Today was yet another in a series of beautiful Fall days on Leech Lake. The temperature today hit a high of 73 degrees, the sky was clear blue with only some distant clouds to the south. The wind was calm to maybe 3-5 mph out of the south. An absolutely gorgeous September day.
Today is also the last full day of my parents' visit to the Northwoods. Tomorrow they will begin their two-day trip back to Illinois. It's been great having them here, and as usual, their trip went by way too quickly.
This afternoon Duane Paulsen was back in the woods cutting up a couple of fallen trees on John Newman's property. I don't know why, but I had a feeling I needed to go back and check on him. On got on my Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV and went back to where the logging operation was underway.
Sure enough, Duane had managed to get the bar of his chain saw stuck in a large tree trunk and needed assistance freeing it. While Duane used the front loader of his tractor to lift the tree trunk, I grabbed the chain saw and managed to wiggle it free.
At that point Duane said he’d had enough logging for one day and decided to head home. We loaded his front loader with numerous cuts from the tree, and he took them home where he’d split them into firewood later.
At that point my Mom and I decided to go for a walk in the woods. There are many trails that crisscross the woods and while we didn’t take the shortest route, we didn’t go the longest way either. We had a nice walk, and talk, back in the woods.
When we returned it was around 3:00 p.m. The sky was still clear blue and the wind was slight at 3-5 mph. I thought it’d be the perfect time to get a little fishing in. I asked them, but neither my Mom nor my Dad wanted to join me on the water.
While I was helping Duane in the woods, he had mentioned that earlier that morning he’d caught a nice walleye, a northern and numerous good perch in a spot between Schiebe’s cabin and the government cabins in 8-10 feet of water. It had been years since I had fished that spot so I thought that I’d try there.
The water temperature where I stopped to fish was 70.2 degrees. I put a fathead minnow on my Lindy Max Gap jig and lowered it into the water. I caught numerous perch over the next hour, but none that I would classify as “really nice,” or jumbo.
I decided to mix up my presentation slightly, so rather than tip my jig with a minnow I used a Northland Pro Series Swim’N Grub in a silver color. On my first cast I caught a 24” northern pike. After that I caught a couple of small perch, but again, no walleye or jumbo perch.
At 4:30 p.m. I headed back to shore to get the grill going for dinner. The previous day I had started brining a chicken, and tonight I was going to make “beer can” chicken on the grill.
I thought the bird was tender, juicy and very tasty, but it might have been too salty for my parents taste.
After dinner I started doing some work on my Dad’s laptop PC; things like cleaning up the registry, changing the virus protection software on the PC, etc. I finally wrapped up the work shortly after midnight and then hit the hay.
It was nice to have my parents here for a visit at Leech Lake, and I hope they can come up here again during my next visit.
Tomorrow is supposed to be another nice day – with warm temperatures, light winds and clear skies. I plan to get out onto Leech Lake to do some Fall walleye fishing.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
September 23, 2009 -- On Leech Lake
Today was another beautiful fall day at Leech Lake. The high temperature today was 73 degrees, the low was right around 50 degrees. The wind was mostly calm, with a slight breeze of 3-5 mph on occasion from the east. The sky was clear and blue. The water temperature was 70.9 degrees in most locations.
My parents, who are visiting me here this week at the lake, and I went into Bemidji today to have dinner, and to pick up some paint I need to repaint the deck at the cabin. We had a nice drive into town and also around the Bemidji State University campus, which is located on the western shore of Lake Bemidji.
We got back to the lake around 6:30 p.m. and shortly before 7:00 p.m. I hit the water to do a little fishing. I started by casting a Lindy Max Gap jig tipped with Northland Slurpie Swim'N Grub. I caught nothing.
Just after sunset, which was at 7:13 p.m. this evening, I switched tactics and began trolling my hot steel colored Minnow Rap in 9-12 feet of water in The Alley. Again, I caught nothing. I decided to expand my trolling area to include the flats between Duck Point and Second Duck Point. Still no fish.
At 8:45 p.m., with no fish caught, I headed for shore. This is one of the few times in recent memory where I've been skunked on the water.
Once on shore, my mother and I went out to the end of the dock to look at the stars. With no clouds, and an early moonset (at 9:23 p.m. this evening) the sky was covered in blinking stars. The Milky Way was again clearly visible.
It was a nice way to end another night on Leech Lake.
My parents, who are visiting me here this week at the lake, and I went into Bemidji today to have dinner, and to pick up some paint I need to repaint the deck at the cabin. We had a nice drive into town and also around the Bemidji State University campus, which is located on the western shore of Lake Bemidji.
We got back to the lake around 6:30 p.m. and shortly before 7:00 p.m. I hit the water to do a little fishing. I started by casting a Lindy Max Gap jig tipped with Northland Slurpie Swim'N Grub. I caught nothing.
Just after sunset, which was at 7:13 p.m. this evening, I switched tactics and began trolling my hot steel colored Minnow Rap in 9-12 feet of water in The Alley. Again, I caught nothing. I decided to expand my trolling area to include the flats between Duck Point and Second Duck Point. Still no fish.
At 8:45 p.m., with no fish caught, I headed for shore. This is one of the few times in recent memory where I've been skunked on the water.
Once on shore, my mother and I went out to the end of the dock to look at the stars. With no clouds, and an early moonset (at 9:23 p.m. this evening) the sky was covered in blinking stars. The Milky Way was again clearly visible.
It was a nice way to end another night on Leech Lake.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
September 22, 2009 -- On Leech Lake
When I got out of bed this morning and looked outside, the ground was wet from an overnight rain. The sky was cloudy and looked like it could produce more rain at any time. The temperature was 62 degrees and the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the south.
As the morning evolved into early afternoon, however, no more rain fell and the sun actually broke through the heavy cloud cover. At 1:00 p.m. I decided to go fishing, and to my surprise and delight, my father asked if he could join me.
While my dad always took us to various northern Michigan locations for summertime vacations in remote cabins, he was never one to get out on the lake for any angling action. On this occasion I was more than happy to have him join me in the boat, even if he chose not to fish.
Once in the boat I noted that the water temperature had cooled to 70.2 degrees. The air temperature had warmed to the low 70s.
I started fishing in front of our house in 9-11 feet of water using a Lindy Max Gap jig tipped with a fathead minnow. I caught one small perch. There were seven other boats very close to us, many with licenses that showed them to be from Wisconsin and Iowa, so I decided to move to another location. I don't like fishing in packs of boats.
I moved the boat to 12-14 feet of water in front of the Malay's cabin, and again used a jig and minnow presentation. Again, I caught only a couple of small perch.
I decided it was time for another change of venue and presentation. I motored over to Norm's cabin and began throwing a spinner bait for bass. Using my MinnKota electric trolling motor I navigated along the edge of the reeds while making my way north toward Schiebe's cabin. I didn't catch any bass, but a big muskie broke the surface just in front of the boat. I caught a quick glimpse of its back, and both my dad and me saw and heard the big splash it made as it disappeared back into the water.
With the boat in front of The Birches, I stowed the electric trolling motor and moved the boat out into 9-10 feet of water. I fished The Birches for 20 minutes or so, but caught only one rock bass; again on a jig and minnow presentation.
At just after 3:00 p.m. we made our way back to shore. Within 30 minutes of coming ashore, the sky darkened and the wind shifted to the north and picked up to 12-15 mph. It looked like we were going to get some rain, but the dark clouds passed overhead without dropping any moisture.
The wind was still fairly strong as evening turned to night and rather than go out fishing by myself, I stayed inside and visited with my parents.
Tomorrow we'll be going into Bemidji to run some errands and to eat dinner in town. If the weather permits, I'd like to get out trolling tomorrow evening so I can attempt to catch a 16-18 inch walleye or two so we can have a fish fry dinner before my parents have to leave for home.
More from Leech Lake tomorrow.
As the morning evolved into early afternoon, however, no more rain fell and the sun actually broke through the heavy cloud cover. At 1:00 p.m. I decided to go fishing, and to my surprise and delight, my father asked if he could join me.
While my dad always took us to various northern Michigan locations for summertime vacations in remote cabins, he was never one to get out on the lake for any angling action. On this occasion I was more than happy to have him join me in the boat, even if he chose not to fish.
Once in the boat I noted that the water temperature had cooled to 70.2 degrees. The air temperature had warmed to the low 70s.
I started fishing in front of our house in 9-11 feet of water using a Lindy Max Gap jig tipped with a fathead minnow. I caught one small perch. There were seven other boats very close to us, many with licenses that showed them to be from Wisconsin and Iowa, so I decided to move to another location. I don't like fishing in packs of boats.
I moved the boat to 12-14 feet of water in front of the Malay's cabin, and again used a jig and minnow presentation. Again, I caught only a couple of small perch.
I decided it was time for another change of venue and presentation. I motored over to Norm's cabin and began throwing a spinner bait for bass. Using my MinnKota electric trolling motor I navigated along the edge of the reeds while making my way north toward Schiebe's cabin. I didn't catch any bass, but a big muskie broke the surface just in front of the boat. I caught a quick glimpse of its back, and both my dad and me saw and heard the big splash it made as it disappeared back into the water.
With the boat in front of The Birches, I stowed the electric trolling motor and moved the boat out into 9-10 feet of water. I fished The Birches for 20 minutes or so, but caught only one rock bass; again on a jig and minnow presentation.
At just after 3:00 p.m. we made our way back to shore. Within 30 minutes of coming ashore, the sky darkened and the wind shifted to the north and picked up to 12-15 mph. It looked like we were going to get some rain, but the dark clouds passed overhead without dropping any moisture.
The wind was still fairly strong as evening turned to night and rather than go out fishing by myself, I stayed inside and visited with my parents.
Tomorrow we'll be going into Bemidji to run some errands and to eat dinner in town. If the weather permits, I'd like to get out trolling tomorrow evening so I can attempt to catch a 16-18 inch walleye or two so we can have a fish fry dinner before my parents have to leave for home.
More from Leech Lake tomorrow.
Monday, September 21, 2009
September 21, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
The rain approaching from the south; Goose Island in the distance
This morning at 9:00 a.m. the temperature was 62 degrees, the sky was mostly cloudy and the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the south. As the day progressed, the sky continued to darken until 1:15 p.m. when it started to rain.
It rained lightly for about 45 minutes, then absolutely poured for about 20 minutes, before letting up to a light sprinkle for the next couple of hours. The high temperature today didn't get much past 70 degrees.
At 4:00 p.m. my parents arrived at the cabin. They had been at a wedding over the weekend in western Illinois, then spent Sunday night in northern Wisconsin before making their way to Leech Lake today. They'll be here for four days. I hope we get some good weather so we can get out onto the lake to do some fishing and go hiking back in the woods.
I had a number of business calls and other work related activities that took up most of my morning and afternoon, so I didn't get a chance to go fishing before my parents arrived. Then between the on-again off-again rain and cooking dinner, I didn't go fishing this evening either. That's fine, however, because it gave me a chance to visit with my parents.
I have more work to attend to tomorrow morning that should keep me occupied until the early afternoon. If the weather permits, I'll go fishing both tomorrow afternoon and then trolling tomorrow evening. My mother would like a fish fry while she's here at the lake and I'd love to accommodate her.
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, September 20, 2009
September 19 and 20, 2009 -- On Leech Lake
WEEKEND EDITION
Saturday -- Z-Man Invitational Walleye Classic
The 7th Annual Z-Man (Glen Zimmerman) Invitational Walleye Classic -- as it was listed on the hand towel Glen gave out -- began on Saturday, September 19 at 7:00 a.m. on Leech Lake. Glen, who lives in the grouping of houses collectively known as The Harbor, puts on this little get-together as part of his birthday celebration. His birthday is September 19, same as Rick's. Happy birthday Rick.
To ensure an early start for the one-day tournament, I met John Newman at his place at 6:15 a.m. for breakfast. I had awakened around 4:00 a.m. this morning and had not been able to go back to sleep. So by the time I got to John's I'd already been up for more than two hours.
We ate a Hearty Angler's Breakfast® consisting of ham, bacon, eggs, home-fried potatoes, and English muffins along with coffee and orange juice. By 7:00 a.m. our bellies were full and we were ready to do some walleye fishing.
We hit the water just after 7:00 a.m. under clear skies and a temperature of 65 degrees, on its way to a high of 80. The winds were light in the morning hours at 5-8 mph out of the SSE, but as the day progressed, so did the winds shifting to the south and increasing to 12-18 mph. The water temperature was 72.4 degrees.
John and I started the morning by trolling Minnow Raps in The Alley in 9-12 feet of water at a ground speed of just over 2 mph. We caught three big northern pike, including one John hooked that was close to, if not, 30 inches. But no walleye.
Around 9:00 a.m. we switched tactics. We both used jigs tipped with fathead minnows. I used an 1/8 oz. Lindy Max Gap jig in chartreuse, and John used a round jig head similar to a Northland Gum Ball jig. We took advantage of the wind, and drifted north from Second Duck Point to past the Malay's cabin in 9-11 feet of water.
After several drifts, numerous perch and a northern pike or two, I finally boated our first walleye of the day, a nice 16" fish that I kept (Although I subsequently let it go because it was just 16" long and fairly skinny. I prefer to keep 16 1/2" to 17 1/2" walleye if they've got some weight to them).
I recorded my catch on my official tournament scorecard, and got back to fishing.
John and I made several more passes between Second Duck and the Malay's, but neither of us caught another walleye; but we did continue to catch perch, and I hooked into at least a couple of pike because twice I lost my jig to a "toothy" biter and had to re-tie.
We decided to motor over to Big Hardwood Point because the word was the walleye were active over there. When we arrived it was obvious we weren't the only ones who had heard about the walleye biting at Big Hardwood because there were at least a dozen other boats in the area.
John and I spent about an hour or more jigging fatheads around the point, but we didn't get so much as a perch bite. Finally we decided to head north to another location I know, which I've dubbed the "Hole." It consists of 15-18 feet of water surrounded by shallower water of 10-12 feet. It's located in front of the old Bay Shore Resort on the north end of Sucker Bay. I've caught walleye there before, so we thought we'd give it a try.
We made numerous passes through the Hole, around it, along side of it, near it, etc., but we only caught a few small perch. At 2:20 p.m. we came ashore for some lunch, to regroup, and map out a plan of action for the final few hours of the tournament.
John and I hit the water again around 3:45 p.m. and fished for another three hours. Our location this time was the only place where we'd seen a walleye today -- the Alley between Second Duck Point and the Malay's cabin in 9-11 feet of water.
We both caught numerous perch, in fact John keep several of them, but no walleyes saw the inside of the boat. At 6:45 p.m. we made our way back to the boat lift and eventually to Glen's cabin at the Harbor for the tournament wrap up and dinner.
Saturday -- Z-Man Invitational Walleye Classic
The 7th Annual Z-Man (Glen Zimmerman) Invitational Walleye Classic -- as it was listed on the hand towel Glen gave out -- began on Saturday, September 19 at 7:00 a.m. on Leech Lake. Glen, who lives in the grouping of houses collectively known as The Harbor, puts on this little get-together as part of his birthday celebration. His birthday is September 19, same as Rick's. Happy birthday Rick.
To ensure an early start for the one-day tournament, I met John Newman at his place at 6:15 a.m. for breakfast. I had awakened around 4:00 a.m. this morning and had not been able to go back to sleep. So by the time I got to John's I'd already been up for more than two hours.
We ate a Hearty Angler's Breakfast® consisting of ham, bacon, eggs, home-fried potatoes, and English muffins along with coffee and orange juice. By 7:00 a.m. our bellies were full and we were ready to do some walleye fishing.
We hit the water just after 7:00 a.m. under clear skies and a temperature of 65 degrees, on its way to a high of 80. The winds were light in the morning hours at 5-8 mph out of the SSE, but as the day progressed, so did the winds shifting to the south and increasing to 12-18 mph. The water temperature was 72.4 degrees.
John and I started the morning by trolling Minnow Raps in The Alley in 9-12 feet of water at a ground speed of just over 2 mph. We caught three big northern pike, including one John hooked that was close to, if not, 30 inches. But no walleye.
Around 9:00 a.m. we switched tactics. We both used jigs tipped with fathead minnows. I used an 1/8 oz. Lindy Max Gap jig in chartreuse, and John used a round jig head similar to a Northland Gum Ball jig. We took advantage of the wind, and drifted north from Second Duck Point to past the Malay's cabin in 9-11 feet of water.
After several drifts, numerous perch and a northern pike or two, I finally boated our first walleye of the day, a nice 16" fish that I kept (Although I subsequently let it go because it was just 16" long and fairly skinny. I prefer to keep 16 1/2" to 17 1/2" walleye if they've got some weight to them).
I recorded my catch on my official tournament scorecard, and got back to fishing.
John and I made several more passes between Second Duck and the Malay's, but neither of us caught another walleye; but we did continue to catch perch, and I hooked into at least a couple of pike because twice I lost my jig to a "toothy" biter and had to re-tie.
We decided to motor over to Big Hardwood Point because the word was the walleye were active over there. When we arrived it was obvious we weren't the only ones who had heard about the walleye biting at Big Hardwood because there were at least a dozen other boats in the area.
John and I spent about an hour or more jigging fatheads around the point, but we didn't get so much as a perch bite. Finally we decided to head north to another location I know, which I've dubbed the "Hole." It consists of 15-18 feet of water surrounded by shallower water of 10-12 feet. It's located in front of the old Bay Shore Resort on the north end of Sucker Bay. I've caught walleye there before, so we thought we'd give it a try.
We made numerous passes through the Hole, around it, along side of it, near it, etc., but we only caught a few small perch. At 2:20 p.m. we came ashore for some lunch, to regroup, and map out a plan of action for the final few hours of the tournament.
John and I hit the water again around 3:45 p.m. and fished for another three hours. Our location this time was the only place where we'd seen a walleye today -- the Alley between Second Duck Point and the Malay's cabin in 9-11 feet of water.
We both caught numerous perch, in fact John keep several of them, but no walleyes saw the inside of the boat. At 6:45 p.m. we made our way back to the boat lift and eventually to Glen's cabin at the Harbor for the tournament wrap up and dinner.
The winner of this year's Z-Man Invitational Walleye Classic did so with a total of 83 1/2 inches for four fish, a nice group of fish indeed. Lainee Malay and Lenette Gabrielson made the dinner of shredded beef sandwiches, beans, pasta salad, etc. After dinner, door prizes were handed out and by 8:30 p.m. John and I were on our way back to our respective houses.
We had been on the water for the better part of the day, and even though we only caught one walleye between us, we had another great day on Leech Lake.
Sunday
Today was cooler than yesterday with a temperature of 77 degrees as a high and the mid 50s for a low. The sky was filled with big billowy clouds early in day that darkened by noon, but eventually gave way to a clear night sky filled with stars. Even the Milky Way was visible overhead in a north-south arc. The wind varied from 10-12 mph early in the day to more than 20 mph midday, with gusts up over 30 mph, before calming to 8-12 mph after dark.
The moon was 5 percent waxing and sunset was at 7:19 p.m. The water temperature was 71.2 degrees.
I made it out onto the water for the first time today around 11:45 a.m. I went south toward Second Duck Point but pulled up in front of Giza's cabin in 9 feet of water. I deployed the drift sock, put a fathead minnow on my Lindy Max Gap jig and started drifting north. I made only two passes before the wind started to really kick up, so by 1:00 p.m. I was back on shore. I had caught no fish.
John Newman invited me over for dinner, and we dined on brined then oven-roasted chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes and corn. Sure, the meal lacked any green leafy vegatables, but is sure was tasty.
At 7:15 p.m. John and I went onto the water for an evening trolling session. We trolled The Alley in 9-12 feet of water pulling Rapala Minnow Raps. I caught a small pike and a 22" walleye. Those were the only fish we caught, however, and by 9:30 p.m. we were back on shore.
It was a beautiful autumn day in northern Minnesota and I feel blessed to have spent it on Leech Lake.
Friday, September 18, 2009
September 18, 2009 -- On Leech Lake
I awoke to a beautiful Fall morning in the Northwoods. The temperature was in mid-60s, the sky was blue and the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the SSE.
I did some work until noon, then decided to go fishing. John Newman was just coming off the lake as I was getting ready to go, so I went over to his harbor to see how he'd done. He said he caught a few small perch, but that was about it.
I asked if he wanted to join me on the water, and even though he was coming ashore, he said sure.
We left my boat lift around 12:45 p.m. and headed for West Goose Flats, which is just west of Goose Island. John had heard that the walleye were biting at that location. Obviously other people had heard the same thing because when we arrived there were about 10 boats in the area. We fished West Gull Flats for about 45 minutes, but we caught nothing.
We relocated to Ottertail Point, and were again joined by several other boats. I caught several small perch, but neither John nor I hooked a walleye.
At last, we headed north to The Birches where I caught a dozen or small to medium perch and a tiny hammer handle pike, but again, neither of us hooked a walleye.
The Zimmerman Walleye Classic is tomorrow, and thus far I've not hooked a walleye since I arrived on Monday. I hope that changes quickly and that tomorrow John and I both boat a number of good sized walleyes.
John and I, and possibly Tom Malay, are going to go down to The Harbor at 5:00 p.m. to register for the Zimmerman tournament. Then later this evening, John and I plan on doing some trolling for walleye. If the past is any indication, that's when we'll hook into some nice fish.
Unfortunately, the Zimmerman tournament ends at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, which is just a half hour or so before sunset. Most of the walleye I catch during my evening trolling sessions come about an hour after sunset, too late for this tournament.
John and I went trolling tonight at 7:20 p.m., just before sunset. The air temperature had cooled to just around 60 degrees, the water temperature was still a warm 72.5 degrees, and the wind was out of the SSE at 10-12 mph.
We used Minnow Raps and trolled in 9-11 feet of water in the Alley, between Malay's to just south of Second Duck Point. I hooked into a fish, but after 4 or 5 turns of the reel, the fish came off. A short time later John hooked into a very nice 22 1/2" walleye, which was released safely back into the lake.
Since we're meeting at 6:15 a.m. tomorrow morning for a pre-tournament breakfast at John's, we decided to come ashore just before 9:00 p.m. It was a wonderful, new moon night, on Leech Lake.
I did some work until noon, then decided to go fishing. John Newman was just coming off the lake as I was getting ready to go, so I went over to his harbor to see how he'd done. He said he caught a few small perch, but that was about it.
I asked if he wanted to join me on the water, and even though he was coming ashore, he said sure.
We left my boat lift around 12:45 p.m. and headed for West Goose Flats, which is just west of Goose Island. John had heard that the walleye were biting at that location. Obviously other people had heard the same thing because when we arrived there were about 10 boats in the area. We fished West Gull Flats for about 45 minutes, but we caught nothing.
We relocated to Ottertail Point, and were again joined by several other boats. I caught several small perch, but neither John nor I hooked a walleye.
At last, we headed north to The Birches where I caught a dozen or small to medium perch and a tiny hammer handle pike, but again, neither of us hooked a walleye.
The Zimmerman Walleye Classic is tomorrow, and thus far I've not hooked a walleye since I arrived on Monday. I hope that changes quickly and that tomorrow John and I both boat a number of good sized walleyes.
John and I, and possibly Tom Malay, are going to go down to The Harbor at 5:00 p.m. to register for the Zimmerman tournament. Then later this evening, John and I plan on doing some trolling for walleye. If the past is any indication, that's when we'll hook into some nice fish.
Unfortunately, the Zimmerman tournament ends at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, which is just a half hour or so before sunset. Most of the walleye I catch during my evening trolling sessions come about an hour after sunset, too late for this tournament.
John and I went trolling tonight at 7:20 p.m., just before sunset. The air temperature had cooled to just around 60 degrees, the water temperature was still a warm 72.5 degrees, and the wind was out of the SSE at 10-12 mph.
We used Minnow Raps and trolled in 9-11 feet of water in the Alley, between Malay's to just south of Second Duck Point. I hooked into a fish, but after 4 or 5 turns of the reel, the fish came off. A short time later John hooked into a very nice 22 1/2" walleye, which was released safely back into the lake.
Since we're meeting at 6:15 a.m. tomorrow morning for a pre-tournament breakfast at John's, we decided to come ashore just before 9:00 p.m. It was a wonderful, new moon night, on Leech Lake.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
September 17, 2009 -- On Leech Lake
The sunset this evening over Sucker Bay, Leech Lake
This morning the temperature at 8:00 a.m. was 63 degrees on it's way to a high of 80 degrees later in the day. The sky was foggy early, but by 9:00 a.m. the sun was out and the sky was clear. The wind today was light, maybe 5-8 mph out of the SSE.
I went into Walker this morning to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to volunteer at the MN DNR Fisheries office. Twice per year, the department puts out gill nets in various locations on Leech Lake to trap (and kill) a variety of fish. The fish are measured, recorded, and a variety of samples are taken from the fish.
For instance, all fish have two little "stones" (otoliths) at the base of their brains the fish depend on for balance in the water. These stones calcify, and much like rings in a tree trunk, provide DNR fish biologists with information about the age and health of the fish.
Stocked fish, when they are only days old fry, are put into a vat of a special chemical that marks their "stones" enabling biologists to tell the difference between stocked fish and native fish. This process is only one of several that the MN DNR biologists were doing today while I was there.
My job was to pull the dead fish out of the gill nets and stack them according to the size of the net mesh in which they were trapped. For example, the bigger fish such as walleye and northern pike were trapped in 2" mesh, while smaller fish such as tulibee and perch were trapped in the 1" mesh.
It was an interesting experience and one I'd consider doing next year if I'm at the lake during the gill netting process.
After taking care of a little business in Walker I came home.
At 3:15 p.m. I went out on the lake to do some fishing. The temperature had risen all the way to 80 degrees by this point and sky was clear blue. Needless to say, it was hot out on the lake. The water temperature had warmed as well to 74.4 degrees.
I used a VMC jig head with a Northland Tackle Slurpie Swin'N Grub in a silver color. On my third cast of the day I hooked a 24" northern pike. Unfortunately that was the only fish I caught using the jig. I decided to change tactics and troll with a Cotton Cordell Grappler Shad in a glory green color.
I trolled from The Birches south past Second Duck Point in 9-11 feet of water, but caught nothing. At 5:30 p.m. I motored back to the boat lift. The Mercury Verado motor, by the way, seems to be working fine after the new fuel switch was installed.
I went down to the Malays to say hi to them for about an hour or so, then headed back to the house.
John Newman arrived tonight and I'm sure he and I will find a way to go fishing tomorrow in preparation of the annual Zimmerman Walleye Classic tournament that we're going to fish on Saturday. I hope by then I've figured out where the walleye are hiding.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
September 16, 2009 -- On Leech Lake
Yes, on Leech Lake, not at Leech Lake. Today I got my boat repaired and was able to make it out onto the lake to fish for the first time since the end of July.
I awoke this morning to temperatures of 59 degrees at 7:00 a.m. under heavy cloudy skies and a slight wind of 8-12 mph from the east. After a quick breakfast, I took my boat to Corner Sports in Bemidji for repairs. I arrived at the shop at 8:35 a.m., and by 8:45 a.m. my boat was in the shop hooked up to the computer for a complete diagnostic.
As suspected, the problem with my Mercury Verado motor was a faulty fuel switch. The mechanic at Corner Sports told me that he's fixed maybe three or four fuel switches in Verados this year and about the same number last year. He added that the new switches are much better and I shouldn't have any problems with the motor getting enough fuel again.
My motor was under warranty so the repairs didn't cost me anything, but the privilege of being moved the front of the line during a particularly busy time of season cost me a case of beer. I offered to buy the service guys any beer they wanted, and they selected Busch Light. Go figure.
The boat was out of the shop by 11:00 a.m. and just shortly after noon, my boat was once again perched proudly upon the boat lift at the cabin.
I took care of a few chores around the house and then at 2:15 p.m. I set out for my first day of fishing during this trip. The air temperature had risen to just around 80 degrees, the wind had increased to 12-15 mph out of the east and the water temperature varied from 72.5 to 73.9 degrees depending on the depth and location I was fishing.
I started out in 9-13 feet of water off Second Duck Point using a Northland Slurpie jig head and a Gulp Alive minnow. I caught nothing. I moved to in front of our house, but still was unable to hook into any fish.
I finally switched to a VMC jig head with a Northland Swim'N Grub and moved to the Birches and that's when I started to catch fish. I caught numerous perch, a rock bass, and I hooked into something big but was unable to land it. On my subsequent cast, I caught a medium sized perch and as I reeled it back to the boat a small muskie, no bigger than 30-32 inches, followed the perch right to the side of the boat.
Although I didn't catch any walleyes today it was still a great day on Leech Lake.
Tomorrow I'm going into Walker to volunteer with the MN DNR to help count fish from the organization's netting program. A couple of times each season the Department of Natural Resources does a survey of the fish in Leech Lake by placing nets at various locations around the lake. By counting the fish netted, the DNR can extrapolate the number, and size, of fish species in Leech Lake. I look forward to participating in this season's netting program.
More tomorrow.
I awoke this morning to temperatures of 59 degrees at 7:00 a.m. under heavy cloudy skies and a slight wind of 8-12 mph from the east. After a quick breakfast, I took my boat to Corner Sports in Bemidji for repairs. I arrived at the shop at 8:35 a.m., and by 8:45 a.m. my boat was in the shop hooked up to the computer for a complete diagnostic.
As suspected, the problem with my Mercury Verado motor was a faulty fuel switch. The mechanic at Corner Sports told me that he's fixed maybe three or four fuel switches in Verados this year and about the same number last year. He added that the new switches are much better and I shouldn't have any problems with the motor getting enough fuel again.
My motor was under warranty so the repairs didn't cost me anything, but the privilege of being moved the front of the line during a particularly busy time of season cost me a case of beer. I offered to buy the service guys any beer they wanted, and they selected Busch Light. Go figure.
The boat was out of the shop by 11:00 a.m. and just shortly after noon, my boat was once again perched proudly upon the boat lift at the cabin.
I took care of a few chores around the house and then at 2:15 p.m. I set out for my first day of fishing during this trip. The air temperature had risen to just around 80 degrees, the wind had increased to 12-15 mph out of the east and the water temperature varied from 72.5 to 73.9 degrees depending on the depth and location I was fishing.
I started out in 9-13 feet of water off Second Duck Point using a Northland Slurpie jig head and a Gulp Alive minnow. I caught nothing. I moved to in front of our house, but still was unable to hook into any fish.
I finally switched to a VMC jig head with a Northland Swim'N Grub and moved to the Birches and that's when I started to catch fish. I caught numerous perch, a rock bass, and I hooked into something big but was unable to land it. On my subsequent cast, I caught a medium sized perch and as I reeled it back to the boat a small muskie, no bigger than 30-32 inches, followed the perch right to the side of the boat.
Although I didn't catch any walleyes today it was still a great day on Leech Lake.
Tomorrow I'm going into Walker to volunteer with the MN DNR to help count fish from the organization's netting program. A couple of times each season the Department of Natural Resources does a survey of the fish in Leech Lake by placing nets at various locations around the lake. By counting the fish netted, the DNR can extrapolate the number, and size, of fish species in Leech Lake. I look forward to participating in this season's netting program.
More tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
September 15, 2009 -- At Leech Lake
Today was a beautiful summer day. The temperature was 80 degrees, the sky was cloudless and blue and there was very little wind. What light breeze there was, was maybe 3-5 mph out of the south.
After finishing up some business calls, I set out to clean my boat. I washed the gunwales, the dashboard, and the motors, I cleaned the windshield and then vacuumed the entire boat. Once the boat was thoroughly cleaned, I loaded it with my fishing rods and reels, tackle boxes, life jackets, landing net, and a variety of other essential items. I was ready to go fishing.
I lowered the boat into the still water and started the Mercury Verado motored and slowly pulled away from the boat lift. I decided to go slowly and let the motor warm up. After several minutes of putzing around the lake, I decided to give the motor some gas and get it running at cruising speed.
When I throttled up, however, the motor coughed and chugged. I immediately put the motor in neutral, but the motor continued to wheeze and eventually stopped altogether. Earlier in the summer I had the same problem and the mechanics at Corner Sports told me that the Verados had had some troubles with the fuel float. I suspected that was the problem I was experiencing.
I got the boat back to the boat lift using my Honda 8 hp kicker motor and got the boat out of the water. I let the motor sit for a while then lowered the boat into the water and tried starting the motor. Again, it coughed and rumbled and ran very rough. I decided to pull the boat out of the water, put it on the trailer and get in it to Corner Sports in the morning.
I called Corner Sports and not only could they see me first thing in the morning, right after they open at 8:30 a.m., but they said they have a fuel float for my motor in stock; if that is indeed the problem. They'll have to hook the motor up to the computer to do a complete diagnostic on it.
Needless to say, I was disappointed about not being able to get out onto Leech Lake to do some fishing today. I'm just hoping the mechanics at Corner Sports can quickly identify the problem with my Verado and fix it while I wait in Bemidji. I'd really like to avoid making multiple trips into town if possible.
I'll post updates on the motor situation tomorrow, and hopefully I'll be able to post a fishing report as well.
After finishing up some business calls, I set out to clean my boat. I washed the gunwales, the dashboard, and the motors, I cleaned the windshield and then vacuumed the entire boat. Once the boat was thoroughly cleaned, I loaded it with my fishing rods and reels, tackle boxes, life jackets, landing net, and a variety of other essential items. I was ready to go fishing.
I lowered the boat into the still water and started the Mercury Verado motored and slowly pulled away from the boat lift. I decided to go slowly and let the motor warm up. After several minutes of putzing around the lake, I decided to give the motor some gas and get it running at cruising speed.
When I throttled up, however, the motor coughed and chugged. I immediately put the motor in neutral, but the motor continued to wheeze and eventually stopped altogether. Earlier in the summer I had the same problem and the mechanics at Corner Sports told me that the Verados had had some troubles with the fuel float. I suspected that was the problem I was experiencing.
I got the boat back to the boat lift using my Honda 8 hp kicker motor and got the boat out of the water. I let the motor sit for a while then lowered the boat into the water and tried starting the motor. Again, it coughed and rumbled and ran very rough. I decided to pull the boat out of the water, put it on the trailer and get in it to Corner Sports in the morning.
I called Corner Sports and not only could they see me first thing in the morning, right after they open at 8:30 a.m., but they said they have a fuel float for my motor in stock; if that is indeed the problem. They'll have to hook the motor up to the computer to do a complete diagnostic on it.
Needless to say, I was disappointed about not being able to get out onto Leech Lake to do some fishing today. I'm just hoping the mechanics at Corner Sports can quickly identify the problem with my Verado and fix it while I wait in Bemidji. I'd really like to avoid making multiple trips into town if possible.
I'll post updates on the motor situation tomorrow, and hopefully I'll be able to post a fishing report as well.
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