Pelican Lake Fishing Reports - Ashby

[GRA]

Not quite as tough on the speeding as they used to be. Had a couple of "overly ambitious" young cops that are no longer here. Sometimes it's better in small town America for a cop to just drive around and wave at people and not upset any of the locals.

[#fishhunt#]

JJohnson,

How was your week up on Pelican? First have was windy I know that. At lease it kept the mosquitos away for camping. I only got out for about and hour on Sunday the 28th to bring the kids out for some sunnies. We only caught 2 to keep but the kid that caught them had never fished before(4 yr old)so he was pumped. BAck up on Tuesday night when the wind finally went down. My wife and her dad stayed up but got shut down Monday and Tuesday using spinners and crawlers. Wednesday I picked up 2 northerns and a walleye near Sunken Island. I think the water was so tore up from the wind that they couldnt see anything because I fished my one spot and never got a bite 2 times on Wednesday. Thursday We (Me & Dad) picked up 4 walleyes (kept 3)on that same spot which I fished the day before. Friday we caught 2. Saturday picked up 3 more with my brother but only kept 1. Also I finally caught a crappie. My first in 2 years. Sunday my brothers picked up 4 keepers walleyes and let 2 go and My dad and I picked up 2 more. All the walleys we caught were on jigs and minow or jig /gulp leech. Bass are going good in the bays in the evenings for fun on spinner baits. The walleyes we caught were puking up mayfly larva and there is so much feed in the lake right now it is unbeleivable. The docks and boat lifts are loaded with 1 inch perch and small sunnies. I was amazed we did as well as we did. Everthing we caught was on the top edge of structure in eight/nine feet.

[jjohnson5150]

The wind the first 5-6 days was blowing 30+mph, so we did not fish much then. When it finally settled, fishing seemed slow. We went to 10-12 ft on the west end as a trial. My wife landed some nice Pike & Walleye over there trolling deeper diving raps. I would say we had limited success, but it was mainly due to the wind being so strong early in the vacation. We had a neighborhood hog roast on the 4th & got to meet fisherking101. I forgot to invite everyone else on here though. It was an awesome vacation. We have some awesome neighbors up there. Lucky us. I can't wait to get back up there for our 2nd week long vactation in Aug. BTW, our neighbors boy netted a freshly dead (floating) pike that went 36". It was a monster. I was not sure pike grew that big on Pelican.

[#fishhunt#]

Regarding that nothern, you dont know if it had a hook in its mouth do you? Mt fathern in law had a large nothern on he said was probablt 8 to 9 lbs. My motherin law netted it and it ripped through the net and came off. Is your place between Big Point and Indina Mounds resort? I caught about a 9 lb last year the day before duck opener. The are out there. My uncle had an artesian well that drained cold water into the lake . In August the big northern would sit infron of his dock. My uncle got an 18 lber and I got a 15lber. Numerous 8lb to 12 lb were caught. This was in the 80's. They are out there but tough to find.

[jjohnson5150]

Does anyone know of someone in the area that would deliver a load of 1.5 " river rock to the lake? I need to finish some landscaping & don't have a truck or trailer to haul it myself right now. It would be roughly 100' x 3' wide x 2" deep.

[poutpro]

I don't know if you're looking to have a rock supplier bring it to you or not. If you are just looking for someone to haul it for you, Whee'l Haul It out of Fergus Falls will load and haul just about anything for a very reasonable price. I found there ad on seel it on here dot com. Check it out.

[#fishhunt#]

Beaver Johnson hauls rock. You could check with him or go over to the gravel pit to see if it is the kind of rock you want. He owns the gravel pit on the dirt road going around Christina. If he doesnt have what you ar elooking for then I would check Fergus. We had him drop off rock for the shoreline at the cabin a couple years back.

[#fishhunt#]

Walleye fishing has gotten tough. Caught 2 last weekend (20 and 22 inch)both were returned to the water. Went topwater bassin for 45 minutes on Saturday night after the Ashby parade and landed 1 of 5 strikes. Other than that it may be time to start looking for sunfish. At least Cty Rd 19 is drivable now.

[jjohnson5150]

Yeah, it's been a tougher bite. I did not get much at all last weekend. Fished for 3 hours & got nada. When are they going to pave 19?

[#fishhunt#]

I called my parents this morning who are heading up today. They are going to see if they can find out tonight or tomorrow when the tenative completion date is. They should do it right away since they got it all graded. I wont be up for a few weeks but i hope it is done by the time I get up there. What part of the lake are you on?

[BoxMN]

I deer hunt with Benny Johnson, Beavers son. Beaver would be able to get it for you or tell where best place is to get it.

[#fishhunt#]

I talked to my parents and they said there is no set date on when it will be done. I would think that since they had it all nicely graded that they would have started the blacktopping right away. No such luck.

[jjohnson5150]

We are off big island rd, so it really does not effect us too much.

We fished for 3-4 hours this weekend & did really good. My wife got 2 Walleyes on Sat just before sun set. One of them went 9 lbs!!!!!!!!! We also got 4 Pike. They seemed to be biting decent right on the edge of the weeds in 7-8' of water with Rapalas.

[#fishhunt#]

Nice fish! I bet she was excited. Is it going on the wall? That is a huge walleye for Pelican. My dad picked up 2 walleyes also on Saturday jigging but nothing else. I think he said he was out a couple hours. Sounds like the walleyes and northerns are picking up a little again. Can't wait to get up there again in a couple weeks.

[jjohnson5150]

Yes, we are putting it on the wall. All 3 of us were fishing together, which makes for a good memory. Plus, Lisa said "I always told you I was going to get the walleye for the wall". I can't wait to hear about this forever (or until I get my 30" eye).

Thanks for the replies on the rock. Ness is going to deliver it next week. $20 per yd + $40 for the haul. Not bad.

Was anyone out this past weekend? I heard it was a bit chilly again.

Does anyone know of a decent panfish lake nearby? I'd like to get out & chase some gills for a few hours next week. Pelican is too slow for the gills, so I'd like to try something different.

[#fishhunt#]

I would not have hesitated to put that on the wall. That's an awesome fish on any lake as far as I'm concerned. It's always nice when you have a place on a lake with a fish from that lake on the wall. That's why we let the 18 to 19 plus ones go so we all have a chance at a mounter.

I have to live with letting my wifes 28.5 inch walleye go one year and then mounting a 29.5 inch that I caught the next year in the same spot. Big mistake on my part. You can imagine that story since she claims my fish to be the same fish she caught the year before. If she gets another 28 plus I will mount it for her.

Was not up last weekend but looking forward to heading up Thursday night. Sounds like a weekend of dodging some rain and T-Storms.

I do not have any pan fish lakes that are great. I wish I did so I could get the kids into some fast action. Frog lake is fun when the fish are biting just out of town going towards Dalton. They have a dock there to fish off. I know there are sunnies and crappies in there but it is or was better for bass a few years ago. I havn't been there in a couple years Used to drop a canoe in there and mess around for bass. It seems to still be too cold for the b-gills on pelican. I think you need to keep moving around the pencil reeds until you find a school.

What kind of boat you fish out of? The lake across from Eagle has panfish in but I think you need a smaller boat.

Maybe we'll see you out on the lake this weekend(White Crestliner Phantom 185 w/115 Merc.

[#fishhunt#]

Anyone fish Big Chippewa or Whisky between Brandon and Evansville lately. It's been a while since I have been fishing there but caught a few walleyes later in the year(July Aug) when Pelican shut down.

[#fishhunt#]

Anyone been fishing on Pelican lately?

[LuckBites]

I "fished" Pelican on 9/12. Mostly sightseeing as I grew up going to the lake and hadn't been back in 20 years, but we did catch around 20 pike in 5 hours during the middle of the day. Biggest was 32" and all were caught in weeds with spinner baits. 1 bonus bass and measured a 17" crappie which was very smelling after floating for a few days. We also fished DL's and caught more pike with the largest @ 30". Good luck!

[#fishhunt#]

Is the is the Pelican by Ashby?

[LuckBites]

By Pelican Rapids

[BoxMN]

I think most of the talk here is the Pelican by Ashby thought...

Will be up there for duck opener Not on Pelican, but good luck to those on Pelican and Christina! I hope to hear the shooting once again, to signal the start of an increasingly improving duck season in the area.

[101winchester]

Just an FYI, they have started the road project on the southern portion of CR 19, its 4WD country now.

[jjohnson5150]

Are they ever going to pave 19? I thought that was part of the project scope.

The walleyes were going crazy for crawlers & raps this weekend. I got my limit in no time Sat. Got some fairly large Pike also. It was on like Donkey Kong. One of those days you dream of. No joke. Boats were docking at the resort to run to get more crawlers & going back out again. The sunnies were biting off the end of the docks pretty good this AM too. New moon? Stable - warm weather? SW wind?

[nroff]

well it wsn't like that on Ottertail! Maybe I head that way.

[jjohnson5150]

Sunday was nada for what it's worth.

[#fishhunt#]

Good to see still biting somewhat. Maybe will still be going during opening duck weekend. Labor day Sunday was awesome . My wife dad and I caught 14 walleyes in 2 hours. Only kept 3 (15-17 inchers)but was fun. Rest were over 19 with the largest 25inches. Jigs and minnows in 8 feet.

[101winchester]

CR 19 is a Grant county project being done in phases from what I understand. If they are going to pave it won't be until 2010 at the soonest. I'll keep asking around and when I get a definate answer I'll let you know. I really wish they wouldn't pave it though, would be a waste of money, has been that way for alot of years. Good to hear the fish are biting out there again, should be a good fall. Tim

[101winchester]

CR 19 is open, soft but open. No ducks to speak of, crappy weather has really slowed the ice fishermen and the guys in boats haven't been out either. Let the cold begin, time to get out the ice auger.

[jjohnson5150]

We were up on Sat. It was pretty quiet. No ice & there were some brave souls out fishing Sat evening. They were fishing a typical winter spot. Time to go shopping for another auger. My wife does not like me bringing mine back & forth, so I get to buy one for the cities It's all about compromising. My prediction is that folks will be walking out by the end of next week.