September 29, 2009 -- On Leech Lake

Last year on this date the high temperature was only 56 degrees. I did not record the low temperature from a year ago, but I would bet it was as cold as it is currently. Today should be a lot like last year. The high is projected to hit 55 degrees, and currently at 9:00 a.m., the temperature is only 37 degrees. I don't know if it dropped to freezing over night or not, but it sure is cold this morning.

By noon the temperature had warmed to the low 50s, and by 1:30 p.m. it was 55 degrees and I decided to go fishing. Today was the first time in three days that the wind was not blowing at 20+ mph. In fact, when I hit the water, the wind was slight at 5-8 mph out of the ENE. The sky was mostly sunny, and I actually felt warm standing in the boat.

I started by fishing in front of our house in 9-12 feet of water. I used a VMC jig tipped with a fathead. I drifted slowly out into the bay and south toward Second Duck Point. I caught a few small perch, but nothing worth keeping.

I moved toward the Birches and fished there in 8-10 feet of water for a while, but again boated only small perch.

I moved to the spot between Schiebe’s cabin and the government cabins and caught more small to medium perch. I also hooked into something that bit through my 6 lb. Fireline Crystal, forcing me to tie on a new jig. Probably a northern pike.

I came ashore around 3:30 p.m. After some work around the house, some business on the computer and a light dinner, I again went fishing. I was on the water at 6:20 p.m.

The wind had died down completely and the lake was still. The water temperature had cooled considerably in the past few days and was now between 61 and 62 degrees depending on the depth and location I was fishing.

I again started in front of our house in 10 feet of water throwing a VMC jig, this time tipped with a Northland Tackle Slurpie Swim’N Grub, in an orange color. I threw this set up for about 20 minutes, but had no bites.

I switched to my trolling tackle, using an olive colored #9 Minnow Rap. I trolled from Malay’s cabin south to a spot between Duck and Second Duck Points, then curled out into the Bay and fished deeper at 12-13 feet.

I made several passes without getting a bite. As the sky darkened, the 85% waxing moon rose and cast its light over Sucker Bay. At one point a loon surfaced near my boat and was directly in line with the shimmering moon light in the water. It looked like something out of a Les Kouba painting. Beautiful.

I was getting ready to make one last pass when I hooked a nice little 13” walleye just south of Second Duck Point in 12 feet of water. I decided to make another pass between Second Duck and a spot about half way to Duck Point.

On my way north, I again hooked a fish and could tell it was a little bigger. I got it to the boat and into the landing net. I hoisted it into the boat and saw it was a beautiful “eater” walleye; 16 ½” long. I put it in the live well for a future dinner.

At 9:35 p.m. I decided to call it a night and come ashore. I got the walleye from the boat into a wire basket at the end of the dock and made my way back to the house. As I walked from the boat lift to the house I noticed I could see my breath. I knew it was cold, but didn’t realize just how cold.

The thermometer on the back deck at the house read 40 degrees. I heard that it could get down below freezing tonight after midnight. I also heard that the wind is again going to be blowing between 20-30 mph tomorrow. I’m glad I got out onto Leech Lake to do some walleye fishing while I had the chance. And I caught walleyes too!