I spent most of today outside blowing leaves at either our house or cabin. When you live in the Northwoods of Minnesota, clearing the leaves from your yard is a necessary and time consuming chore. But when you can do it while looking at the beauty of Leech Lake, the chore becomes more like a joy.
The temperature today was in the high 40s for most of the day, although it peaked at 50 degrees. The wind was out of the SSW at 10-12 mph.
Later this evening Kathleen and I had home-made Friday-night pizza, then enjoyed some music and fire in the fireplace.
No fishing today.
Friday, May 01, 2009
October 23, 2008 -- Neighbor's Day
Today was one of those days where I seemed to encounter more of my neighbors in a single day than I had in the previous month. Maybe because it was such a beautiful Autumn day that everyone elected to be outside, and we all ran into each other in the course of our activities.
The temperature today was near 50 degrees, it was a sunny day with clear blue skies and the winds were calm. A perfect day for outside chores. And in the Northwoods of Minnesota, there is always plenty of work to be done outside.
The day started when Clancy, the man from whom we bought our Leech Lake house, stopped by. Clancy and I went into the woods across the street so I could show him the trees that our neighbor's kid cut down. While we were identifying the type of tree it was (basswood), a neighbor of mine, Noel, showed up. He is somewhat of an expert on the trees in the area and confirmed it was indeed a basswood.
I invited Noel to dinner to try some of the venison stew I made a week or so ago, then froze. I also invited another neighbor, Rome, to join us.
I spent a good portion of the day blowing leaves off of the driveway. Being outside all day was great, and gave me a chance to see other Otter Tail Peninsula neighbors -- Duane Paulsen, Jerry Schiebe, Norm Hanson and my good friend Tom Malay.
No fishing today, but a great day chatting with our Leech Lake neighbors.
The leaves on the driveway before I cleared them away.
The temperature today was near 50 degrees, it was a sunny day with clear blue skies and the winds were calm. A perfect day for outside chores. And in the Northwoods of Minnesota, there is always plenty of work to be done outside.
The day started when Clancy, the man from whom we bought our Leech Lake house, stopped by. Clancy and I went into the woods across the street so I could show him the trees that our neighbor's kid cut down. While we were identifying the type of tree it was (basswood), a neighbor of mine, Noel, showed up. He is somewhat of an expert on the trees in the area and confirmed it was indeed a basswood.
I invited Noel to dinner to try some of the venison stew I made a week or so ago, then froze. I also invited another neighbor, Rome, to join us.
I spent a good portion of the day blowing leaves off of the driveway. Being outside all day was great, and gave me a chance to see other Otter Tail Peninsula neighbors -- Duane Paulsen, Jerry Schiebe, Norm Hanson and my good friend Tom Malay.
No fishing today, but a great day chatting with our Leech Lake neighbors.
The leaves on the driveway before I cleared them away.
October 22, 2008
Today was the day that Kathleen and I were scheduled to fly back to San Jose, but we decided to extend our stay at Leech Lake until November 19.
It was overcast and rainy all day, with a temperature of no more than 40 degrees.
This morning I did one final check of the boat to make sure it was ready to go into storage. With it secure on the trailer, the cover on the boat, the transom saver in place and all straps firmly tied down, I hooked the trailer to the truck. Kathleen and I then drove into Bemidji where I dropped off the boat and trailer at Corner Sports, where they will winterize my boat and then put it in covered storage for the winter.
We then drove on to the small town of Fosston, MN, which is the closest location I could find a Verizon dealer. A few days back I accidently left my cell phone in my pants when they went into the washing machine. I realized it too late, so my phone had been thoroughly soaked and was no longer working. Since I have Verizon service, the best place for me to get a phone was at one of their dealers, so the 45 minute drive to Fosston from Bemidji.
Kathleen and I had a great time together today, just driving in the truck, talking and laughly, and exploring a part of Minnesota we hadn't seen before.
We got back to the lake at 9:00 p.m. No fishing today.
My Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD parked in front of our Leech Lake house.
It was overcast and rainy all day, with a temperature of no more than 40 degrees.
This morning I did one final check of the boat to make sure it was ready to go into storage. With it secure on the trailer, the cover on the boat, the transom saver in place and all straps firmly tied down, I hooked the trailer to the truck. Kathleen and I then drove into Bemidji where I dropped off the boat and trailer at Corner Sports, where they will winterize my boat and then put it in covered storage for the winter.
We then drove on to the small town of Fosston, MN, which is the closest location I could find a Verizon dealer. A few days back I accidently left my cell phone in my pants when they went into the washing machine. I realized it too late, so my phone had been thoroughly soaked and was no longer working. Since I have Verizon service, the best place for me to get a phone was at one of their dealers, so the 45 minute drive to Fosston from Bemidji.
Kathleen and I had a great time together today, just driving in the truck, talking and laughly, and exploring a part of Minnesota we hadn't seen before.
We got back to the lake at 9:00 p.m. No fishing today.
My Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD parked in front of our Leech Lake house.
October 21, 2008
Sometime during the night my food poisoning kicked in. I was up from 2:00 a.m. until sunrise. I won't go into the details, other than to say it was not pretty.
Yet at 9:00 a.m., I some how managed to pull myself out of bed to go outside to help Shore Brothers remove my docks and boat lift from Leech Lake. I then helped Tom Malay, and Shore Brothers, pull Tom's boat out of the water using my boat ramp. By 10:30 a.m., my boat lift, my docks, and Tom's boat were out of the water. It was time for me to go back to bed.
The low this morning was 29 degrees, it was around 35 degrees while we were removing the boat lift and docks, and warmed to a high of just under 50 degrees by mid-afternoon. I was too wiped out from the food poisoning to record the wind temperature or anything else about today.
Yet at 9:00 a.m., I some how managed to pull myself out of bed to go outside to help Shore Brothers remove my docks and boat lift from Leech Lake. I then helped Tom Malay, and Shore Brothers, pull Tom's boat out of the water using my boat ramp. By 10:30 a.m., my boat lift, my docks, and Tom's boat were out of the water. It was time for me to go back to bed.
The low this morning was 29 degrees, it was around 35 degrees while we were removing the boat lift and docks, and warmed to a high of just under 50 degrees by mid-afternoon. I was too wiped out from the food poisoning to record the wind temperature or anything else about today.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
October 20, 2008
I removed the electrical cord that runs from the on-shore power outlet to end of the dock and connects to the electric motor that lifts and lowers the boat on the boat lift. It seems as if it were just yesterday that Rick and I stalled the cord.
That last bit of maintenance was all that I needed to do to get the lift and dock ready for removal. Shore Brothers will be here tomorrow to take out both docks and the lift at the cabin. The boat lift at the house remains in the water since it is protected by the harbor.
The temperature today is 48 degrees and the wind is out of the NW at 10 mph. Forty-eight degrees outside isn't that cold if you have heat in the house, but for some reason our furnace is not working. I called a company in Bemidji to schedule a time to come out and fix it, and unlike being in San Jose, where the company would have come out in 10 days, the repair company from Bemidji was out in a matter of hours.
It turns out the ignition switch on the furnace had burned out and needed to be replaced. Since the repairman was already out, I had him do a thorough check of the furnaces at our house and cabin. With both in good working order, he left.
With the boat on shore, sitting on the trailer parked next to the garage, there was no fishing on Leech Lake today.
That last bit of maintenance was all that I needed to do to get the lift and dock ready for removal. Shore Brothers will be here tomorrow to take out both docks and the lift at the cabin. The boat lift at the house remains in the water since it is protected by the harbor.
The temperature today is 48 degrees and the wind is out of the NW at 10 mph. Forty-eight degrees outside isn't that cold if you have heat in the house, but for some reason our furnace is not working. I called a company in Bemidji to schedule a time to come out and fix it, and unlike being in San Jose, where the company would have come out in 10 days, the repair company from Bemidji was out in a matter of hours.
It turns out the ignition switch on the furnace had burned out and needed to be replaced. Since the repairman was already out, I had him do a thorough check of the furnaces at our house and cabin. With both in good working order, he left.
With the boat on shore, sitting on the trailer parked next to the garage, there was no fishing on Leech Lake today.
2009 Minnesota Walleye Stamp
Minnesota’s 2009 fishing licenses and the state’s first-ever walleye stamp now are on sale.
Anglers who purchase a license in early March can fish for 14 months as the license does not expire until April 30, 2010.
The state’s new walleye stamp also is on sale. The stamp, though not necessary to catch and keep walleye, is an innovative new way for anglers to voluntarily donate funds for walleye stocking and related activities.
“If you didn’t buy a license last year, now is the time to get one,” said Steve Michaels, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources(DNR) license center manager. “The 2009 license enables you to enjoy the last two months of the 2008 season plus all of 2009 season.”
The 2008 fishing licenses expire April 30, 2009. Funds from the $5 walleye stamp validation will flow into a dedicated account for walleye stocking activities. For $2 more, the DNR will mail the actual stamp to you as a collector’s item.
“Minnesota artist Nick Reitzel painted a powerful image for thestate’s first-ever walleye stamp,” Michaels said. “Purchasing the2009 stamp is a way to own a piece of history, start a stamp collecting tradition and support Minnesota’s state fish.”
Minnesota fishing licenses are available at more than 1,800 vendors throughout the state, by phone at 1-888-665-4236 or online.
Anglers who purchase a license in early March can fish for 14 months as the license does not expire until April 30, 2010.
The state’s new walleye stamp also is on sale. The stamp, though not necessary to catch and keep walleye, is an innovative new way for anglers to voluntarily donate funds for walleye stocking and related activities.
“If you didn’t buy a license last year, now is the time to get one,” said Steve Michaels, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources(DNR) license center manager. “The 2009 license enables you to enjoy the last two months of the 2008 season plus all of 2009 season.”
The 2008 fishing licenses expire April 30, 2009. Funds from the $5 walleye stamp validation will flow into a dedicated account for walleye stocking activities. For $2 more, the DNR will mail the actual stamp to you as a collector’s item.
“Minnesota artist Nick Reitzel painted a powerful image for thestate’s first-ever walleye stamp,” Michaels said. “Purchasing the2009 stamp is a way to own a piece of history, start a stamp collecting tradition and support Minnesota’s state fish.”
Minnesota fishing licenses are available at more than 1,800 vendors throughout the state, by phone at 1-888-665-4236 or online.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
October 19, 2008 -- Kathleen's Birthday
Today is Kathleen's birthday. Happy birthday Kathleen!!
In addition to Kathleen and I, Kathleen's mom, brother, sister-in-law, nephew and a friend of her nephew's are here at the lake for a couple of days.
Yesterday, I took my nephew Sean and his friend Stan fishing, and both caught walleyes. Sean's was 21" so it had to go back into the lake. Stan caught a 17" walleye which is below the 18-26" slot limit on Leech Lake, so he could keep his fish.
I cleaned Stan's fish today so when he and the Coyles leave tomorrow, he and Sean can cook it up when they get home. They are anxious to eat some fresh Leech Lake walleye.
It was very busy day. With a high temperature today of only 50 degrees, and shifting winds -- first at 5-10 mph from the SW and as the day progressed 8-12 mph from the north -- I readied the boat to come out of the water.
I got the trailer in place, unloaded a bunch of tackle and gear from the boat, and finally I pulled the boat out of the lift, around the dock and onto the trailer. Once secured, I got in the truck, pulled the boat up the ramp on onto shore. Another season of fishing in my boat had reached its end.
I have to say, having a boat ramp at the cabin sure makes putting my boat in the water in the Spring and pulling it out in the Autumn a breeze.
The boat ramp at the cabin.
Once the boat was on shore, I cleared the rest of the equipment out of it, pulled the drain plug so any remaining water would drain from the hull, and put the cover on it. My Lund Pro-V 1800 IFS was now ready to take into Bemidji to be stored until May 2009.
With the help of Sean and Stan, I removed the canopy from the boat lift, rinsed it off, and got it ready for winter storage.
With my boating chores complete, I turned my attention to making Kathleen's birthday dinner. We all enjoyed dinner and celebrating with Kathleen as she blew out the candles on her cake and opened her presents. It was really nice that her mom and brother could be here on her special day.
Once again Kathleen, happy birthday. I'm glad we could celebrate it together at Leech Lake.
The birthday girl.
Mike, Kathleen and their mom.
In addition to Kathleen and I, Kathleen's mom, brother, sister-in-law, nephew and a friend of her nephew's are here at the lake for a couple of days.
Yesterday, I took my nephew Sean and his friend Stan fishing, and both caught walleyes. Sean's was 21" so it had to go back into the lake. Stan caught a 17" walleye which is below the 18-26" slot limit on Leech Lake, so he could keep his fish.
I cleaned Stan's fish today so when he and the Coyles leave tomorrow, he and Sean can cook it up when they get home. They are anxious to eat some fresh Leech Lake walleye.
It was very busy day. With a high temperature today of only 50 degrees, and shifting winds -- first at 5-10 mph from the SW and as the day progressed 8-12 mph from the north -- I readied the boat to come out of the water.
I got the trailer in place, unloaded a bunch of tackle and gear from the boat, and finally I pulled the boat out of the lift, around the dock and onto the trailer. Once secured, I got in the truck, pulled the boat up the ramp on onto shore. Another season of fishing in my boat had reached its end.
I have to say, having a boat ramp at the cabin sure makes putting my boat in the water in the Spring and pulling it out in the Autumn a breeze.
The boat ramp at the cabin.
Once the boat was on shore, I cleared the rest of the equipment out of it, pulled the drain plug so any remaining water would drain from the hull, and put the cover on it. My Lund Pro-V 1800 IFS was now ready to take into Bemidji to be stored until May 2009.
With the help of Sean and Stan, I removed the canopy from the boat lift, rinsed it off, and got it ready for winter storage.
With my boating chores complete, I turned my attention to making Kathleen's birthday dinner. We all enjoyed dinner and celebrating with Kathleen as she blew out the candles on her cake and opened her presents. It was really nice that her mom and brother could be here on her special day.
Once again Kathleen, happy birthday. I'm glad we could celebrate it together at Leech Lake.
The birthday girl.
Mike, Kathleen and their mom.
October 18, 2008 on Leech Lake
Kathleen's brother Mike, his wife Barb, their son Sean, Sean's friend Stan and Kathleen's mom all arrived today for a few day visit. After helping getting everyone settled in, and a little conversation, Sean, Stan and I decided to go fishing. The boys really wanted to try to catch a Leech Lake walleye
The temperature today was 52 degrees, the wind was fairly strong out of the SSW at 15 mph and the water temperature was 50 degrees.
Once we got the boat off the lift, I took us out to 12 feet of water directly in front of our house and let the wind push us northward toward shore. I put the drift sock in the water to slow the speed of the boat and to keep the boat from turning in the wind.
I got the boys set up with spinning reels and jigs tipped with live fatheads. I used the same set up outlined in my post titled October 17, 2008.
I immediately caught numerous perch, but no walleyes. The boys were having tougher luck and weren't catching anything. Eventually, Stan caught a medium-sized northern pike. Then Sean caught a beautiful 21" walleye. And to cap off the trip, Stan hooked a nice 17" walleye which we decided to keep so Sean and Stan could enjoy a Leech Lake fish fry.
We went to shore at 5:20 p.m so I could get started. I think the boys really enjoyed their time on Leech Lake.
My nephew Sean Coyle with a 21" Leech Lake walleye.
The temperature today was 52 degrees, the wind was fairly strong out of the SSW at 15 mph and the water temperature was 50 degrees.
Once we got the boat off the lift, I took us out to 12 feet of water directly in front of our house and let the wind push us northward toward shore. I put the drift sock in the water to slow the speed of the boat and to keep the boat from turning in the wind.
I got the boys set up with spinning reels and jigs tipped with live fatheads. I used the same set up outlined in my post titled October 17, 2008.
I immediately caught numerous perch, but no walleyes. The boys were having tougher luck and weren't catching anything. Eventually, Stan caught a medium-sized northern pike. Then Sean caught a beautiful 21" walleye. And to cap off the trip, Stan hooked a nice 17" walleye which we decided to keep so Sean and Stan could enjoy a Leech Lake fish fry.
We went to shore at 5:20 p.m so I could get started. I think the boys really enjoyed their time on Leech Lake.
My nephew Sean Coyle with a 21" Leech Lake walleye.
October 17, 2008 on Leech Lake
In this post I'd like to list the rod, reel, line and terminal tackle that I've used for most of my jig fishing this season on Leech Lake.
Rod: 5'6" St. Croix Premier PS56LF, light power, fast action
Reel: Shimano Saros 1000F spinning reel
Line: Berkley Fireline Crystal, 6lb. test
Jig: Northland Neon-Tone Gum-Ball jigs, 1/16 oz., 1/8 oz., 1/4 oz.
Bait: Berkley Gulp minnows, 3" in smelt, emerald shiner and black shad colors
This set up has varied over the past 4+ months -- I've added a silver Colorado spinner blade to the jig, I've used live fathead minnows and Gulp Alive minnows and leeches -- but the above was used during the majority of my time on the water.
Today was a beautiful Autumn day. The temperature was 57 degrees, the wind was calm to 5 mph out of the SSE and the water temperature was 50 degrees. The first time I fished today was from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. I drifted ever so slowly in the slight breeze in 8-10 feet of water along the weed line at the Birches. I caught several medium-sized perch and a fantastic 21 1/2" walleye. On 6lb. test line, a light power fast action rod and small 1000F reel, a 21 1/2" walleye feels very big. I enjoyed fighting the fish to the boat, admired its beauty, then released it unharmed back into Leech Lake.
Later, I made my second foray of the day onto Leech Lake. This time I concentrated my effort on trolling in 10-12 feet of water, at roughly 2.0 to 2.5 mph from Malay's cabin to just south of Second Duck Point. I started at 6:00 p.m. and was back on shore by 8:00 p.m. That, however, was enough time for me to hook two walleyes using a Rapala Minnow Rap. The first walleye measured 21" and second came in at 22".
Another wonderful day of fishing on Leech Lake.
Rod: 5'6" St. Croix Premier PS56LF, light power, fast action
Reel: Shimano Saros 1000F spinning reel
Line: Berkley Fireline Crystal, 6lb. test
Jig: Northland Neon-Tone Gum-Ball jigs, 1/16 oz., 1/8 oz., 1/4 oz.
Bait: Berkley Gulp minnows, 3" in smelt, emerald shiner and black shad colors
This set up has varied over the past 4+ months -- I've added a silver Colorado spinner blade to the jig, I've used live fathead minnows and Gulp Alive minnows and leeches -- but the above was used during the majority of my time on the water.
Today was a beautiful Autumn day. The temperature was 57 degrees, the wind was calm to 5 mph out of the SSE and the water temperature was 50 degrees. The first time I fished today was from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. I drifted ever so slowly in the slight breeze in 8-10 feet of water along the weed line at the Birches. I caught several medium-sized perch and a fantastic 21 1/2" walleye. On 6lb. test line, a light power fast action rod and small 1000F reel, a 21 1/2" walleye feels very big. I enjoyed fighting the fish to the boat, admired its beauty, then released it unharmed back into Leech Lake.
Later, I made my second foray of the day onto Leech Lake. This time I concentrated my effort on trolling in 10-12 feet of water, at roughly 2.0 to 2.5 mph from Malay's cabin to just south of Second Duck Point. I started at 6:00 p.m. and was back on shore by 8:00 p.m. That, however, was enough time for me to hook two walleyes using a Rapala Minnow Rap. The first walleye measured 21" and second came in at 22".
Another wonderful day of fishing on Leech Lake.
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