Old Glory at Leech Lake -- Flag Day 2009
Today is Flag Day, and as always, I have the American flag flying on the flag pole at the end of our dock. Although today the flag is hanging limp because the wind is calm with maybe a slight breeze from the south. The temperature at noon was 70 degrees. A perfect day at Leech Lake.
This morning at 10 a.m. I counted 18 boats directly in front of our house. The word is definitely out that this is a good place to fish for walleye and good-sized perch. I may go fishing later this afternoon, but before I do I want to plant the Colorado blue spruce trees and lilac bushes I bought when I was in Bemidji yesterday. I also want to fill in the nail holes of the door frame in the game room in preparation for painting.
I spent most of the afternoon planting trees and bushes, and transplanting ferns, but finished up in time to do some late-afternoon fishing. I got on the water just after 4:00 p.m. and stayed out until just before 6:00 p.m. The temperature had climbed to the mid- or even high-70s, and with little to no wind, it was hot on the lake. The water temperature had warmed too, and was 66.6 degrees while I was out this afternoon.
I started in 9 feet of water and let the gentle south breeze push the boat to 12 feet of water off Second Duck Point. I made this drift 3 or 4 times, and although I caught numerous perch, I was unable to boat a walleye.
I am now going to go prep for dinner. I may go out fishing tonight, but it'll really depend on when I finish eating.
At 8:30 p.m. I was done eating my very tasty steak dinner and had already talked to my neighbor John Newman about doing some night trolling for walleye. By 9:10 p.m. we were on the lake with our Minnow Raps in the water. I was using an orange colored Minnow Rap, having lost my favorite Tennessee Shad colored lure to the mystery lunker from last night. John was using the same Tennessee Shad color.
The wind was still calm, the temperature a very pleasant 65 degrees and the water temperature was still 66.6 degrees. Within a half an hour I had a very big hit, and something -- a big pike, or possibly a walleye -- bit through my Fireline taking my lure. That's the second Minnow Rap I've lost in as many days. I went the entire season last year without losing a single crankbait, and now this.
I tied on a new #9 Minnow Rap, this one in hot steel color, and got back to the business at hand -- catching walleye. We made several passes in The Alley before we started to catch fish.
On our fourth pass through The Alley, I hooked an 18" and a 20" walleye and John had an 18" and a 20 1/2" walleye. Almost identical fish.
The two 20-inchers were a doubleheader. John said he had a fish on, so I began to rapidly reel in my lure so I could get the net ready to land John's fish. But as I was speedily retrieving my lure, a walleye hit it. We now had two fish on at the same time. John was able to reach over the side of the boat and use his hand to pull his fish into the boat, while I used the net to land my fish on the other side of the boat. It's always fun to boat two fish at the same time.
As we walked up the dock to shore at 11:15 p.m., we could hear the lonesome cry of the loons on the lake and the croaking of the frogs on shore. Wonderful sounds to hear at the end of a great night of walleye fishing on Leech Lake.
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