September 30, 2008 on Leech Lake

I can't believe it's already the last day of September. Time sure flies when you're busy and having fun.

In my case, I've been busy painting and staining the cabin, the cabin deck, the game room, the game room deck, the garage and the "fish" garage. It's taken me and Kathleen the better part of the month to complete the job, and we even had help from our friends Rick and Beth. We're close to completing it, and in the next few days the project will come to a happy ending.

As for the fun part of the equation, I've enjoyed time alone with Kathleen, fishing on the lake, and enjoying the incredible beauty of Leech Lake, Sucker Bay and Otter Tail Peninsula.

Today the temperature hit a high of 58 degrees. The winds were calm to 5-8 mph out of the SW. The water temperature was 59 degrees.

I started fishing today at 1:00 p.m. by drifting along the weed line in 8-10 feet of water near the Birches. After a few passes with no fish, I fired up the Mercury Verado and sped to the south end of the bay. In fact, as I passed Second Duck Point I thought I'd go all the way to Duck Point. Once I reached Duck Point I decided to keep going all the way to the tip of the Otter Tail Peninsula to Otter Tail Point.

I trolled Minnow Raps in 12-17 feet of water off Otter Tail Point, but caught no fish. In the past, I've hooked some very big walleyes in this location. I then headed north to Duck Point.

I made a few trolling passes at Duck Point, but again, no fish. Finally I moved my way north again to Second Duck Point. I made about four or five trolling passes along the edge of the point, but the results were the same -- nothing.

At 5:00 p.m. I'd had enough and went to shore. This cold front seems to have put the walleyes in a very negative feeding mood.