The majority of my time on Leech Lake is devoted to walleye fishing. However, I do enjoy pursuing other species of fish on occasion, including perch, crappie, muskie and bass.
When I decide to go bass fishing, I usually employ one of two primary methods, although I do use other techniques as well.
One way I fish for bass is by Texas-rigging a 5" Senko on a 3/0 offset hook. This a particularly deadly bait, especially when bass are schooled up in the weeds and are in a neutral to negative feeding mood. I once caught more than 20 bass on consectutive casts with the 5" Senko. And it's been my experience that almost any color is effective, so I keep a wide variety of colors in my tackle box.
I've used a variety of different hooks when fishing Senkos, but the one that seems to work best for me is the 3/0 Gamakatsu G-Lock worm hook, which is available at most well-stocked bait and tackle shops, or online at Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops. I like the way shank of the hook near the eye is "offset" which enables me to put the Senko on the hook easily, leaving it straight and weedless.
While many bass fisherman will use 15-, 17-, 20- or even 30-pound test superline when fishing in the weeds, I prefer to use the more sporting 12 lb. test Berkley Fireline. I tie the line directly to the 3/0 hook which allows me to feel every little tick and bump as the Senko slowly sinks into the weeds. It also enables me to feel the exact moment when a bass takes the Senko into its mouth. For this type of fishing, I'll never go back to using monofilament line.
For my rod and reel set up I use a Shimano Stradic ST2500FI spinning reel and a St. Croix Premier PS66MLF 6-f00t, 6-inch spinning rod with medium-light action. The Stradic provides plenty of power for pulling a 5-lb Leech Lake bass out of heavy cover, while the medium-light St. Croix Premier spinning rod is stout enough to handle the battle, but light enough to make catching even a small bass a heart-pounding adventure.
I have caught literally hundreds of Leech Lake bass on this combo so I know it works.
When I want to cover more water in search of actively feeding bass, I switch to a spinnerbait set up. For that I use a Shimano Calcutta 150 baitcasting reel and a 6-foot medium-power St. Croix Triumph TRC60MF baitcasting rod with medium-fast action.
I've got the Calcutta 150 spooled with 8 lb. test Berkley Fireline in chartreuse color. I like the bright chartreuse color because if my spinnerbait gets hung up on a weed, or breaks off entirely, I can usually find it because of the bright line color. Again, most bass fishermen will use a heavier pound test line for throwing spinnerbaits, but I like the feel and castability of the lighter line.
I use a number of different kinds of spinnerbaits, but the ones I use the most often are the Terminator T-1 titanium spinnerbaits with two blades and in a variety of colors, and the Northland Fishing Tackle Reed-Runner spinnerbaits, again with tandem blades and in variety of colors.
I especially like the fact that the Northland Reed-Runner spinnerbaits have an "eye" at the bend of the safety pin shape which allows me to tie on the lure using my favorite knot, the Palomar. The Palomar knot is not only easy to tie, but it's one of the strongest knots you can use for tying superlines, braided lines, florocarbons and monofilament.
The North American Fishing Club has a segment on its TV show called "Knot Wars" where they test the strength of dozens of different knots. In 2008, the winner after seven weeks of competition was the Palomar knot. Here's a link to that show.
My Shimano Calcutta 150 reel, St. Croix Triumph rod, Berkley Fireline 8 lb. test line and Northland Reed-Runner spinnerbait has proven time and again to be an outstanding set up for catching lunker bass on Leech Lake.
In my next "equipment" post, I'll take a look at my favorite rod and reel combo for jig fishing for walleye. Until then, may your lines stay tight.
<*)))><
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
I Shall Return...
My return date to the Northwoods is set. I'm leaving San Jose in the early morning on Monday, September 14, arriving later that afternoon in Bemidji. By sunset one week after Labor Day I'll be in our house on the shores of Leech Lake.
Once there, I will again post daily updates to this blog providing weather information, fishing conditions with catch/release reports, as well as the general news and happenings from Ottertail Peninsula.
I plan to take part in the local peninsula walleye tournament in late September, fish for Fall muskie, and of course jig and troll for walleye every chance I get.
There will, however, be a number of chores to be attended to such as painting the deck at the cabin and winterizing the house and cabin before my departure in late October.
I will post a few more times between now and my arrival at Leech Lake, so stay tuned.
Once there, I will again post daily updates to this blog providing weather information, fishing conditions with catch/release reports, as well as the general news and happenings from Ottertail Peninsula.
I plan to take part in the local peninsula walleye tournament in late September, fish for Fall muskie, and of course jig and troll for walleye every chance I get.
There will, however, be a number of chores to be attended to such as painting the deck at the cabin and winterizing the house and cabin before my departure in late October.
I will post a few more times between now and my arrival at Leech Lake, so stay tuned.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Equipment: Combo 1, trolling for walleye
When I'm fishing on Leech Lake I use three primary set ups -- one for trolling for walleye, a second for jigging for walleye, and a third for throwing spinner baits for bass.
These three set ups are by no means the only rigs I use -- I also have a couple of rod and reel combos for muskie, a couple different ones for bass (one for throwing plastic worms and another for throwing lipped and lipless crankbaits) and a couple of different walleye rigs (one for Lindy rigging, one for using a slip bobber, and another ultra-light set up) -- but they are my go-to combos.
This post will focus on the first of those three, and the one I use almost every day I'm out on Leech Lake, my trolling rod and reel.
Let's start with the rod. I use a relatively inexpensive ABU Garcia Vantage XL, model number VXLC661MH. It's a one-piece, 6 feet, 6 inches long, medium-heavy action, cork-handled trigger rod that is designed for use with 10-25 lb. test line and 1/4 to 3/4 oz. lures.
I like the medium-heavy action because when a big walleye or pike hits my lure, the stiff "backbone" of the rod loads up quickly and effectively sets the hook for me. I also like the 6'6" length even though the trend these days is long rods, some as big as 12 feet.
Since most of my walleye trolling on Leech Lake is contour trolling, where I'm maneuvering the boat along slight variations in water depth -- say from 8-9 feet -- I tend to hold the rod in my hand as opposed to leaving it in a rod holder. Therefore, a shorter 6'6" rod is easier to use than an 8-12 foot rod.
Another plus to a shorter rod is ease of netting the walleye when I'm in the boat by myself. The shorter rod enables me to bring the fish closer to the boat making it easier to net than if I was using a 12-foot rod, or even an 8-footer.
For my money, and primary use, this is an excellent rod choice for trolling crankbaits for walleye. Unfortunately, this rod has been discontinued by ABU Garcia so if, or when, I need to replace it, it will have to be with a completely different product.
The reel I use is a ABU Garcia Ambassadeur Professional Series and it's a perfect complement to the Vantage XL rod. Unfortunately, like the rod, my Ambassadeur Professional Series reel has been discontinued. In fact, this reel was only on the market for a very short time many years ago and finding any information about it today is next to impossible.
I did a Google search for this reel and basically came up empty. There were a few mentions of it on various auction sites, but when I checked them out, I could not find the model number reel that I own. Who knows, maybe I have a one-of-a-kind reel!
I bought this rod and reel combo many years ago for a great price, although I'm not sure where I purchased the pair -- Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, or even an eBay store. At any rate, the ABU Garcia Vantage XL rod and Ambassadeur Professional Series reel are a perfect rig for trolling crankbaits for walleye on Leech Lake.
While my rod and reel may be discontinued and nearly impossible to find, the rest of the set up is readily available and can be purchased online at Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops.
My line of choice is 10 lb. test Berkley Fireline Original Fused in smoke color. I really like the "no stretch" aspect of the Fireline as well as its ability to transmit every little tick or bump in the water back to the reel.
The old-style, regular monofilament line stretches up to 10 percent, which means if you're trolling with 60 feet of line out and you hook a fish, the line is likely to stretch up to 6 feet before tightening up. That 6 foot stretch may be all that a walleye needs to become unhooked after biting the lure due to the line stretching process.
With Fireline, there is absolutely no stretch whatsoever. Once the walleye hits the lure, the line basically sets the hook itself, meaning many fewer missed walleyes.
At the end of the line I like to tie on a size 12, 30 lb. test Berkley Cross-Lok Snap/Swivel. Unlike typical swivels that use a safety-pin style closure, the Cross-Lok swivels use a unique wire over wire lock doesn’t slip down the shank and is very secure. The tiny barrel swivel prevents line twist enabling the reel to spool the line in a smooth, easy fashion.
And finally, the crankbait itself. Over the years I've used dozens of different makes, models, colors and sizes of crankbaits when trolling for walleye on Leech Lake. But my favorite crankbait of all time is the Rapala #9 Minnow Rap. It's my favorite for one simple reason -- it catches walleye.
While all colors of the Minnow Rap work well, the ones that perform best for me are hot steel, purpledescent, perch, hot tiger, and bleeding pearl. Another favorite of mine is the limited edition Tennessee Shad color which features red hooks and a clear plastic lip, but this lure variation is hard to find in stores.
My usual trolling-for-walleye methodology is the following: I troll in 8-10 feet of water at a ground speed (not water speed) of 1.95 to 2.75 mph. I let out roughly 50-75 feet of Fireline which enables the Minnow Rap to run just above the bottom of the lake, while occasionally hitting bottom kicking up muck and generally causing a disturbance. I start trolling right at sunset and continue for about 2 hours after the sun has set. I have found that on Leech Lake, using this method is as close to a sure thing for catching walleye is as possible.
Once I've got a walleye on the line, the next piece of important equipment is a quality landing net. Again, I've used a number of different styles of nets from a few different manufacturers, but my hands down favorite is the Pro-Formance landing net by Frabill.
This particular Frabill net uses rubber netting which is not only better for maintaining the health of the fish, but makes getting the lure out of the net a breeze. With the old style string nets (even those with rubber coating) treble hooks always seem to get hung up. And trying to unhook a lure from a net at night while being bounced by the Leech Lake waves is not something I enjoyed doing.
The Pro-Formance net also features a telescoping handle with the Frabill Pow’R-Lok™ automatic yoke system which enables me to stow the net in smaller spaces than a net without the ability to collapse the handle. And the automatic yoke system is not only easy to use (I've often extended it with one hand while battling a fish with the other) but it stays secure once it's in place. This net has helped me land literally hundreds of walleye on Leech Lake.
I also rely heavily on my Lowrance electronics, but I will save a the discussion of them for another post.
I'm still planning a Fall trip to the Northwoods in either September or October, so in the not too distant future I will once again be making my "At Leech Lake" posts.
Next up, my equipment for bass fishing with spinner baits.
These three set ups are by no means the only rigs I use -- I also have a couple of rod and reel combos for muskie, a couple different ones for bass (one for throwing plastic worms and another for throwing lipped and lipless crankbaits) and a couple of different walleye rigs (one for Lindy rigging, one for using a slip bobber, and another ultra-light set up) -- but they are my go-to combos.
This post will focus on the first of those three, and the one I use almost every day I'm out on Leech Lake, my trolling rod and reel.
Let's start with the rod. I use a relatively inexpensive ABU Garcia Vantage XL, model number VXLC661MH. It's a one-piece, 6 feet, 6 inches long, medium-heavy action, cork-handled trigger rod that is designed for use with 10-25 lb. test line and 1/4 to 3/4 oz. lures.
I like the medium-heavy action because when a big walleye or pike hits my lure, the stiff "backbone" of the rod loads up quickly and effectively sets the hook for me. I also like the 6'6" length even though the trend these days is long rods, some as big as 12 feet.
Since most of my walleye trolling on Leech Lake is contour trolling, where I'm maneuvering the boat along slight variations in water depth -- say from 8-9 feet -- I tend to hold the rod in my hand as opposed to leaving it in a rod holder. Therefore, a shorter 6'6" rod is easier to use than an 8-12 foot rod.
Another plus to a shorter rod is ease of netting the walleye when I'm in the boat by myself. The shorter rod enables me to bring the fish closer to the boat making it easier to net than if I was using a 12-foot rod, or even an 8-footer.
For my money, and primary use, this is an excellent rod choice for trolling crankbaits for walleye. Unfortunately, this rod has been discontinued by ABU Garcia so if, or when, I need to replace it, it will have to be with a completely different product.
The reel I use is a ABU Garcia Ambassadeur Professional Series and it's a perfect complement to the Vantage XL rod. Unfortunately, like the rod, my Ambassadeur Professional Series reel has been discontinued. In fact, this reel was only on the market for a very short time many years ago and finding any information about it today is next to impossible.
I did a Google search for this reel and basically came up empty. There were a few mentions of it on various auction sites, but when I checked them out, I could not find the model number reel that I own. Who knows, maybe I have a one-of-a-kind reel!
I bought this rod and reel combo many years ago for a great price, although I'm not sure where I purchased the pair -- Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, or even an eBay store. At any rate, the ABU Garcia Vantage XL rod and Ambassadeur Professional Series reel are a perfect rig for trolling crankbaits for walleye on Leech Lake.
While my rod and reel may be discontinued and nearly impossible to find, the rest of the set up is readily available and can be purchased online at Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops.
My line of choice is 10 lb. test Berkley Fireline Original Fused in smoke color. I really like the "no stretch" aspect of the Fireline as well as its ability to transmit every little tick or bump in the water back to the reel.
The old-style, regular monofilament line stretches up to 10 percent, which means if you're trolling with 60 feet of line out and you hook a fish, the line is likely to stretch up to 6 feet before tightening up. That 6 foot stretch may be all that a walleye needs to become unhooked after biting the lure due to the line stretching process.
With Fireline, there is absolutely no stretch whatsoever. Once the walleye hits the lure, the line basically sets the hook itself, meaning many fewer missed walleyes.
At the end of the line I like to tie on a size 12, 30 lb. test Berkley Cross-Lok Snap/Swivel. Unlike typical swivels that use a safety-pin style closure, the Cross-Lok swivels use a unique wire over wire lock doesn’t slip down the shank and is very secure. The tiny barrel swivel prevents line twist enabling the reel to spool the line in a smooth, easy fashion.
And finally, the crankbait itself. Over the years I've used dozens of different makes, models, colors and sizes of crankbaits when trolling for walleye on Leech Lake. But my favorite crankbait of all time is the Rapala #9 Minnow Rap. It's my favorite for one simple reason -- it catches walleye.
While all colors of the Minnow Rap work well, the ones that perform best for me are hot steel, purpledescent, perch, hot tiger, and bleeding pearl. Another favorite of mine is the limited edition Tennessee Shad color which features red hooks and a clear plastic lip, but this lure variation is hard to find in stores.
My usual trolling-for-walleye methodology is the following: I troll in 8-10 feet of water at a ground speed (not water speed) of 1.95 to 2.75 mph. I let out roughly 50-75 feet of Fireline which enables the Minnow Rap to run just above the bottom of the lake, while occasionally hitting bottom kicking up muck and generally causing a disturbance. I start trolling right at sunset and continue for about 2 hours after the sun has set. I have found that on Leech Lake, using this method is as close to a sure thing for catching walleye is as possible.
Once I've got a walleye on the line, the next piece of important equipment is a quality landing net. Again, I've used a number of different styles of nets from a few different manufacturers, but my hands down favorite is the Pro-Formance landing net by Frabill.
This particular Frabill net uses rubber netting which is not only better for maintaining the health of the fish, but makes getting the lure out of the net a breeze. With the old style string nets (even those with rubber coating) treble hooks always seem to get hung up. And trying to unhook a lure from a net at night while being bounced by the Leech Lake waves is not something I enjoyed doing.
The Pro-Formance net also features a telescoping handle with the Frabill Pow’R-Lok™ automatic yoke system which enables me to stow the net in smaller spaces than a net without the ability to collapse the handle. And the automatic yoke system is not only easy to use (I've often extended it with one hand while battling a fish with the other) but it stays secure once it's in place. This net has helped me land literally hundreds of walleye on Leech Lake.
I also rely heavily on my Lowrance electronics, but I will save a the discussion of them for another post.
I'm still planning a Fall trip to the Northwoods in either September or October, so in the not too distant future I will once again be making my "At Leech Lake" posts.
Next up, my equipment for bass fishing with spinner baits.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
July 29, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
I Leave Leech Lake Today
I woke up the morning to a beautiful day. The temperature by 9:00 a.m. had reached 60 degrees, yes, we're still in July, the sky was clear and mostly sunny and the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the west.
I would have loved to have had some breakfast then go out fishing, but I've got a million and one things to do to get ready to leave for California later today. So rather than fish, I'm spending my morning working around the house. I am allowing myself a little break to have some coffee out on the back deck and to post to the blog.
After many, many chores, I took a break to do some fishing -- couldn't help it. I snuck out onto the lake from 11:00 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Not a long time, but enough for one last excursion for some walleye.
I motored out to 14 feet of water and deployed the drift sock. As the morning had progressed, the sky had begun to cloud over and the wind picked up. By the time I started fishing it was blowing at 12-15 mph out of the WNW.
I was using a Lindy Max Gap jig tipped with a Northland Slurpie Grub and managed to catch a couple of medium-sized perch and three northern pike. The first pike spit the jig just as I put my hand on him to lift him out of the water. That was fine with me, I don't like northern slime in my boat anyway.
The second northern got close to the boat before making a mad run for it and snapping my line. I decided to tie on another jig and get back to fishing. The third pike I caught got right up next to he boat, like the first fish had, but unlike the first pike I caught this one made a contorted twist as I was reaching for him and snapped the line.
I had a decision to make, go in or tie on another jig. I tied on another jig.
Despite several bites, I never did hook another fish. So just after noon I came ashore.
I finished up some more chores, took the garbage down to the bins at the community center, came home, took a shower, had some lunch and finished updating the blog.
This will be my last "At Leech Lake" entry for a while. I will be posting to this blog periodically, so do check back. I will have a review of the equipment I was using here at the lake, I'll post some photos from my stay, and I will surely have updates (as they happen) with regard to the Army Corps of Engineers and its desire to lower the water level on Leech Lake.
So until sometime in September (hopefully) I'll be signing off from Leech Lake.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
It Marches On...
Time
It flies, it crawls, it never ceases
In youth, it moves so slowly that we’d swear it’s stopped
As we grow, it moves quicker each year, but we may not notice
It goes forward while we sleep
It marches on if we pay attention to it or if we ignore it completely
It treats us all the same, while never knowing any of us
Some claim it doesn’t exist
Others call it the fourth dimension
A few say it’s inexorably linked to space in a continuum
It’s a magazine, it’s a Pink Floyd song, some think it’s an herb
On occasion, there’s too much of it, and sometimes not enough
Some say they’re “serving it,” but then again aren’t we all?
We measure it with two little hands on a dial
We dissect into billions, or even trillions, of parts
We compile it into eons, eras and epochs
Is it to be treasured and held dear
Or to fade away into the background and lost?
Either way, for all of us, it will run out
It flies, it crawls, it never ceases
In youth, it moves so slowly that we’d swear it’s stopped
As we grow, it moves quicker each year, but we may not notice
It goes forward while we sleep
It marches on if we pay attention to it or if we ignore it completely
It treats us all the same, while never knowing any of us
Some claim it doesn’t exist
Others call it the fourth dimension
A few say it’s inexorably linked to space in a continuum
It’s a magazine, it’s a Pink Floyd song, some think it’s an herb
On occasion, there’s too much of it, and sometimes not enough
Some say they’re “serving it,” but then again aren’t we all?
We measure it with two little hands on a dial
We dissect into billions, or even trillions, of parts
We compile it into eons, eras and epochs
Is it to be treasured and held dear
Or to fade away into the background and lost?
Either way, for all of us, it will run out
July 28, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
1 Day and Counting...
Tomorrow afternoon at 4:15 p.m. I am scheduled to fly from Bemidji to Minneapolis on the first leg of my journey back to San Jose. While I will miss being at Leech Lake, and everything that I love doing here, I am looking forward to seeing Kathleen, Jayden, the kids and my dogs. I received some very nice photos from Kathleen today reminding me of home and why I'll enjoy being there too. Thanks.
The temperature here at the lake at 9:00 a.m. was 54 degrees. I had left many windows open in the house the past few days because the temperature had climbed into the mid-70s, but this morning I had to scramble to shut them so I could turn on the furnace. Yes, my furnace is running as I type this in an attempt to get the inside of the house warmed to the mid-60s. At 58 degrees, it's currently just a little warmer inside than outside.
The sky is gray and overcast, and once again the wind is blowing hard at 12-18 mph out of the NW, with gusts up over 20 mph. The lake is choppy with good-sized waves and a few white caps. I've not yet seen any boats on Sucker Bay this morning, but I'm sure the FIB's will be out later, if they aren't already.
(NOTE: I heard from Tom Malay that the FIB's are friends of Frank, the owner of Birch Ridge Resort and that they caught 3 walleyes and a number of jumbo perch while fishing in front of Tom's place yesterday.)
Tomorrow afternoon at 4:15 p.m. I am scheduled to fly from Bemidji to Minneapolis on the first leg of my journey back to San Jose. While I will miss being at Leech Lake, and everything that I love doing here, I am looking forward to seeing Kathleen, Jayden, the kids and my dogs. I received some very nice photos from Kathleen today reminding me of home and why I'll enjoy being there too. Thanks.
The temperature here at the lake at 9:00 a.m. was 54 degrees. I had left many windows open in the house the past few days because the temperature had climbed into the mid-70s, but this morning I had to scramble to shut them so I could turn on the furnace. Yes, my furnace is running as I type this in an attempt to get the inside of the house warmed to the mid-60s. At 58 degrees, it's currently just a little warmer inside than outside.
The sky is gray and overcast, and once again the wind is blowing hard at 12-18 mph out of the NW, with gusts up over 20 mph. The lake is choppy with good-sized waves and a few white caps. I've not yet seen any boats on Sucker Bay this morning, but I'm sure the FIB's will be out later, if they aren't already.
(NOTE: I heard from Tom Malay that the FIB's are friends of Frank, the owner of Birch Ridge Resort and that they caught 3 walleyes and a number of jumbo perch while fishing in front of Tom's place yesterday.)
I did many chores around the properties today in preparation for leaving tomorrow. I put away camp chairs we use around the fire pit at the cabin, I collected the garbage (which I'll take to the community center tomorrow), I dusted and vacuumed the living room and many other mundane chores I won't recount here.
At 4:15 p.m., the same time I'm scheduled leave Bemidji tomorrow, I decided to go fishing. The wind was still strong at 12-15 mph out of the WNW, but I figured I won't have a chance to fish on Leech Lake again until this Fall -- early- to mid-September if I'm lucky -- so I better go now.
I motored out to 14 feet of water, which has cooled to 70.2 degrees, deployed the drift sock and dropped my Lindy Max Gap jig tipped with Northland Slurpie Grub in Alabama craw color into the water. During the next hour and 45 minutes I made four drifts from 14 feet of water in front of the Malay's cabin to 8 feet of water. No, I wasn't trying to mimic the FIBs, this is a spot I've marked with a waypoint on my electronics.
During those 105 minutes I caught numerous perch, including several very nice jumbo perch. If I weren't leaving tomorrow I would have kept some of them for a fish fry. As is was, I had a nice jumbo sitting in an aerated bucket back at the cabin which was going to be my dinner tonight.
I came ashore just before 6:00 p.m., put many items from the boat into the garage for storage until my return this Fall, then turned my attentions to cleaning the perch.
Using my Leech Lake fillet knife, which was designed and engineered by Don Canney, I made short work of that perch. By the way, I met Don Canney last year during my stay at Leech Lake. I needed to have my knife sharpened by a pro and the folks at Reed's Sporting Goods in Walker, MN suggested I contact the man who made my knife, Mr. Canney, who happens to have a house on Leech Lake near Kabekona Bay.
I took my knife to Canney's house and he took me downstairs to his workshop, sharpened my knife, showed me how to sharpen it properly and then showed me a number of knives he was making. A unique experience, but back to the events of tonight.
In addition to my fried perch, I made some home-fried potatoes and had a big bowl of spinach and vegetable salad. After my great dinner, I cleaned up the kitchen and then went out to the end of the dock to check the weather situation.
During my dinner it had rained a little, but the wind was finally starting to die down, to roughly 8-12 mph out of the WNW. After doing my "over-the-water" weather check, I decided the conditions were suitable for an evening troll. I gathered up something to drink, my flashlight and went next door to the boat.
The moon tonight was 49 percent waxing, or a half moon, the water temperature had dropped even more to 69.8 degrees, and the air temperature was a cool 56 degrees. The low tonight is supposed to drop to 45 degrees; great late-July weather.
I trolled The Alley in 8-10 feet of water using my hot-steel colored #9 Minnow Rap and caught two beautiful "eater" walleyes. The first was 16 1/2" and the second fish was 17 3/4". Again, if I weren't leaving for California tomorrow, one, if not both, of those fish would have ended up in the livewell. As it was, both were returned safely to the waters of Leech Lake.
I caught the second walleye directly in front of our properties in 9 feet of water. It was only 10:15 p.m., but I figured it was time to go ashore for the night. What better way for me to wrap up my final night of trolling (for several weeks anyway) by catching a nice 17 3/4" walleye right between our house and cabin.
I pulled the boat into the boat lift, walked down the dock onto shore, made my way back to the house and completed another fantastic night of walleye fishing on Leech Lake.
Monday, July 27, 2009
July 27, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
2 Days and Counting...
At 9:00 a.m. the temperature was just a hair under 70 degrees, the sky was mostly sunny with several large, white billowy clouds here and there, and the wind was out of the WNW at 12-18 mph, with gusts up over 20 mph.
By 11:00 a.m., the lake was covered in white caps and I could see only one boat out on Sucker Bay. I did a quick check of the boat's license number by looking through the binoculars, and sure enough, they were from Illinois; FIB's. Obviously they are up here on vacation and will go out fishing regardless of the wind conditions.
I had a business call that kept me busy until around noon, then I spent the next couple of hours cleaning -- bathrooms, washing sheets, making beds, cleaning up the kitchen, etc. I don't want to leave everything until tomorrow or early Wednesday. I'd like to get as much cleaned up today as possible so I have some time to fish and enjoy the lake before my departure.
The entire day ended up being very windy; too windy to go fishing today. So instead I decided to go for a walk on our dirt road. I got as far as Norm's when swarms of horse flies, the biting kind, descended on me.
I had to swat at flies and wave my hands over my head all the way home just to keep from being bit. I must have looked like a lunatic waving my arms over my head as I trotted home. There is always a bug-related adventure in the northwoods during the summer.
When I got home I got out the ATV and went for another ride. I like to see the peninsula and on the ATV I’m able to move fast enough to where the flies and mosquitoes can’t bother me.
At 9:00 p.m. it was still very windy, and it started to lightly rain, so I didn’t go out trolling for walleye tonight. Instead I stayed in and enjoyed listening to music from my vast vinyl LP collection. A pleasant evening on the shores of Leech Lake.
At 9:00 a.m. the temperature was just a hair under 70 degrees, the sky was mostly sunny with several large, white billowy clouds here and there, and the wind was out of the WNW at 12-18 mph, with gusts up over 20 mph.
By 11:00 a.m., the lake was covered in white caps and I could see only one boat out on Sucker Bay. I did a quick check of the boat's license number by looking through the binoculars, and sure enough, they were from Illinois; FIB's. Obviously they are up here on vacation and will go out fishing regardless of the wind conditions.
I had a business call that kept me busy until around noon, then I spent the next couple of hours cleaning -- bathrooms, washing sheets, making beds, cleaning up the kitchen, etc. I don't want to leave everything until tomorrow or early Wednesday. I'd like to get as much cleaned up today as possible so I have some time to fish and enjoy the lake before my departure.
The entire day ended up being very windy; too windy to go fishing today. So instead I decided to go for a walk on our dirt road. I got as far as Norm's when swarms of horse flies, the biting kind, descended on me.
I had to swat at flies and wave my hands over my head all the way home just to keep from being bit. I must have looked like a lunatic waving my arms over my head as I trotted home. There is always a bug-related adventure in the northwoods during the summer.
When I got home I got out the ATV and went for another ride. I like to see the peninsula and on the ATV I’m able to move fast enough to where the flies and mosquitoes can’t bother me.
At 9:00 p.m. it was still very windy, and it started to lightly rain, so I didn’t go out trolling for walleye tonight. Instead I stayed in and enjoyed listening to music from my vast vinyl LP collection. A pleasant evening on the shores of Leech Lake.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
July 26, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
3 Days and Counting...
This morning at 9:00 a.m. it was nearly 70 degrees on its way to a high of 78 degrees, the sky was sunny, but it was windy. The wind was out of the WNW at 12-18 mph creating nice swells on the lake and the occasional white cap.
While I was enjoying my third cup of coffee on the back deck of our house watching the beauty of a Leech Lake morning, Tom Malay stopped by with the Sunday papers from Minneapolis and Bemidji. We spoke for a few minutes, and then he had to leave. He is working at Birch Ridge Resort again today.
After I finished reading the Sunday papers and had had some breakfast I went out onto the lake to do some fishing. I started in 14 feet of water in front of Malay's cabin using a jig tipped with a leech. I had numerous bites, but caught only a couple of small perch.
Once I had exhausted my supply of leeches, I switched to Northland Slurpie Grubs in an Alabama Craw color. Instantly, the number of bites I was getting increased and I started hooking many more fish. I guess plastics really are the future!
From 12:15 p.m. to just before 4:00 p.m. I caught dozens of perch, a few rock bass and a small northern pike. I kept one of the jumbo perch that I caught for a future fish fry. I fly back to California on Wednesday and I'd like one last Leech Lake fish fry before I leave. A walleye, even a 16" fish, is more fish than I can eat in one meal. A nice 12" jumbo perch is the perfect size for my one-person dinner table.
By 8:00 p.m. tonight the wind had died down to completely calm; there was barely a ripple on the lake. I decided that I'd go out early and try jigging with my Northland Slurpie Grub before switching to trolling a crankbait for walleye.
I caught a couple of small perch with the jig and plastic combo, but had no where near the action I had had earlier in the day. At 9:15 p.m. I put away my spinning rod and reel and switched to my baitcasting rig with the #9 Minnow Rap.
I trolled The Alley from 9:15 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. but caught only one northern pike and a couple of rock bass; no walleye. The water temperature tonight varied from 71.6 to 72.3 degrees depending on my location and depth.
With no wind at all on the lake tonight, the big Minnesota mosquitoes were out in full force. Even with my Deet-laden spray I was covered in mosquitoes the entire evening. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful night on Leech Lake.
This morning at 9:00 a.m. it was nearly 70 degrees on its way to a high of 78 degrees, the sky was sunny, but it was windy. The wind was out of the WNW at 12-18 mph creating nice swells on the lake and the occasional white cap.
While I was enjoying my third cup of coffee on the back deck of our house watching the beauty of a Leech Lake morning, Tom Malay stopped by with the Sunday papers from Minneapolis and Bemidji. We spoke for a few minutes, and then he had to leave. He is working at Birch Ridge Resort again today.
After I finished reading the Sunday papers and had had some breakfast I went out onto the lake to do some fishing. I started in 14 feet of water in front of Malay's cabin using a jig tipped with a leech. I had numerous bites, but caught only a couple of small perch.
Once I had exhausted my supply of leeches, I switched to Northland Slurpie Grubs in an Alabama Craw color. Instantly, the number of bites I was getting increased and I started hooking many more fish. I guess plastics really are the future!
From 12:15 p.m. to just before 4:00 p.m. I caught dozens of perch, a few rock bass and a small northern pike. I kept one of the jumbo perch that I caught for a future fish fry. I fly back to California on Wednesday and I'd like one last Leech Lake fish fry before I leave. A walleye, even a 16" fish, is more fish than I can eat in one meal. A nice 12" jumbo perch is the perfect size for my one-person dinner table.
By 8:00 p.m. tonight the wind had died down to completely calm; there was barely a ripple on the lake. I decided that I'd go out early and try jigging with my Northland Slurpie Grub before switching to trolling a crankbait for walleye.
I caught a couple of small perch with the jig and plastic combo, but had no where near the action I had had earlier in the day. At 9:15 p.m. I put away my spinning rod and reel and switched to my baitcasting rig with the #9 Minnow Rap.
I trolled The Alley from 9:15 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. but caught only one northern pike and a couple of rock bass; no walleye. The water temperature tonight varied from 71.6 to 72.3 degrees depending on my location and depth.
With no wind at all on the lake tonight, the big Minnesota mosquitoes were out in full force. Even with my Deet-laden spray I was covered in mosquitoes the entire evening. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful night on Leech Lake.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
July 25, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
A female common merganser, like the one I saw off our dock this afternoon
Juvenile common mergansers, like the five I saw off our dock today
4 Days and Counting...
This morning was once again more akin to a mid-September morning than one at the end of July. The temperature at 9:00 a.m. was 62 degrees, the wind was very strong at 15-18 mph out of the NNW with gusts up over 20 mph, the sky was gray and overcast, and the ground was wet from an early-morning rain.
The lake this morning is a gray color as well, with the exception of the white caps that top the waves. The weather report calls for a mostly cloudy and windy day until around 9:00 p.m. this evening when the wind is supposed to drop to below 10 mph. If that is indeed the case, then I'll try to get out to do some late-evening trolling for walleye.
By 2:00 p.m. this afternoon the sky had cleared and it was mostly sunny, but the wind hadn't let up. It was still blowing at close to 20 mph out of the NNW as I pulled the ATV out of the garage to go for a ride around Ottertail Peninsula.
When I returned home from my ride, I saw a common merganser mother and her five juvenile chicks off the end of our dock. The mother flapped her wings and basically jumped up onto our dock, while the five smaller birds paddled around in the water below her.
I watched them for 15 minutes or more before the mother finally jumped back into the water and the entire family paddled away. The chicks are getting big and should soon strike out on their own.
At 4:30 p.m. I went for a walk down West Shores Rd. to the Paulsen's and back, a nice 2-mile walk. Along the way I did a "stop and chat" with Noel Hancock who was out riding his ATV on his way to visit the Schiebe brothers.
I ate dinner a little before 7:00 p.m. and within an hour after finishing, the wind began to die down. I decided not to waste any time, and got out on the water at 8:15 p.m. The temperature was 66 degrees, the water temperature was 70.2 degrees, the sky was mostly clear and the wind was down to 8-10 mph out of the WNW.
I started by motoring out to 14 feet of water in front of the Malay's cabin and fished with a Lindy Max Gap jig tipped with a leech. I caught a couple of perch, including a nice jumbo (which I released) and lost numerous leeches to good bites. I'm guessing most of the bites were perch, but at least a couple were walleye or pike because the leech was bitten clean through.
Just before sunset, which came at exactly 9:00 p.m. tonight, I hooked something big. I got it close enough to the boat to see that it was either a good-sized pike or a big walleye, when it turned, headed for deep water and snapped my line like unwaxed dental floss in between back molars.
I figured that was a sign to switch tactics so I put away my spinning reel and took out my baitcasting rod and reel complete with my favorite hot-steel colored #9 Minnow Rap. I started trolling The Alley in 8-10 feet of water.
I caught a couple of rock bass (and thought of you Rick; by the way, Skylar was again the DJ on Z99 tonight, ugh) before hooking into a nice 20 1/2" walleye. I got the walleye close to the boat, put the landing net underneath the fish and scooped it up and into the boat.
As always, I released the reel to let out some line and as often happens, the walleye unhooked itself. However, when I reached into the net to pick up the unhooked fish it flopped just as I was putting my hand around it and my middle finger must have hit a tooth, a fin or a gill plate, because something cut the tip of my finger.
After measuring and releasing the fish, I had to mop up the blood that I was dripping all over the boat. Another fish, another cut. That must make at least 20 nice fish cuts on my left hand these past couple of months.
With the walleye back in the water and blood cleaned up, mostly, I began trolling again and looked up to see the golden crescent moon (18 percent waxing) setting into the western sky. It looked like an overly ripe slice of cantalope being dipped into a pool of black paint. A beautiful moonset.
With the light of the sun and moon now both gone from the sky, the stars came out in full force. Even the white glow of the Milky Way was clearly visible.
I didn't catch any more fish, so at 10:45 p.m. I came ashore after enjoying another wonderful night of fishing on Leech Lake.
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