Texas Flood Posted July 24, 2023 Share Posted July 24, 2023 I got asked last minute to go fish the boundary waters in a week but unfortunately cant get work off. I'm mainly bummed because we stopped going up to Gull Lake the last few years and I really miss fishing up there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pogues2300 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 On 7/24/2023 at 2:24 PM, Texas Flood said: I got asked last minute to go fish the boundary waters in a week but unfortunately cant get work off. I'm mainly bummed because we stopped going up to Gull Lake the last few years and I really miss fishing up there. Lived in Ely almost ten years… miss that neck of the woods for sure. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Flood Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 3 hours ago, Pogues2300 said: Lived in Ely almost ten years… miss that neck of the woods for sure. I think next year it'll start being an annual visit up there. Which I'm quite excited about. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlauz Posted July 30, 2023 Share Posted July 30, 2023 I was out last Tuesday night through Thursday morning. Weather was HOT. Fishing was not. Tried a little bit of everything, wacky worming, drop shot, crankbait, spinnerbait....... Had one night where clouds came in and a little breeze and I wrecked them on a white spinnerbait with grub trailer. Other than that 2 hour stretch it was brutal. Wednesday night a storm rolled through and Thursday was clear and sunny. Thursday morning might have been the worst fishing I can remember. I also could not take anymore sun. Fished some Saturday and it was better. Steady with a nice mix of largemouth and smallmouth. Weather looks to be getting hot again so I am taking a break until later in the week. I really need some clouds and wind! On a side note I may be the Jacob Wheeler of Rock Bass. It doesn't matter what I throw I can catch em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted July 31, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted July 31, 2023 6 hours ago, Tlauz said: I was out last Tuesday night through Thursday morning. Weather was HOT. Fishing was not 6 hours ago, Tlauz said: Weather looks to be getting hot again so I am taking a break until later in the week. I really need some clouds and wind! I could see that week of hot weather coming and figured it would not be productive. You proved it lol It does look a little warm midweek but I don’t see any sweltering multi-day heat indexes like we had last week. I took last week off to avoid those conditions but now I’m starting to get the itch again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishin Dad Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 Man, all the talk of northern MN fishing is giving me the itch to travel!! I took off last week too. Not a fan of that kind of heat. I fished Saturday with my boss and thought the lake would be nasty green and the fish would be deep………wrong and wrong!! The lake clarity was decent and the fish were shallow and we blasted them. Caught over 60 in a little over 4 hours. Nothing big, (3 1/2) was the biggest, but it was fun. My boss doesn’t fish bass a lot and had a lot of fun. Talked to a couple other boaters and they didn’t catch ‘em deep either. This lake is known for a deep (10-12 ft) rock bite, and we have caught hundreds this year there that way. Boy, was I wrong!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wollman14 Posted August 2, 2023 Share Posted August 2, 2023 Spent the last week of July at my families cabin in the Ely area. Clear skies and low winds kept the walleye bite tough, but the smallies were eating. Ned on a slow straight retrieve and weightless wacky with a 5” stick bait were the ticket. Couple top water fish mixed in. Largest were two just over 4 lbs. Cooler water than normal for this time of year allowed fish to be shallow and the bigger pike in the weeds still, instead of off deeper rock points, largest was 9-10 lbs, but lots in the 20-25” range. There is something magical about that area, can’t wait to go back! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MN Fisher Posted August 6, 2023 Super User Share Posted August 6, 2023 Well, they obviously live in Tonka - just watching Matt Johnson's weekly update. Blackfish Classic was on Tonka last Monday - winners bagged just over 20#, second place was around 18#. I just gotta find where they're hiding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted August 6, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted August 6, 2023 I went on Friday for about 4 hours. It was not very good. A friend and I caught 12 largemouth and 2 pike. Every single bass was between 13-16 inches, no particular pattern either. Water temp is very warm. I observed 79-81 degrees in various spots. For now it appears we’re done with the extreme heat for a while so the water temps should drop some. I think the fishing will improve when it does. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MN Fisher Posted August 6, 2023 Super User Share Posted August 6, 2023 2 minutes ago, gimruis said: I went on Friday for about 4 hours. It was not very good. A friend and I caught 12 largemouth and 2 pike. Every single bass was between 13-16 inches, no particular pattern either. Water temp is very warm. I observed 79-81 degrees in various spots. For now it appears we’re done with the extreme heat for a while so the water temps should drop some. I think the fishing will improve when it does. Ya, I'm hitting a pier tomorrow evening for panfish, then getting Bass Trek on the water early Thursday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlauz Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 Fished some Friday through Sunday. Early morning bite was good on Friday. Threw a shallow running crank bait for the first time in a long time and caught quite a few on it. Later threw an OG Slim (6 ft) along weed lines and did pretty well. Saturday I put on a big swim bait and threw it looking for a big toothy critter. Caught a 20 inch small mouth and nothing else. Water temps were around 80-82. Still fairly calm. When the wind picks up a little the bite is better. Seems like I have had a lot of flat, hot days which I don't like much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishin Dad Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 On 8/2/2023 at 6:33 AM, Wollman14 said: Spent the last week of July at my families cabin in the Ely area. Clear skies and low winds kept the walleye bite tough, but the smallies were eating. Ned on a slow straight retrieve and weightless wacky with a 5” stick bait were the ticket. Couple top water fish mixed in. Largest were two just over 4 lbs. Cooler water than normal for this time of year allowed fish to be shallow and the bigger pike in the weeds still, instead of off deeper rock points, largest was 9-10 lbs, but lots in the 20-25” range. There is something magical about that area, can’t wait to go back! I agree that the Ely area is magical. So pristine. The bite around Southern MN has been rotten. I am convinced there was a winter kill on any lakes that are 15’ or less. It is not a total kill, but definitely damage to the population. Tourney results would clearly back this up. Any lakes with 25’ or more depth haven’t suffered nearly as much. I would assume with the drought, heavy snow cover, and more pressure from fishing has hammered us down here. Luckily, our lakes are pretty fertile and should bounce back if we get a lot of rain, mild winters, and less pressure. Wishful thinking, I know. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throttleplate Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted August 19, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted August 19, 2023 I went for about 4 hours this morning before the serious heat settled in. It was very comfortable out there until about 10am. By the time I got home and put the boat away, it was sweltering out. It was probably my best outing in a month. The water temp has gone from 81 two weeks ago to 77 last week to 72 this morning, and the fish responded. They were more aggressive and so was my approach. Nothing very big, but three were in the 16.5-17.5 inch range. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Flood Posted August 24, 2023 Share Posted August 24, 2023 Father-in-law got this 41" pike up in the boundary waters. I can't wait to go up there next year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted August 24, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted August 24, 2023 9 minutes ago, Texas Flood said: Father-in-law got this 41" pike Dandy, and a rare beast these days in MN. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Flood Posted August 24, 2023 Share Posted August 24, 2023 10 minutes ago, gimruis said: Dandy, and a rare beast these days in MN. It is quite the monster. They said the fishing was pretty slow all week but were getting good size fish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted August 24, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted August 24, 2023 48 minutes ago, Texas Flood said: It is quite the monster. They said the fishing was pretty slow all week but were getting good size fish. I would take quality over quantity if given the choice. I've only been there once about 10 years ago and I honestly didn't care for it. The primitive way of life there, hauling everything in/out, sleeping in a tent, and fighting hordes of bugs was not for me. But there are plenty of people who enjoy doing it, so have at it and enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nosdog2 Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 So I decided to do a fishing trip to Rainy Lake 3rd week of Sept. Going to camp from my boat for about 4-5 days, and hopefully get into some fall smallmouth fun. Probably camp near Soboleski Bar area. Any recommendations from anyone who has fished there during this timeframe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throttleplate Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 5 hours ago, nosdog2 said: So I decided to do a fishing trip to Rainy Lake 3rd week of Sept. Going to camp from my boat for about 4-5 days, and hopefully get into some fall smallmouth fun. Probably camp near Soboleski Bar area. Any recommendations from anyone who has fished there during this timeframe? Brrrrr, well you are a minnesotan so you know what to expect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted August 26, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted August 26, 2023 Two friends and I caught 13 largemouth and 7 pike this morning under overcast skies. Caught them on a variety of moving lures. I could not get bit on a plastic. Water temp is 74 degrees, north metro. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye21 Posted September 7, 2023 Share Posted September 7, 2023 I'm heading to the Alexandria area next Saturday for a trip. Hoping the big bass are chewing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MN Fisher Posted September 7, 2023 Super User Share Posted September 7, 2023 Hot weather and busy around the house has kept me off the lake as of late - but tomorrow Bass Trek gets wet again. Wish me luck...with the cooler weather, we're probably looking at a change of tactics. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted September 7, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted September 7, 2023 58 minutes ago, MN Fisher said: with the cooler weather, we're probably looking at a change of tactics. I noticed a change of tactics about 3 weeks ago. The water temp went from 80+ to the mid 70's to the lower 70's. When it was warmer, I had to slow way down with plastics to get bit. Once that water temp dropped down into the 70's, they wouldn't touch a slower presentation. I had to fish aggressively with moving lures. That pattern has held for my last 4 outings over the course of 3+ weeks now. I much prefer the aggressive approach going right now than the slower methodical plastic approach. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MN Fisher Posted September 7, 2023 Super User Share Posted September 7, 2023 52 minutes ago, gimruis said: That pattern has held for my last 4 outings over the course of 3+ weeks now. Was already planning on spinners and chatters. Any idea on the frog bite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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