Sew-'em-up bugs
Squadrons of blue and black sew-'em-up bugs,
as my Grandma used to call 'em,
Dart and fly and soar above
the pool where the spot-tails swim
Black-red flake Senko lands near the rushes
three-ought hook, rigged Texas style
Sinking, wiggling slowly in the water
Bam! A four-pound bass makes me smile
Fire up the Merc Verado motor
moving to a different spot
Rod bends in half with the walleye's weight
The battle under the bright sun, hot
Later catching perch on Fireball jigs
ambushing them where they lay
I spend the afternoon on Leech Lake, another
multi-species fishing day
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
July 7, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
Lon Chaney, Jr. in the 1941 Universal Pictures movie, The Wolfman.
I had invited Noel Hancock, one of our Otter Tail Peninsula neighbors, to stop by for coffee this morning, and at about 10:15 a.m. he arrived.
As we drank our coffee I began to ask Noel his advice on how to repair some damage that had been done this past winter to one of the retaining walls in our harbor. After a couple of cups of java, we were adequately charged to take our discussion on site and headed down to the harbor.
We discussed numerous options, but I think we have one that should work. As for next steps, I need to locate some low-priced concrete and weather-treated 2X6 wood.
When Noel left, I did some chores around the house, ate some lunch, and then at 1:15 p.m. I decided to go fishing. I started my afternoon adventure in "the flats," a stretch of sand and gravel with little depth change between Duck and Second Duck Points. I positioned the boat in 14-18 feet of water and started fishing.
On this afternoon my initial method of fishing for walleye was the use of a baitcasting reel, an in-line keel weight and the snell on the end of which I'd tied a Mustad Slow-Death hook. Above the hook I had added a few beads and a willow blade for extra flash. On the end of the Slow-Death hook I put a fat and juicy nightcrawler. I lowered the rig into the water, set my electric trolling motor on 25, which moved the boat at just under 1 mph.
The temperature today on the lake was 76 degrees, the wind was from the SSE at 5-8 mph, the sky was mostly sunny and the water temperature was 75 degrees.
I caught a few perch on my Slow-Death rig, but no walleye. I decided to change tactics, targeted species, and location. I started up my Mercury Verado motor and sped off toward the reeds in front of Norm's cabin.
Once there, I took out another baitcasting rod and reel, this one had a double-bladed spinner bait tied on. I started casting the spinner bait into 5 feet of water along the edge of the reeds. I moved slowly north, letting the south wind push my boat. I used my electric trolling motor only to keep the boat positioned correctly.
From Norm's to Schiebe's I casted my spinner bait, and on three different occasions I hooked into largemouth bass. The second fish I caught skied out of the water at least 2 feet before landing with a splash, and not once did it let up the fight.
Content with a nice battle with largemouth bass, I decided to relocate to "The Point," a spot in 14 feet of water that stretches from Malay's house to our cabin. I had brought with me the Leech Lake minnows that I had captured in my seining net a couple of days ago, and planned to use them in my pursuit of walleye.
My Northland Fireball jig and minnow attracted numerous perch, three northern pike, all of which were more than 20", and one nice walleye. The walleye, as is typical of that breed of fish, took the bait in so slowly that I felt only a small weight on the end of the line. I let out a little line so that the walleye would take the bait completely into its mouth, and then I set the hook.
Immediately I knew I had a good fish on the line because my St. Croix rod bent in half. I battled with the fish for a minute or two before getting to the side of the boat. I spotted the walleye, and it must have spotted the boat because it made a run for the bottom of the lake.
The time it took to reel the fish back to the surface gave me enough of a window to step to the front of the boat, grab my landing net, and then move back to the back of the boat where I planned to net the fish. With rod in one hand and net in the other, I scooped up the fish and brought it aboard.
I easily removed the jig from the side of its mouth and placed the fish on the ruler for a quick measurement. The fish stretched out to 20 1/2". A beautiful Leech Lake walleye, but in the slot requiring that I put it back into the lake.
I admired the fish for a moment, then gently released it back into the water unharmed. I marked the spot with a waypoint on my Lowrance electronics because I have a feeling that that particular fish is not the only walleye in this area.
I came ashore at 5:15 p.m. after nearly 4 hours on the lake. I had caught numerous perch, several pike, 3 big largemouth bass and one beautiful walleye. Truly an afternoon of multi-species fishing.
At 9:15 p.m., I went back out onto Sucker Bay to do some evening trolling for walleye.
By 10:00 p.m. the full moon had risen high enough in the sky to clear the tree line and shine its bright white light onto the dark waters of Leech Lake.
I was making a big, slow turn off Second Duck Point when I felt the familiar tug of fish on the end of my line. I put the motor in neutral and began reeling in the fish. The wind was coming from the north this evening at 8 mph, so with the motor idling, the boat began to turn.
My line became momentarily caught around the motor and I thought I would lose the fish. But after freeing my line from the cover of the Verado motor, I felt that weight of the fish still there. I reeled it up to the side of the boat, lowered the net into the water, and scooped up a beautiful walleye.
I could right away it was close to being a keeper for me -- between 16 1/2" and 17 1/2". As often happens with walleye once they are netted, this fish spit the hook and was free in the net. I picked it up, laid it down on the ruler and found that it was indeed 17 1/2". I measured it a second time just make sure, then carefully put it in the livewell.
I fished for another 45 minutes, and while I had 3 hit and misses, I was unable to catch any other fish.
Once back at the boat lift, I again measured the walleye and it was still 17 1/2". I debated if I should keep it or not, and in the end decided to put it back into the lake. I am not a meat-hunting FIB who keeps every walleye possible (like the guy at Birch Ridge Resort who kept the 9" walleye the other day).
One 17 1/2" walleye is more fish than one person could, or should, eat in one meal. With luck, that walleye will be in the slot by the end of the year and will grow to be in excess of 26".
After staring at the full moon all evening long, I decided to come inside and watch the old 1941 Universal Pictures version of The Wolfman, starring Lon Chaney Jr. What better way to end another great day, and night, at Leech Lake.
Monday, July 06, 2009
July 6, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
The temperature today was a near perfect 75 degrees, the wind varied from 8-15 mph from the north, the sky was mostly sunny and the water temperature fluctuated between 73 and 74 degrees depending on location and depth.
I had some business calls from morning until early afternoon, and then I spent most of the rest of the afternoon washing the windows in our living room. We have wonderful floor to ceiling windows that look out onto Leech Lake, but they are a chore to clean.
I wrapped up cleaning around 4:00 p.m. and hit the water soon after. I used the minnows I had captured during my seining expedition yesterday on the hook end of a Northland Fireball jig in parakeet color. I fished in front of Malay's in 14 feet of water and drifted south toward Second Duck Point.
There is a spot between Malay's cabin and our house in 14-15 feet of water where the floor of the lake comes up a couple of feet creating an underwater point that extends some 200 yards north to south. I've found that fish congregate on either side of the point, so that's where I fished.
I caught numerous small- to medium-sized perch but no walleye. I came in for dinner around 5:45 p.m.
At 9:00 p.m. I went out trolling. The wind had died down and was very slight out of the north. The water temperature was 74 degrees.
I was on the water for no more than 15 minutes when my cell phone rang. It was Tom Malay asking if he could join me. I told him sure, and swung by his dock to pick him up.
For the next hour and a half we trolled The Alley in 8-12 feet of water. I was using a #9 Minnow Rap in hot steel, and Tom was using a #7 Minnow Rap in the same color. The moon was full tonight, so just as the sunlight began to fade, the bright light of the moon illuminated the lake.
A half an hour after moon rise I caught a small northern pike. Then at 10:15 p.m. I felt the pull of something much bigger. I put the motor in neutral and began reeling the fish toward the boat. Just as the fish came up along side the boat it made a run for deeper water. I let the fish pull off a good amount of line and then began reeling it back in again.
Tom grabbed the net, and when I got the fish to the surface, Tom slid the net under the fish and got it into the boat. It was a big walleye. After removing the trailing treble hook from its lip, I measured the big 'eye and it was a full 25" long. The fish was healthy and had a good girth to it. Tom and I marveled at the big fish for a minute or two before I released it back into the dark water.
On the last pass of the night through The Alley, I hooked an 18" walleye which was just a little too big to keep. My ideal fish to keep and eat is between 16 1/2" and 17 1/2". Of course on Leech Lake, all walleye between 18" and 26" must be immediately released back into the lake according to MN DNR regulations.
At 11:15 p.m. we put the boat on the lift and came ashore. It was another great night of fishing on Leech Lake.
I had some business calls from morning until early afternoon, and then I spent most of the rest of the afternoon washing the windows in our living room. We have wonderful floor to ceiling windows that look out onto Leech Lake, but they are a chore to clean.
I wrapped up cleaning around 4:00 p.m. and hit the water soon after. I used the minnows I had captured during my seining expedition yesterday on the hook end of a Northland Fireball jig in parakeet color. I fished in front of Malay's in 14 feet of water and drifted south toward Second Duck Point.
There is a spot between Malay's cabin and our house in 14-15 feet of water where the floor of the lake comes up a couple of feet creating an underwater point that extends some 200 yards north to south. I've found that fish congregate on either side of the point, so that's where I fished.
I caught numerous small- to medium-sized perch but no walleye. I came in for dinner around 5:45 p.m.
At 9:00 p.m. I went out trolling. The wind had died down and was very slight out of the north. The water temperature was 74 degrees.
I was on the water for no more than 15 minutes when my cell phone rang. It was Tom Malay asking if he could join me. I told him sure, and swung by his dock to pick him up.
For the next hour and a half we trolled The Alley in 8-12 feet of water. I was using a #9 Minnow Rap in hot steel, and Tom was using a #7 Minnow Rap in the same color. The moon was full tonight, so just as the sunlight began to fade, the bright light of the moon illuminated the lake.
A half an hour after moon rise I caught a small northern pike. Then at 10:15 p.m. I felt the pull of something much bigger. I put the motor in neutral and began reeling the fish toward the boat. Just as the fish came up along side the boat it made a run for deeper water. I let the fish pull off a good amount of line and then began reeling it back in again.
Tom grabbed the net, and when I got the fish to the surface, Tom slid the net under the fish and got it into the boat. It was a big walleye. After removing the trailing treble hook from its lip, I measured the big 'eye and it was a full 25" long. The fish was healthy and had a good girth to it. Tom and I marveled at the big fish for a minute or two before I released it back into the dark water.
On the last pass of the night through The Alley, I hooked an 18" walleye which was just a little too big to keep. My ideal fish to keep and eat is between 16 1/2" and 17 1/2". Of course on Leech Lake, all walleye between 18" and 26" must be immediately released back into the lake according to MN DNR regulations.
At 11:15 p.m. we put the boat on the lift and came ashore. It was another great night of fishing on Leech Lake.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
July 5, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
I arrived home at Leech Lake from St. Cloud today at 2:00 p.m. After unloading the truck, putting away some groceries and having lunch, I decided to go fishing.
The temperature at 4:00 p.m. was 72 degrees, the wind was out of the north at 8-12 mph, the sky was filled with big white billowy clouds that made it half cloudy and half sunny, and the water temperature was 73 degrees.
As I stepped onto the dock and began walking to the boat lift, I noticed schools of minnows swimming in the shallow water at the end of the boat ramp and underneath the dock. I decided that before I would go fishing, I'd get out the seining net and try to catch some native Leech Lake minnows to use as bait.
I got on my waders, and with seining net in hand, I wadded out into 3 feet of water. My first few attempts at netting the minnows failed miserably; I was simply too slow in closing the net. But after some trial and error, I began to get the hang of it, and within 10 minutes I managed to net several dozen minnows.
I did a thorough check of the minnows to ensure that what I had netted were indeed minnows. With the exception of one tiny walleye fry, which I carefully put back into the lake, I had nothing but minnows. Content with my catch, I put the minnows into my Frabill Flow Troll Bucket, grabbed what few live shiners were left from those Poage gave me, and got into my boat.
I motored the boat out to 14 feet of water directly in front of the Malay's cabin and deployed the drift sock. With the wind blowing at 12 mph from the north, the current would push the boat south toward Second Duck Point and put me in about 13 feet of water as I passed in front of our house and cabin -- which was my desired position.
When using the Leech Lake minnows, I caught numerous perch, and had a solid bite from something bigger (I could tell that whatever it was it had teeth because my minnow was cleaved off just below the head).
I tried using a shiner on a couple of occasions, but didn't get a single bite. When I switched back to the Leech Lake minnows, I again started catching perch. Unfortunately, I was unable to hook a walleye.
I came ashore around 6:30 p.m. It was nice to spend some time out on the water. I love how peaceful it is being rocked by the waves and slowly propelled by wind.
I contemplated going out trolling this evening, but I was hungry and decided to make dinner at 9:00 p.m., which is the time I would have gone trolling. After eating I sat on the dock with cold Leinenkugel and watched the last of the sunlight disappear behind the horizon. Another beautiful evening on Leech Lake.
The temperature at 4:00 p.m. was 72 degrees, the wind was out of the north at 8-12 mph, the sky was filled with big white billowy clouds that made it half cloudy and half sunny, and the water temperature was 73 degrees.
As I stepped onto the dock and began walking to the boat lift, I noticed schools of minnows swimming in the shallow water at the end of the boat ramp and underneath the dock. I decided that before I would go fishing, I'd get out the seining net and try to catch some native Leech Lake minnows to use as bait.
I got on my waders, and with seining net in hand, I wadded out into 3 feet of water. My first few attempts at netting the minnows failed miserably; I was simply too slow in closing the net. But after some trial and error, I began to get the hang of it, and within 10 minutes I managed to net several dozen minnows.
I did a thorough check of the minnows to ensure that what I had netted were indeed minnows. With the exception of one tiny walleye fry, which I carefully put back into the lake, I had nothing but minnows. Content with my catch, I put the minnows into my Frabill Flow Troll Bucket, grabbed what few live shiners were left from those Poage gave me, and got into my boat.
I motored the boat out to 14 feet of water directly in front of the Malay's cabin and deployed the drift sock. With the wind blowing at 12 mph from the north, the current would push the boat south toward Second Duck Point and put me in about 13 feet of water as I passed in front of our house and cabin -- which was my desired position.
When using the Leech Lake minnows, I caught numerous perch, and had a solid bite from something bigger (I could tell that whatever it was it had teeth because my minnow was cleaved off just below the head).
I tried using a shiner on a couple of occasions, but didn't get a single bite. When I switched back to the Leech Lake minnows, I again started catching perch. Unfortunately, I was unable to hook a walleye.
I came ashore around 6:30 p.m. It was nice to spend some time out on the water. I love how peaceful it is being rocked by the waves and slowly propelled by wind.
I contemplated going out trolling this evening, but I was hungry and decided to make dinner at 9:00 p.m., which is the time I would have gone trolling. After eating I sat on the dock with cold Leinenkugel and watched the last of the sunlight disappear behind the horizon. Another beautiful evening on Leech Lake.
A Review of the July 4th Broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion
Garrison Keillor on stage (in the white sport coat) during the July 4th broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion from Avon, MN
Garrison Keillor during rehearsal before the start of the special 4th of July broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion from Avon, MN, "as close to Lake Wobegon as we could get."
Here is my review of the July 4th, and 35th anniversary, broadcast of Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion from little Avon, MN.
I've seen APHC on several occasions, the first of which was also on July 4th. That show was broadcast from the football field of St. John's University in Collegeville, MN back in 1982.
It was a fantastic show, and afterward, my mother-in-law Marge took me up on stage to meet Keillor, who is a friend of her sister's family. I had always enjoyed listening to the Saturday evening broadcast of APHC before seeing him in 1982, but after that show I was hooked.
So I was especially looking forward to seeing him in tiny (pop. 1242) Avon, MN, which is on the Lake Wobegon Trail. Not only was the show yesterday a July 4th show, but it was also the 35th anniversary of A Prairie Home Companion which first broadcast on July 6, 1974. Unfortunately, the performance did not live up to my expectations.
First, a bit about the venue. It took place in Lake Wobegon Park, which is located in the center of town. Avon is a small town, and I'm sure its citizens and city employees did the best they could to accommodate the crowds of roughly 10,000 people, but it was painfully obvious they had no idea how to handle a large group of people.
There were not nearly enough portable bathrooms in place, so the lines to use them were always very long. There was limited access to food and water. And it was clear the police on traffic duty had never had to direct that many cars before in their lives because getting into and out of town was a horrendous mess.
Once situated in the park (on our own lawn chairs) we waited for more than 2 hours for the broadcast to begin. Usually at concerts and such outdoor events, the organizers will play recorded music or provide some other type of entertainment for the crowd. But yesterday, there was no pre-show entertainment.
Heck, they could have had the local high school band on stage playing patriotic songs for a couple of hours, it was the 4th of July afterall, but there was nothing. It was a missed opportunity for the city of Avon.
At last the show started. Keillor sang his usual opening tune "Hello Love," and then began to run through the cast of performers that would be joining him on stage throughout the evening. As a long-time listener, I realized that many of the regulars on APHC were absent from this evening's broadcast, which I found odd since it was his 35th anniversary special.
The guests included: The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band, Jerry Bierschbach, Father Steve Binsfeld, Senator Amy Klobuchar, World War II veterans Clarence Fischbach and Ralph Lauer, Pastor Steve Hilde, sound effects man Tom Keith, guitarist and St. John's alum John McCutcheon, Avon Mayor John Grutsch, Bud Heidgerken, Minnesota state senator Tarryl Clark, Leigh Lenzmeier, the St. John's Boys Choir, vocalist Andra Suchy, and Vern Sutton (a performer with Garrison on his very first show in 1974).
I won't review each and every segment of the show, but I will say that from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best show possible, I'd rate this show a 4.
The Guy Noir segment was average at best. The interviews with the WW II vets were a nice idea on July 4th, but it was nearly impossible to understand what one of the gentlemen was saying.
The musical guests were OK, but not nearly as good as the acts Keillor usually has on his show. There were no "surprise" special guests, such as Meryl Streep or Martin Sheen (both of whom have appeared as guests before for special occasions). And even the News from Lake Wobegon segment seemed uninspired.
I suppose that after 35 years it gets hard to get excited about doing the show week after week, but this was billed as a coming home party; the place where it all began 35 years earlier. Plus, it was the 4th of July show, usually a big deal for Keillor. But this show lacked anything special.
Still, it was nice to be outside on a bright sunny day, enjoying the company of family, eating good food (which we brought with us), and listening to an average A Prairie Home Companion broadcast.
On my drive north to Leech Lake today I tuned in to the rebroadcast of yesterday's show, and while it might have been a tad better than my initial impression (maybe a 5 out of 10), it still struck me as a flat performance.
I've seen the Grateful Dead on more occasions than I can count (or even remember) and while some of the shows were absolutely incredible -- with Jerry Garcia reaching levels of musicianship never seen anywhere before or since -- other shows were out and out clunkers.
So I guess if the Grateful Dead can have off days (and can be forgiven), I suppose Garrison Keillor can be excused if he can't hit it out of the park with every show either. Still, it would have been nice to see him rev it up like I know he still can.
"And that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all of the children are above average."
Friday, July 03, 2009
July 3, 2009 -- At Leech Lake; 300th Post
I started this blog on February 20, 2005 to share my fishing experiences from Minnesota's Leech Lake with anyone who might be interested. Over the past 4 1/2 years, this blog has evolved to include my musings and observations about fishing, Leech Lake and life in general.
But at its core, this blog is still about fishing on Leech Lake. And today, before I drive down to St. Cloud to visit my mother-in-law Marge, I will make a point to get out on the lake to do some fishing and I will report my experience here in my 300th post on Fishing Leech Lake.
<*)))><
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The temperature this morning at 9:00 a.m. was 63 degrees. The sky was mostly sunny with some large patches of gray clouds. The wind is light at 5-8 mph from the NNE.
The Newmans left early this morning for their home in southern Minnesota, but before leaving, John put his boat in my boat lift in my harbor. I store my boat in the boat lift at the cabin because the water level at the end of the dock next door tends to stay deep enough for my boat to be easily removed from, and put back on, the boat lift.
The current water level in the lake is too low in Newman's harbor for him to get his boat on and off his lift. He was forced to use a winch, and the muscle power of his two sons, to get his boat off the lift and into the water. The water level in my harbor tends to be deeper, so John asked, and I agreed, to let him store his boat here. John plans to return to the lake next Friday.
At 11:30 a.m. I decided to go fishing. Yesterday, I had loaned my chain saw to my neighbor Don Poage so he could cut down a dead tree near his cabin. As a show of his gratitude, he purchased for me a scoop of shiners -- a valuable commodity at this time of year.
With my live well bucket of shiners I set out for 13 feet of water in front of our house and cabin. The water temperature had warmed to 71 degrees. The air temperature had also warmed to 75 degrees. It actually got very hot sitting out under the sun on the lake.
I was marking lots of fish on the Lowrance so I figured I was in a good spot. I put a shiner on my XPS lime green/black jig and dropped it into the water. Within minutes I felt a weight at the end of my line and tried to set the hook. Whatever had had my bait in its mouth was no longer there. I reeled in and discovered that my 3 1/2" shiner had been bitten clean through; only the head remained on the hook. The telltale sign of a walleye bite.
About 30 minutes later, I thought I felt another "weight" on my hook and went to set the hook. Again, nothing was there. As I reeled in my jig to check the status/health of my shiner, a 36" to 40" muskie followed my bait all the way to the side of the boat. I was wearing my polarized sunglasses, so I could easily see the big fish as it chased my shiner to within inches of the water surface. But unfortunately it never took the bait in its mouth and instead made a quick turn and headed deep out of sight.
I did manage to catch a couple of small perch, but that was it. By 1:00 p.m. the wind had all but died down, and so too did the perch bite. I decided it was time to come ashore and get ready for my trip to St. Cloud.
As I was coming up to the house, I noticed that a light breeze had started to blow again, but this time out of the SE at no more than 5 mph. If we get a couple of days of wind out of the south, the fishing should be good again by Sunday or Monday.
It's time to get ready now and head off to St. Cloud. It will be nice to see Kathleen's mom, Kathleen's sister Mary, Tim and Sandy Coyle, the St. Joseph Independence Day parade and A Prairie Home Companion, but it is always tough to leave Leech Lake.
But at its core, this blog is still about fishing on Leech Lake. And today, before I drive down to St. Cloud to visit my mother-in-law Marge, I will make a point to get out on the lake to do some fishing and I will report my experience here in my 300th post on Fishing Leech Lake.
<*)))><
--------------------------
The temperature this morning at 9:00 a.m. was 63 degrees. The sky was mostly sunny with some large patches of gray clouds. The wind is light at 5-8 mph from the NNE.
The Newmans left early this morning for their home in southern Minnesota, but before leaving, John put his boat in my boat lift in my harbor. I store my boat in the boat lift at the cabin because the water level at the end of the dock next door tends to stay deep enough for my boat to be easily removed from, and put back on, the boat lift.
The current water level in the lake is too low in Newman's harbor for him to get his boat on and off his lift. He was forced to use a winch, and the muscle power of his two sons, to get his boat off the lift and into the water. The water level in my harbor tends to be deeper, so John asked, and I agreed, to let him store his boat here. John plans to return to the lake next Friday.
At 11:30 a.m. I decided to go fishing. Yesterday, I had loaned my chain saw to my neighbor Don Poage so he could cut down a dead tree near his cabin. As a show of his gratitude, he purchased for me a scoop of shiners -- a valuable commodity at this time of year.
With my live well bucket of shiners I set out for 13 feet of water in front of our house and cabin. The water temperature had warmed to 71 degrees. The air temperature had also warmed to 75 degrees. It actually got very hot sitting out under the sun on the lake.
I was marking lots of fish on the Lowrance so I figured I was in a good spot. I put a shiner on my XPS lime green/black jig and dropped it into the water. Within minutes I felt a weight at the end of my line and tried to set the hook. Whatever had had my bait in its mouth was no longer there. I reeled in and discovered that my 3 1/2" shiner had been bitten clean through; only the head remained on the hook. The telltale sign of a walleye bite.
About 30 minutes later, I thought I felt another "weight" on my hook and went to set the hook. Again, nothing was there. As I reeled in my jig to check the status/health of my shiner, a 36" to 40" muskie followed my bait all the way to the side of the boat. I was wearing my polarized sunglasses, so I could easily see the big fish as it chased my shiner to within inches of the water surface. But unfortunately it never took the bait in its mouth and instead made a quick turn and headed deep out of sight.
I did manage to catch a couple of small perch, but that was it. By 1:00 p.m. the wind had all but died down, and so too did the perch bite. I decided it was time to come ashore and get ready for my trip to St. Cloud.
As I was coming up to the house, I noticed that a light breeze had started to blow again, but this time out of the SE at no more than 5 mph. If we get a couple of days of wind out of the south, the fishing should be good again by Sunday or Monday.
It's time to get ready now and head off to St. Cloud. It will be nice to see Kathleen's mom, Kathleen's sister Mary, Tim and Sandy Coyle, the St. Joseph Independence Day parade and A Prairie Home Companion, but it is always tough to leave Leech Lake.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Lady's Slipper
The lady's slipper is the Minnesota state flower and one of my wife Kathleen's favorites. They grow in the drainage ditches along many of the dirt roads on Otter Tail Peninsula, and typically bloom around the 4th of July.
Above are several pictures I took today of the lady's slipper near our cabin. Below, is some information about the lady's slipper from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources web site.
Showy Lady's Slipper
Cypripedium reginae
The showy lady's slipper is Minnesota's state flower. Since 1925, the state has regulated the collection and commercial sale of this species. The showy lady's-slipper is one of 43 orchid species that grow in Minnesota. Many people consider it the most beautiful flower in the state.
Identification
General description: A brightly-colored orchid that has one or sometimes two blossoms on a single stem. White petals sit on top of a white pouch (slipper) streaked with pink. Hairy oval leaves clasp the stem.
Length: one to two feet tall.
Color: Pink, red, white, and green.
Reproduction
The lady's slipper flowers from early June to mid-July. It flowers best in bright sunlight, although it will grow in semi-shaded areas. In its first year, this orchid grows only as tall as a pencil point. Each year, the lady's slipper may produce a half-million seeds, which are as fine as flour dust. This flower has a long life span; some may be 100 years old.
Habitat and range
The lady's slipper grows in spruce and tamarack bogs, swamps, wet meadows, wet prairies, and cool, damp woods. It may be found anywhere in Minnesota where these habitats exist.
Population and management
The lady's slipper is uncommon in Minnesota. Population can be hurt by wetland drainage, road construction, tree cuttings, and illegal picking and uprooting. In addition, herbicides used on roadside areas can kill these plants. The best management is to protect the lady's-slipper's native habitat.
Fun facts
Some people can get a rash from touching the leaves of this pretty orchid.
July 2, 2009 -- Happy Birthday Mom
Today is my mother's birthday. I won't reveal how old she is other than to say she remembers World War II. Happy birthday Mom.
The temperature at noon today at Leech Lake was a very pleasant 67 degrees. The sky was mostly cloudy, with a few patches of blue showing, and the wind was out of the north at 8-12 mph, with gusts up near 20 mph. The high today is expected to be 74 degrees.
My neighbor Don Poage called me this morning asking if he could borrow my Stihl chain saw to cut down an old, dead tree. I said sure, and walked over to Don's cabin with the saw in hand. The tree, which was no more than a foot in diameter and 50 feet tall, came down easily.
Don and his step-son Marty are now cutting the tree into small pieces, which they plan to give to me to burn in the fire pit.
My other neighbors, the Newmans, invited me over to their cabin this evening for a rib and chicken BBQ. I look forward to the good food and good conversation.
After the BBQ dinner, John and I went fishing. The wind had died down and the lake was nearly still. The water temperature was 70.3 degrees and the air temperature was 60 degrees. The moon is 81% waxing.
We started trolling in front of Malay's house in 10 feet of water. Both of us were using #9 Minnow Raps. We made several passes through The Alley, and while John got skunked, I caught 3 rock bass, one good sized northern pike and small walleye approximately 13" long.
Since the Newmans are leaving sometime between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, John wanted to go ashore at 10:30 p.m. to help his family pack up. And since most of the bites we were getting were from mosquitoes, I was fine with that suggestion.
Although the walleye fishing has definitely slowed on Sucker Bay, it was still nice to get out this evening on Leech Lake.
The temperature at noon today at Leech Lake was a very pleasant 67 degrees. The sky was mostly cloudy, with a few patches of blue showing, and the wind was out of the north at 8-12 mph, with gusts up near 20 mph. The high today is expected to be 74 degrees.
My neighbor Don Poage called me this morning asking if he could borrow my Stihl chain saw to cut down an old, dead tree. I said sure, and walked over to Don's cabin with the saw in hand. The tree, which was no more than a foot in diameter and 50 feet tall, came down easily.
Don and his step-son Marty are now cutting the tree into small pieces, which they plan to give to me to burn in the fire pit.
My other neighbors, the Newmans, invited me over to their cabin this evening for a rib and chicken BBQ. I look forward to the good food and good conversation.
After the BBQ dinner, John and I went fishing. The wind had died down and the lake was nearly still. The water temperature was 70.3 degrees and the air temperature was 60 degrees. The moon is 81% waxing.
We started trolling in front of Malay's house in 10 feet of water. Both of us were using #9 Minnow Raps. We made several passes through The Alley, and while John got skunked, I caught 3 rock bass, one good sized northern pike and small walleye approximately 13" long.
Since the Newmans are leaving sometime between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, John wanted to go ashore at 10:30 p.m. to help his family pack up. And since most of the bites we were getting were from mosquitoes, I was fine with that suggestion.
Although the walleye fishing has definitely slowed on Sucker Bay, it was still nice to get out this evening on Leech Lake.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
July 1, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
This morning at 9:00 a.m. the temperature was 55 degrees, the sky was mostly cloudy and the wind was out of the north at 10-15 mph. It is not nearly as windy as it has been during the past four days, but still a bit more breezy than I expected today. I had heard the wind was going to be no more than 5-7 mph.
After taking care of some business around the house, I did go out fishing. I hit the water at 1:15 p.m. and stayed out until 3:00 p.m.
I started by fishing in front of our cabin in 13.5 feet of water; deeper than I typically fish, but I'd heard the walleye are biting in deeper water. Sure enough, I was marking a lot of fish on my Lowrance.
I used a 1/16 oz. Lindy Max Gap jig with a Northland grub on it. I got a few bites, but caught no fish. I switched to an in-line keel weight with a Mustad "Slow Death" hook, a Colorado spinner blade and a nightcrawler. Twice something bit off my nightcrawler, and both times I felt some weight on the line. I'm guessing it was a walleye, but I couldn't hook one.
I then switched lures again, this time opting for a Bass Pro Shops XPS Walleye Angler jig in lime green/black tipped with a nightcrawler. Again I got a few bites, but hooked no fish.
By this point I had made three drifts from in front of our cabin in 13.5 feet of water to past Newman's cabin in 10 feet of water. The north wind was pushing south, and closer to shore as I approached Second Duck Point.
Just before I decided to come in, I switched lures one more time, this time to a jointed Shad Rap in silver shad color. I trolled the Shad Rap in 12-13.5 feet of water and caught numerous perch, but no walleye. The water temperature throughout the areas I fished was between 66.7 and 67 degrees.
As the day progresses the wind is diminishing. I'm hoping that this evening the wind will be light enough so I can spend some quality time trolling The Alley.
This evening I got out on the water a little bit earlier than usual. I typically go out trolling shortly after 9:00 p.m. at this time of year because the sun sets at 9:15 p.m. But tonight I got on the water at 8:40 p.m. while the sun was still well above the horizon and shining brightly.
I think that because it was so light when I left the house, I forgot my flashlight. This meant that as soon as it got fairly dark I needed to go ashore, because if I did catch a walleye or northern and needed to extract treble hooks from its mouth, I wouldn't have enough light to do so quickly and easily. So I made up my mind to come in at 10:00 p.m.
I started trolling tonight in deeper water -- 14-16 feet -- from Malay's cabin to past Second Duck Point. And instead of trolling my usual #9 Minnow Rap in hot steel, I started by trolling a Radtke's double-jointed Pike Minnow, a larger lure designed specifically for large walleye, big pike and muskies. I was using the rainbow colored Pike Minnow.
Unfortunately, I didn't hook anything on the Pike Minnow. After several passes between Malay's and Second Duck Point, I switched lures and went back to the Rapala Jointed Shad Rap in a silver shad color. Again I made a couple of passes through The Alley, this time in 9.5 to 11 feet of water, and again nothing.
Finally, I went back to my old trusty #9 Minnow Rap in hot steel and started to troll The Alley. But the light was fading fast and I could only go from Malay's to Newman's before losing the faint light of the setting sun. It was time to go in.
I motored the boat back to the lift and was met with a plethora of flying insects, led by the beefy mayfly. I grabbed my cooler and the rod and reel I used for the Radtke Pike Minnow (which requires a heavier rod, reel and line) and made my way onto shore, through the path between the cabin and house and finally inside.
Tonight was a rare night where I was completely skunked. No rock bass, no perch, no pike, no walleye. I was not alone in my plight however. I spoke with Marty (over at Poage's) and he got skunked as well. I also heard that people at the resort were coming in with pike and some small perch, but no walleye.
I think the four straight days of heavy winds, and the massive cold front that rolled through the area, really knocked down the walleye fishing. I'm sure it will get better as the week progresses, but I'm driving down to St. Cloud on Friday so I'll miss fishing the nights of July 3 and 4.
On the plus side, I'll miss the craziness at the neighbor's next to Malays. I hear they've got 4 or 5 families coming up to celebrate Independence Day. I'm glad I'll be in St. Cloud.
I will be able to fish tomorrow night, and then again on Sunday, and I hope the walleye fishing picks up. I'll report again tomorrow on the fishing situation on Sucker Bay, Leech Lake.
After taking care of some business around the house, I did go out fishing. I hit the water at 1:15 p.m. and stayed out until 3:00 p.m.
I started by fishing in front of our cabin in 13.5 feet of water; deeper than I typically fish, but I'd heard the walleye are biting in deeper water. Sure enough, I was marking a lot of fish on my Lowrance.
I used a 1/16 oz. Lindy Max Gap jig with a Northland grub on it. I got a few bites, but caught no fish. I switched to an in-line keel weight with a Mustad "Slow Death" hook, a Colorado spinner blade and a nightcrawler. Twice something bit off my nightcrawler, and both times I felt some weight on the line. I'm guessing it was a walleye, but I couldn't hook one.
I then switched lures again, this time opting for a Bass Pro Shops XPS Walleye Angler jig in lime green/black tipped with a nightcrawler. Again I got a few bites, but hooked no fish.
By this point I had made three drifts from in front of our cabin in 13.5 feet of water to past Newman's cabin in 10 feet of water. The north wind was pushing south, and closer to shore as I approached Second Duck Point.
Just before I decided to come in, I switched lures one more time, this time to a jointed Shad Rap in silver shad color. I trolled the Shad Rap in 12-13.5 feet of water and caught numerous perch, but no walleye. The water temperature throughout the areas I fished was between 66.7 and 67 degrees.
As the day progresses the wind is diminishing. I'm hoping that this evening the wind will be light enough so I can spend some quality time trolling The Alley.
This evening I got out on the water a little bit earlier than usual. I typically go out trolling shortly after 9:00 p.m. at this time of year because the sun sets at 9:15 p.m. But tonight I got on the water at 8:40 p.m. while the sun was still well above the horizon and shining brightly.
I think that because it was so light when I left the house, I forgot my flashlight. This meant that as soon as it got fairly dark I needed to go ashore, because if I did catch a walleye or northern and needed to extract treble hooks from its mouth, I wouldn't have enough light to do so quickly and easily. So I made up my mind to come in at 10:00 p.m.
I started trolling tonight in deeper water -- 14-16 feet -- from Malay's cabin to past Second Duck Point. And instead of trolling my usual #9 Minnow Rap in hot steel, I started by trolling a Radtke's double-jointed Pike Minnow, a larger lure designed specifically for large walleye, big pike and muskies. I was using the rainbow colored Pike Minnow.
Unfortunately, I didn't hook anything on the Pike Minnow. After several passes between Malay's and Second Duck Point, I switched lures and went back to the Rapala Jointed Shad Rap in a silver shad color. Again I made a couple of passes through The Alley, this time in 9.5 to 11 feet of water, and again nothing.
Finally, I went back to my old trusty #9 Minnow Rap in hot steel and started to troll The Alley. But the light was fading fast and I could only go from Malay's to Newman's before losing the faint light of the setting sun. It was time to go in.
I motored the boat back to the lift and was met with a plethora of flying insects, led by the beefy mayfly. I grabbed my cooler and the rod and reel I used for the Radtke Pike Minnow (which requires a heavier rod, reel and line) and made my way onto shore, through the path between the cabin and house and finally inside.
Tonight was a rare night where I was completely skunked. No rock bass, no perch, no pike, no walleye. I was not alone in my plight however. I spoke with Marty (over at Poage's) and he got skunked as well. I also heard that people at the resort were coming in with pike and some small perch, but no walleye.
I think the four straight days of heavy winds, and the massive cold front that rolled through the area, really knocked down the walleye fishing. I'm sure it will get better as the week progresses, but I'm driving down to St. Cloud on Friday so I'll miss fishing the nights of July 3 and 4.
On the plus side, I'll miss the craziness at the neighbor's next to Malays. I hear they've got 4 or 5 families coming up to celebrate Independence Day. I'm glad I'll be in St. Cloud.
I will be able to fish tomorrow night, and then again on Sunday, and I hope the walleye fishing picks up. I'll report again tomorrow on the fishing situation on Sucker Bay, Leech Lake.
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