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Open Water Adventures!!!


Matt Johnson

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It won't be long and we'll be back out in the boat chasing our favorite open water species. So, where will everyone be going this open water season? I'm not looking for hot spots or even lakes. Just looking to hear a few cool adventures that people have planned for the upcoming season...

I plan on taking a trip back up to Sioux Narrows to chase some smallies on the north end of Lake of the Woods. I would also like to make a trip to the Northwoods and follow around a few pannies on some of the smaller lakes smile.gif

Anyone planning any fly-ins for monster pike? How about any trips down south for bruiser bass?

Sorry... just getting that open water itch and needed an outlet wink.gif

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I have a 3 day trip planned march 22nd through 25th to roosevelt lake in arizona for some serious slabs 2 pounds is average there i would recommend this trip to anyone who loves slabs!Matt i am the guy who bought the x4 fish trap and lazer mag from you,I know you are a panfish man i would seriously consider this trip at least once.

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My major events this year will kick off with a trip to the Missouri River to fish with an old college friend for a couple days. Followed then by one trip I'm really looking forward to....the Sturgeon Excursion! I've never caught one before so I have high hopes of tangling with those prehistoric creatures. After that will be summer and fall get-togethers with the SouthCentral MN folks.

Beyond that, no major week-long trips planned this year. It's my wife's turn to spend a week with her family out in CA....although we WILL be on a lake at a resort. Hmmmm!!! wink.gifgrin.gif

Very excited for open water though. cool.gif

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We found a little open water yesterday! grin.gif It felt sooo good to feel them hit a jig again. The fish were stacked right along the ice edge.

100_0116.jpg

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I'm heading to Florida tomorrow, going to spend a little over a week at a beach house my folks have rented for the winter. Will be doing some surf fishing right in front of the house, catching whiting, pompano, a bunch of other stuff, and hopefully some sharks. Also going to do some in-shore fishing for redfish and sea trout.

After that I'm looking forward to the fishing opener, there's a bunch of us getting together to hit Red and Winnie. We did that last year too and it was a great trip.

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Matt; we make an annual trip to Sioux Narrows and fish the area west of there for muskies. We'll be camping this year (finally) for the first time. Save us an hour boat ride each way:) When are you going? We usually go late July. Other than that trip, May and Oct to Cabo San Lucas for marlin; possibly out west to hit some mountain trout lakes. My wife is going to Alaska:)

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4 guys, two boats, lakeside cabin on Table Rock - Mar 31 - Apr 6. Can't wait.

Pool 2 in April and early May for bass

Decided I'm going to try and do some crappie fishing this year so will need to figure that out.

Opener - Rum River? Clearwater? Tonka?

Daze Off

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I'll be up in Sioux Narrows probably the second week in September this year. The Bassin' for Bucks tourny is that weekend and I'm going to help out. Great time of year to smack a few pig smallies! You fishing Whitefish and Rendevous?

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Hopefully Ill be on Rainy River with BDR real quick here and then it will be Lake Superior Coho fishing. Then its the walleye opener on the St. Louis River.

Oh and some smelting in there too.

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Matt; we fish mostly past yellow girl, by sunset channel and north/west of there. We were up there out of Ash Rapids 2 years ago when that tournament was going on, lots of activity around the narrows.

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Hopefully there will be a trip to Oahe this spring. Then the the Excursion I can't wait for that one. Maybe I will make the Lake Of The Woods get together I hope to do that. A few weekends at the cabin. Then Lac Seul at the end of July. From there who knows.

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My fishing buddy and I will be opening up the season on some local lake like Vermillion, then to the Canadian Side of Rainy for 4 days over Memorial Day, then to Basswood for 3 days, then up to Ignace and pound a rock road to a secret laker lake, then fish around the local lakes till August when I head to Alaska for two weeks to fish out of Seward and Cordova, then up to the English River for our annual Pike hunt, then fall fishing on the local lakes.

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Matt,

I may be jumping the gun a bit but I'm getting anxious to get on the open water again so I have a fishing trip to Nicaragua planned for April (just 4 weeks to go now).

I will be traveling to Nicaragua to attend a friends wedding and following the ceremonies, I'm off to the unknown to do some Tarpon & Snook fishing along the Caribbean coast.

I've fished Halibut in Alaska, 'Cuda in Mexico and Dolphin (fish) in Hawaii, but this will be a first and I have always wanted to tie into a Tarpon.

Wish me luck,

Jack

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Looks loke you guys have some good trips in store! I will be headed up to Baudette for the last day of the Surgeon Excursion and all of the fallowing week. Hoping to crack the 60" mark. In September I will be going to Kodiak Island AK for a week to do some salmon fishing. Then probably going down south to Arkansas to do some trout and striper fishing over Thanksgiving or Christmas. In between I'll be catfishng in the summer and switching to Muskie/Walleye in the fall.

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I hear you Matt about getting the itch for open water.

This year the family is looking to hit Lac Suel again! We did this trip last year and had fun, but fished big parts of the lake that made fishing interesting in the wind. This year well be going out of Hudson and be hitting some familar waters (we were in this area 3 years ago).

Looking forward to a week of catching walleyes and nice sized pike!

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-Sturgeon Excursion coming up! smile.gif

-Dad & I were drawn for Cat's Incredible Tourny in Grand Forks 1st part of August!

-Otherwise... fishing the Red River for channel cats & Minnesota/Mississippi for flathead cats again all summer.

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I'll be fishing the Lower Laguna Madre in Southern Texas on April 16th for Redfish, Speckled Sea Trout, and Flounder. cool.gif

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Man, you guys have some great trips planned. Mine aren't as exciting, but I am pumped none the less.

Opener- a small central MN lake that has been great for us in the past and doesn't have all the boat traffic.

Memorial Weekend- 4 day trip to the Blackduck area

Week of the 4th of July- Cutfoot Sioux(Heaven on Earth!!)

Mid August- Crow Wing River Canoe Trip

It will be nice to have the long rods out again, but I will miss my auger and bucket blush.gif

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