June 25, 2008

Today I switched back to my strategy of fishing right at sunset and after dark, so I hit the water at 8:30 p.m. My preferred method of fishing at this time of day is trolling, so as usual, I used a Rapala Minnow Rap, although tonight I used the "purpledescent" color.

Since the fishing has been very good right out in front of our house and cabin -- to the north to the Malays and to the south between Second Duck Point and Duck point -- I confined my fishing there. I trolled in around 9-feet of water at a speed of around 1.5 to 2.0 mph. This type of speed control is very easy using the SmartCraft feature on my Mercury Verado motor.

The temperature tonight hovered right around 70 degrees, and the water temp was a little warmer at 71.2 degrees. The winds this evening were out of the SW at 3-5 mph.

I caught one small northern pike just before sunset -- which is typical. I find that the northern bite just before the sun sets and the walleye bite picks up just after sunset. And that's exactly what happened. About 30 minutes after sunset I hooked my first walleye, a nice strong 14-incher. Many people would keep such a fish, especially those who stay at the resort, but I released it. A little while later I hooked a very stout 24-inch walleye. What a beautiful fish. Of course being 24" meant it was in the slot and by MN DNR law had to be released on Leech Lake.

I motored into shore just before 11 p.m. after yet another fantastic night on the lake.