The temperature today was 53 degrees, the wind was calm to 5 mph out of the SE then shifting to the NE. I was on the water from 12: 30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
I used the same set up as I did yesterday, an 1/8 oz. Lindy Max Gap jig in either sapphire blue or emerald shiner color tipped with live fathead minnows. I let the boat drift in the wind from in front of our house to the Birches. Then I'd fire up the little 10hp Mercury motor on Malay's 14-foot aluminum boat and motor back to our house. I'm estimating that I was fishing in 8-10 feet of water.
I caught 8 medium-sized perch, which I released, and 2 jumbo perch, which I kept.
I saw two adult bald eagles perched in a tree near the Birches. Occasionally one of them would fly out over the lake, looking for food I suppose, then circle back to its perch in the tree. I love the beauty of nature at Leech Lake.
This evening Kathleen and I hosted Tom and Elaine Malay for a lasagna dinner.
Friday, May 01, 2009
November 1, 2008 on Leech Lake
From 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. I was out fishing and I was in heaven. Each day I make it out onto the water it becomes the latest in the year that I've ever been open-water fishing on Leech Lake.
The temperature today was 48 degrees and the wind was out of the SSW at 5-8 mph, the perfect speed to push Malay's little aluminum boat without the use of the motor. I positioned the boat in front of our house in roughly 10 feet of water, so I would drift toward Norm's cabin. That would put me along the edge of the weed line, if any of the weeds were still green.
I used an 1/8 oz. Lindy Max Gap in both sapphire blue and emerald shiner colors, a silver Colorado blade spinner, and tipped the jig with live fathead minnows.
I caught nearly a dozen medium-sized perch, one medium-sized northern pike and 4 jumbo perch. All fish were released into the lake unharmed.
Once I was back on shore, I wished I would have kept the jumbo perch. I would like to have one more fish fry before Kathleen and I go back to California, and those jumbos would have been perfect. I guess I'll just have to go out fishing again tomorrow.
The temperature today was 48 degrees and the wind was out of the SSW at 5-8 mph, the perfect speed to push Malay's little aluminum boat without the use of the motor. I positioned the boat in front of our house in roughly 10 feet of water, so I would drift toward Norm's cabin. That would put me along the edge of the weed line, if any of the weeds were still green.
I used an 1/8 oz. Lindy Max Gap in both sapphire blue and emerald shiner colors, a silver Colorado blade spinner, and tipped the jig with live fathead minnows.
I caught nearly a dozen medium-sized perch, one medium-sized northern pike and 4 jumbo perch. All fish were released into the lake unharmed.
Once I was back on shore, I wished I would have kept the jumbo perch. I would like to have one more fish fry before Kathleen and I go back to California, and those jumbos would have been perfect. I guess I'll just have to go out fishing again tomorrow.
October 31, 2008 on Leech Lake -- Halloween
Tom came over to the house this afternoon just before 3:00 p.m. and we took his small aluminum boat onto Leech Lake for some late-season fishing.
Tom had picked up some live fathead minnows so we decided to drift in the boat, using jigs tipped with minnows, to fish for perch and walleye. We didn't catch a ton of fish, but we had fun. Tom caught one medium-sized perch and I caught 4 perch roughly the same size.
We also trolled for a while, but that technique yielded no fish. By 5:45 p.m. we were on shore.
The temperature today was 45 degrees, the wind was 5-10 mph out of the NNW, and I no longer have a way to measure the temperature of the water. I'm guessing it is in the mid-40s.
Our Leech Lake house is 23 miles from the nearest town (Cass Lake, pop. 938) so we didn't expect anyone to stop for "tricks or treats" tonight; and no one did.
Tom had picked up some live fathead minnows so we decided to drift in the boat, using jigs tipped with minnows, to fish for perch and walleye. We didn't catch a ton of fish, but we had fun. Tom caught one medium-sized perch and I caught 4 perch roughly the same size.
We also trolled for a while, but that technique yielded no fish. By 5:45 p.m. we were on shore.
The temperature today was 45 degrees, the wind was 5-10 mph out of the NNW, and I no longer have a way to measure the temperature of the water. I'm guessing it is in the mid-40s.
Our Leech Lake house is 23 miles from the nearest town (Cass Lake, pop. 938) so we didn't expect anyone to stop for "tricks or treats" tonight; and no one did.
October 30, 2008 on Leech Lake
The big news today was that I was back on Leech Lake fishing!
Tom Malay and I put his small boat -- a 14-foot aluminum boat with a 10hp Mercury outboard -- in the water and stored in on my boat lift in the harbor at our house. Tom said I was free to use it any time, so I took him up on his offer and went fishing this afternoon.
I trolled a Minnow Rap behind the boat and had one good hit, but it broke off. It was probably a walleye, they are notoriously light bitters that often hold a lure in their mouth for a moment only to spit it out once they realize it's not a real fish.
I also tried drifting using a jig tipped with a Gulp Alive 3" leech, but caught no fish. That didn't matter to me though, I was back on the water.
This is the latest date that I've ever fished open water on Leech Lake.
Tom Malay and I put his small boat -- a 14-foot aluminum boat with a 10hp Mercury outboard -- in the water and stored in on my boat lift in the harbor at our house. Tom said I was free to use it any time, so I took him up on his offer and went fishing this afternoon.
I trolled a Minnow Rap behind the boat and had one good hit, but it broke off. It was probably a walleye, they are notoriously light bitters that often hold a lure in their mouth for a moment only to spit it out once they realize it's not a real fish.
I also tried drifting using a jig tipped with a Gulp Alive 3" leech, but caught no fish. That didn't matter to me though, I was back on the water.
This is the latest date that I've ever fished open water on Leech Lake.
October 29, 2008
The temperature today was near 50 degrees, the warmest it's been in a while. The wind was calm to 5-8 mph out of the SE, and the sky was sunny and clear blue.
After spending about 4 hours blowing leaves with a leaf-blower at the cabin, I took a break so I could go on a walk in the woods with Kathleen. It was a beautiful day, and we had a wonderful time on our walk.
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, the beauty of Leech Lake and the surrounding woods is unmatched.
No fishing again today.
After spending about 4 hours blowing leaves with a leaf-blower at the cabin, I took a break so I could go on a walk in the woods with Kathleen. It was a beautiful day, and we had a wonderful time on our walk.
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, the beauty of Leech Lake and the surrounding woods is unmatched.
No fishing again today.
October 28, 2008
A few weeks back my neighbor's boy, and a friend of his, went back onto my wooded property and maliciously cut down three healthy trees -- two basswood and one maple. The boy's parents couldn't have handled the situation better, including part of the boy's punishment -- to chop the felled trees into firewood for me.
This past weekend the boy and his friend spent the better part of an entire day chopping the trees into firewood. Per my instructions, the boys left the chopped wood in two large piles. Today, Tom Malay and I went out and repeatedly loaded the wood into a trailer pulled by his ATV (all-terrain vehicle).
I ended up with 4 or 5 good loads of firewood for the house and cabin, and I gave Tom two big loads of firewood as well.
After our firewood chore was complete, I helped Tom load his 1998 snowmobile onto a trailer so he could take it into Bemidji tomorrow to sell. Apparently Tom found a guy willing to pay $500 for it.
The temperature today was 42 degrees, the sky was sunny and clear blue, and the wind was out of the west at 8-12 mph.
No fishing today.
This past weekend the boy and his friend spent the better part of an entire day chopping the trees into firewood. Per my instructions, the boys left the chopped wood in two large piles. Today, Tom Malay and I went out and repeatedly loaded the wood into a trailer pulled by his ATV (all-terrain vehicle).
I ended up with 4 or 5 good loads of firewood for the house and cabin, and I gave Tom two big loads of firewood as well.
After our firewood chore was complete, I helped Tom load his 1998 snowmobile onto a trailer so he could take it into Bemidji tomorrow to sell. Apparently Tom found a guy willing to pay $500 for it.
The temperature today was 42 degrees, the sky was sunny and clear blue, and the wind was out of the west at 8-12 mph.
No fishing today.
October 27, 2008 -- Venison Stew
My ongoing yard work continued today with the clearing of leaves out by the gas tank. I also cut back the red stem dogwood plants that surround the harbor at the house. The temperature today was near 40 degrees, the sky was sunny and the wind was out of the west at 10-15 mph.
This evening Kathleen and I hosted Rome and Noel for dinner, where I served venison stew made from the venison Noel had given some weeks earlier. We had a wonderful time conversing with our very entertaining and intelligent Leech Lake neighbors.
No fishing today.
This evening Kathleen and I hosted Rome and Noel for dinner, where I served venison stew made from the venison Noel had given some weeks earlier. We had a wonderful time conversing with our very entertaining and intelligent Leech Lake neighbors.
No fishing today.
October 26, 2008
Another day of yard work and another day not on the water. It was a week ago that I pulled my boat out of the water, signaling the end of another open-water fishing season for me, but it seems more like months ago.
The high temperature today was only 38 degrees -- winter comes early to the Northwoods of Minnesota. There was a wind advisory issued for Leech Lake with winds of 20-30 mph out of the west. The lake was covered in white caps. The sky was grey and it was spitting snow for most of the day.
It was a good day to stay inside, have a nice fire in the fireplace and listen to Minnesota Public Radio.
No fishing on Leech Lake.
The high temperature today was only 38 degrees -- winter comes early to the Northwoods of Minnesota. There was a wind advisory issued for Leech Lake with winds of 20-30 mph out of the west. The lake was covered in white caps. The sky was grey and it was spitting snow for most of the day.
It was a good day to stay inside, have a nice fire in the fireplace and listen to Minnesota Public Radio.
No fishing on Leech Lake.
October 25, 2008
More yard work today. The temperature was 45 degrees, the wind was 12-20 mph out of the west, creating large swells and white caps on the lake.
It's my Uncle Frank's birthday today, so we gave him a call.
No fishing on Leech Lake today.
It's my Uncle Frank's birthday today, so we gave him a call.
No fishing on Leech Lake today.
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