11 hours ago, punch said:

I was ready to say "oh man I'm so bored with ice fishing, is it spring yet??".... then I won an ice fishing derby with my son this weekend. We won a new clam hub, which of course I'm going to sell and buy bass gear with! (I already have a good hub)

 

We won with 56 fish scored during the tournament period. 2nd place had 40, 3rd had 38. Now if I don't win any bass tournaments this season, I can still say I won a fishing tournament in 2019. 

 

 

Nice work, man. I am sure your son was pumped! Great memories for the two of you.

 

But yes, is i spring yet?

 

Watching Rick Clunn take the win on Bass Live all weekend has me itching even more for warm weather and open water. Anyone else watch the Live coverage over the weekend. Saturday and Sunday were probably the two best days of BASS Live I have ever watched. The Classic from Conroe is second, but d**n if it wasn't awesome watching guys hauling in 6+ after 6+. Please mother nature be kind this spring! 

6 minutes ago, ThatOneBigKid said:

Please mother nature be kind this spring!

Last year Lake Minnetonka was declared ice-free on May 5 - tied for the latest ice out ever.

 

Hopefully this year it'll clear off sooner - of course now I've just jinxed it...

21 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Last year Lake Minnetonka was declared ice-free on May 5 - tied for the latest ice out ever.

I heard from a number of sources that May actually broke the record that was previously set on May 4 (a long time ago), but then I heard the same thing you mentioned - that it tied the record.  Maybe it depends on the source.

 

A historic blizzard in April, a near record late ice out, and then its almost 100 degrees by Memorial Day.  Doesn't leave a whole lot of time for "spring."

I actually did some bass fishing in 2019! With the gamefish season now closed I went and hit the Mississippi river a few days in a row last week to get some action in. I hit one of my usual spots and the fish were really biting. In 3 sessions I probably caught 30+ smallies and 3 nice walleye. All pretty shallow and off sand bars. Swimbaits is really all you need there. I bring other stuff (ned rig) but in the end the keitchs get the most action. It's best to keep it simple. 

 

River smallies + wader fishing is really a hoot. Only downside is combating the ice in your guides & your braid. I was using my 7' st croixs (LTB and a legend xtreme) with 10lb braid to a floro leader. My standard smallie setups. 

 

 

 

 

Sunday morning I hooked into this 4lb tanker. 

 

That’s pretty good punch. Definitely beats ice fishing.

Nice work @punch. Looks like a good time. I have been telling myself I need to get a pair of wadders for years now and still haven't pulled the trigger. 

This is me- I wish I could say I caught it. I’m in CA and the guy in the next boat got a 17 lb largemouth- nice guy, let me hold before release. Soon the rains came - I got little fishing in. Weather out here is as bad as anyone can remember 

daaaaaaaaaaaaaang

2 hours ago, Jmhalvo said:

This is me- I wish I could say I caught it. I’m in CA and the guy in the next boat got a 17 lb largemouth- nice guy, let me hold before release. Soon the rains came - I got little fishing in. Weather out here is as bad as anyone can remember 

Which Lake?  Very cool even to hold something that big!

38 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Which Lake?  Very cool even to hold something that big!

12 hours ago, Jmhalvo said:

This is me- I wish I could say I caught it. I’m in CA and the guy in the next boat got a 17 lb largemouth- nice guy, let me hold before release. Soon the rains came - I got little fishing in. Weather out here is as bad as anyone can remember 

That is insane. How was Cali? Been a dream of mine for a while to spend a week out there grinding for a pb

18 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Which Lake?  Very cool even to hold something that big!

Dixon- handy because no need for CA license- I’m not on a fishing trip. Had a few hours but mostly got rained out. Yes, very cool...I’ve never seen a largemouth HALF that size!

Who else is checking temps for the week seemingly by the hour.  Expected to touch 40 a couple of times this week. C’mon spring!

12 hours ago, OperationEagle said:

Who else is checking temps for the week seemingly by the hour.  Expected to touch 40 a couple of times this week. C’mon spring!

Yea I saw 40s in there one the 10-day outlook and my mouth started to water. Going to be an interesting Spring from a water level stand point with all this snow on the ground. Can't freaking wait.

 

6 minutes ago, ThatOneBigKid said:

Yea I saw 40s in there one the 10-day outlook and my mouth started to water. Going to be an interesting Spring from a water level stand point with all this snow on the ground. Can't freaking wait.

 

Last report had Minnetonka still at 16" of ice. With all the snow on top, it's well insulated. That snow has to go before the ice can start really melting. Even with the upper 30s and 40s forecast - I don't see any of my fishing spots opening before mid-April.

17 hours ago, OperationEagle said:

Who else is checking temps for the week seemingly by the hour.  Expected to touch 40 a couple of times this week. C’mon spring!

Plus with all the rain expected within the next three days the snow should be taking a hit

2 minutes ago, JackKlassen said:

Plus with all the rain expected within the next three days the snow should be taking a hit

Latest NWS forecast has less than 2" of rain between now and Friday...with some more snow Thursday night. That's not going to make too much of an impact on the current snow cover.

Ok with the water levels expected to be high this spring, let’s share how we will be changing our approach to opener. I will start. 

 

I will be watching water temps closer if there is a late ice melt. Maybe try some jerkbaits?  

Thought I’d get back around to that MN-BR happy hour planning again.  I have a few hats to give away as well...

 

If people interested in going can say which dates work below (list as many as as you can) we’ll go with the majority and then pick a location:

 

•Fri 3/22 late afternoon near Mpls Convention Center/NW Sport Show

•Thurs 3/28

•Mon 4/1

•Weds 4/3

•Tues 4/9

•Weds 4/10

•Thurs 4/11

•Weds 4/17

 

 

I'd love to meet up and pick some brains! I'm good for 3/22, 3/28, 4/1, and 4/3.

Pick a day - if I can I will def go.

Anything other than 3/22 - prefer west side of MPLS if possible. (The Local in St. Louis Park?)

+1 for preferring the west side of the river. I'll eat/drink almost anything so I'm cool with The Local or something else too.

I'm definitely going to the show on Friday, I want to catch John Cox's Shallow Water presentation which I think is at 6pm. 

16 inches of ice on Tonka? That’s it? Heck with these warm temps, March sunshine, and constant rain, there could easily be open water by early April. Almost half the snow in my yard has disappeared this week.

 

Frydog, those hats are pretty cool.