Cormorants on Leech Lake

Cormorant Update

As anyone remotely associated with Leech Lake knows, there is an effort underway by the MN DNR and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to eliminate many of the cormorants nesting in the area. Cormorants are blamed for decimating the walleye and perch hatches of recent years, which has led to very poor fishing conditions, and in turn, has hurt the local economy. Here are several recent articles that provide an update on the state's efforts to manage this problem.

http://kstp.com/article/pstories/s8384.html

http://wcco.com/localnews/local_story_132120413.html

http://www.citypages.com/databank/26/1270/article13137.asp

Here's a public forum (http://www.fishingbuddy.com/forums/topic.php?fid=669755&tid=17811) where the issue is being discussed. Don't be shy, join the discussion.

2005 Walleye Opener Just Days Away

For the first time in years, I'm not going to be on Leech Lake for "op'ner." Instead, I'll be stuck in California for work. In fact, it's unlikely that I'll be on the lake any time before the Fourth of July Holiday. Therefore, I'm going to have to rely on my fellow bloggers to provide updates/photos on this year's opener. To get things started, here's what Brian "Bro" Brosdahl is saying http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforksherald/2005/05/08/sports/outdoors/11593143.htm

Here's another good article (http://www.jeffsundin.com/Article_Walleye_Season_Outlook2005.htm) that talks about several Northern Minnesota lakes, including our beloved Leech Lake.

And finally, here's a more depressed look at this year's opener -- from the Walker, MN local newspaper, the Pilot-Independent -- given the damage the cormorants have done to the fishery during the past seven years, http://www.walkermn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=9&story_id=198110

Enough Perch for a Nice Meal

It took awhile, but on March 22 and 23 my son Joe and I finally found some perch through the Leech Lake ice on Sucker Bay. We set up shop in about 12-18 feet of water about 50 yards off-shore from the resorts at the north end of the bay. Using lively fathead minnows on small Northland Fireball jigs and Northland Forage Minnow jigs we caught about a half dozen keeper perch, and one stray northern pike.

Action elsewhere on Sucker Bay was virtually nonexistent. So on Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24 my neighbors the Newmans and I loaded up the truck and made our way to Cass Lake, where we heard the perch bite was better. We ventured out on Pike Bay and established camp in about 8-10 feet of water. Within minutes of drilling our first holes we were catching fish. On Friday, all of the Newmans -- John, Johnny and Greg -- all caught keepers, and I added a couple myself. On Saturday, my son Joe joined us and we again tried "our spot" on Pike Bay. Using a combination of minnows, minnow heads, Gulp! maggots and waxies we had another good outing. Between us, we kept a total of about 16 perch from our two days on Cass Lake, and released many more.

Saturday night was the last night Joe and I were both going to be at the lake together; he was flying back to California on Sunday, and I was joining him on Wednesday. So on Saturday night, I cleaned and filleted the perch, and using the standard Shore Lunch process, we enjoyed tasty fish fry. There's nothing like the taste of fresh perch, especially when they've been caught that very day through the ice. For some reason, I think fish caught through the ice taste better than fish caught in open water. Maybe it's because I so enjoy the entire hard-water angling experience.

I haven't been to the lake since late March, so I'll have to rely on others -- the Newmans, Bro, and Al Maas -- to keep the reports coming in.

See you on the water.

Only Two Minnows Needed

I ventured out onto the ice on Saturday afternoon, March 12 in hopes of landing just enough perch for a tasty fish dinner. I found a likely spot for perch -- in about 8 to 10 feet of water near a weed edge -- drilled several holes and got down to work.

Because I was fishing solo, I was traveling light. I don't have one of those slick ice shelters that fit onto an Otter sled, so instead, I set up shop in the open, with my back to the wind.

It was a cold day on Leech Lake, no more than 10 or 12 degrees. The wind was blowing at about 15 mph, so with no shelter, I was cold even with my insulated fishing bibs and heavy jacket. Nonetheless, I was on the lake, and enjoying the quiet.

After moving between holes along the weed edge for about an hour -- still no bites -- I decided to resort to "power jigging." This is my attempt to draw fish to an area where they have clearly decided to avoid. Up went my rod tip -- 8 inches or more -- and then drop and hold. Repeat, repeat, repeat. After 10 minutes power jigging I thought I felt a "bump." I slowed my jigging down and waited. When I didn't feel anything I brought my jig to the surface and found my minnow gone. Did I really have a bite? Or, more likely, had my crazy jigging jarred the minnow from the hook? Since there was no way of telling, I'm going with the "bite" theory.

I put a new minnow on jig and set about fishing again. I went another 15 minutes without a bite and decided to move to another location. But once I loaded all my gear back onto the ATV, I decided that a warm fire and a cold beer sounded better at the moment then running to another spot; so I called it a day. An hour and a half on the ice and nothing.

I didn't wander onto the lake on Sunday, but plan to hit the hard water again this coming weekend. Until then, may you have better luck at fishing than I did on Saturday.

Here's a beautiful 50-inch+ Leech Lake muskie taken by legendary guide Al Maas. Look for posts from Al on this blog in the future.
 

One of several jumbo perch landed through the ice of Leech Lake. 

The ice conditions on Leech Lake have firmed up nicely for the removal of permanent houses. The nightmare of slush that stranded houses several weeks ago has firmed up nicely with the recent sub zero weather. In my own experience, it was not too difficult to extract my shack from the frozen surface of the lake. Witht the removal of my permanent house this past weekend, I took the opportunity to search for perch in the deeeper water of Sucker Bay. The results were consistent with all of my ice angling outings thus far this season on Leech ... Nothing. Hope springs eternal in the heart of the ice angler that the lengthening days and warmer weather of March will see the arrival of hungry jumbo perch

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