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2023 MN Season Thread


gimruis

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On 5/19/2023 at 4:25 PM, gimruis said:

I did very well yesterday targeting smallmouth on Mille Lacs.  I posted some photos in the latest pics thread.  The water temp is still only 49 degrees up there.  Caught the smallmouth (and several accidental walleyes) on a perch colored jerk bait in 4-8 feet of water.

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Glad to see the bite looks better up there this year so far.  Nice work.  Can’t wait to head that way.  

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16 minutes ago, Fishin Dad said:

Glad to see the bite looks better up there this year so far.  Nice work.  Can’t wait to head that way.  

I prefer to target them before they spawn in the spring.  After that, it becomes more difficult, at least for me.  They move deeper off shore and its more of a finesse game.  Right now they are in the shallows preparing to spawn and will bite a more aggressive approach.

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19 hours ago, gimruis said:

I prefer to target them before they spawn in the spring.  After that, it becomes more difficult, at least for me.  They move deeper off shore and its more of a finesse game.  Right now they are in the shallows preparing to spawn and will bite a more aggressive approach.

I agree.  Spring is awesome.  I still find some shallow later if the conditions are right.  It seems the bigger fish move out offshore though.  There are a lot of fish in that lake.  I assume with the later ice out, the fish are a little behind.  

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I went back out there today for about 5 hours and did pretty well. More of a finesse game this time with the bright sunshine. They’re all shaped like footballs right now.

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13 hours ago, gimruis said:

I went back out there today for about 5 hours and did pretty well. More of a finesse game this time with the bright sunshine. They’re all shaped like footballs right now.

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I am jealous.  I wish it was only a 2 hour drive for me.  I have to get up there soon. 

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57 minutes ago, Fishin Dad said:

I wish it was only a 2 hour drive for me

I can get to the south end in 1 hour, 15 mins. Where I usually go on the east side it’s exactly 90 minutes. Makes for a long day, but doable.

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On 5/28/2023 at 8:07 AM, gimruis said:

I can get to the south end in 1 hour, 15 mins. Where I usually go on the east side it’s exactly 90 minutes. Makes for a long day, but doable.

That’s solid.  It is about 3 hours for me to Liberty Beach on the east side.  We have done single day trips, but it is brutal.  

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Been itching like crazy to get out.  My water pump took a dump and a coupler for the lower unit stripped out so I am waiting on parts for a few more days till I can get water bound.  I guess I could grab the yak down and at least wet a line. 

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Got out this weekend North of Bemidji.  I found fish in the morning and at night.  It was really hot in the afternoons.  All fish were on isolated reed clumps in 3 feet of water or less. All on a pink wacky worm.  Had to make long casts. If you could see them they would not bite.  Weed growth is way ahead of normal with this heat. 

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1 minute ago, Tlauz said:

Got out this weekend North of Bemidji.

Blackduck, Turtle, Gull or one of the others?

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38 minutes ago, Tlauz said:

Others!

Remembering my time up there (1974-1980), I know there's lots to choose from. ?

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And today was a bust - launched fine, motor started fine...then when I cranked it up to cruise - splutter-splutter-cough-die.

 

So back to the ramp, load up, back home...if the rain lets up I'm gonna dig into it to see what the heck is going on.

 

Yes, I have the Technician's manual for this beast.

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1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

And today was a bust - launched fine, motor started fine...then when I cranked it up to cruise - splutter-splutter-cough-die.

 

So back to the ramp, load up, back home...if the rain lets up I'm gonna dig into it to see what the heck is going on.

 

Yes, I have the Technician's manual for this beast.

 

So this wasnt you whom i seen earlier?

 

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On 6/6/2023 at 9:15 AM, MN Fisher said:

then when I cranked it up to cruise - splutter-splutter-cough-die.

Did you figure out what the issue is yet?

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6 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Did you figure out what the issue is yet?

That's what's got me shaking my head.

 

Submerged the lower unit in a bin of water to cover the intake, start her up, crank her up...no problems. Shift her into reverse, rev her up...no problems...go into forward, rev her up...no problems.

 

I just stared at the motor thinking, 'Only on the lake, eh...you trying to ruin my fishing time!'

 

So, no idea what happened on Tuesday. It'll be a couple weeks before I try again - next week is the guided trip the wife got me for Yule.

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On 6/5/2023 at 5:56 PM, Tlauz said:

Got out this weekend North of Bemidji.  I found fish in the morning and at night.  It was really hot in the afternoons.  All fish were on isolated reed clumps in 3 feet of water or less. All on a pink wacky worm.  Had to make long casts. If you could see them they would not bite.  Weed growth is way ahead of normal with this heat. 

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Nice fish Todd!   I love northern Minnesota fishing.  Mix of smallies and largies.  Clear water, loons singing. ……..  Ahhhhh.   Haven’t been up there yet this season, but it will happen soon!  The weeds in Southern Minnesota are awful!!!   I am ready to fish some clean rocks.  

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3 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

That's what's got me shaking my head.

 

Submerged the lower unit in a bin of water to cover the intake, start her up, crank her up...no problems. Shift her into reverse, rev her up...no problems...go into forward, rev her up...no problems.

 

I just stared at the motor thinking, 'Only on the lake, eh...you trying to ruin my fishing time!'

 

So, no idea what happened on Tuesday. It'll be a couple weeks before I try again - next week is the guided trip the wife got me for Yule.

Years ago I had a 19ft StarCraft bow rider with a 115hp Johnson 2 Stroke outboard. The motor ran great on muffs or in a tub. Take it out on the lake and it would flat out quit or run really badly. I had it into several shops. No one could figure out what was wrong. I was about to sell the boat because I was so frustrated. One day a shade tree mechanic I knew was talking to me and I explained my problem. He came over to the house and in 45 min came in and said it was fixed. He charged me $20. The next day I took it out to the lake, and it ran perfectly. I ran it around all day with no problems. The next day I asked him what he had done. He explained that it was a somewhat common problem on older 2 stroke motors, especially larger displacement ones (I don't know if that is true or not...it is just what he said). It seems that the float bowls in the carbs would get a "skin" built up from using 2 stroke oil. It is (according to him) especially common when the motor is used intermittently or stored for long periods such as over the winter. When the motor was run on muffs or in a tub, the skin stayed in place and did not interfere with the way the motor ran. But when the motor was run out on the lake, the constant bouncing and wave action would make the "skin" move around to the point it would block the fuel from getting up through the carbs. which would of course, stall out the engine. After boat sat for a while the skin would settle back down, and the motor would start and run fine again. Sometimes I could run all day with no problem, but other days I was lucky to be able to run for 20 mins. at a time. After his repair, which consisted of taking the float bowls off the carbs and carefully removing the skin that had built up, I never had another problem. Please understand I am not any kind of expert on this matter, and am just passing along what I was told, and my experience.

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14 minutes ago, Kirtley Howe said:

After boat sat for a while the skin would settle back down, and the motor would start and run fine again.

Ya, but I could start her up on the lake within seconds. She dies, I put her in neutral, start her up just fine...just when I cranked her up after putting into forward that she died...before I even really started moving.

 

14 minutes ago, Kirtley Howe said:

It is (according to him) especially common when the motor is used intermittently or stored for long periods such as over the winter.

Define 'intermittently' - new gas/oil 4 weeks ago, out 3 weeks ago with no problem...and yes, I used Sta-Bil. I don't leave gas in - when the season ended last fall, what remained in the boat-tank went into my truck.

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1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

Ya, but I could start her up on the lake within seconds. She dies, I put her in neutral, start her up just fine...just when I cranked her up after putting into forward that she died...before I even really started moving.

 

Define 'intermittently' - new gas/oil 3 weeks ago, out 2 weeks ago with no problem...and yes, I used Sta-Bil. I don't leave gas in - when the season ended last fall, what remained in the boat-tank went into my truck.

Mine would sometimes start back up almost immediately. Other time it would take 5-10 mins. or longer before it would restart.   

"Intermittently" would be use for a day or two, and then sit for 2 or 3 weeks before it would be used again. Also I should point out that the older 2 stroke motors used a much heavier oil mix (25 to 1 in my case) than more modern motors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intermittently would be use for a day or two, than sit for a week or two. I should mention that the older 2 stroke motor took a much heavier oil mix than more modern ones. In my case the motor called for 25 to one ratio. 

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31 minutes ago, Kirtley Howe said:

Also I should point out that the older 2 stroke motors used a much heavier oil mix (25 to 1 in my case) than more modern motors.

The 1973 that I have uses 50:1 - so a leaner mix.

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On 5/27/2023 at 6:05 PM, gimruis said:

I went back out there today for about 5 hours and did pretty well. More of a finesse game this time with the bright sunshine. They’re all shaped like footballs right now.

Oh sweet man! Beauties for sure.

Hoping to get out to do some saltwater fishing soon. Weather hasn't been cooperating tho, nor has my work schedule.

Go get some more!

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Went locally this morning for a few hours and did ok. Caught about a dozen fish including my biggest largie of the season so far. Had to fish pretty slow to get bit though. Water temp was 77 degrees.

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4 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Had to fish pretty slow to get bit though.

Ned Rig to the rescue? :laugh5:

 

I've spent the morning double checking the motor - still runs fine at full rev...even rocking it doesn't affect it.

 

Also installing a new LW fill pump. The impeller driven ones just aren't doing the job, so got a self-priming diaphragm pump. Got it mounted, now just have to hook up the electrical and plumbling.

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5 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Ned Rig to the rescue

Almost. Neko/wacky along the weed line. I did catch a few early on a jerk bait but the better fish were slower with plastics.

 

I tried a frog and a buzz bait shallow for a solid 30 minutes and neither one produced a single bite.

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