couple of years. Was going to spend the night on the south shore camping but Saturday night the bite was really good and by the time we got home cleaned fish it was well after dark and I didn't feel like setting up the tent camper. It was a good weekend, didn't really hammer them but got enough to send a couple of bags of fillets home with my buddy. Good to hear you guys found something for a fish fry.

[jjohnson5150]

Wind, wind, wind.

We had a tough time catching anything this weekend except for Bullheads off the dock at sundown. I was even able to fish from the campfire for them 'heads with my 12 foot Crappie pole. My Dad & I tried crossing the lake on Sat to get to the East side, but had to turn around. I think there were some legit 2 footers & maybe pushing 3 footers in the middle that day. We turned around in between Big Island Point & Bird Island to head back. It was not worth it. No Eyes or Pike in about 5 hours of fishing this weekend. Sat morning Lisa and I went into the Lake Assoc meeting. It was a good meeting. I guess they are going to rebuild / move highway 19 a bit. That is scheduled for this fall at the earliest, but may get pushed back due to environmental study results, etc. Also, the local fire depts / sheriffs are planning to simulate a spill of the patroleum line that runs between Christina & Pelican. Don't be surprised if you see a county's worth of rescue squads out on July 14th in the area. It sounds like it's going to be quite the site.

Did anyone else make it out?

[river runt]

I probily caught more fish over the holiday weekend then all last summer at pelican the lakes not dead. my family caught 15 northens 2 to 5 pounds 3 waleyes 10" to 21" and 3 bonus Crappie 2 11" 1 13" . Last fall there was a posting on pelican some thought that there was a big perch popultion providing to much for the fish to eat. I thought the DNR killed the wrong lake still I wounder where all the carp went o well I hope they dont come back. all in all a good weekend if you could stand the wind. RR

[GRA]

I fished Pelican a bit last Sunday with little to show for it. Spent a good bit of time tearing carburetors off boat motor, taking them apart and trying to find what was plugged up. I think the problem started late last summer when boat was used very little. Moral of story-put some Sea Foam in gas tank in the summer and save yourself a lot of work. NOTE: J. Johnson big prize winner at PLPOA. meeting.

[101winchester]

Will be a sad day when they tar CR 19. I got so used to the ruts and washboards it just isn't going to be a trip to the lake any more. I wish they would leave it gravel, it would cut down on the traffic. The spring is going to beat that road up with all of the low spots. When they tar it don't forget the Bah Lakes curves, they are going to claim their share the first winter.

[fisherking01]

Been "over the edge" heading South on 19. Luckily it was froze hard enough to drive on. Great corners for some fun!!!

[BoxMN]

Saw the biggest buck I ever saw coming over a hill. He was right in middle of road and had to lock em up. He laughed at me and trotted away... heh.

[river runt]

Fishing must be good no ones talking. Any body have any luck over the week end?

[GRA]

I saw a lot of fish being taken on the west side of Pelican Sat. morning. Not by fishermen but by big, black, ugly, fish eatin birds. A big flock of pelicans and cormorants came from the north and worked their way thru the thin rushes in front of our place. The cormorants would dive under the water, come up and stick their beaks straight up in the air, and open and close their beaks a few times swallowing the fish they had caught. They are definitely one fish killing machine. Saw one come up with a small bass or a sunfish that was too big for it to swallow so it lost it. So I guess the fishing report for me for last weekend would be Birds=excellent, This fisherman=zilch.

[101winchester]

And people wonder why the stocking efforts aren't working?? That has been a common site the past few years. Commorants have completely taken over Bird Island, I remember when it was full of herons and egrets nesting, every year we made a point to bring the kids out there to get a close look those birds and a few goats from time to time Fishing out there this year is just as bad as last year. With any luck maybe the DNR will step in and cull a few hundred off the Island.

[jjohnson5150]

Everyone should call the DNR to express their opinion.

[sparcebag]

If ya want to express your opinion about cormorants,Go to Willmar-Spicer thread look for the cormorant post!I coppied a reply from the DNR,and it contains the guys name to make complaints to!!

[GRA]

I have heard that the DNR's opinion on cormorants is that they eat a lot of rough fish. I guess if they get a walleye they spit it out.

Sure is hard to understand how a lake the size of Pelican can have such poor fishing. When you consider the size of the lake, the bays, the weeds and rushes, and what sure seems like very light fishing pressure in the summer compared to some lakes such as Lac Qui Parle which is the closest lake to me. LQP. is fished heavy winter and summer and still seems to produce fish.

[jjohnson5150]

Has anyone formally requested an inquiry into this? Perhaps the Leach Lake situation could open the doors for the DNR on this body of water. It would be beneficial to at least have a survey for the next few years to see is certain species of birds are increasing in population. I'll try to call the fisheries dept in Glenwood when I have a chance. The DNR rep I have talked to in the past is always nice to deal with.

[jjohnson5150]

Has anyone been getting out at all? We have not been up in a few weeks, but will be spending 10 days straight around the 4th. In the past, we have had really good luck on this annual vacation.

[101winchester]

Not good at all, haven't kept a single fish, haven't caught much either. If it isn't raining the wind is blowing 40 mph. Best bet, trailer out, find a lake that isn't completely covered in whitecapps, run a crawler and a spinner and catch shore lunch. Good luck

[GRA]

In the past couple weeks have spent some time out on Pelican. Tried some weedless stuff in the underwater weeds with no results. Tried crawlers and a spinner and fed half a crawler at a time to probably small perch or sunnies but no fish in the boat. Didn't see anybody catch anything this past weekend.

[river runt]

I dont think things are as bad as we think the DNR put 3 1/2 mil walleye fry in the lake in 05 compair that to what other lakes get thats a lot. this spring I put on some small rigs to see if I could get any of these 05 eyes and I did 10"ers witch is right where the 05 class should be, next year they should be at 12". pelican has always shut down for me after 4th of july I think its the heat if we get a couple days in the 60-70 range fishing should pick up . we have had a warm spring 90s in may this dosnt help, if the DNR does any thing they should take some sample nettings . The DNR is cleaning up Christiana this is part of the problem on pelican , pelican is going to get cleaner our weed line is going to grow deeper this may be it for blue bird sky walleyes on this lake it may become a nite fishing lake. I know no one likes the wind and this lake seems worse then others but I have all ways done well in the wind on this lake. RR

[GRA]

According to what was said at the Property owners meeting, one guy had talked to the Dnr guys after they did their electro-shocking survey in the fall of 2005 and they said they came up with the highest walleye count of any lake around. Numbers were super high. After their survey in 06 they didn't get any walleyes. They did it later in the fall and supposedly the walleyes had moved to deeper water. Go figure.

Have a neighbor and his wife that spend quite a bit of time out there. They do alot of drifting and still fishing-mostly crawlers and leeches. So far they have caught one 3lb. walleye and a big crappie. Gary.

[river runt]

your right the lake has gone under some kind of change the lack of sun fish of any size and the carp have numbers have droped a lot I dont know what to think. I heard the sheriff was doing a toxic spill test in Christina did any one hear of this or if it happend?