Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Recommended Posts

There seems to be alot dead and dying shad around lately, b4 it clouded up about 30 of them kicked it together for no appearant reason. I don't recall this happening in years past any theorys? similar observations?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a some dead on P4 as well. The seagulls and eagles loved it though. Some were about to die next to the surface kicking a bit still. Later in the day towards dusk I heard a big splash 20 feet from us and some larger fish must've grabbed one of them dieing shad next to the surface. Of course I was jigging confused.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The river has shad die offs every late winter. I think they haven't been so bad the last few years because of the mild winters, but otherwise it's very typical. I believe read's landing has the largest population of wintering bald eagles in such a small area than anywhere else in the country...I would imagine the shad have everything to do with that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The die off is normal. Most of what were seeing is the dead guys that were froze and now thawed from alot of the backwater ice! Theres still quite a few kickers out there too and were olny seeing a small fraction of whats really in the river. Plenty of food for some grin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the die off is larger this year either because there was a large boom in shad numbers last year and/or the river being lower than normal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd agree with the boom in the shad population. I was on lake pepin last summer and the numbers of shad swimming around was unreal!!! So it's best for the river that there is an even bigger die off this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

KOBANON, is Watergate open for launching a boat. Any ice?

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

wow if watergates open thats pretty fast i havent been there 4 a while as im staying around st paul park this season. sorry i'll be over there later to get the mail and will take a look at the launch while there.

RE shad = this is actually natural???? i've lived onthis river since 99 and i've never seen this b4 there dsroping like flys...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:

Hidden Falls and Watergate are open.
grin.gif


With lots of ice and debris on the way if it hasn't got there already.

Fox 9 News had a good story on the Minnesota flooding at Shakopee/Chaska/Jordan right now. The river was solid ice chunks and debris and really raging.

Careful out there guys, lots of junk coming. Lots!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its coming from up here to, solid ice flows and debris this morning on the river up here in Elk River

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just crossed the river on hwy 52 today and there were a few small scattered ice chunks floating around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The shad die because they can not handle abrupt changes in water temperature. In the spring when the water temps start to warm quickly on those hot days like we had last week, the shad die and you'll see them floating all over the place.

GoggleEye

Link to comment
Share on other sites

have any of u guys ever caught the shad and used them for bait? i am new to the area and just trying to get as mych info as i can.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:

have any of u guys ever caught the shad and used them for bait? i am new to the area and just trying to get as mych info as i can.


Yes. Very, very good catfish bait around these parts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:

The shad die because they can not handle abrupt changes in water temperature. In the spring when the water temps start to warm quickly on those hot days like we had last week, the shad die and you'll see them floating all over the place.

GoggleEye


Yeap... you are correct. Shad cannot handle abrupt sudden changes in water temp & season with low disolved oxygen levels.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.