Lake Winnibigoshish 2014 Fish Population Outlook

Transcription

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Contents 2014 Open Water Edition
From the Editor
Keeping Invasive Species from Invading your Favorite Lake
Page 5
Bring on the Dog Days of Summer
Page 7
By Joe Henry
By Chris Kavanaugh
Leech Lake 2014 Fish Population Outlook
Page 9
By Doug Schultz, Walker Area Fisheries Supervisor
Answering the Superline Slip Through Issue
By Steve Mattson
Fishing Questions and Answers
Page 11
By Gary Roach
3-D Walleyes
By Ted Takasaki and Scott Richardson
A New Concept for Spring Walleye’s
Page 13
A New Spin On Old Techniques
Page 15
By Brewer-Agre Outdoors
Spring Bassin’
Page 19
By Marianne Huskey
By Jared Barbee
Getting Nowhere Fast!
By Ron Anlauf
Back in the Sticks
Page 21
Location and Lures for Largemouth and Smallmouth
Page 23
By Jamie Dietman
By Travis Peterson
Digging Walleyes From the Weeds
By Matthew J. Breuer
True North Reflections
Page 25
By Phill Hall
Walleye Fishing Goes High Tech, But Don’t Forget the Live Bait
By Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl
Lots of Options
Page 27
Get out of the Cold, Utilize a Jigging Rap Year Round
Page 29
By Brad Hawthorne
By Jim Ernster
Hunting for Minnesota’s Homegrown Gators
By Ron C Hustvedt Jr
3
From the Editor
For the past 11 years
UPNORTH has been producing
outdoor style newspapers that
focus on educating its readers.
It’s 20 plus pages are loaded
with tips and tricks to help
you be more productive in the
outdoors while showcasing
many different business’ that
share the same passion and
philosophy as we do. No
matter what the situation,
customer
service
always
comes first.
Outdoor Media Companies
start up every day and then
quietly disappear, never to
be heard from again, while
UPNORTH invests time and
money to make sure we are
moving forward. We weren’t
the first, or the last, but
hopefully you find us to be one
of the best.
We started with our main
focus being print and that
still continues to grow today.
However, now our publications
are available online in an
EMAG or digital format at
www.upnorthinc.com.
This
tends to appeal to a younger
generation while creating
additional advertising avenues
since ads become links back
to the prospective websites.
To add to the digital
side of the business we are
now producing short video
segments with fishing tips
along with destinations. These
destinations are generally
resorts and hotels/motels that
are located near Northern
Minnesota’s Walleye Factories
that we feel would make a great
family
destination/vacation
or even a week-end warrior
get away with the guys. Also
those nearby business’ that
are a must see or could have
that one thing you forgot but
need.
Northern Minnesota has
so much to offer but with
today’s fast paced lifestyle a
season can fly by and be only
a memory before you know
it. We hope to help narrow
your options and make this
summer’s choice a little easier.
With our many well known
writers and experts you might
just pick up another tip that
will aid in landing a trophy of a
lifetime while completing your
UPNORTH experience.
Have a fun and safe Open
Water Season!
Jason Green, UPNORTH Editor
Keeping Invasive Species from Invading your Favorite Lake
Nobody
really
likes
thinking
about
invasive
species, and trying to follow
all the laws surrounding
them can be a real pain in the
butt, but if we don’t protect
our lakes and rivers they will
be diminished. That means
more stress on the species
we love fishing for and fewer
opportunities to use the
precious time we have to go
fishing.
There is a ton of
information to be had on
the Minnesota DNR website
w w w. d n r. s t a t e . m n . u s
including videos showing
how to properly clean off
your boat, drain water, and
other necessary actions.
As responsible boaters and
anglers, we owe it to each
other to follow through and
act as if the Conservation
Officer is next to us each
and every time because all of
us are the best enforcers of
game and fish laws.
Required Actions you
must take
1. Clean all visible aquatic
plants, zebra mussels, and
other prohibited invasive
species from watercraft,
trailers, and water-related
equipment before leaving
any
water
access
or
shore.
2. Drain water-related
equipment (boat, ballast
tanks,
portable
bait
containers, motor) and drain
your bilge, livewell and
baitwell by removing drain
plugs before leaving a water
access or shoreline property.
Keep drain plugs out and
water-draining devices open
while transporting watercraft.
3. Dispose of unwanted
bait, including minnows,
leeches, and worms, in the
trash. It is illegal to release
live bait into a waterbody or
release aquatic animals from
one waterbody to another. If
you want to keep your live
bait, you must refill the bait
container with bottled or tap
water.
Restricted Actions
Before you leave anywhere
with your boat, make sure
you remove the drain plug.
Keep it removed until you are
just about ready to launch the
boat at the access. I keep my
drain plug on my keychain so
I don’t accidentally put my
boat in without the plug but
also so I don’t leave the plug
anywhere else.
Always inspect your boat
for aquatic plants, zebra
mussels, or other prohibited
species before heading onto
the road. Saying that you will
take care of it later is only
inviting a bigger
problem.
Also,
that
unused bait in
your bait bucket
needs
to
be
dumped in the
trash or on shore
away from the
lake. Catch and
release with game fish is
great, but with minnows it
is illegal because it could
potentially harm the lake.
Exhibit good behavior
After you use your boat, be
sure to spray, rinse and dry it
off. Some invasive species
are small and difficult to see
at the access. To remove or
kill them, do at least one or
more of the following: Spray
with high-pressure water;
Rinse with hot water (120
degrees for two minutes, 140
degrees for 10 seconds); Let
your boat dry for at least 5
days.
Before you head out on the
road, start your motor and let
it run for just a few seconds
to discharge water before
leaving a water access.
Get to know what invasive
species look like. If you spot
one, or think you’ve spotted
one, on your favorite lake,
you should contact the local
fisheries office. Infestations
can
be
contained
or
controlled when caught early.
And just like you’d do if you
saw somebody harming the
resource by poaching, report
boaters who you see not
following the law. All it takes
is one fool who doesn’t care
about the fishery to damage
your favorite lake.
UPNORTH • 2014 SPECIAL OPEN WATER EDITION
EDITOR:
Jason Green
CONTRIBUTORS:
Ron C Hustvedt Jr, Joe Henry, Chris Kavanaugh,
Doug Schultz, Steve Mattson, Gary Roach,
DESIGN & LAYOUT:
Ted Takasaki & Scott Richardson, Marianne Huskey,
Cowduck Designs:
Scott Brewer & Kyle Agre, Jared Barbee, Ron Anlauf,
Brent Burich, Art Director Jamie Dietman, Travis Peterson, Matthew J. Breuer,
and Jason Green
Phill Hall, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl, Brad Hawthorne,
Jim Ernster
ON THE COVER: Steve Mattson
All rights reserved. Use or reproduction of
any information contained in UPNORTH’s
Publications is prohibited without
authorization.
4
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@walleyecapital
5
Bring on the Dog Days of Summer
By Joe Henry
There is a time during the dog
days of summer as the water
warms, when a group of anglers
really get enthused. This time
isn’t typically looked forward to
by Midwest anglers as fishing
can be tough. Up on Lake of
the Woods, however, things are
just different. With many lakes
experiencing high water temps,
blooms of baitfish and weed
growth that makes trolling difficult
at best, walleyes can be tough
to catch. Not here. Schools of
walleyes in the thousands are
feeding in high gear, the water
temps are moderate and the
pattern is predictable.
The big expanse of water
called Big Traverse Bay offers
tens of miles of flat mud,
otherwise called “no man’s
land” or “the basin” stacked
with walleyes making it a troller’s
dream. The majority of this mud
exists in 30 – 33’ so trolling your
favorite crankbait is an absolute
weapon in slaying late summer
walleyes and saugers.
a charter boat is very high.
Do it yourselfers.
Many
anglers hit the summer waters on
their own. As long as you have
the right boat and equipment,
success can be yours.
Equipment. Let’s make this
simple. Most anglers do not
own downriggers. There is a
another great option. If you don’t
already own a lead core setup,
go to your favorite sporting
goods store and pick one out,
you won’t be sorry. In a nutshell,
a large line counter reel able to
hold 100 yards of leadcore line, a
7 – 8’ trolling rod and some lead
core line and you are in business.
As lead core trolling has
become more popular, there
are a number of stores offering
leadcore combos all rigged up
and ready to go. These pre
rigged set ups are normally
good. There are a few features
and nuances I do prefer.
Lead Core Line.
The
advantage of lead core line is
just like it’s name indicates, the
Charter boats teamed up with down riggers are extremely effective in
presenting crankbaits right where the walleyes live. With miles of flat
mud and massive schools of walleyes, it is a successful combination.
(Photo credit: Doug Stamm/www.stammphoto.com)
Charter Boats. If you have
not experienced this type of
summer fishing, it can be a
blast. The Walleye Capital offers
dozens of charter boats that
accommodate up to six people
and are geared for deep water
trolling. Charter boats make
life easy. There are literally two
decisions a guest has to make in
a day, “what should I wear and
what should I eat”. Everything
else is taken care of.
Licensed charter captains
guide your trip into the beautiful
open waters loaded with big fish
and lots of them. Downriggers
teamed up with a limber rod get
the crankbaits to the bottom
where most of the walleyes live.
Guides have all summer to figure
out which wobble, size and color
are most to the walleyes liking.
They are dialed in and hone in on
the roaming schools of fish until
rods start popping. Success on
core is filled with lead so it sinks,
allowing you to troll depths
with cranks un reachable with
traditional fishing lines. The lead
core line is colored. Each color
represents 10 yards or 30 feet
of line. As a rule of thumb, one
color of line will get your lure
down an additional 5 feet.
Ok, there are lots of brands
of lead core line. One line
recently has my attention and
so far, I like it. Suffix just came
out with a 721 Advanced Lead
Core. Why do I like it? It gets
down with 30% less line out than
traditional lead core. This is a big
advantage. It saves time when
letting out and reeling in lines,
causing more hook time and less
fatigue. When a fish is hooked, it
also is less reeling, which to me,
is that much less opportunity
for the fish to come unbuttoned
from the crankbait before being
swooped with the net.
Leader material. Attached
to the leadcore is a leader. The
go to leader material is either
a superline or a fluorocarbon.
Personally, I will use a superline
if I can get away with it. Up at
Lake of the Woods, the water
drains north into the lake. The
basin it is draining from has a
strong presence of muskeg and
consequently, the water has a
nice tint. This allows the fish to
be less finicky vs gin clear water.
It also makes for a great daytime
bite vs fishing during the wee
hours of the night. The superline
leader, about 6 feet long, make
it easier to see the action of the
lure on the rod tip. This works
well to detect if your lure hits
the mud dirtying up the trebles,
causing the crank not to run well.
If you are fishing a clear lake,
it is a good idea to have your
fishing partner use the opposite
leader material or lean towards
fluorocarbon. You might also
want to increase your leader
length to 8 feet.
The easiest way to attach the
leader material to the lead core
is with a small swivel. Take the
lead out of the end of the lead
core line so there is just the outer
shell. This will make it easier to
tie the knot to the swivel.
The A, B, C’s of depth. Lead
core line can be fished in any
segment of the water column.
Typically, the fish will be hanging
near the bottom. To figure out
depth, have a ballpark idea on
how deep your crankbait runs.
You can figure your lead core
line, which has a different color
every 10 yards, will give you 5
feet of depth per color (30 feet on
the linecounter). Let out however
much line you think will get you
to the bottom. Once you start
trolling, watch your rod tip. If it is
not jumping, which indicates it is
hitting bottom, let out more line
until you find bottom, and then
reel up 10 feet. This will put your
lure just off of the bottom. Adjust
your lure depth based on where
the fish are you are marking on
your electronics. If you have two
or more anglers, experiment with
varying depths your lures are
running.
Speed.
In a nutshell,
experiment. A rule of thumb is
start out in cooler water at 1.5 –
2.0 mph. As the water warms,
2.0 – 3.5 mph. It amazes me to
watch a charter boat cruising by
me at a really good clip netting
fish one after the other. Mix it up
until you find what the walleyes
want that day.
When you speed up with lead
core, your lures will rise. When
you slow down, your lures will fall.
If you are trolling and the bottom
comes up, either reel in some
line or speed up. Speeding up
will raise your lures up.
In a MTT Tournament last
summer, my partner and I were
pulling lead core in the main
basin. We were pulling our
lures through fish after fish on
the graph, but the fish were not
eating. We changed lures, colors,
wobbles, etc. At one point, I was
reeling in to check my lure as I
thought there was some mud on
my trebles and about a fourth of
the way in, with my lure going in
the vicinity of 3.5 mph, bang, a
nice 18” walleye. From that point
on, my driving probably looked
like a drunken sailor, speeding
up, slowing down, making turns,
accelerating to what seemed to
be speeds too fast, but guess
what, we began getting bit. That
one difference in speed made all
the difference in the world.
Crankbaits.
As you
might know, there are literally
thousands of possibilities when
it comes to crankbaits. I do have
my favorites. Here is my advice.
Assuming you have two or more
anglers in the boat, start out with
your favorite crankbait on one
line and experiment with the
other until you become dialed
in on the fish. Be aware of size,
tight wobble vs. erratic and wide
wobble, colors, shape and diving
angle in the water. These all can
make a difference.
Some of my favorites on
LOW. In “No Man’s Land”,
making “S” turns. Some other
techniques that will put fish in the
boat:
The ripping technique. There
are times walleyes will react
positively to ripping the rod
forward, driving the crank into
the mud, rocks or sand. This
gets their attention and triggers
strikes.
Dropping it back. This past
June, I was fishing in a boat that
did not have rod holders. Since
I was forced to hold my rod, I
decided to do a soft pumping
motion where I would pull the
lure forward and let it back
quickly, almost stopping the
lure for an instant. The lure was
made of balsa, thus it floated.
Not only did the motion of
dropping it back trigger what I
can only imagine were following
walleyes, our catch rate doubled,
we caught bigger fish using this
technique and the fish would
absolutely hammer the bait.
The escaping baitfish. Very
simply, from time to time, pull
the crank forward very quickly,
emulating an escaping baitfish.
This injured minnow is trying to
make its escape and instinctively,
the walleye nails it.
The technique of trolling
and covering lots of water
with downriggers or lead core
line and crankbaits can seem
intimidating, but actually, can be
very simple. Rather than trying
to memorize depth charts based
on the dive curve of the lure and
how much line is out based on
what speed you are trolling,
simply take a guess and adjust
up or down accordingly. After
Joe Henry with a monster Lake of the Woods walleye caught on lead
core line and a crankbait. This fish hit a Rapala Scatter Rap when the
rod was suddenly dropped back while trolling which made the lure
hesitate and rise..
I like shiny gold, crawdad or
pink. Other captains like yellow
“5 of diamonds”, fire tiger and
chrome with a blue top. As far
as specific lures, I do like to run
one jointed along with a normal
crank. Sometimes that jointed
really gets hot.
Nuances to trolling. I already
mentioned varying speeds and
a short time, you will have a
good idea of where your lure is
in relation to the bottom. When
you catch a fish, take notice of
the speed and how much line
you have out and duplicate. It
will not take long to understand
the result of a wobbling crankbait
passing in front of a big walleye.
Have your camera ready!
6
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7
By Chris Kavanaugh
Walleye anglers on Lake
Winnibigoshish can expect
to see good numbers of fish
between 13 and 17 inches
in 2014, along with fish in
the protected slot.
Annual
assessment netting completed
in 2013 continues to show a
healthy walleye population
along with increased catches of
yellow perch and northern pike.
Walleye: The catch of 6.3
walleye per net in 2013 was
down from the catch observed
in 2012 but still among the
highest observed since the
Large Lake program began in
1983. The walleye sampled
varied in length from 11.2 to
over 28 inches, and the average
length was 17.3 inches. No
yearling walleye were sampled
in the summer assessment nets
and the two-year old fish grew
very rapidly, thus explaining the
lack of small fish. Additional
netting completed in the fall
did sample age-1 walleye as
well as several young of the
year, or fingerlings, suggesting
that these year classes have
at least some fish available.
Year-classes produced in 2005,
2006 and 2010 were very good,
the 2007 and 2009 year-classes
were average while the 2008
year-class was poor. Anglers
are likely to see many walleye
in the protected slot, as well as
many in the 13 to 17 inch range.
The 17 to 26 inch protected
slot for walleye will continue
in 2014. There is interest in
modifying the slot limit and data
is currently being evaluated. If
the data indicate a change is
possible, an announcement of
the public input process will
be made. This will provide
anglers with an opportunity to
comment that will last into the
fall when a final decision will be
made. If there are any changes
it would begin with the 2015
open-water fishing season.
Northern pike:
The catch
of northern pike in the 2013
assessment increased to 14.6
per net, the highest observed.
High catch rates usually mean
a smaller average size, the
average length in 2013 was
about 20.6 inches and the
largest pike sampled was over
32 inches. The high catch and
relatively low average size is
the result of several strong year
classes of young pike. Only
about 14% of the pike were
longer than 24 inches. Anglers
are encouraged to voluntarily
release northern pike over 24
inches and target their harvest
to smaller fish to help improve
the size structure of the pike
population.
following a summerkill as the
remaining adults have better
success spawning and their offspring have less competition
from older fish and tend to do
well. As summers get warmer
it is likely we will see more
frequent summerkills.
Yellow Perch: Perch are an
important species for both
anglers and as a prey item for
walleye and northern pike. The
catch of perch increased from
57 per net to over 74 per net.
The catch was dominated by
small perch (age 3) recruiting
to the nets. The high catch of
small fish, which were only 5.5
to 7 inches, resulted in only
about 8% of the yellow perch
sampled larger than 9 inches,
the generally preferred size for
anglers to begin harvest.
The Lake Winnibigoshish/
Cut Foot Sioux lakes also
provide opportunities to fish for
other species. Black crappie,
sunfish and even bass are
found in the big lake, but more
so in Cut Foot. The lakes
also provide an opportunity to
catch a muskie. Few anglers
actually target muskies but
some are caught while fishing
for something else.
Anglers are reminded that
Winnie and connected waters
contain faucet snails and zebra
mussel larvae were identified in
the lake in 2012. There have
been restrictions on the taking
of bait from Winnie for several
years, with the discovery of
zebra mussels it is important
that all boaters do a thorough
job draining and cleaning their
equipment. If you are going to
fish a couple of lakes in a day,
make Winnie the last stop so
Cisco:
Cisco (also known
as tulibee or herring) are an
important prey item for large
walleye and northern pike
and were caught in very
low numbers.
There was
a
substantial
summerkill
observed in the hot summer
of 2012. Catch rates typically
recover two to three years
you don’t inadvertently spread
these invasive species to other
waters.
In addition to the annual
netting assessment, Winnie
also has a creel survey
conducted two out of six years
to measure angling effort,
catch and harvest rates, and
estimate total harvest. The
creel survey continued in 2013
and estimated fishing effort
was down slightly to about
450,000 hours. With the lake
still being ice-covered the
first few days of the season
this is not unexpected. The
estimated harvest was nearly
57,600 walleye with a total
weight of over 69,000 pounds.
Angler catch rates for walleye,
the number of walleye caught
per hour, improved to 0.36.
Harvest rates, the number kept
per hour, remained steady at
about 0.13. The next creel
survey planned for Winnie will
begin in 2018.
Please feel free to contact
the DNR Area Fisheries Office
in Grand Rapids at (218) 3274430 or by email at grandrapds.
fisheries@state.mn.us if you
have any questions.
Leech Lake 2014 Fish Population Outlook
By Doug Schultz, Walker Area Fisheries Supervisor
The 2014 fishing outlook
on Leech Lake is again
looking very good. Annual
fish survey work showed a
strong walleye population
and good levels and sizes
of other species frequently
pursued by anglers. Anglers
can expect to encounter creel
clerks on Leech Lake this
summer as a creel survey has
been scheduled to measure
changes in fishing effort and
harvest associated with a new
walleye regulation, which will
be effective on Opening Day of
the 2014 season.
Walleye:
The 2013 catch
of 8.9 walleye/net is the
seventh consecutive year
walleye abundance has been
above the long-term average.
Walleye ranged in length from
6 to 27 inches, with about
50% of the net catch that will
be of harvestable sizes during
the 2014 season. A new 2026” protected slot limit will
be effective on Opening Day,
2014. This regulation change
is intended to increase harvest
opportunity by anglers while still
protecting mature fish needed
for natural reproduction, which
was about 25% of fish sampled
in 2013. The 4-fish possession
limit with one fish over 26.0
inches allowed in possession
will remain unchanged. A creel
survey is scheduled for the
open and hardwater seasons
during 2014 to measure
changes in walleye harvest
under the new regulation.
Northern pike: The catch
rate of northern pike in 2012
was 4.6 fish/net, near the longterm average. Pike catch rates
have historically ranged from 4
to 6 fish/net with sizes into the
mid-30’s commonly observed.
Several fish 30 inches and
longer were sampled in 2013.
predation by a very strong
walleye population. All sizes
of perch are still present, and
about 20% of perch sampled
were 9 inches or longer.
Anglers pursuing perch can
expect to stay on the move
more than they might be used
to in response to the lower
abundance.
Yellow perch:
Perch are
not only a favorite species
for anglers, but are also the
primary prey for walleye and
northern pike.
The perch
catch rate of 12.1 fish/net in
2013 is a decline to a record
low. Causes of this include
weaker year classes during
recent years, high harvest
during some years, and high
Other species:
Special
sampling
conducted
in
2012 showed high-quality
largemouth bass, bluegill, and
black crappie populations with
bass up to 18 inches, bluegill
up to 10 inches, and crappie up
to 15 inches sampled. Anglers
can find these fish in the
vegetated areas of the major
bays. Reports from muskie
anglers during 2013 were
positive. Traditional muskie
locations include the cabbage
beds in Sucker and Portage
bays and the rock structure in
the main lake.
Leech Lake is infested with
Eurasian watermilfoil and other
species, but has yet to be
designated infested with zebra
mussel or spiny waterflea. All
boaters are reminded that they
are responsible for stopping
the spread of these and other
harmful species to new waters.
All boaters should thoroughly
clean
their
water-related
equipment, drain all water prior
to transportation, and allow
equipment to dry for at least
five days before using again.
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Answering the Superline Slip Through Issue
9
By Steve Mattson
In ice fishing and open
water, I know of nothing that
can be more critical but yet so
simple to monitor and correct
then the position of the knot
on the hook or lure eye. It will
allow a horizontal bait to hang
correctly or look odd hanging
diagonally. It will allow a jig
and minnow to look real or
strange. And it will allow you
to stay attached to your worm
hook when using a “super
line”, if you watch it often.
I remember it all too well,
while on historic Rainy Lake for
a three day bass tournament.
It was day two of the event and
Matt Christy and I had a solid
pattern that we were riding in
hopes of cashing a check in
the 130 plus team event.
Summer was in full swing
and the smallmouth bass
were holding on the edges of
rocky shoals and points but
were also well aware of the
abundant smelt population
in the system. Some of the
anglers were keying in on
these well fed fish specifically
in the open water areas where
the baitfish would roam.
Some of these areas were
deep 50 to 60 feet of water
without any nearby structure.
On calm days, you could hear
and see boils and splashes as
the bass would drive the smelt
to the surface and blast them
like a script out the orca’s
playbook. Be there at the
right time and you would cash
in on the opportunity of a fish
feeding frenzy.
Timing
is
everything
though. Be there 20 seconds
late and you’re wasting your
time. Cast near there within a
few seconds after the splash
and you got yourself a fish.
We kept telling each other
that we have to be ready for
it! We both knew that if that
happened and we hooked
up, it was going to be a highquality fish.
About half-way through the
day we pulled into an area that
would produce good fish for
us in the afternoon. This area
had it all, structure, weeds,
shoals, points and most
importantly good schools of
fish. As we were working the
edges of a point we heard a
splash pretty close behind us.
I immediately made a cast with
a weightless fluke to within a
foot of the splash. Instantly I
felt a tap and I blurted a “fishon” as I set the hook hard. My
rod loaded up then returned to
normal as the line went slack.
My heart sank as I realized
we had just missed the
opportunity we had been
hoping for. Matt fired his
Skitterpop into the vicinity
but there were no takers. The
school that was there decided
to add insult to injury and follow
him back to the boat though.
Every last one of the fish in the
school were dandy’s. I didn’t
know what happened, did my
super line break? Did my knot
come undone?
As I inspected the end of
my line I noticed the knot was
just fine as it was still there!
The line didn’t fail nor did the
knot fail. The hook failed,
well sort of. Truth be told, the
hook was just fine it’s just that
it didn’t work with that thin of
line. Let me explain. The super
line was 8 pound diameter
and the hook was a 5/0 worm
hook. The eye on this size of
a hook doesn’t make a tight
connection back to the shank
on the hook. So, there ends up
being a small gap in the eye of
the hook. With large diameter
line, it doesn’t matter, but with
smaller diameter lines it can
actually get stuck in there. With
a no stretch line and a load on
the end of the line, something
has got to give. And that is
what happened. The knot got
stuck in there and when I set
the hook it just popped out.
It actually happened a lot to
me where the knot would get
caught. After that incident I
found myself checking it after
every cast. There has got to
be a better way.
My solution was to jam a
rubber strand into the eye to
reduce the ability of the line to
move into the void of the hook
eye. It worked but wasn’t
perfect.
Another
work
around
was to tie a 14 to 20 pound
monofilament leader onto the
end of the super line. This end
is then tied to the hook. This
solves the dilemma by using
thicker line and also adds a
little stretch which can help
sometimes when you set the
hook close to the boat. But
when you catch a lot of the
fish at the end of your cast you
want to be able to set the hook
as good as you can.
was how to decide whether
it was better to incorporate
finesse
techniques
or
triggering techniques when
the walleye bite is tough.
In this situation the rule for
which technique to choose
doesn’t change. If walleyes
are bunched up tightly on
the structure than use a
finesse approach. If the fish
are spread out or suspended
use a presentation where
you can cover water. The big
difference when the bite is
tough is how good your bait
is or how you rig the lure to
be more appealing to a fish
in a negative feeding mood.
On a tough bite with finesse
approach the livelier the bait
the better chance of a bite.
Weak worms, or limp leeches
won’t do the trick. You
need to feed those walleyes
something that has some
appeal to it. You can increase
your chances with a finesse
approach by using quality
bait.
On a triggering approach
where you want to move
faster and cover some ground
consider adding some meat
to the lure. On a crankbait
thread a half a nightcrawler
on the front treble hook. I’ve
also had good luck tipping
that front hook with a piece
of Northland Impulse Plastic.
This stuff really works. On
a spinner rig use a heavier
bottom bouncer and a bigger
blade. One of my tricks on
the fast moving spinner rig is
to use a nightcrawler harness
with three hooks and put a
small leech on each hook.
This can really trigger bites.
My favorite question of
them all was whether I ever
get tired of chasing walleyes,
bass, pike, panfish and
salmon all over the world.
That’s a simple answer.
NEVER
Therefore, zero stretch
is still the key for me. Good
hooks are also key. There are
options today to alleviate the
issue that plagued me in the
past.
VMC addressed the
issue head-on by offering a
resin closed eye on their worm
hooks. This little addition to
the eye is cheap insurance
to a potential big issue. No
more worries about line slip
through, just worry about
feeling for bites. Nobody likes
to lose fish. Use whatever size
superline you want (such as
Sufix 832), no matter how thin
it is. Then set the hook with
confidence. Get the net....its a
Big One!
Steve
Mattson
Is
A
Professional Bass Angler And
Fishing Guide In The Grand
Rapids, MN Area. For More
Information Go To www.
mattsonangling.com .
Fishing Questions and Answers
By Gary Roach
I do a bunch of seminars
every year as usual; I get
asked some good questions
by audience members. I
always love getting questions
because it helps me to
realize what is on the minds
of anglers as they begin to
formulate their game plans
for the coming season. I
thought I would share some
of the insights with you.
Anglers are wondering
what kind of impact the
underwater viewing camera
is going to have on their
walleye fishing in open water.
I believe the camera can be
a tremendous factor when
fish are on the structure and
here’s an example to show
why.
Using a Lowrance HD
Sonar, we spotted fish that
were holding tight to bottom.
Many types of sonar can’t
“see” fish this tight to bottom.
The power of Lowrance can.
Down went the live-bait rig
with a leech, two passes later
we didn’t have a good bite.
Here’s where the camera is a
real asset.
Dropping
down
the
camera we saw that the fish
weren’t walleyes, but suckers
and small perch. Without the
camera we would spent a
lot more unproductive time
on these fish and the results
would have been less time
finding and catching what
fish we were after.
Another example that
shows how a camera can
put you onto fish is where
you have a big sand bar and
nothing shows up on sonar.
You drop the camera down
and as the boat is drifting
over the bar you suddenly
spot a few walleyes here and
there they’re spread out over
the sand but holding tight
to the bottom. Mark that
spot on the Lowrance GPS.
Now the fish are spread out
so a bottom bouncer and a
spinner with a nightcrawler
harness will let you cover
some ground, keep the bait
near the bottom where the
fish are, and even though
you can’t see the fish on the
screen, you know they’re
there.
You could also troll
crankbaits through these fish
and that will generate bites.
Another concern from
anglers who I visited with
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11
3-D Walleyes
By Ted Takasaki and Scott Richardson
It would be easy for
anglers to fall victim to the
notion that the watery world
below is two-dimensional.
The water’s surface is flat.
Lake and river maps are
flat. Your sonar screen is
flat. But down below, the
bottom consists of peaks
and valleys just like the dry
world above.
Changes
in
bottom
contours
are
called
structure and understanding
how structure affects fish
behavior is the key to
angling success. The trick
is to train our minds to
translate
two-dimensional
images from a map, your
sonar screen, or GPS into
mental images with three
dimensions.
A technique
called visualization can help
you with this task.
Many
professional
athletes
have
used
visualization within their
respective sports.
When
Tiger Woods lines up a putt,
he “sees” himself stroking
the ball, follow the breaks,
and watches it roll into the
cup. When Michael Jordan
played basketball, he saw
himself
hitting
nothing
but net time after time.
Fishermen can practice
the same method by taking
information from the tools
they have to visualize every
subtle break and fishholding feature below the
boat.
The importance of this
skill cannot be stressed too
much in the case of walleyes.
Walleyes that relate to
structure are catchable fish.
With the exception of spring
spawn, they are there most of
the year for just one reason
– to eat. Walleyes which are
suspended in open water
are often there one day and
gone the next. On the other
hand, walleyes lurking on a
point or hump will take up
residence as long as food is
handy and weather is stable.
Fish utilize the breaklines
on structure as migration
paths
and
will
often
congregate
where
the
breakline
makes
slight
changes along the way.
This is the 10 percent of the
water which often holds 90
percent of the fish. Your
challenge is to understand
where those contact points
are and how to fish them.
But how many of us
take the time to analyze
our favorite fishing holes
in order to understand why
they produce time and
time again? Think of one
of your best spots. How
is it shaped?
Where are
the points, the sub-points
off the main point, and the
inside turns? Some of these
are known as the ”spot-ona-spot” and each one may
hold fish.
What is the bottom
composed of? Is the grey
line on the bottom of your
sonar screen thick, which
indicates hard bottom, or
thin which means a soft
bottom?
Transition areas
from hard to soft can offer
a variety of food for fish to
eat, so they stay. Same is
true for other changes on
the bottom, such as places
were pea gravel meets larger
rocks.
them, fish the “something
different” - the hard to soft
bottom areas, the turns, the
points, the weed patches, or
the rock piles. Each one may
prove to be a fish magnet.
One of the most important
tools of structure fishermen
is a contour map. A map
and an understanding of
Rigging your boat with useful electronics gives you the tools it takes
to ‘see’ how the bottom of the lake lays out. But it’s up to you to learn
to use sonar, maps, and other tools well. Here, Ted Takasaki is looking
things over with the help of his Humminbird sonar and GPS mapping
device. Another unit is mounted in the bow, where he often fishes.
Where are other features?
Are there weeds?
How
is the weedline shaped?
The weedline’s points and
turns are important fish
locators for the same reason
structural points and turns
are. They hold fish. Where
do weeds change from one
kind to another? This often
signals a subtle change in
the bottom content.
Practice “seeing” every
detail in your mind. Just
like having x-ray vision, you
should eventually be able to
use your tools to look down
and “see” the structure.
Once you can visualize
seasonal movements can
eliminate unproductive water
fast. The closer the contour
lines, the sharper the break
is. Weedlines or mid lake
humps are productive during
the summer, but deep and
sharper structure breaks are
good in the in fall. Be aware
of changes in wind direction
which will push plankton
and pursuing baitfish to one
side of the lake or the other.
The need for good
electronics,
like
a
Humminbird 1199, is critical
to the process. Once on the
water, use your sonar and
GPS to of a point or hump.
In the case of mid-lake
humps, try motoring over
and around it to locate the
top. Toss out marker buoys
at critical spots to help
visualize what lies below.
Using a jig or a bottom
bouncer with a live-bait rig
are also great tools to learn
more about what lies below.
Start fishing with quick
presentations to cover water
and find aggressive fish.
Nothing? Go progressively
slower.
Use your bowmounted trolling motor to
move along the break from
shallow, down the edge
to the base and back up
again. Keep a 45-degree
angle between your line
and water’s surface. Pay
attention to what your jig
or rig is telling you about
the bottom content. They
will telegraph details like
the position of small gravel
or rocks on a soft bottom,
where weedlines starts,
etc. If unsure about what
you sense through the rod,
an underwater camera can
confirm what you are fishing.
Note the depth and
particular kind of structural
element when you begin
to contact fish. Use the
map to find similar spots.
The goal is to discover a
productive pattern including
structure type, depth and
presentation.
Don’t fish blind. Practice
visualizing structure, and
see your success soar.
By Marianne Huskey
As this long drawn out
bitter cold winter has us
all longing for open water,
each one of us has thoughts
about where and when we
will be able to get out in our
boats for the spring walleye
bite.
This winter season
has brought ice depths to a
point that most of us have
not seen in years. These
thick iced up rivers and
lakes could cause a problem
when the temperatures do
finally start to warm up.
As the ice begins to melt
I will be getting the itch to
take my boat out and will
make multiple trips to the
boat landing hoping that I
can give the “all clear” to
launch and begin the open
water season.
After the winter we have had
I may not be in the boat for
a while. So before I actually
drop the boat in I will start
to “Shore Troll” for walleyes.
Yes! That is trolling from the
shore line or river bank. With
currents running faster than
in midsummer this is the
best opportunity to catch
some nice walleyes with
your favorite crank baits.
The following are my
picks for gear and tackle.
• 2 or 3 trolling rods with
line counter reels: The
Vendetta
Line
Counter
Series 8’6” by Abu Garcia
and the Alphamar LC line
counter by Abu Garcia.
• 10 lb. Monofilament line:
Berkley’s Trilene Big Game
10 lb. test monofilament
green in color.
• Dura snaps or true
lock snaps: Mini Planner
Boards: Off Shore Tackle
Mini Boards (OR34).This
board comes with one
OR10 (yellow) clip. I suggest
adding one OR16 (red) clip.
• Crank Baits: Matzuo
Kinchou Minnow size 7,9,11
with colors choices being
Chromatic Sunrise, Natural
Perch, Tiger Perch, Churple
and Glass Cosmo.
When you are making
a selection for your crank
bait make sure that you
are familiar with the water
depths in the river you are
fishing. If the depths range
from 5’ to 7’ you will want
to choose smaller crank
bait or one that will have
less of a dive curve such as
the Kinchou #7. If you are
fishing a river that has a nice
drop from the bank with
depths ranging from 10’ to
15’ you may want to use the
Kinchou 9 or 11.
Continued on Page 13
12
Lake Winnibigoshish Resort Area
LODGING DIRECTORY
1. Becker’s Resort
Dixon Lake
"Secluded Location, Open For
Great Fishing Winter & Summer"
218-665-2268 www.beckersresort.com
3
2. Bowen Lodge
"Great Family Resort? Or Fishing Paradise?"
800-331-8925 www.bowenlodge.com
To Squaw Lake
3. Dixon Lake Resort
"Quality air-conditioned theme cabins
on a secluded, great fishing lake."
To Sand Lake
4
800-362-7298 www.dixonlakeresort.net
46
Cut Foot
Sioux
4. Eagle Nest Lodge
2
"Warning! May Be Habit Forming"
800-356-3775 www.eaglenestlodge.net
5. Four Seasons Resort
Lake Winnibigoshish
"Ultra Deluxe Cabins Overlook
Mississippi River and Big Winnie"
800-525-0457 www.fishingwinnie.com
6. High Banks Resort
1
7. Denny’s Resort
"Year Around Fishing on Lake Winnibigoshish,
Where Guests Become Lifelong Friends."
5
13
11
8
46
9
9
Wi
nn
ie
800-365-2560
www.highbanks.com
12
Mississippi River
We
st
"Spacious Lodge, Bar/Dining Area,
Open Year Round"
6
Little Winnie
Ro
ad
2
Bemidji 30
miles
2
10
7
Bena
218-665-2222 or 218-256-2196
www.dennysresort.com
46
Grand Ra
pids 30 m
iles
2
Deer River
8. Little Winnie Resort
& Campground
10. Nodak Lodge
12. Tamarack Lodge
"Pool, Seasonal Campground, Cabins"
"Lots of Space, Great View and Year Around Fishing"
"Excellent Fishing, Winter Sports and Lifelong Memories."
9. McArdle’s Resort
11. Northland Lodge
13. Winni-B-Gosh Dam Place
"Cabins, Harbor, Food, Launch Service & Guides"
"Your Favorite Family Resort On The Fishermen's Favorite Lake."
“Friendly Atmosphere, Great Food"
218-246-8202 www.goshdamplace.com
800-346-8501 www.littlewinnie.com
800-535-2398 www.mcardlesresort.com
800-752-2758 www.nodaklodge.com
800-272-2338 www.northlandlodge.com
866-494-7325 www.tamarack-lodge.com
World Class Fishing! Summer Sports! Family Recreation!
Visit our new website at
www.lakewinnie.net
13
A New Spin On Old Techniques
By Brewer-Agre Outdoors
The slip sinker live bait rig,
commonly referred to as a
Lindy Rig, has been around for
many, many years. This time
tested technique for presenting
live bait to hungry walleye
has accounted for millions of
smiling anglers and live wells
filled with fish bound for the
frying pan. It allows the angler
to present any type of live bait
in a very precise and natural
manner in front of the walleye.
The rig itself is very simple,
consisting of some type of
sliding weight on the main
line, which is then attached
to a swivel. On the other end
of the swivel, a monofilament
leader of 2-10 feet with a
plain hook is attached. Most
walleye anglers seem to prefer
Octopus hooks in sizes #2
or#4 for minnows, #4 or #6
for night crawlers, and #6 or
#8 for leeches. Rod choice is
generally a 6’ 6” or 7’ medium
or medium light, quality
spinning rod which provides
plenty of sensitivity for those
light bites.
this system.
The Quick Swap slip weight
system is very simple. A plastic
connector slides into the top
of a piece of tubing and the
top of a bowling pin shaped
weight slides into the bottom
of the tubing. The connector
has a large slot that allows the
weight to flow freely through it,
and since it is manufactured
from plastic, it won’t damage
your line like many of the
standard slip weight that have
either steel or lead rubbing
directly on the line. To install
the connector on the line,
gently pull the connector
out of the tubing until a slit
appears on the connector.
Slid the connector on the line
and then push it back in the
tube, covering the slit and
preventing it from coming off.
Another application would
be to push the connector all
the way in the tube which will
“peg” the sinker allowing use
as a fixed weight. To change
weight sizes, which range from
1/8 ounce to large 2 ounce, all
you need to do is pull off the
old size from the bottom of the
connector and slide on the new
size. Quick and easy. Besides
the ability to change sizes
quickly, you can install the
entire system without retying.
This is the only dual exchange
sinker system on the market
today.
As Wing-it creator
E.B. Christensen likes to put
it, “Less time rigging means
more time fishing”. Another
advantage is the ability to
“un-plug” the weights while
traveling from spot to spot,
preventing damage to your
valuable fishing rods from the
weight banging into the shaft.
Before using this product, I
had 3 rigging rods tied up at all
times with 3 different weights,
not anymore. I can now use
the same rod for all weight
sizes.
That is until recently, when a
revolutionary new product hit
the market. The Wing-It “Quick
Swap” sinkers open a new
door to the versatility of a slip
sinker rig with interchangeable
weights that can be “Quick
Swapped” in mere seconds.
The first time I was
introduced to the Quick Swap
weight system was during
a FLW Tour event on Leech
Destiny Brewer with a few Wing-It Bobber crappies
Lake. Many of the Pro’s were
With most new fishing attachment device as the
utilizing these weights during
innovations, the pricing almost sinkers, adding yet another
pre-fishing due to their quick
always is higher than the component to this versatile
change capability. With the
competing products. This is system.
DNR regulated slot limit on
not the case with the “Quick Whether you’re a casual
Leech, all walleyes between
Swap” weight system. While weekend angler or a full time
18” and 26” must be released.
being very reasonably priced, Walleye Pro like those on the
This created a situation where
(nearly 50% as much as FLW Tour, anytime you can
most of the tournament
other weight systems in some gain a competitive advantage
contestants spent a large
cases), there is nothing on the over the other fisherman,
part of each day looking for
market that is more versatile. or better yet the fish, it will
“over’s”, walleyes over 26”, on
More features at a lower cost, translate to more fish in the
the steep drop-offs in Walker
it is unquestionably a win-win boat. I better call my wife and
Bay. The technique of choice
situation. The Wing-It “Quick have her turn on the frying
was using an old fashioned
Swap” products can be ordered pan; I’m going to be bringing
slip sinker rig-sliding weight,
on line at www.wingitfishing. home fresh walleye for dinner.
3-6 foot leader, a large octopus
com or purchased at many
hook, and a very large chub.
The Quick Swap
slip-weights really
shined in this type
of
application.
Depending
on
the spot, anglers
were fishing in 20’,
30’ 40’ of water
or even deeper.
These
weights
made
changing
depths
painless,
not only helping
the Pro’s maximize
their time, but by
helping them make
the right decisions
on the water. The
Quick Swap system
contributed greatly
to their success,
giving many who
used them a place
in the top 20. Since
that tournament, I
have experienced
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There are as many variations
in this technique as there
are lakes in walleye country.
Many of these variations
come
from
innovative
manufacturers
developing
components, which improve
the performance of the rig. For
an ultra finesse presentation,
using a fluorocarbon leader
such as Berkley Vanish and the
neutrally buoyant Aquateko
Invisa-Swivel
can
greatly
improve your presentation.
The walking sinker and
egg sinkers have long been
the standard for slip sinkers.
sporting goods stores and
bait shops. “Quick Swap”
weights come in 50 piece kits,
2 piece carded packs and
some bait shops have them
in bulk allowing purchase of
individual components. The
revolutionary Wing-it “Quick
Swap” slip bobbers and
bottom bouncers are also
available through these same
outlets and utilize the same
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15
Spring Bassin’
By Jared Barbee
Spring is about to arrive
here in the North Country
and after a long winter’s
rest, I’m more than ready
to back my boat in. Early
season smallmouth fishing is
something I dream about all
winter long and it’s the first
species I chase after the Ice
goes off the lakes sometime
in mid April.
7-10 days after ice out
I head out to a lake near
Fergus Falls, MN that has
a 21” slot on smallmouth.
This means it’s all catch and
release with the exception
of one fish over 21 inches or
bigger. The rest have to be
released. That’s a good thing
for a serious bass fisherman
like
myself
because
I
believe bass are a sport
fish and should be released
regardless of size.
I usually start my efforts
on sharp inside corners
where these fish wintered
at. Current is a big key if it
exists, fist sized rocks on
hard bottom shorelines are
a plus for the smallmouth’s
cruising the shallow rock
flats. Saddles that connect
with another type of structure
are also great areas to search
for early season smallmouth.
It could be a rock spine
that connects to a weed
line or scattered boulders
with sand. Hey it’s always
something just a little bit
different. I comb the water
with my 798 Humminbird
with side imaging and zig
zag depths anywhere from
2-12 feet of water. I do this
until I find flats that have
scattered
boulders
with
some scattered patches
of weeds and little contour
changes like inside corners
or a sharp drop off. From
experience it seems like the
best flats have scattered
rocks instead of rock on top
of rock.
Once I locate these
bronze backs I like to power
fish and see what the fish are
willing to bite. If it’s windy
Rapala Shad Raps are a
known secret in the bass
world and produce fish all
season long. The absolute
best water temps range from
43-53 degrees. That’s where
they shine. The number 5
and 7 Shad Raps are my first
choice with their slow wide
wobble and turn much like
the Rapala original floating
minnow. I will throw these
baits on spinning reels versus
bait casting reel. I believe
you have a lot more control
over the bait especially if it’s
windy and you get a longer
cast versus a bait casting
combination. My rod of
choice for this presentation
is a 7 ft med with a soft tip.
A longer rod and soft tip is
key when setting the hook
at long distances and it
also gives you the ability to
make a longer cast. Most
important, you won’t throw
the hooks nearly as much if
you were you using a shorter
rod with a stout tip. Line of
choice is simple; I prefer
suffix 832 braid 10 lb test
with a fluorocarbon leader.
What that gives you with the
braid is sensitivity and longer
casts.
The fluorocarbon
gives you a little bit of stretch
so you can still get a good
hook set on those fish.
Shallow diving crank baits
like a Rapala DT 4 and DT
6’s are also good options
for covering water. If you’re
dealing with windy conditions
that Minnesota is known for,
jerk baits and spinner baits
are at the top of list. Flash
and vibration over rock flats
and windswept points are
sure to get their attention
when other presentations
simply won’t.
As we switch gears if
you find yourself in calm
conditions you’re in luck.
I’ve had the best luck
catching big brown bass in
calm conditions vs. windy.
On calm spring days for
some reason they seem to
bite much better. You will
hear anglers say get on the
windy structures like I stated
earlier and that’s fine if you
want to throw spinner baits
and jerk baits. But for soft
plastics and jigs find the
calm structures they are on.
After I’m done with my initial
search using power fishing
techniques I will slow down
and work these structures
thoroughly with jigs and soft
plastics. My favorite delivery
system is a vmc 1/8 to a 1/2
ounce half moon jig head
with a trigger x flapping
grub. The most subtle would
be the tube and a curly tail
grub would be at the other
end of the spectrum. This
bait seems to fit somewhere
in between and it’s an action
they haven’t seen much of
and they absolutely love it.
Sometimes I will cut the tail
and you will get more tail
action and it’s not only for
small mouths, largemouths
love them too.
A simple 6’6 med rod
with a fast tip is my rod of
choice spooled with 10lb
siege mono with a 10lb
fluorocarbon leader about
12-15 inches in length. Last
but not least when all else
seems to fail a hair jig is
my go to weapon. A lot of
bass anglers don’t think of
a hair jig for bass but I’ve
personally have seen when
hair jigs will out fish crank
baits, spinner baits, etc…
Smallmouth are almost like
walleyes in the sense they
can be very moody. You
can fish a structure and you
would swear there is no fish
there. Throw a hair jig and
really slow it down, change
you’re casting angles and
bingo it’s one after another.
It’s an amazing tool that
that should be kept in your
tackle box. If the water is
clear I stick with black and
white and when the water
is stained brighter gaudy
colors seem to be the ticket.
Hey I hope this will
help you put a few more
smallmouth in the boat
this year. Just remember in
spring a water temperature
gauge and being mobile is
key. Try different spots and
new lures, it will improve
your fishing big time! I hope
to see you on the water this
season, Stay safe!
Continued from Page 11
Color
options
are
important in the spring.
Pay close attention to the
water color and clarity. With
warmer temperatures the
snow will create water to
run off into the rivers and
will muddy up or create
less visibility. Under these
muddy water conditions
you want to stick to brighter
colored crank baits with a
rattle. Don’t underestimate
the black colored crank
bait. It is easier to see
underwater than you would
think.
After you have chosen
your crank bait you can use
your line counter reel letting
the appropriate amount of
line out to allow your bait
to dive close to the bottom.
Most spring time river
walleyes are in the bottom
3’ of the water column.
Once you determine the
amount of line to let out you
can clip on the Off Shore
Mini Planner board using
the red clip in front and
the yellow clip in back and
let the current do the rest.
Make sure to slowly let line
out so that the board can
work against the current.
Once you have established
your distance from shore
you can set up another rod
if your local regulations
allow more than one fishing
rod.
When a fish takes the
bait the Mini Board will
swing out deeper, swing
towards shore or dip under
the water. So be sure to
keep a close eye on your
Off Shore Boards. Reel in
the line and take the board
off first then the fish. This
technique works for other
species such as trout,
salmon and crappie. For
those of us who have spent
time shore fishing you know
that on many occasions you
cannot cast far enough or
can see the sweet spot but
just can’t get your bait to it.
Try “Shore Trolling”
For more information on
the products that I use visit
the following web sites.
www.matzuo.com
www.OffShoreTackle.com
www.abugarcia.com
www.berkley-fishing.com
16
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17
FAMILY FISHING TOURNAMENT
The Itasca County, Minnesota Chapter of Lets Go Fishing With Seniors (LGFWS), and the Boiler
Makers Union – Local 647 –have banded together to put on the 1st Annual Family Fishing
Tournament on July 19th, 2014. This is a Family Team Fishing Tournament. Each Team will
consist of 1 Adult (over 18), and 1 or 2 Youth (under 18).
This Family Event will be held on Pokegama Lake at the Tioga Beach Park and Access out of
Grand Rapids, MN.
There will be 4 Divisions of Species of Fish for the Tourney. There will be 3 prizes awarded
in each of the 4 Divisions. There will be a Northern Pike Division, a Bass Division, a Crappie
Division, and a Sunfish Division.
The prizes in each of the 4 Divisions will be as follows:
1st Place: Trolling Motor.
2nd Place: $300 Rod and Reel Package.
3rd Place: $50 Tackle Package
All contestants will receive a Logo T-Shirt for the Tournament.
If this Tournament has to be cancelled on the 19th due to weather, the backup date is Sunday,
July 20th.
There will be an Inspection of Participants Boats prior to the Tournament. Please have your
livewell lids open, a throwable flotation device, proper lifejackets, and your fire extinguisher
visible.
Preregistration is encouraged due to limited space. The entry fee is $30.00 per boat.
LGFWS is a non-profit organization which provides free pontoon cruises and fishing trips for
Senior’s, Handicapped, Veterans, and Youth. LGFWS will be using the monies from this event to
help in purchasing a new pontoon in the spring of 2015. Their current pontoon will have logged
over 670 trips and more than 2000 hours by the end of its 7th year (2014).
Anyone interested in being involved in our sponsor program for this Tourney can contact the
folks below.
Any questions regarding this Family Tournament can be addressed to
Barb at barb@lgfwsitasca.com
Bev at bev@lgfwsitasca.com
Or 218-256-7958
Contributed by Stephen & Brenda Picht
NPAA #’s 514 & 513
LET’S GO FISHING AND BOILERMAKERS LOCAL #647
1ST ANNUAL FISHING TOURNAMENT
SATURDAY, JULY 19TH, 2014 POKEGAMA LAKE
TIOGA BEACH
RULES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Max 3 person team. A team consists of 1- Adult 18 years+ and 1-2 youth under 18. Proof of age may be required.
All Minnesota and United States Coast Guard regulations apply, anyone caught breaking these regulations may be disqualified.
Registration and rules review will take place at Tioga Beach Pokegama Lake
registration- 7:00-7:45
rules review-7:45-8:15
Livewell and boat inspection will take place from 8:15-8:45 at the main dock and every team’s boat must be operational.
Fishing hours will be from 9am-3pm starting by a trickle start any team arriving late may be disqualified
Fishing areas on Pokegama Lake are as follows west of HWY 169 bridge and not beyond Jay Gould buoy
There will be 4 categories of fish northern, crappie, bass, and sunfish and 3 places in each category. Each team to submit one fish in
each category for placement.
Prizes will be awarded in order of the heaviest fish per category. In case of tie a drawing will determine placement.
In order to be eligible for prizes each team must return and report to dock at Tioga beach no later the 3pm.
The judges will determine all penalties
Everyone MUST wear their life jackets at all times.
A group photo will be taken at the end of the championship.
The judges decision will be final.
All entries not necessarily accepted and a 20% overbook may be accepted.
If contest needs to be rescheduled due to weather rescheduling date is the next day
Sunday, July 20th, 2014.
all proceeds go to Itasca Chapter of Let’s Go Fishing
Limited space available to ensure your spot register early
18
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The Walleye Inn Motel is located on the west edge of town, right on the
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19
Getting Nowhere Fast!
By Ron Anlauf
There comes a time when
you just have to stay put,
especially if you’re trying to put
a hurt on a boat full of walleyes,
work a bedded bass, or maybe
keep chucking a bait at a
monster musky. In this fast
paced world of run and gun
techniques and chasing down
active fish; there are times
when you might fly right on
by the best thing going which
might not be going anywhere
all! Anchoring up or dropping
the hook is what we’re really
talking about which can be the
perfect method for extracting
fish when you’ve got them
pinned down.
Likely “pinned down” hop
spots include rocky reefs and
weed flats in natural lakes,
timber and weed flats in freaks
of nature like Devil’s Lake in
North Dakota, and wing dams
in bigger rivers. The common
denominator in all of the above
is that you’re likely to find
smaller specific spots where
most of the biters are holed up.
When it happens you can really
cash in if you concentrate your
time and effort on the “spot
on the spot”. It’s also where
anchoring up comes in to play
which allows you to give a spot
your undivided attention.
Conventional
anchoring
methods include dropping an
anchor upwind and then letting
out rope and drifting back until
you end up where you had
hoped to be.
It works but
takes a little time (maybe a lot)
to get proficient at it and there
is still the matter of “swing”.
Swing happens when the wind
moves your boat back and
forth and could be thirty feet
or more in total when you have
a lot of rope out. The answer
might be dropping another
anchor on a short rope but that
can be a hassle and you run
the risk of spooking fish if you
have to drop it in the middle of
your hotspot. Unconventional
anchoring comes in the form
of high tech electric trolling
motors like the Minn Kota
Terrova with Spot Lock that
uses Global Positioning to stay
put as well as the latest and
hottest equipment like the Minn
Kota Talon which is simply a
pole that is deployed with the
push of a button and stays in
contact with the bottom.
Pole type anchors were
originally developed for salt
water anglers fishing shallow
flats who wanted to stay put
and cast to their quarry. Bass
anglers picked up on it and
starting using it with much
success and the “bottom
stickers” have become the
norm for the best equipped
boats. In fact; many are now
using two pole type anchors to
keep them positioned exactly
where they want to be. Even
walleye anglers have seen the
need and why professional
angler Mark Courts of Harris,
Minnesota has at least one
Talon mounted on his big
twenty-one foot Ranger at any
given time. Mark on staying
put: “Early in the season there
are many times when we find
walleyes stacked up in the
weeds and the spot where the
fish come from might be as big
as a bread box. By dropping
the Talon I can stay right on the
spot and really work it over and
make the most of the situation.
I’ll even pull my kicker off the
boat and mount up another
Talon in its place when the
shallow fish are really going.
Even with a pole type anchor
on the transom you can still
get a small amount of swing
and the extra Talon really pins
it down. The two pole setup
is perfect for the working the
front of wingdams especially
if there’s a blowout where
walleyes can really stack up.
And with the new three-stage
twelve foot Talon you can now
effectively fish in even deeper
water and really opens up the
opportunities for use. I’ll use
the Talon to hold me in perfect
position while casting out of
the front of the boat. Up front
there’s no engine to worry
about getting into when you do
hook up with a big fish. Same
thing goes for musky anglers
who want to stay put and work
out of the front of the boat.
You can hook up, hang on,
and have fewer obstructions
to worry about. When I do
get into water too deep for
the Talon I’ll switch over to
the Terrova and use the “Spot
Lock” feature to take over the
boat control.”
You wouldn’t think a pole
that sticks straight up down
would be that effective and
be durable enough to take the
strain and abuse of holding a
big boat like Mark’s in place
but according to him the Talon
is definitely up to the task.
Mark on taking a beating: “The
Talon is virtually indestructible
and has a lifetime warranty on
the fiberglass pole. It also has
modes that react differently to
bottom content and conditions.
In the soft bottom mode it can
sense contact and will only go
so deep before stopping. In
the rough water mode pressure
is monitored and reacted to so
it can stay in constant contact
with the bottom.” See you on
the water.
spinnerbaits, small panfish jigs
and an assortment of plastics.
Like I said you never know
what you will catch. For bait
you can bring frozen minnows
and worms. As anything you
bring will probably be tipped
over at some point so there
is no reason to bring live bait.
Another thing that can be very
valuable is a 100’ chunk of rope
for pulling the boat up the bank
with the truck or ATV; it sure
beats pulling it by hand. Most of
these are more like ponds than
lakes so don’t waste your time
looking on lake maps or trying
to find survey reports on them.
Most of the time I will make a
lap around the lake checking
the depth and figuring out
where the weed lines are. Then
usually fish for an hour or two
depending on the size of lake
and move on to the next lake.
Well I hope you get out on
an adventure and have some
great memories at the end of it
with some pictures to look back
on. And if people ask where you
caught all the fish tell them Lake
Wishuwerehere....
Back in the Sticks
By Jamie Dietman
Yes we live in Minnesota,
land of 10,000 lakes but so
many people keep fishing
the same old water day after
day. Maybe we just get stuck
in a rut or just do not want to
waste precious time scouting
new water. There are so many
pristine lakes out there that
don’t get fished it would be sad
if you don’t see one of these in
your lifetime. The only thing that
is better than the view is the
fishing on many of these hidden
gems.
Usually when fisherman
head north they go to the big
main lakes like Red Lake, Mille
Lacs or Winnie. Meanwhile they
are driving by hundreds of great
bodies of water. Just because
there is no concrete landing or
waiting line doesn’t mean it isn’t
loaded with fish. Some of these
lakes are walk in only and some
are accessible by 4wd truck.
You might go to a few before
finding one but when you do it
is your new “secret spot”.
Whatever species you like
to fish for, there is a back in the
sticks lake waiting for you. If you
spend a little time with an atlas
and a little searching on Google
earth with in no time you will
be on your way. Some of these
lakes are loaded with eater
Walleye and some have trophy
potential. I have caught over 50
Walleyes one day and then next
hooked 40” Northerns and 10”
bluegills.
The best part is maybe once
have I seen another angler on
the lake. If you can keep your
lips sealed you will have great
fishing for years but there are
a few things you should do to
improve your odds of keeping
your secret. Try to fish during
the week when there are not as
many people roaming around
and try to tread lightly. Nothing
gives away a spot like tire ruts
and broken branches on a
shoreline.
Being that sometimes you
will be way back off the beating
path and have no cell phone
reception you will have to
depend on yourself to get out
of the woods. Be prepared to
work cutting deadfalls out of
the road or filling mud holes
with logs and rocks. You
should have a chainsaw or at
least an axe, Hi-lift jack, tool
kit and lots of bug spray and
maybe some more bug spray.
For equipment I like to have
a lightweight 12’ aluminum
boat and trolling motor, I am
not much of a canoe guy. Also
your winter electronics are very
portable so they are perfect for
these trips. Put together a small
tackle assortment with spoons,
20
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Location and Lures for Largemouth and Smallmouth
21
By Travis Peterson
Minnesota, like much of
the Midwest, abounds with
bass fishing opportunities.
While largemouth are more
plentiful and inhabit more
bodies of water, smallmouth
bass are present in increasing
numbers. Habitats overlap
to some degree and certain
presentations will produce
both.
However, anglers
targeting one or the other will
increase their odds of success
by considering the preferred
habitat and diet of each.
Lush Locations for
Largemouth
Largemouth bass are more
comfortable in warmer water
than smallmouth. As water
temps increase each spring,
largemouth will move to
extreme shallows, eutrophic
bays with soft bottom and
abundant vegetation. There,
sun and warming water
sparks their metabolism after
a long winter. Feeding is on
the agenda initially, followed
by the spawning ritual. Many
will reside in those locals until
fall, living amongst the lily
pads, dollar pads, duck wart,
cattails, wild rice, and other
vegetation types that develop
there. Bays are bass magnets
for two reasons.
Water
temperature within them is
almost always warmer than
the main body of water, and the
soft, fertile bottom produces
abundant vegetation.
In
lakes that lack these shallow
eutrophic sub-ecosystems,
largemouth generally have
a couple of shallow housing
options. They can park next
to or under hard cover such as
boat docks or fallen trees, or
they can reside within stands
of bulrushes or reeds.
In lakes that do not feature
vegetated bays, largemouth
will move deeper and typically
spend the summer living
amongst the most substantial
weed-growth available. Flats
that feature coontail and
cabbage weeds are popular
summer haunts. Largemouth
will seldom roam beyond the
deep weed-line, which in the
clear lakes of the Minnesota,
commonly runs in the 15-20’
range. Anglers looking for
largemouth should investigate
shallow bays first and work
their way deeper, targeting the
greenest pastures they can
find.
Firm Floor for Smallmouth
While smallmouth also
have a movement toward
shallow water, their migration
is typically triggered later,
when water temps are optimal
for spawning. Smallmouth
tend to bed deeper than
largemouth and on hard
bottom areas. A male will
often make its bed next to
and on the south side of a
boulder in 3-6’ of water. It will
fan the sand away, exposing
gravel. Like largemouth, male
smallmouth will defend the
spawning bed from predators
until the fry hatch and move
out of the nest.
Smallmouth tend to retreat
to deeper water shortly after
the spawn. They will hang
near sandy break-lines and
on sunken humps, especially
those that feature irregularities
such as scattered boulders.
Weeds will hold summer
smallmouth as well, especially
in hard bottom areas and on
hot calm days. Anglers in
search of smallmouth should
target hard bottom areas.
Largemouth Lunch
Largemouth
bass
are
opportunists and tend to
remain within cover and
ambush their prey. They strike
quickly and avoid chasing
prey for long distances.
Forage commonly includes
crawfish, bluegills, minnows,
bugs, worms, leeches, frogs,
and anything else if can fit
in its big mouth, even baby
ducks.
Because largemouth live
in vegetated areas, weedless lures that imitate forage
that also lives among the
underwater
jungle,
will
produce. To replicate a frog
or wounded baitfish skittering
across the surface, I cast and
retrieve a weed-less spoon
like the Jaw-Breaker.
To
emulate a swimming baitfish, I
cast and retrieve spinnerbaits.
When mimicking a crawfish, I
pitch a flipping jig and chunk.
My favorite is the Jungle Jig
with an Impulse Chunk. A
Texas-rigged beaver-style bait
like the Impulse Brush Beaver
is also a popular choice and
replicates a crawfish. These
are proven largemouth tactics
and I always have one of
each rigged up when chasing
largemouth. If I had one bait
choice however, my pick
would be an Impulse DipStick rigged un-weighted and
weed-less on a 4/0 wide gap
hook.
Smallmouth Snacks
Smallmouth love crawfish
and will root them out of rocky
terrain. However, they are also
built more stream-lined than
largemouth and can chase
down their prey in open water.
Their preferred forage of smelt,
where present, hangs in deep,
cool water, often suspended.
Smallmouth will regularly
feed in schools on these high
energy morsels with disregard
to the bottom. They will feed
from below and chase baitfish
upward, often pushing them
right to the surface.
Faster moving baits that
represent a crawfish are good
choices for smallmouth. I
like crawfish colored crankbaits like Rapala’s DT6 and
Storm’s new Arashi Square
5 and Flat 7. The trick with
these is to bang them into the
rocks where smallmouth live,
as the deflecting baits trigger
strikes. Minnow imitators that
fool smallmouth include grubs
and soft and hard jerk-baits.
I’ve caught more smallmouth
steadily swimming a 4”
grub than with any other
presentation.
An Impulse
Grub rigged on a ¼ ounce
Northland Gami-Jig is simple
but deadly.
Finally, topwater lures are smallmouth
magnets. I employ a number
of Rapala baits that pop,
walk, and propel across the
surface and entice “through
the roof” strikes from deeper
water where smallmouth roam
in search of smelt. Cranks,
plastic grubs, and top-waters
get the call when chasing
smallmouth.
While habitat and forage
preferences
overlap,
largemouth and smallmouth
generally prefer different living
quarters and have unique
appetites. If you are like me,
you like to catch anything that
pulls back. Generally though,
I have a target species in
mind.
Considering habitat
and diet differences of each
will increase the chances of
connecting with mossback
largemouth or bronze-back
smallmouth.
Good luck
bassin’ this season.
22
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Lake of the Woods is a healthy, multi-species fishery with endless
charter fishing opportunities. Walleye, sauger, crappies, small
mouth bass, northern and more can be caught on Lake of the
Woods. The continuous bite is sure to keep everyone engaged and
entertained, so bring the whole family and let River Bend Resort
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People from all over the U.S. and Canada come to River Bend
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23
Digging Walleyes From the Weeds
By Matthew J. Breuer
“How do you do that
without getting snagged in
the weeds?” I hear it all of
the time. People assume
that because I’m fishing
deep in the middle of a
weed-flat that I must be
getting tangled up in masses
of cabbage or coon-tail. I
admit, sometimes it gets
frustrating, and sometimes
I reel in more green leaves
than I do fish. However, it
never fails, if I tinker around
with enough techniques,
eventually I find something
seamless, and the fish seem
to turn on. Below are a few
techniques to try when the
walleyes inhabit the thick
weeds.
Pitching Jigs
Casting jigs is probably
the most common way to
cover weed beds. When
using minnows, go with the
lightest jig you can get away
with. On a calm day, a 1/8oz.
jig and minnow works great.
If you’re dealing with some
waves, or moving quickly
across a vast weed bed,
you may want to upsize
to something like a 1/4oz.
Another great tip is to use
a standup style jig, like
a Phelps Half-Faced Jig.
Stand up jigs present your
minnow and hook at a 45
degree angle. With the hook
semi-upright, your chances
of getting caught up in the
weeds are much less likely.
With the shank of the hook
so upright, the minnow sits
higher in the strike zone,
much more visible than if
it were buried in the forest
floor. Cast the jig out, let it
settle, and then jig the bait
back to the boat, letting your
bait hit bottom on occasion.
Quick snaps of the rod tip
can often trigger strikes.
Getting Pushy
There are times when you
get so upset with the weeds,
that you just want to ask
something to swim through
them, making a path for your
bait to slide through… then
you remember that you’ve
got bottom bouncers in
your tackle bag! Running a
bottom bouncer in front of
a crawler harness is a surefire way to get fewer messes
and catch more fish. The 7”
long bouncers work great
for keeping your bait up off
the bottom and for pushing
enough water to separate the
plants, allowing your crawler
harness to burn through
without getting caught up.
Try to use as little weight as
possible. Since you’re fishing
the weed-beds, you’re likely
going to be in less than 15’
of water, so lighter bouncers
are needed. 3/8oz. seems
to work well. Instead of a 6’
lead on your harnesses you
can shorten them up by 1824”. Troll at higher speeds
through the weeds, up to
3mph, this will allow your
harness to get through the
gap created by your bouncer
before it closes, and will also
trigger reaction bites from
cruising walleyes.
Slipping Past Them
Slip-shot
or
shooter
rigs work well in the weeds
when casted. Thread on a
bullet sinker above a swivel,
and then attach a crawler
harness or a short leader
with a floating jighead. Be
sure to put some air into
your crawlers with a blower
or needle allowing it to float
when using a harness. When
using a floater, you won’t
need air as the floater will lift
your bait for you. Leeches
often work best with a
floater. The bullet sinker
will hit the weeds while
retrieving the bait, allowing
your spinner rig or floater
to move through the weeds
with ease. Lengthy casts
allow you to cover large
weed beds without spooking
those shallow fish. Let your
bait hit bottom, then start a
steady retrieve back to the
boat.
Cranky Weeds
If you find a large weed
flat where the cabbage thins
out toward the top, or the
weeds only come up about
½ to ¾ of the way to the top,
cranks will excel. Pulling or
casting small baits with a
tight wobble like the Salmo
Hornet allow you to keep the
bait up above the weeds, just
tickling the tops. The size
4 Hornet’s run between 5
and 9 feet down; the perfect
depth to be casted or trolled
over large beds of cabbage
weeds. If you’re dealing
with fish that spook easily,
you can even pull cranks on
planer boards, to be sure
you’re not running over the
schools of fish.
Floats or Corks
Slip-bobbers are timetested, and they rarely fail. If
you find walleyes in shallow
and they’re buried in the
thickest weeds you can find,
a leech under a float will
often times dig them out! A
simple size 4 octopus hook
with a leech is irresistible to
walleyes during most of the
summer. Add a split-shot
about 12” above the hook,
and hang it all under a cork
and you’re in business. Try
to keep the bait hanging
within the bottom 3’ of the
water column. Being in
contact with the bottom isn’t
necessary, as walleyes often
suspend while chasing bait
in the weeds.
Go In After ‘Em
Hopefully these methods
make you more comfortable
when
chasing
walleyes
deep in the cabbage. Don’t
get frustrated when you’re
pulling weeds off your hooks.
When you’re dealing with
weeds, you’re dealing with
baitfish, and if you’re dealing
with baitfish, you’re dealing
with walleyes!
By Phill Hall
Although it has been a
particularly harsh winter,
it has not stopped many
of you from getting out on
the ice and enjoying some
cold water northern, perch,
walleyes, or blue gills.
While the winter fishing
report has been good, I
am looking forward to the
open water with warmer
temperatures.
This time
of year always makes
me think back to the
relationship that Jesus had
with fishermen.
A few thousand years
after creation (Genesis
1 and 2) Jesus is on the
scene and His ministry has
begun. To whom does he
call first to follow Him? He
is walking by the Sea of
Galilee and the first men
that he invites to follow
Him are Simon, also called
Peter, and Peter’s brother
Andrew.
Both of these
men are fishermen.
One
might have thought that
the Messiah and coming
King of kings would have
started with the most
affluent man in Israel or
the most popular religious
man in Israel but the Lord
did not.
He started by
gathering fisherman. Why?
I do not know for sure
but a few things have come
to mind. First, the most
avid of fishermen I know
have some kind of personal
connection to their gear.
Whether it is their boat
(regardless of its age and
condition), or their rods
and reels, or their tackle,
as fisherman we tend to
build a bond with our gear.
We talk to our boats, the
lures or bait, and most
frequently the fish. There
is a deep respect of the
sport amongst us and the
thought of walking away
from it is, for many of us,
inconceivable. I have no
reason to believe that this
bond that we share with
our gear was no different
from the bond that Peter
and Andrew shared with
theirs.
So
what
was
so
compelling about Jesus
that would make them
simply
walk
away?
Matthew 4:18-22 gives us
the account of their calling.
“And walking by the
Sea of Galilee, He saw two
brothers, Simon who was
called Peter, and Andrew
his brother, casting a net
into the sea; for they were
fishermen. And He said to
them, “Follow Me, and I will
make you fishers of men.”
And they immediately left
the nets, and followed Him.
And going on from there
He saw two other brothers,
James the [son] of Zebedee,
and John his brother, in the
boat with Zebedee their
father, mending their nets;
and He called them. And
they immediately left the
boat and their father, and
followed Him.”
One might think that
they
interpreted
the
invitation to mean that they
would become renown in
the fishing world and have
sponsors
and
become
famous. Now, while they
were fishermen by trade,
they were first Jews. As
Jews, they were raised to
know the Scriptures. They
maybe could not put their
finger on it but they knew
that there was something
special about Jesus. They
dropped their gear, left
their father and followed
Him.
The invitation of
Christ is so compelling
that it is hard to resist.
While
we
sometimes
cannot imagine leaving our
gear for a higher calling, it
would argue that maybe
God is not asking us to. Is
it possible that God has a
call on your life and that
call is to use your passion
and knowledge of fishing
to introduce others to
Jesus; making you fishers
of men (and women)?
The call is to follow
24
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Walleye Fishing Goes High Tech, But Don’t Forget the Live Bait
25
By Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl
There are a lot of high
tech
advantages
for
today’s
walleye
angler
when compared to walleye
anglers of the past. The
boat, the outboard motor,
the electronics, the rods,
the trolling motors and
even the bait containers
are all critical components
in helping Touring Pros and
Professional Fishing Guides
catch more walleyes.
My 2014 621 Ranger with
a 300 hp ETEC Evinrude
is loaded to the gills with
things that help me in all
phases of walleye fishing. I
have to be able to find the
‘’right fish”, then I have to
stay on the fish while I figure
out the most efficient way to
catch them.
It all starts out with
my Humminbird 1198csi
with
Side-Imaging
and
front 360 Imaging. The
LakeMaster map chips give
me an accurate look at the
topography of the lake, with
depth highlighting features
that help me refine my
search for various types of
fish holding areas.
The side imaging and
front 360 imaging features
on my Humminbird give
me a detailed look at the
bottom, where I can see fish,
weeds, rocks and all types
of structures before I drive
over them and potentially
spook the fish.
The
MinnKota
I-Pilot
trolling motor gives me
101 pounds of thrust to
hold my 21 foot Ranger in
the roughest conditions.
I can automatically follow
any depth contour on my
LakeMaster map or I can
follow my pre-set trail to
repeat trolling patterns. I can
also hold my boat like an
anchor on any fishy looking
spot
with
“Spot-Lock”,
simply by pushing a button
on my remote control that
hangs from a lanyard around
my neck.
I can control my boat from
any position in the boat. I am
free to stroll around the boat
and land fish with my Frabill
Conservation Series net
or just stretch my legs and
grab a sandwich without
losing control of the boat.
When most other anglers
are blown off the lake, I am
able to continue fishing in
comfort, without struggling
with boat control.
Once I locate the fish,
my St. Croix Legend Xtreme
rods give me all the specific
rod actions I need to do
whatever presentation I want
to use to catch walleyes
or whatever species I am
pursuing. The slim profiles
and tangle-free guides let
me fish all day long, with all
the sensitivity I need to feel
the lightest bites and all the
strength I need to land the
biggest fish.
Even with all of the most
modern equipment in the
world, the bottom line is I
have to be able to catch
the fish I locate the winning
fish. Many tournaments
boil down to not only who
finds the biggest fish, but
also who has the best bait,
to be able to get the most
bites, even when fishing in a
crowd. All the technology in
the world won’t help me if I
don’t have enough lively bait
to get me through a long day
of fishing.
Time and time again, the
most successful walleye
anglers are the ones that are
able to locate the best bait
and keep it alive for several
days of tournament fishing.
Regardless of whether it
is Spot Tail Shiners, Creek
Chubs, Red Tail Chubs, Big
Fatheads, Golden Shiners
or Jumbo leeches, they
all need to be kept cold
and well oxygenated to be
jumping out of the bucket
and ready to go.
The best bait sells out fast
when the Pro walleye anglers
come to town. The best bait
is usually in limited supply
and sold ahead of time to the
anglers that are able to find
the right bait dealers to get
them their bait.
I have often said to clients
and co-anglers that “a good
minnow is as close to a
guaranteed bite as you will
ever get.” The Frabill 1469
Aqua-Life Bait Station is
my “go-to” bait container,
whether I have several
dozen fatheads for a perch
guide trip or a full bucket of
the biggest Chubs for a big
money walleye tournament.
The super quiet bubblers
on the 1469 Frabill Bait
Station run on D-Batteries
or by plugging the adapter
into the accessory panel in
my boat. Invasive species
regulations prevent anglers
from using any lake water
on their bait. Anglers have
to bring well water and ice
cubes with them in the boat,
to be able to manage their
bait properly.
Only keep enough bait in
the Frabill Bait Station that
you are sure you can use and
keep any extra bait packed
in separate oxygen bags in
a cooler that you don’t open
until you need fresh bait.
Please know the rules on
transporting bait where you
fish, a few dollars worth of
minnows are not worth the
risk infecting a lake or river.
According to the Minnesota
department
of
natural
resources, 1999 through
the present year class of
walleyes is abundant and
should
provide
quality
fishing well into the future.
Pelican is no small body of
water. It weighs in at just
over 8,253 acres with 22.7
miles of shoreline. Anglers
will find no shortage of
structure on Pelican. Reefs,
sand bars, steep drops, or
rock humps, pelican has
it all. This is defiantly the
“meat and potatoes” lake
in the Brainerd area. Red
tail chubs on jigs or rigs
usually are found at the end
of many lines for opener or
all summer for that matter.
Winnibigoshish
Winnibigoshish Anglers
who venture north to “Winnie”
this year should be rewarded
with plenty of walleyes in
the harvest slot as well as
a shot at some large female
Walleyes. Slot limits set in
place by the DNR and fast
growth rates have kept the
lake in prime condition over
the past few seasons. With
58,544,00 acres of fishable
water, opening day anglers
should have no problem
finding a spot away from
the crowds. Winnie is full
of typical walleye structure.
She is full of rock piles, main
lake flats, sandy tapering
shorelines, and weed beds.
When
it
comes
to
rigging my live bait to catch
walleyes, I rely on Northland
Tackle to provide all the
tackle I need. I simply love
the Gami Jigs with their ultra
sharp Gamakatsu hooks
and the UV paintjobs on
the jig heads. Sometimes
a simple Roach Rig is the
presentation of choice for
live bait, whether I am using
a big lively minnow or a huge
leech. Other times I rely on
one of Northland’s spinner
rigs and a night crawler to
catch all the walleyes I need.
If you are looking for a
guided trip for walleyes in
the Grand Rapids, Cass
Lake, Walker or Bemidji
area please check me out at
www.brosguideservice.com.
Lots of Options
By Brad Hawthorne
Here we are again, at
the threshold of another
Minnesota Fishing opener.
Some anglers call this
“amateur
day”
with
a
smirk, and opt to throw in
the towel and stay home.
Others, however, smile at
the challenge while thinking
about battling traffic and
crowded lake accesses.
We hook up the trailer with
boat loads of determination,
never looking back....unless
for some chance a net or
life jacket flies out of the
boat. Such sacrifices are
necessary. We know it, and
we would never change a
thing about it. We are, after
it’s all said and done, fanatical
hard core fisherman who will
brave crowded landings,
congested community fishing
holes, swarming bait shops,
and long lines of traffic just
for the shot at Minnesota
gold; the walleye. We are the
reason Opening Fishing was
created in this great state.
A long standing tradition for
family and friends alike, this
is, for some, “the best day of
the year,” and will kick off 5-6
months of the best Minnesota
has to offer. Choosing the
“go to” lake can be tough.
With all of the choices, it’s
no wonder a few anglers
are left thumbing though
paper maps, “googling”
certain bodies of water, and
for the internet savvy crowd
(that’s you), searching fishing
forums for the slightest hint
of where to go. So lets take
a look at a few great opener
lakes in Minnesota
Brainerd MN, Pelican Lake
Pelican
lake
has
received walleye stocking
for a number of years.
26
(218) 246-9630
Open 7 Days A Week
38499 State Hwy 46
Winnie One Stop is under new ownership . . .
Winnie Trading Post "New Owners"
Ryan & Salli Fox
Licenses
Fishing Tackle
Convenience Store
Fresh Live Bait
Groceries
Lottery Tickets
Gas
Propane
Full Line Off Sale Liquor Store
Best Selection of Bait & Tackle on Winnie
Get out of the Cold, Utilize a Jigging Rap Year Round
27
By Jim Ernster
Have we exhausted every
feasible place to catch
crappies in the spring? I
doubt it! There are always
places crappies hang out
that anglers seemingly fail
to think about. Time on the
water, and being a geek
about chasing big crappies
in the spring, has driven
me to adapt and react to
situations that are beneficial
in different conditions.
When
winter’s
lock
begins to disappear I’m
already plotting my crappie
directions and going over
maps of potential locations.
Depending on the weather
I always need to define
my potentials and not
wanting to sit at the landing
on an ugly day and say”
They won’t bite today!”
Crappies, I’m talking those
slabs that people wonder if
they actually exist. Like all
species, crappies need to
eat and when the ice goes
out some of the biggest
slabs of the season go on
the hunt, like when your
nose is dripping from the
cold type conditions. Many
anglers get the notion
immediately that if they
catch a crappie shallow
after the ice goes out they
are beginning the spawning
ritual. Wrong! All species
need nourishment before
the spawn and crappies
are no different. Attacking
certain bodies of water in
search of big crappies is
dependent on when the ice
went out, the existence of
the monstro types we are
looking for, and the habitat
that may warrant certain
locations.
Several veteran crappie
anglers that I know want
some type
of deeper
w a t e r
available
early after
ice out for
the
sole
reason
of
a
deferment
from the
shallows
due to inclement weather,
cold fronts, and windy
conditions that may drive
crappies from the shallows.
Every early season crappie
article I have read always
defines the north end of a
lake the most identifiable
location and sometimes
tastelessly the only spot to
catch early season crappies.
Another false impression
that can be turned upside
down, if the proper habitat
of mud, gravel, scattered
hard bottom, and old pencil
reeds to signal you are in the
game are not present, then
keep looking; otherwise
fold your tent and go home.
Right!! Absolutely not! Talk
to panfish extraordinaire
Brian “Bro” Brosdahl and
he will share countless
mega hours on the water
chasing ice out crappies
and the nature of what
Lots of Options
Oh, and let’s not forget about
the mud. Winnie has some
very productive mud areas.
You don’t hear about them
very much, but trust me, the
Winnie mud can be great
at times. Winnie is always
accommodating
many
different styles of fishing and
remained on top
fishing lists for years.
Lake Mille Lacs
Ah.....Mille Lacs, which
seemingly
is
always
surrounded by controversy.
From gill nets to slot
makes them tick. Every
situation is different and he
makes a living trying and
succeeding to out think
early season crappies.
With all said and done,
I still like a depth deeper
than the flats to corner fish
that are affected by weather
changes. I have taken some
giants on 12-15 foot ledges
near these intriguing flats
by trial and error and using
my 998 SI Humminbird and
Lakemaster chip to track
and find their locale when
the shallows are void. Many
times I will adjust my Bird
to Switchfire mode that
increases the sensitivity and
I can pick out small particles
of minute organisms that
crappies are searching for.
This assists me in acquiring
increased knowledge in
positive locations while
understanding
where
crappies
are
probably
going to show up. Just
keep in mind crappies
after ice out are looking for
groceries and will adapt to
several different sources
to nourish their systems
before spawning.
Small jigs and other
favorites are just the
answer for crappies that
are in search of something
that is lesser in size and
easy prey. VMC Tinsel jigs
of the Hot Skirt variety
can make quick work of
roaming crappies just after
ice out. Dress them with
a small minnow or chunk
of Trigger X and you’ll
have em droolin all over.
When pitching shallow I do
prefer a small bobber(strike
indicator) and never let it
sit too long in one place.
I many times will target a
stalk of last season’s pencil
reed or the edges of an
exposed brush pile. These
areas are good sources of
food for ice out crappies
and I can fish them quickly
and efficiently. Many times
big slabs are loners, but you
may pluck a couple off each
small stickup. I keep on the
move until I contact fish.
My MinnKota 101 Vantage
and Terrova Bow Mount
with I-Pilot gives me the
edge when it comes to slow
methodical
approaches
to these very spooky fish
and gives me a distinct
advantage.
My
I-Pilot
allows me to coordinate
with my Humminbird 998
and systematically dissect
every inch of water that
I made my mind feel a
crappie was living waiting
for my bait to arrive.
When the weather alters
my plans by a cold front,
increased wind, or a sudden
drop in the barometer then
you need to seek the closet
drop in depth and many
times these same crappies
will push out deep. Then I
like to cast a jig and minnow
and let it sink on a 5 count
and start a slow swimming
retrieve. These negative
crappies will bite on a slow
soft step and will amaze
you at the aggressiveness
of the strike. I prefer a soft
action 7 foot UL rod like
the Tuff-Lite or Spinmatic
Series or DXW 7 foot light
action from Daiwa that gives
me extreme sensitivity and
capability of casting small
baits the distances I need.
Combine these stealth rods
with the new Daiwa Aird
1000 or the Daiwa Laguna
500 spinning reels with
four pound Sufix Elite and
the crappies will tremble.
Sometimes the bite is so
subtle it’s hard to react
quickly and other times
a big crappie will blister
you. Most often when not
using a small bobber I
will let the rod tip load up
gently and firmly set the
hook. Another little trick is
adjustment in the line and
certain situations that tend
to alter what I do. I will at
times switch to Sufix HiVis
Yellow
to
detect
the slightest
of bites by
watching
the
line
twitch then
set the hook
quickly. This
often times
will increase
my numbers by putting the
odds in my favor.
Ice out crappies can
be easy to find with some
of the tips and tricks that
we have mentioned. Just
remember that staying on
shore doesn’t put fish in the
boat. We all have to face
several different conditions
when fishing and learn how
to fish all of them to be
successful.
changes,
this
walleye
fishery has its ups and
down. That’s no secret.
Looking back during
the winter of 2007-2008,
small perch dominated
the catch. Not unlike the
2013-2014 winter season,
most walleyes that made
it to the frying pan were
absolutely stuffed with
1-4 inch perch. This had a
few anglers frustrated with
the big lake, and for good
reason. The 2007-2008
and
2013-2014
winter
seasons were like “fishing
in a bait bucket.” This is
not all bad, however. Mille
Lacs is full of 22-27 inch
walleyes and hopefully this
bait hatch of monstrous
proportions
will
help
push some of those 6-7
lb Walleyes into the 8-10
lb trophy category. I have
to admit, Mille lacs is my
favorite lake in Minnesota.
It has everything: jumbo
perch, huge walleye, 50+
inch musky, piggish brown
bass and some very large
northern pike. Whatever
you’re after, Mille Lacs has
it. There’s a good chance
at catching a true trophy
for every species this year
and for years to come.
Leech Lake, Walker MN
Leech lake is in great
shape.
Stocking efforts,
cormorant
control
and
slot limits have brought
this lake back to it’s once
great condition.
Anglers
who fish Leech this year
will find slot walleyes in
good numbers and perch
in the “Jumbo” category.
If I had to put money on
the best opening lake this
year, Leech Lake in Walker,
MN would be it. The year
classes are abundant and
doing very well under the
current lake management.
Take a trip to Leech this
year and you won’t be
sorry.
Whatever
lake
you
choose this year, remember
to be safe, have fun and
help the guy who just can’t
seem to get his boat on or
off the trailer. What goes
around
comes
around;
always has and always will.
28
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Hunting for Minnesota’s Homegrown Gators
29
By Ron C Hustvedt Jr
Hunting
Minnesota’s
version of the gator is just a
cool way of saying fishing for
big pike. The use of the word
“hunting” is more than just
a clever play on words—it
describes how anglers need
to approach this elusive
predator. Northern pike are
the most widespread game
fish in the state but almost
all of them are two-feet or
shorter.
Not that there’s anything
wrong with a two-foot pike,
but
Minnesota’s
waters
used to be loaded with 30
to 40-inch pike with some
monsters approaching the
mystical 50-inch mark. Years
and years of catch and kill
angling has made a big pike
a rarity.
Pike are a very eager
species to bite but most
Minnesotans who spend a
lot of time on the water have
yet to catch one over 30
inches. The reason for this is
because pike in the 20 to 24
inch range are the highest
proportion of fish caught
versus those released. A
DNR
fisheries
biologist
once told me that for most
anglers, the rule of thumb
seems to be that if it’s over
24 inches it’s coming out of
the lake and that makes it
tough to grow big fish.
The way to grow big pike
is to have plenty of habitat
and high-protein forage
base such as tulibee. Lakes
with a large basin and cool
water forage base are the
best for growing big pike
and all the lakes listed in this
article fit that description.
They are also all located in
the northern half of the state
which is where Minnesota’s
native
pike
population
originated.
Managing
Minnesota’s
pike is difficult because a
lot of anglers consider it to
be a second-class fish. The
difficulty in managing pike
populations is dealing with
the diverse ways people
view the pike. Some see it as
a fishery meant for catching
mostly for consumption
while others see it as a
fishery that should be
totally protected once the
fish reaches a length of 24
inches. Still others feel that
protected slots are critical,
but are willing to yield a
trophy fish for the wall over
a set length.
Either way, there are still
a ton of lakes UPNORTH
where a healthy population
of trophy pike can be found.
They are tough to catch, but
these are a few of the finest
around.
Upper Red Lake
The two massive bodies
of water that make up Red
Lake are home to a ton of
pike. Minnesota anglers are
only allowed to fish a small
portion of Upper Red Lake,
but thankfully big pike like
to roam. Fishing guides
on Upper Red who target
big pike report averages
between 36 and 43 inches.
One fishing guide I spoke
with said he’d like to see that
average stay that way, and
possibly even grow. Catch
and release fishing with big
pike is the only way that will
happen.
When chasing bruiser pike
on Upper Red you can go
Jesus. Use what God has
given you to show others
what a real relationship
with
God
looks
like.
Consider
the
tactics
and strategies of fishing
and how they become
illustrations
of
Biblical
teaching. One example of
how Satan traps us in sin
after them much like muskie
anglers—with a combination
of casting and trolling. Most
anglers on the lake can be
found trolling, but casting
can be a great way to really
work a weed bed you know
is holding a fish that won’t
bite on a trolling pass.
The basin of the lake is so
large and the northern are
usually scattered. Begin on
either end of the Tamarack
River or the little river by
Rogers.
Big
Northland
Tackle spoons, both trolling
and casting, are a favorite
lure with a special emphasis
on fire tiger.
Mille Lacs Lake
Even though everybody
is talking about tough times
on Mille Lacs, the fish aren’t
doing much talking on the
subject. The big pike that
roam this popular fishery
keep on getting bigger and
won’t be able to bite on your
line if you don’t make a trip
there this summer.
One of the factors leading
to Mille Lacs’ high quality
pike fishery is the presence
of a healthy forage base
and lots of habitat. Northern
pike like the northern break
line quite a bit myself and
had some tremendous pike
catches over the years
including my first and second
ever pike over 40 inches.
On a recent outing to Mille
Lacs, my group caught and
released eight pike between
37 and 40 inches..
Crankbaits and spoons
were the most productive
though it’s difficult to judge
which one will work better
on any given day. Use both
and try to figure out the
pattern. Other good big pike
locations include Big Point
and the South Twin Bay area.
Lake of the Woods
Bryan
“Beef”
Sathre
is a fishing guide in the
Cass Lake-Bemidji area
but he makes pilgrimages
up to Lake of the Woods
throughout the winter to
catch pike in the 40-inch
range. “Those big pike don’t
leave the lake in the summer,
most anglers are too busy
catching walleye to go after
them.
Of all the lakes in the
state, this is the one most
likely to produce a 50-inch
fish. In the spring, some of
the bays like Baudette Bay
and Four Mile Bay are the
best locations around and
into the creeks. The area by
North Point where the Rainy
River flows is another good
spring location as is the
Angle Inlet area.
Anywhere
up
along
the river along any of the
weedbeds is a good location
but once the water warms
up try to get up on the rock
reefs but be prepared to
catch them in a variety of
depths, Sathre said. Big pike
have been pulled out of 30
feet of water though most
tend to stick between 10
to 18 feet along the deeper
weedlines.
In the summer try trolling
up and down the river along
the ends of the docks which
is in 18 to 20 of water and
provides a great hideout for
some big ones.
Lake Winnibigoshish
Lake Winnibigoshish is a
tough lake to fish for big pike
but it’s worth an attempt
because there are still some
giants lurking the depths.
Guides on Winnibigoshish
will tell you that a 30-inch
plus pike on Winnie is a big
fish these days, but there
are bigger ones around.
Targeting big pike in the
spring can be tough because
they are mixed in with the
walleye and perch on the
flats chasing shiners. Once
the seasons change and the
mid-summer is in high gear,
the weedbeds and the deep
humps in the middle of the
lake are great locations.
The best time to target
the big pike is when the
tulibee move into the weeds
around late July and early
August. These areas are very
accessible to casting with
spoons and large crankbaits.
Pokegama Lake
Pokegama is a sleeper
lake for big pike and with a
30-inch pike being almost
guaranteed,
sleeping
is
the last thing a pike angler
would be caught doing.
The pike on Pokegama are
most commonly found in
the 19 to 20 foot range on
the deep weedlines, deep
rocky points, and along
the long breaks. A quarterounce jig tipped with a large
minnow is best when fishing
these locations. To prevent
being bitten off, try using a
20-pound test monofilament
leader on a quarter ounce
jig.
Another presentation that
works in the mid-summer is
lead core trolling along the
thermocline which tends to
be found 50 to 60 feet down.
Smelt are the major prey
source on Pokegama and if
you get a 8 to 10 inch, slimbodied crankbait down that
far you’ll catch some huge
northern.
is found in a technique that
I use walleye fishing. On
opening day in northern
Minnesota I throw a shiner
on a jig head (usually green)
and drop it to the bottom of
the lake. I drift along, I am
waiting for that first tug on
the line with my bail open
and my finger holding the
line in place. When I feel
the tug I release the line
and let the walleye believe
that he is getting away
with something without
consequences.
When I
know that the walleye has
fully committed to taking
the bait, I close the bail and
set the hook. I think Satan
works in the same way. He
dangles sin in front of us.
It looks so appealing. We
play with it awhile and he
lets us run with it until he
knows that we have fully
committed to the sin and
he sets the hook hard. We
must be aware of what is
from God and what is from
Satan and choose wisely.
Take some time to think
about the parallels to
fishing and the truth that
we read in the Bible and
you will be amazed at
how much you can teach
someone with the sport
that you love.
30

Lake Winnibigoshish 2014 Fish Population Outlook

Transcription

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