Rick and I went out fishing on Leech Lake today on two separate occasions. The first time we went out from 1:00 - 3:45 p.m. and used jigs and shiners as we drifted off Second Duck Point in 7-10 feet of water. We caught a few perch but no walleye.
The temperature today was a cool 52 degrees, the wind was 5-15 mph from the ESE, the sky was overcast and grey and it rained off and on all day.
After dinner, we went out again, this time from 8:00 - 11:15 p.m. We trolled Rapala Minnow Raps in 8-12 feet of water with the Mercury Smartcraft gauge set at 570 rpm. With this method we did much better than we did earlier in the day.
Rick caught a 23" and 12" walleye and I caught walleyes of 16 3/4" and 18 1/2". We kept the 16 3/4" fish for dinner. As we headed back to the boat lift we caught two more walleye at the same time, a doubleheader! The first time Rick and I have hooked walleyes at the same time.
Rick reeled in a nice 22" eyeball and my fish measured 17 1/4". Both were released.
Another great day of fishing on Leech Lake.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
May 30, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
New door leading from the game room to the garage
It was very windy all day today. The winds were out of the WNW at 15-25 mph with gusts over 30 mph. The lake was covered with large waves and white caps. The high temperature today was 64 degrees with a low of around 40.
Rick and I went into town today to pick up a pre-hung door to go between the game room and the garage at the cabin. In addition to being an engineer, Rick both enjoys and is very good at any type of home repair or building project. Last year he repaired the deck at the cabin, this year it was the new door in the game room.
We picked up other supplies in town as well, and made it home around 4:00 p.m. -- just as it started to rain.
No fishing on Leech Lake today.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
May 29, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
Rick with a 23 1/2-inch Leech Lake walleye; off Second Duck Point.
Today was Rick's first day on Leech Lake since September 2008 and he was happy to be back on it. We started fishing today jigging with shiners at the Birches. We caught a couple of small perch but no walleye. Then we motored across Sucker Bay to Big Hardwood Point where we joined about 8 other boats. We again jigged for walleyes with shiners and again were skunked.
We then motored back across the bay to Second Duck Point where we decided to fore go jigging and start trolling crankbaits. That was the ticket.
Using #9 Rapala Minnow Raps -- Rick's in purpledescent color and me with a bleeding hot olive colored lure -- we started to catch fish.
I caught several perch, a rock bass and a small northern (generally disappointing), but Rick did much better. He caught a perch, a small 9" walleye, as well as a 22" and 23 1/2" walleye.
The temperature today was a pleasant 66 degrees as a high, with a low of 42. The water temperature was 61 degrees. The wind while we were out fishing was 6 mph from the south, but by evening it had picked up to 15-25 mph from the NW so we didn't go out trolling tonight. The wind finally died down to around 5-10 mph from the west around 10 p.m.
A very good day on Leech Lake.
May 28, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
Today was a strange day weather wise. The morning sky was overcast and gray, but the winds were relatively light at 5-8 mph out of the south. As the day progressed, the skies cleared to sunny, but the wind picked up to 12-18 mph and shifted to the NW. The lake got very choppy.
The temperature today hit a high of 68 degrees and the low was around 40.
Tom Malay stopped by today with his trailer. We had talked last night while fishing that he would help me load my ATV onto the trailer and then he'd take it into Bemidji Sports on Friday when he and Lainey (his wife) went into town. It was a very nice gesture and I took him up on it.
After Tom left with my ATV in tow, I transplanted a small cedar tree from near the house to near the shoreline by the harbor. Over time, this little cedar tree, along with the cedar tree I transplanted last year, should provide a nice wind block and help stop shoreline erosion.
I did other chores around the properties today included making the beds at the cabin, watered the plants and the newly planted spruce trees and generally cleaned house. At 10:50 p.m., my friend Rick from Brisbane, Australia arrived at the Bemidji airport. By the time we got home it was after midnight.
No fishing on Leech Lake today.
The temperature today hit a high of 68 degrees and the low was around 40.
Tom Malay stopped by today with his trailer. We had talked last night while fishing that he would help me load my ATV onto the trailer and then he'd take it into Bemidji Sports on Friday when he and Lainey (his wife) went into town. It was a very nice gesture and I took him up on it.
After Tom left with my ATV in tow, I transplanted a small cedar tree from near the house to near the shoreline by the harbor. Over time, this little cedar tree, along with the cedar tree I transplanted last year, should provide a nice wind block and help stop shoreline erosion.
I did other chores around the properties today included making the beds at the cabin, watered the plants and the newly planted spruce trees and generally cleaned house. At 10:50 p.m., my friend Rick from Brisbane, Australia arrived at the Bemidji airport. By the time we got home it was after midnight.
No fishing on Leech Lake today.
May 27, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
Yesterday when I went into Bemidji I bought two small Colorado blue spruce trees from the Home Depot. Today, I planted them near the property line between our cabin and Poage's. I dubbed the trees the "Jayden trees," in honor of our little grandson Jayden Stephen who was born on Easter Sunday. I plan to track the growth of both Jayden and the trees over time.
It was a pleasant day to work in the yard. The high temperature today was 60 degrees with a low of 42. The sky started out overcast, but gradually cleared to mostly sunny. The wind was out of the SSE from near calm to 8 mph.
At 1:30 p.m. I decided to go fishing. I started out at Second Duck Point and drifted with the breeze past our house and all the way to the Birches. I used a jig and shiner and was able to hook two very nice jumbo perch, a rock bass and a 15" walleye. All were released. Just before 5:00 p.m. I came to shore for some dinner.
At 6:30 p.m. I hit the lake again; this time trolling a crankbait. I used a #9 Minnow Rap in "bleeding hot olive" color and caught a northern and 14" walleye. Then I got a call on my cell phone. It was Tom Malay asking if I wanted to go fishing, which of course I was already doing. I told him to meet me at the end of his dock and I'd pick him up.
After getting Tom, his fishing rods, and cooler into the boat, we trolled from his place south past Second Duck Point in water depths ranging from 8-12 feet. The water temperature tonight was 58.7 degrees.
I caught another 14" walleye as well as a 15" eyeball. Tom caught walleyes of 12", 14" and 17". He kept the 17" fish.
We got back to the boat lift around 10:30 p.m. and I was inside the house by 10:45 p.m. Another fantastic day of fishing on Leech Lake -- 7 walleyes boated today.
It was a pleasant day to work in the yard. The high temperature today was 60 degrees with a low of 42. The sky started out overcast, but gradually cleared to mostly sunny. The wind was out of the SSE from near calm to 8 mph.
At 1:30 p.m. I decided to go fishing. I started out at Second Duck Point and drifted with the breeze past our house and all the way to the Birches. I used a jig and shiner and was able to hook two very nice jumbo perch, a rock bass and a 15" walleye. All were released. Just before 5:00 p.m. I came to shore for some dinner.
At 6:30 p.m. I hit the lake again; this time trolling a crankbait. I used a #9 Minnow Rap in "bleeding hot olive" color and caught a northern and 14" walleye. Then I got a call on my cell phone. It was Tom Malay asking if I wanted to go fishing, which of course I was already doing. I told him to meet me at the end of his dock and I'd pick him up.
After getting Tom, his fishing rods, and cooler into the boat, we trolled from his place south past Second Duck Point in water depths ranging from 8-12 feet. The water temperature tonight was 58.7 degrees.
I caught another 14" walleye as well as a 15" eyeball. Tom caught walleyes of 12", 14" and 17". He kept the 17" fish.
We got back to the boat lift around 10:30 p.m. and I was inside the house by 10:45 p.m. Another fantastic day of fishing on Leech Lake -- 7 walleyes boated today.
May 26, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
The high temperature today was only 52 degrees and the low dropped to 38. It was gray, overcast and drizzly all day. The wind was 10-20 mph out of the NNW, and with stronger gusts, the lake was choppy and often filled with white caps. I decided today would be a good day to go into Bemidji.
My first stop was Corner Sports where I dropped off the boat trailer for repairs. I then went to drop off my PC to get it fixed. I registered the truck for another year, got groceries, ran some other errands then drove home.
It was cold tonight, so I had my first fire in the fireplace while listening to classical music on KCRB.
No fishing on Leech Lake today.
My first stop was Corner Sports where I dropped off the boat trailer for repairs. I then went to drop off my PC to get it fixed. I registered the truck for another year, got groceries, ran some other errands then drove home.
It was cold tonight, so I had my first fire in the fireplace while listening to classical music on KCRB.
No fishing on Leech Lake today.
May 25, 2009 -- Memorial Day at Leech Lake
The wind today was 10-15 mph from the SE which created a nice chop on the lake, but because of the direction of the wind it was calm and the water flat at the boat lift. The temperature today was a high of 62 degrees and a low of near 40. The water temperature was 61 degrees and the sky was overcast and gray.
Mike, Barb and Sean left for home around 1:30 p.m. with a nice bag of walleye fillets on ice. After they left I decided to do a little fishing. I went out at 3:00 and stayed out only an hour because I wasn't catching any fish while jigging with a live shiner at Second Duck Point and because it started to rain and I wasn't wearing my rain gear.
I made it out onto Leech Lake, although I didn't catch any fish.
Mike, Barb and Sean left for home around 1:30 p.m. with a nice bag of walleye fillets on ice. After they left I decided to do a little fishing. I went out at 3:00 and stayed out only an hour because I wasn't catching any fish while jigging with a live shiner at Second Duck Point and because it started to rain and I wasn't wearing my rain gear.
I made it out onto Leech Lake, although I didn't catch any fish.
May 24, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
The high temperature today was 70 degrees and the low was 44. It was partly cloudy and the winds varied from calm to 8 mph out of the south. The water temperature had warmed to 62 degrees.
At noon, I took my sister-in-law Barb and her son Sean out fishing. We decided to use jigs and live emerald shiners as we drifted around Second Duck Point. As I reported in past posts on this blog, newspapers in Minnesota, and elsewhere in the Midwest, have been writing stories about how "Leech Lake is back," and that if you want great walleye fishing "go to Leech Lake."
Obviously lots of people read those stories and acted upon them because as I piloted my boat to Second Duck Point we were surrounding by no less than 30 other boats. Undeterred, Barb, Sean and I put shiners on our jigs and got down to some walleye fishing.
We all caught a few perch, but no walleye. By 1:30 p.m. we decided to leave the crowded point and go back to the cabin for some lunch.
At 3:15 p.m. in the afternoon, we decided to once again try our luck drifting Second Duck Point with jigs and shiners. This time we were more successful. Or to be more specific, Barb was more successful. She caught a 12" and 14" walleye, both of which were released. Barb couldn't remember the last time she'd caught a walleye, so she was very satisfied with the outing. At 4:45 p.m. we headed to shore to get dinner going.
Later in the evening, just around 9:00 p.m., under a new moon, I took Sean out trolling for walleye -- our third fishing trip of the day. I used a #9 Minnow Rap in "bleeding hot olive" color and Sean used a perch colored Wally Diver. During the next two hours we trolled from a spot between Duck Point and Second Duck Point to the south, north to past the Malay's cabin in 8-12 feet of water.
Sean caught a 14" and a 15" walleye, and I caught five walleyes measuring 14", 16", 17", 18" and 20". All but the 17" walleye were released. I added the 17" walleye to the 17 1/2" walleye I'd caught a few days ago in the fish basket (which is kept off the end of the dock in the lake). I'll clean the two fish tomorrow and make sure that Barb and Sean leave here with enough walleye fillets for a nice dinner.
Another great day of fishing on Leech Lake.
At noon, I took my sister-in-law Barb and her son Sean out fishing. We decided to use jigs and live emerald shiners as we drifted around Second Duck Point. As I reported in past posts on this blog, newspapers in Minnesota, and elsewhere in the Midwest, have been writing stories about how "Leech Lake is back," and that if you want great walleye fishing "go to Leech Lake."
Obviously lots of people read those stories and acted upon them because as I piloted my boat to Second Duck Point we were surrounding by no less than 30 other boats. Undeterred, Barb, Sean and I put shiners on our jigs and got down to some walleye fishing.
We all caught a few perch, but no walleye. By 1:30 p.m. we decided to leave the crowded point and go back to the cabin for some lunch.
At 3:15 p.m. in the afternoon, we decided to once again try our luck drifting Second Duck Point with jigs and shiners. This time we were more successful. Or to be more specific, Barb was more successful. She caught a 12" and 14" walleye, both of which were released. Barb couldn't remember the last time she'd caught a walleye, so she was very satisfied with the outing. At 4:45 p.m. we headed to shore to get dinner going.
Later in the evening, just around 9:00 p.m., under a new moon, I took Sean out trolling for walleye -- our third fishing trip of the day. I used a #9 Minnow Rap in "bleeding hot olive" color and Sean used a perch colored Wally Diver. During the next two hours we trolled from a spot between Duck Point and Second Duck Point to the south, north to past the Malay's cabin in 8-12 feet of water.
Sean caught a 14" and a 15" walleye, and I caught five walleyes measuring 14", 16", 17", 18" and 20". All but the 17" walleye were released. I added the 17" walleye to the 17 1/2" walleye I'd caught a few days ago in the fish basket (which is kept off the end of the dock in the lake). I'll clean the two fish tomorrow and make sure that Barb and Sean leave here with enough walleye fillets for a nice dinner.
Another great day of fishing on Leech Lake.
May 23, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
It was much cooler today. The high was only 60 degrees and the low was near 40 degrees. The sky vacillated between cloudy and sunny all day long. At 12:15 p.m. I took the boat to Second Duck Point and drifted using a jig and Gulp minnows in smelt color.
The wind was out of the SSW at 8-12 mph so it pushed me from Second Duck Point past our house and toward Malay's in roughly 10-12 feet of water. The water temperature was 58 degrees.
I had several bites, probably small perch, but I didn't catch any fish so around 2:00 p.m. I went to shore. Nonetheless, it was nice to spend a couple of peaceful hours alone on Leech Lake.
When I got back to shore I got the cabin ready for my first visitors of the season, Kathleen's brother Mike, his wife Barb and my nephew Sean. They arrived around 5:00 p.m. We had a great evening spent listening to music, talking, and having a fire in the fire pit at the cabin.
They brought some live emerald shiners with them, so tomorrow I'll take Barb and Sean fishing with my first live bait experience since arriving. From what I've heard, live shiners are what the walleye are biting. We'll see.
The wind was out of the SSW at 8-12 mph so it pushed me from Second Duck Point past our house and toward Malay's in roughly 10-12 feet of water. The water temperature was 58 degrees.
I had several bites, probably small perch, but I didn't catch any fish so around 2:00 p.m. I went to shore. Nonetheless, it was nice to spend a couple of peaceful hours alone on Leech Lake.
When I got back to shore I got the cabin ready for my first visitors of the season, Kathleen's brother Mike, his wife Barb and my nephew Sean. They arrived around 5:00 p.m. We had a great evening spent listening to music, talking, and having a fire in the fire pit at the cabin.
They brought some live emerald shiners with them, so tomorrow I'll take Barb and Sean fishing with my first live bait experience since arriving. From what I've heard, live shiners are what the walleye are biting. We'll see.
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