rascalP

I thought you would be fishing Washington/Stella on Saturday. Sounds like a great day nonetheless. My plans are to head up to Grand Rapids area next Monday and fish a number of lakes for 3 days. It's a great area from GR north to Marcell. Throw in Pokegema and Trout, and it's easy to see why MLF went there.

Hope it goes well for you. Maybe you can get out Sunday as well !

Got out the last couple days on some local lakes. I figured with the wind, it would be power fishing. Started out the first day on a bar where I knew there would be fish, thinking KVD squarebill. Nothing. Threw some t-rig plastic same area. Nothing. Went to the bank and started pitching brush and other cover. Went 100 yds. Nothing. Then 3 nice ones in 10 yds. A couple of docks came up and they each gave up one, so it looks like tight and shallow. I decide to try a windy shore and get back to winding. I tried swimming a jig first, then a spinnerbait. I had to dig deep for the spinnerbait cause its been quite a while since I used one, but the wind just screamed for it. Nope on either. After striking out on deeper weeds again, went REAL tight to brush and got a couple more. I was surprised they were not chasing. Next day a buddy joined me and we started right away on a stretch of docks and got some nice fish. Then we moved to some offshore stuff. Nope. Went to pitching pads and grinded out a few more with a whole lot of pitches. Nothing on froggy. I finally got a spinnerbait fish at dusk on a weedy flat. ThatOneBigKid, it's interesting to see you had a deep bite going the same day. Now I wish I would have tried a deep crank when we tried a real deep point for about 20 minutes.

I have done well at times on some deep spots on S/C with a big swimbait on a 1/2 oz or bigger head. Same type of deal only no BAM. The rod would just load up. Cast out, let sink to the bottom, slow reel, stop to let it hit bottom. Repeat.

Got out on Chisago today. What a great action bite. Caught a lot of fish in the 2-3.5 lb range with a 1/2 dozen 3.5-4lb. One rod day, though I did try a couple others. The ned has been ruling for me since using it at Tonka. So much fun getting all these fish on exposed hook - they nearly set themselves, just lift the rod. All fish were 5-10 fow near weeds. I tried a little bit of froggin and some heavy pitchin both deep and shallow, but the light ned was all that was working for me. Green pumpkin goby and 1/8 or 1/10oz ned jig, but I don't think color mattered as much as weight. The fish seemed to be in loose schools in one big area with one tight school giving up most of the big fish. This pattern and technique is perfect for a kid since the light weight keeps from getting bogged in the scattered weeds and the open hook sets easy. Make sure you pay attention to where you are casting and dial in where a hooked fish comes from and repeat those casts. Of course, most of you guys know this, but I keep re-learning how tight some of these schools can be. Sully, I think you'll do very well in the derbys as adaptable as you seem to be. Good luck to the guys fishing the GH open this fall - I'll be heading to Eveleth/Grand Rapids area around that time.

riggity, Welcome. Many years ago, I too had no boat. Once in a while we would rent on Chisago or Bald Eagle. Then a buddy got a canoe. That opened it all up - for awhile. Keep shore fishing and get into anything that floats. Was out there today. Breaking it down just like any new lake, except every bay is a new lake without pulling the boat out. Frustrating at times, but getting getting enough bites to build some confidence. Gotta step up the game to keep up with punch and ThatOneBigKid.

Congratulations on a great season Clay. You and Nick really came on strong for a good finish to the year. With us getting 6th place on Big Marine wednesday night, that locked us in for making the cut to Minnetonka. I'm really looking forward to it. In fact, Jeff and I got out there Thursday for the first time for both of us. We focused on Browns Bay and mostly structure fished. In some places we were fishing weeds in 22 fow. I'll be getting out there a few more times next week and check out a few more bays. We'll see you soon. Oh yeah, fishing was tough. You might want to check out some docks. I hear that's right in Nick's wheelhouse ?.

TOBK, There's some spots on BM that fit this to a tee

Hey Clay, duh. After I posted, i thought, probably Nick or Clay cause I remember talking to Nick about it. Should have looked at your picture a little closer too. Old eyes. Nice to see you guys doing so good this year. Have you been scouting out Tonka? If we have a solid finish on BM, we should be there too. Hitting BM tomorrow and back to WBL on wed for the advanced series. We'll see if my partners spot holds up. Oh yeah, "ThatOneBigKid". It's all clear now.

TOBK, Welcome. What's your "Greenhorn" name and what boat do you have? I've been trying to put faces to names at league night. Fishing Minnesota bass forum used to be pretty good, then it just got less and less traffic. Look me up on Wednesday.

yep, you got us. Well done. I would have never thought to go that deep. I gotta put a little more time in figuring out them thar new fangled e-lectronics. No doubt, time on the water puts fish in the boat.

Sully, we were on N/S Center. Are you doing the Sunday GH series? Coon? (cough,cough) reeds (cough, cough)?. Actually, anybody fishing the GH should take advantage of the archives and past results. There's usually a pretty good write up on the tourny.

Congrats to Punch and Geneoh on their 3rd place finish. Nice to meet you both. Always something to learn with fishing and I will always be willing to be a pupil.

Tuesday I fished N. Center for a couple hours in the evening and did pretty good ultra shallow with a weightless jerk shad. I was really looking forward to a full day with big fish on Green wednesday, but it was tough. Caught fish, but a lot of dead time. Swimbait was best. Nothing on jerkbait, chatterbait or dinger. Stayed mostly shallow - less than 5 fow. Blew some opportunities at big ones, boatside that I thought were pike. Water temps topped out at about 68 on N. Center and 64 on Green.

I'm a weekend worker, so I gotta wait till Tuesday afternoon. Then a couple days in Chisago area. I was on Chisago last Wednesday panfishing. Bass were going better than the pannies, but we got enough for a couple meals. That lake got HAMMERED all winter long. I'm sure there are a few freezers packed with sunnie/crappie fillets. I've always said the possession limit is the most broken game law.

Looks like SE MN got missed. Heading to Whitewater State Park next Sunday for 3 or 4 days. We should be spared a gully-washing runoff. Trout fishing should be good. I know this is a "bass" site, but the way we fish for trout, it's very similar to bass fishing. Jerkbaits, rapalas and spinners on medium-light gear is standard. We cover a lot of water, sometimes a few miles of stream and catch numbers of 13-15" with a few going 16"+. The scenery is some of the most beautiful in the state and it's a great way to bridge the ice fishing season to bass season. If you've never tried it, put it on your list.

Enemy Swim and Horseshoe would be on my list. Maybe throw clear in there. Roy has some pretty cool looking bays that would be nice to get into if there was alot of wind. We'll be down in SE MN trout fishing 4th week of april and then things start to jam up leading up to our annual trip to Basswood Lake the end of May. I might have to open up some time 1st week of May just in case. Got a couple nice bass through the ice on Wednesday - 16 and 17", and my buddy got a 17". They seem to be waking up a bit.

Punch, I can give you some info on Vermillion, though I'm most familiar with the other end of the lake from the new SP. Overlooked LM population. If I don't see you at the GH meeting, I'll see you at tourny time. One area I want to check out more is the lakes around Hackensack and south of Leech. We've fished a few but there's more that look real good on Lakefinder. And Leech is real good too. If you're not adding lakes, you're not fishing.

Punch, I don't do a whole lot of "fun" fishing anymore and if I do, its either Chisago or outstate MN. That said, you should do fine on BM, just don't rule out any water. I like it cause I like fishing deep weeds and BM has plenty of that. Just make sure you fish weeds at ALL depths and look for a mix of 2 different weeds. Reeds can be good too and there is plenty of them. It kind of got to be known as a small fish lake, but the last few years it seems have gotten better. 2 years ago I lucked into a 5 1/2 pounder with a total of 13 some pounds and we finished 3rd behind a couple 15 + bags. Last year the sunday series winners had nearly 20 pounds all caught in REAL shallow water. misho, Welcome. It looks like you'll have lots to contribute. Sully, I like the looks of that rig. I've had a hard time forking over the money for any Rage stuff, but they're topwater frogs and shad can't be beat. BPS had a sale on all Rage so I bought 5 or so packs of the menace. If I use them on a jig, you can bet superglue will be involved. I've been wanting to get out to SD since I first saw Lindners out there, but trout fishing in SE MN keeps getting in the way. Maybe this year. I've already got the lakes picked out. For now... I'm still ice fishing.

I'm fishing Wednesday Greenhorn with my main fishing buddy and Wednesday GH advanced with another buddies son. This will be our 3rd year fishing the GH "beginner level". Once a member, you can fish "up" the advanced if space allows, so last year I asked my buddies son if he wanted to give tournament bass fishing a try and fish a derby at the advanced level on Big Marine. He was in. I have a decent amount of confidence in the lake so I thought this would fun. We finished 6th and he was hooked. We ended up fishing the rest of the series since a couple teams dropped off, and finished 8th for the year, just a point out of 7th and missing the TOC. This year he'll be fishing the Wednesday GH with one of his buddies and wed advanced with me. Opponents one week and partners the next. This'll be a hoot. Can't wait.

Me and the fish are glad they do!

I wish I could tell you it was a real technical method, but truth is just fish for panfish. I use various types of lures -- horizontal and vertical hanging, usually tungsten cause they are heavy for their size and I want my line pulled tight as possible. No bobber, just watching the tip or line. If fish are real aggressive you can just use various plastics on the lure, but usually I tip everything with eurolarvae (maggots). Bass are hanging with the sunnies 8 to 12 fow. I've been using 3lb test, but 4 would be better. Make sure your drag works and use your backreel.

Frydog, SD has been on my bucket list for a number of years now. For better or worse, I'm caught up in trout fishing in april and early may, making at least one trip to SE MN. Been scouting out a few lakes to hit if we ever do get out there. Got out for some ice fishing today and got 4 bass to the hand, broke off 2 more - biggest went about 17 inches. Panfishing was surprisingly tough, but good enough to keep 5 each for a meal.

Punch, yeah, I got 3 portables. A 2 man otter that doesn't get used much - once or twice every few years when we go on a group trip, my 1 man trap, and a eskimo pop up that we use once in a while for base camp. But I prefer to fish outside. I really like to hole hop and move around, so the most portable is no portable. Even today, with no wind, it was pretty tolerable fishing outside. It would be great to get together, but weekends are tough. I work every fri/sat afternoon/eve and sunday day. My weekend is wednesday, so weekday afternoons and wednesdays are when I get out. If that ever works, let me know. I can put you on some fish in Chisago area. Today was tough for bass. I was blanked, but my buddies son got a nice one.

First couple of bass of the ice season. Out on Chisago today and got a 16" and a 17" on a tungsten jig and plastic combo. 11 ft of water - they're hangin with the sunnies. 3lb test and a pannie rod - it's a riot.