June 4, 2009 -- At Leech Lake

New stairs on the side of the cabin.

The temperature today was a little warmer, it hit a high of 68 degrees. The low was near 40. The skies were dark and threatening all day and the wind was strong at 15-25 mph out of the SW, with gusts well over 30 mph. The lake was covered in white caps and I only saw one or two boats on Sucker Bay all day.

It was a good day for projects around the property, and with master-builder Rick on hand we quickly found a project. On the north side of the cabin the wrap-around decks ends, but there are no stairs to get to the ground. It's only 3 feet up, but not everyone wants to jump to the ground, so we decided to build some stairs.

There were some old stairs stashed out behind the game room, I'm not sure what they were for originally, so Rick and I decided to use those. After some modifications, the stairs were ready to attach. Rick did a great job securing the stairs to the deck and extending the railing to tie in with the existing deck railing.

All that's left to do is get some paint when we go into town next and the new stairs will match the rest of the deck. Thanks Rick!

June 3, 2009 -- At Leech Lake

I felt much better today so Rick and I decided to go out fishing at 10:30 a.m. The temperature hit a high of 65 degrees today, the sky was partly sunny and the wind was calm to 8 mph out of the south. The water temperature was 63 degrees.

We drifted off Second Duck Point in 7-12 feet of water using jigs and shiners and caught numerous perch and a couple of rock bass, but no walleye. At 12:15 p.m. we went back to the cabin for lunch.

We went out on the lake again at 2:30 p.m. and this time we drifted in the south breeze from Norm's cabin to the Birches. Using jigs and shiners we again caught numerous perch, although this time Rick added a nice 15" walleye, which we released.

After fishing for walleye for about an hour I motored the big 150hp Mercury Verado to the Harbor (also known as Third Duck Point) where we deployed the MinnKota electric trolling motor and started throwing spinner baits in 3 feet of water for largemouth bass.

Rick caught 4 nice largemouth and I added 3 more bucketmouths to the tally. At one point, in about 5 feet of water near Scheibe's cabin, something very big followed Rick's spinnerbait to the boat. I could only see it for a moment, but it was either a very large pike or decent sized muskie. At 5:00 p.m. we made our way home for dinner.

Later that evening, at around 9:00 p.m., we went out fishing yet again. As is our typical method of evening and night fishing, we trolled crankbaits; or more specifically, Rapala Minnow Raps.

With the winds having died down to near calm and clear skies, the 85-percent waxing moon filled the night with light. We trolled from Malay's in the north to between Duck and Second Duck Points in the south. Rick caught walleyes measuring 18", 11" and 16", while I caught one 15 1/2" walleye.

I caught another walleye, my biggest of the season, but Rick had trouble netting the lunker and it came unbuttoned right at the boat's edge. Both Rick and I got a very good look at the fish and we both estimated it to be at least 25", maybe bigger.

Another great day of fishing on Leech Lake.

June 2, 2009 -- At Leech Lake

I woke up this morning not feeling well and spent most of the day either in bed or taking it easy around the house.

Rick finished up the trim work on the door in the game room and replaced a broken window in the cabin.

The weather today was not conducive to fishing anyway, with winds from the NW at 15-25 mph, with gusts up over 30 mph. The lake was covered in big waves and white caps. The high temperature today just hit 60 degrees.

No fishing on Leech Lake today.

June 1, 2009 -- At Leech Lake

The high temperature today hit 60 degrees with a low of only 37. The winds were relatively calm to 5-8 mph out of the ESE. The water temperature was 60 degrees.

Using jigs and shiners, Rick and I drifted the boat off Second Duck point in 8-12 feet of water and caught several perch, including a few nice jumbos. All were released.

We then came back on shore to finish hanging the door in the game room. With that chore mostly complete -- some trim work still needed to be finished -- I cleaned and cooked the 16 3/4" walleye from the other night for dinner.

After dinner, from 9:00 -- 10:20 p.m., Rick and I again trolled Minnow Raps for walleye. We fished in 8-12 feet of water from Malay's to the north to between Duck and Second Duck Points to the south.

Rick caught two small 12" walleyes and I didn't catch anything. Nonetheless, it was good to be out on Leech Lake.

May 31, 2009 -- At Leech Lake

Rick and I went out fishing on Leech Lake today on two separate occasions. The first time we went out from 1:00 - 3:45 p.m. and used jigs and shiners as we drifted off Second Duck Point in 7-10 feet of water. We caught a few perch but no walleye.

The temperature today was a cool 52 degrees, the wind was 5-15 mph from the ESE, the sky was overcast and grey and it rained off and on all day.

After dinner, we went out again, this time from 8:00 - 11:15 p.m. We trolled Rapala Minnow Raps in 8-12 feet of water with the Mercury Smartcraft gauge set at 570 rpm. With this method we did much better than we did earlier in the day.

Rick caught a 23" and 12" walleye and I caught walleyes of 16 3/4" and 18 1/2". We kept the 16 3/4" fish for dinner. As we headed back to the boat lift we caught two more walleye at the same time, a doubleheader! The first time Rick and I have hooked walleyes at the same time.

Rick reeled in a nice 22" eyeball and my fish measured 17 1/4". Both were released.

Another great day of fishing on Leech Lake.

May 30, 2009 -- At Leech Lake

New door leading from the game room to the garage

It was very windy all day today. The winds were out of the WNW at 15-25 mph with gusts over 30 mph. The lake was covered with large waves and white caps. The high temperature today was 64 degrees with a low of around 40.

Rick and I went into town today to pick up a pre-hung door to go between the game room and the garage at the cabin. In addition to being an engineer, Rick both enjoys and is very good at any type of home repair or building project. Last year he repaired the deck at the cabin, this year it was the new door in the game room.

We picked up other supplies in town as well, and made it home around 4:00 p.m. -- just as it started to rain.

No fishing on Leech Lake today.

May 29, 2009 -- At Leech Lake

Rick with a 23 1/2-inch Leech Lake walleye; off Second Duck Point.

Today was Rick's first day on Leech Lake since September 2008 and he was happy to be back on it. We started fishing today jigging with shiners at the Birches. We caught a couple of small perch but no walleye. Then we motored across Sucker Bay to Big Hardwood Point where we joined about 8 other boats. We again jigged for walleyes with shiners and again were skunked.

We then motored back across the bay to Second Duck Point where we decided to fore go jigging and start trolling crankbaits. That was the ticket.

Using #9 Rapala Minnow Raps -- Rick's in purpledescent color and me with a bleeding hot olive colored lure -- we started to catch fish.

I caught several perch, a rock bass and a small northern (generally disappointing), but Rick did much better. He caught a perch, a small 9" walleye, as well as a 22" and 23 1/2" walleye.

The temperature today was a pleasant 66 degrees as a high, with a low of 42. The water temperature was 61 degrees. The wind while we were out fishing was 6 mph from the south, but by evening it had picked up to 15-25 mph from the NW so we didn't go out trolling tonight. The wind finally died down to around 5-10 mph from the west around 10 p.m.

A very good day on Leech Lake.

May 28, 2009 -- At Leech Lake

Today was a strange day weather wise. The morning sky was overcast and gray, but the winds were relatively light at 5-8 mph out of the south. As the day progressed, the skies cleared to sunny, but the wind picked up to 12-18 mph and shifted to the NW. The lake got very choppy.

The temperature today hit a high of 68 degrees and the low was around 40.

Tom Malay stopped by today with his trailer. We had talked last night while fishing that he would help me load my ATV onto the trailer and then he'd take it into Bemidji Sports on Friday when he and Lainey (his wife) went into town. It was a very nice gesture and I took him up on it.

After Tom left with my ATV in tow, I transplanted a small cedar tree from near the house to near the shoreline by the harbor. Over time, this little cedar tree, along with the cedar tree I transplanted last year, should provide a nice wind block and help stop shoreline erosion.

I did other chores around the properties today included making the beds at the cabin, watered the plants and the newly planted spruce trees and generally cleaned house. At 10:50 p.m., my friend Rick from Brisbane, Australia arrived at the Bemidji airport. By the time we got home it was after midnight.

No fishing on Leech Lake today.

May 27, 2009 -- At Leech Lake

Yesterday when I went into Bemidji I bought two small Colorado blue spruce trees from the Home Depot. Today, I planted them near the property line between our cabin and Poage's. I dubbed the trees the "Jayden trees," in honor of our little grandson Jayden Stephen who was born on Easter Sunday. I plan to track the growth of both Jayden and the trees over time.

It was a pleasant day to work in the yard. The high temperature today was 60 degrees with a low of 42. The sky started out overcast, but gradually cleared to mostly sunny. The wind was out of the SSE from near calm to 8 mph.

At 1:30 p.m. I decided to go fishing. I started out at Second Duck Point and drifted with the breeze past our house and all the way to the Birches. I used a jig and shiner and was able to hook two very nice jumbo perch, a rock bass and a 15" walleye. All were released. Just before 5:00 p.m. I came to shore for some dinner.

At 6:30 p.m. I hit the lake again; this time trolling a crankbait. I used a #9 Minnow Rap in "bleeding hot olive" color and caught a northern and 14" walleye. Then I got a call on my cell phone. It was Tom Malay asking if I wanted to go fishing, which of course I was already doing. I told him to meet me at the end of his dock and I'd pick him up.

After getting Tom, his fishing rods, and cooler into the boat, we trolled from his place south past Second Duck Point in water depths ranging from 8-12 feet. The water temperature tonight was 58.7 degrees.

I caught another 14" walleye as well as a 15" eyeball. Tom caught walleyes of 12", 14" and 17". He kept the 17" fish.

We got back to the boat lift around 10:30 p.m. and I was inside the house by 10:45 p.m. Another fantastic day of fishing on Leech Lake -- 7 walleyes boated today.