shimmy

Posted my fishing report in the main fishing report section. Was hoping to partner up with Fiske but our schedules just didn't match up. Full report here

Day 1 – Got to spend 5 days in Minnesota and had a blast. A very cold blast as well. Day 1 was great. Water temperatures were 51-53 degrees, 0-5 wind, and outside temps up to 55 degrees. First half of the day was rough. Spots that did well last fall were not producing, which had me a bit flustered. I decided to junk fish and hit a ton of spots until some type of pattern held. All active fish were in the 2-5 foot range. Had a great day for numbers and size. Here were my 4 pounders not in the top five: 4.1, 4.1, 4.3, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 4.12 and 4.12. My top 5 were 4.13, 5.6, 5.10, 5.12, and 6.8 for a total of 28 lbs 1 oz. I only caught 3 other fish that were not 4 pounds. The northern pike were very active as well. Every time my bait was too fast, the northern would let me know. I kept trying to make my Swimjig work and the northern would keep biting it. Finally, in my last attempt (definition of insanity), I was trying to cover water my last half hour of light with my Swimjig and then caught another stinkin northern that had most of the Swimjig down it’s throat. Took me 20 minutes to get the jig back without ruining my jig, having to retie, and clean up the boat. It was miserable. The 6.8 came from casting into weed pockets. Hard to fish this way since you only get a drop or two, but it can really pay off. 4.13 lb and 5.6 lb (with the serious face) 5.10 lb and 5.12 lb 6.8 lb Day 2 – Started with the trolling motor not working. Finally fixed the receptacle to the trolling motor after tearing the old wires out and installing a new one from fleet farm, I was on the water by 1. Only caught 5 bass the whole afternoon. Biggest two went 5.5 and 5.6. Both at random places and not at the places they were supposed to be... This fall fishing really keeps me guessing. 5.5 lb 5.6 lb Day 3 – Was unbelievably cold. Day started off at 35 degrees and 10-15 mile per hour winds which made it feel like it was 0 degrees. After fishing 8 hours straight, I only caught 5 fish again. 5 fish limit was around 22 pounds. Top three were 4.13, 5.3, and 5.4. The other two were ~3.5 pounders. Might be the coldest I have ever been fishing. 4.13 lb and 5.4 lb 5.3 lb Day 4 – Was cold. Started at 28 degrees but got in the 40s. No wind though so that made it much easier to fish than the previous day. It was freezing last night and I suspected this might affect the movement of the fish on this lake. Water temps were 49 degrees. After an hour, I was able to see that they were in the 5-8 foot range and stuck to that range for most of the day. Had another good limit. 27 lbs 6 oz. Fish not in the top five were a 4.0, 4.0, 4.1, 4.1, 4.6, 4.7, 4.11, and 4.11. The top 5 were a 4.14, 5.2, 5.8, 5.14, and a 6.0. Lost A LOT of lures to northern today. They were so active it is unreal. 4.14 lb 5.2 lb and 5.8 lb 5.14 lb and 6.0 lb Day 5 – This was my last day. The night before, the car wouldn’t start at the ramp so I had to phone a buddy to help jump the car. So I spent this morning going into town and figuring out what is wrong with the batteries/terminals. After this was done, I only had a few hours to fish in the afternoon. Fishing was super slow. Worst night of the week, but still fun to get out. After a well-rounded week, I decided to head home. Daughter wanted me back to watch her in her church singing program. Was too adorable to say no, so off I went. Tight lines! Shimmy

Hopefully this picture clears it up for you...This is why we should have gone out Saturday!!!

Howdy! Yeh i know that lake. Always fun and always people fishing on it. We must have missed each other by one day. I was there Wednesday. Was a tough bite. The northern were on fire! Top three bass were a 4.13, 5.3, and 5.4. About to head out fishing so i will give a better report in a bit. Trying to do this with my phone is difficult. Haha, pictures sideways. Will have to fix later when my computer has internet! By the way, i might take off Saturday afternoon. If you wanna fish in the AM from your boat, let me know. If i fished from mine, i would have to charge the batteries and woulf be too late for me to take off in the evening and then i would have to leave back to wisconsin on Sunday. Tight lines fellas.

here is the problem. I fished Monday and caught a 28 pound bag on a smaller lake here in Minnesota. At the ramp, if someone asks me how i did and i buffer it a bit and say "great" or "yeh caught some real good ones," then they now might ask,"how big?" Or if they are like any other angler will hear you saying you had a great day and will now put that lake on their radar. When you find lakes that have higher numbers of big fish, it is not worth it, in my opinion, to tell someone enough info to peek their interest...

A lot depends on the body of water. Some lakes i have fished are so tough that i dont mind giving people the exact spots and lures i am using since, statistically, they will be less likely to get a good one there their first time since it is such a tough lake. Then there are the lakes where the spot and lure is crucial. You tell anyone and your fishing will take a hit. I mainly fish lakes under 400 acres and you tell people too much, you will need to find another lake. A lot of guys fish LARGE bodies of water. There is much less harm in telling people at the dock what you were using. The thing is this, if you fish small bodies of water and you enjoy catching big fish, keep your yapper shut. If you like big fish but dont need them, then sing like a bird by all means.

Love those lakes. Have never fished it in the late fall though. Can't really go wrong with a swimbait and fishing the points and rock boulders with a crankbait. Jigs and swimjigs can't hurt whatsoever. A buddy of mine night fishes and frequently catches 7 pounders with a few 8s and a 9 mixed in. Something to think about. I love quail and prefer it over Sandhollow. I think the state record swims in Quail and is well over 10. There are no shad in Quail. So, for me, it seems the fall is like prespawn in these settings. Find the greener grass as well if you hit weed lines. But one thing for sure, the points are always my go to spot and we always caught bigger fish in those areas.

Common answers for bass are going to be either 5 pounds, 8 pounds, or 10 pounds. Nothing in between. Pick one and then say that you weighed it on two separate scales and then your story will fit right in. Or, look up the state record, go one pound underneath it, and there is your weight.

It is more important than you will ever know

I had a trip this summer where 3 of our fish were 22 inches and not one of them was over 5. The 20 inches was over 5. So....length tells you nothing. Don't get caught in the trap of trying to justify how the fish was bigger than it may have been. As for the length estimator, just dumb. Don't fall for those shannanigans either. This one has my PB off by almost 3 pounds. Keep a scale with you at ALL costs! If you care enough to ask the weight, than you should have a scale. Good habit to have. And...don't get me wrong, my PB would have gained 3 pounds if I stuck with the calculated weights, but I stick with the scale!

MN is interesting with DNR sampling. There are so many 23+inchers found in Minneapolis. I really am surprised not as many 8s are caught. Otter tail county has had bass sampled that beat the state record which is pretty exciting, but as a whole, MInneapolis has better bass on average. Fiske is fun, but the numbers of 4+ pound bass are not high, which keeps it lower on my list plus getting past the 1-2 pounders and snakes is exhausting. It used to be a great numbers lake of 4+ pounders, but had a bad winter or winters within the past 15 years and the 1 pounder gang took over. I am always on the hunt for new lakes in Otter tail county. It is difficult since every few years, great lakes change. I like this MN forum. I hope some of us team up some time and get on some of these big bass.

First off, hugs are great since everyone wins. Second, yehjray, the main point is the OP is claiming he caught a bass and a crappie in the same 6 acre pond that were within 1 pound of the state record. He does not bring electronics, but still managed to weigh his fish. Hence why iabass's post is so important because I think we may actually know where big foot lives and it is near the 6 acre lake behind Christopher Robbins enchanted neighborhood. There are 10 pound donkeys named Eeyore, but most of all...I think we might find Winnie the Pooh. Something to think about. But to add to this, I used inflatable rafts and found the best way to anchor was to bring a cooler and tie the rope anchor to the handle of the cooler. This is the best way in my opinion to anchor without tying a rope to the raft and causing potential problems.

Fiske, any chance you fish fiske lake in otter tail county? Your fish looks like it is from the inside of one of the main points on that lake...plus the smaller size fish in high abundance is typical of fiske lake...

Why stop when the temps get below 50? Had two days in a row fishing Minnesota last year in 48-49 degree water temps where I had over 27 pound limits. I think the high 40s is still a big player for big fish. I am 112 miles north of Delavan lake. I keep trying to convince myself to go there and get lucky with one of the Giants they grow in there

What an awesome day! A 20 pound bag is a great day in MN, but a 25 lb 10 oz bag is for real! I hope you guys stick one of them 6 pounders now that those 5s are caught. Days like that are awesome when you get to share them with someone else. I will be up in Minnesota in two weeks in hopes for good days like those. Keep posting your success and water temps.

I am guessing there is no picture of the 10 lber either...

A-Jay, are you headhunting this fall for a personal record smallie or anything? Staying on familiar waters or hitting some big fish waters? In 2 weeks I get to try and entice 6 pounders and possibly considering maybe thinking about entertaining the notion of pondering the idea of a Minnesota 7 lber... I will unfortunately sacrifice lakes with many 4s and a some 5s for the lakes with low numbers and 6s and 7s. Any particluar arrow in your quiver you feel lucky with? Mine will be the jig, but I am secretly hoping the jerkbait calls them up.

Been almost two months since i wet a line. Been too busy creating a bass boat! The process is a nightmare, but a fun nightmare. One of the last few times i went fishing, my dad and i had a good day on the water. We each had some 4s, 5s, and each landed a 6 and a half pounder. It is always rare in Minnesota for two people to catch a 6 pounder in the same outing. Were on the water for 6 hours. I was feeling confident with the early 4s and a 5 and was quite satisfied with my day. Then my dad hooked the 6 pounder. I was extremely excited for him, but knew my chances were slim for catching a giant. His was on the 7 inch worm. About an hour later, i hooked mine with a ghost swimjig i made and painted couple nights earlier. Always the best to catch them on your own creation. Not sure if this picture will be right side up... Shimmy

While I know it isn't good for hook sets, I prefer to cast a long ways away. I tend to fish out of noisy boats and I think I spook a lot of big weary bass. Long casts give me the peace of mind so then if I am not catching any, I might have the wrong bait or spot.

There are A LOT of guys I would like to fish with here. In time, I hope to fish with as many as I can. I would love to go jig fishing with some of the guys on this board and aim for a great top 5 bass pic...or if we bomb, just a fun time. Would be fun to keep an album of those good times. Might not be a bad idea to have this thread, or a future thread dedicated with pictures of members fishing together! Shimmy

Great fish man! Buzzbait bass are so much fun. Overcast days like that are so hard not to only throw the jig

Agreed with previous comments. For my ten cents, weigh a couple fish with the grip and without the first few times, or just zero the weight out so you get the exact weight. See how much the grips add to the weight of the fish. We are sticklers about weight and in fun competitions and family lake records, every ounce counts!

A to the Jay! Great fish! 6 is a giant. Awesome that you got to have a paparazzi present!

All the time. I couldn't even speak coherently after each big fish in Mexico. For me, one of my main weird side effects is I can't fish after catching a big one for a bit since I have to be opening the livewell and stare at the fish. This can last on and off for the next 30 minutes. It's like having a brand new car. You just want to sit on your porch and stare at it. Furthermore, every fish that might be over 6 pounds, I get shakey...you don't want to jinx it, but just stare at the thing...and shake and shimmy.

Wow Jeff...that is just wow! Great fish. Seems like your spot keeps teasing you. It is trying to lead you to believe you will stick your 10 there, but just won't let you have it. At this point, have you recaught some of the same giants? Great job. Come this fall, I think you will hook the ten.