Remembering Open Water

I received a text from Lainy Malay the other day saying that there was 3-4 inches of ice on Leech Lake and that her husband Tom was preparing to go out onto the lake to cut a couple of holes to begin his favorite time of year -- ice fishing season.

It's been a number of years since I was on Leech Lake for some hard-water fishing, but maybe this will be the year I get back.

Anyway, thinking of ice on the lake got me thinking about being on the lake period. Here's a picture of me in my Lund 1800 Pro-V IFS Verado Limited Edition boat, complete with a 150-hp Mercury Verado motor, during the open-water season on the lake. These memories are going to have to do until I can again visit the northwoods of Minnesota.

Your author on Sucker Bay, Leech Lake

Another view of the author on Sucker Bay, Leech Lake

October 10, 2012 -- Leaving Leech Lake

This morning at 7:00 a.m. the sky was clear and just beginning to show light. The wind was 8-12 mph out of the west and the temperature was right at freezing, 32 degrees.

Leech Lake sunrise

Although I went to bed before midnight last night, I had trouble sleeping; I always do the night before traveling. And before first light I was wide awake in bed making mental lists of the tasks I need to complete before leaving later in the morning.

One thing I realized is that when I first came to Leech Lake several months ago the weather was warm and getting warmer, both in California and in northern Minnesota. As a result, I didn't bring a jacket or a sweatshirt with me, which would have been nice to have since the temperature won't hit 40 degrees until I'm already on a plane on my way to Minneapolis.

Oh well, it's not that bad, especially since the Bemidji airport now has jet ways in the terminal. Just a year ago portable stairs were still used to board the small, regional aircraft that fly in and out of Bemidji. But thanks to government stimulus money, the airport now allows passengers to board without ever having to step outside.

It's now 10:30 a.m. and I'm getting ready to shut down the computer, as well as the well pump. I've cleaned out the food from the drawers and refrigerator and have three bags full to give to the Malays. I've taken the garbage and recycling to the town hall trash center and then stored the truck in the garage for the long, cold winter.

All the buildings are locked, and the security systems armed. My neighbors on either side will be keeping a close eye on the place during my absence; in fact, Tom Malay will help John Newman store John's 14-foot boat in my garage.

The Malays will be here in the next 20 minutes or so, so it's time to sign off one last time from Leech Lake; at least until my next visit.

So long from Leech Lake.

October 9, 2012 -- At Leech Lake

Once again the weather this morning was cold, grey and wet. The temperature at 9:00 a.m. was 39 degrees on its way to a high of only 42 degrees. The sky was grey and it alternated between a light rain and a drizzle. The wind was out of the WNW between 8-15 mph. I didn't see a boat on the water all day.

And like yesterday, my day was devoted to cleaning the house. While enjoying a pot of coffee I did a load of laundry, washed the dishes and cleaned the counter tops. Then my cleaning took me from the TV room to the living room to the bedroom to at last the kitchen, where cleaning the floor is something I really didn't want to do.

Just before 4:00 p.m. I was done with most of the cleaning, with the exception of the master bath and the refrigerators. I took a break and got the ATV stored away for the winter by running the gas out of the carburetor and hooking the battery to a trickle charger. While I was outside the wind picked up and then with a 'whoosh' hail mixed with snow flurries began to fall. I continued my outside chores which included locking up the out buildings and turning off the harbor lights.

I still have to close up the cabin and out buildings over there, but I'll get to that tomorrow after I store the truck in the garage.

I got a call from Karen Newman earlier today and she has generously offered to cook dinner for me and the Malays (Tom and Lainy) this evening so I don't have to prepare any food for myself, plus she said that they wanted to say goodbye. It was a very nice gesture and one I graciously accepted. I wrapped up my cleaning by 5:30 p.m. in order to get cleaned up and over to the Newman's cabin by 6:00 p.m. for dinner.

I arrived at the Newman's just after 6:00 p.m. and had a nice conversation with Karen prior Tom and Lainy joining us. At one point I happened to look outside and saw a very interesting sunset. I excused myself and walked out to the end of the Newman's dock to get a better look, after all it'll be the final Leech Lake sunset I'll see this year.

Another beautiful Leech Lake sunset

We enjoyed a bountiful meal of pulled-pork sandwiches and a fantastic bean dish that Karen made. Lainy provided a tasty cherry crisp for dessert. It was nice to spend some time with friendly neighbors on my final night at the lake. Knowing that they're right here keeping an eye on my place during my absence gives me peace of mind.

Once home I did another load of laundry, continued the cleaning of the kitchen and made sure that my bags were packed. Then it was another check around the house to make sure all was in order for tomorrow's departure. Tom and Lainy are picking me up at 11:00 a.m. and then it's on my way to the Bemidji airport.

Good night from Leech Lake, one last time.

One day and counting.

October 8, 2012, At Leech Lake

This morning at 9:00 a.m. the temperature was 39 degrees, the sky was grey and overcast and a light rain was falling. In fact, a light rain fell all morning long. It was definitely a cold, wet Autumn day on the shores of Leech Lake.

The weather cooperated with my plans for the day -- which was to stay inside and clean the house in preparation for my departure midweek. My procrastination for cleaning the gutters yesterday delayed the start of that project until 1:30 p.m., and today was a repeat performance as I was faced with the unpleasant task of cleaning the bathrooms and kitchen.

The rain continued to fall as I finally began cleaning at 1:30 p.m. By 3:30 p.m. I'd cleaned two of the bathrooms, cleaned the hallway by the garage and polished much of the woodwork in those areas. At that point it was time for a lunch break.

After lunch I did some more house cleaning before cleaning up myself. Tomorrow I'll clean the kitchen, bedroom and living room (including the fireplace). Since there will be no fire for me tomorrow night, I went out to the wood pile in the late afternoon, during a break in the rain, to gather some firewood. While outside I was graced with the presence of two magnificent bald eagles that were riding the air currents above me. I watched them soar off into the distance without so much as one beat of their wings. Spectacular. And just another of the beautiful sights I regularly see here at Leech Lake that I will not see in San Jose.

With a night's supply of firewood neatly stored in the garage, I went out onto the end of the dock and watched the lake for a while. There appeared to be a storm approaching from the southwest most likely bringing with it more rain or some snow flurries.

A distant storm moving north on Leech Lake

As it turned out, it neither rained nor snowed. It did cool off to around 38 degrees from a high during the day of 45 degrees. The wind continued to blow hard from the SW.

I ate some of the left over walleye for dinner -- I like making fish sandwiches out of the precooked fillets -- and then settled in to watch the fire and listen to some music. Tomorrow will be another hectic day of cleaning, in addition to other tasks, such as storing the ATV for the winter, etc.

It's hard to believe that in 48 hours I'll be in California. Good night from Leech Lake.

Two days and counting.

Strong Walleye Population in Leech Lake, but Perch Decline

Here's a report from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources regarding the walleye population in Leech Lake.


 Leech Lake test netting results show a strong walleye population
The results of recent fall test netting on Leech Lake conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) show the walleye population remains strong and anglers who visit the lake should continue to expect quality fishing. According to the results, the walleye catch rates remain above the long-term average for the sixth consecutive year.

“September gill nets showed good numbers of both juvenile and adult walleye,” said Matt Ward, large lake specialist in Walker. “It is encouraging to have a balanced walleye population within and outside the protected slot limit of 18 and 26 inches.”

Strong 2010 and 2011 year-classes are present and the DNR expects these year-classes will start providing harvest opportunities this coming winter. Additionally, 35 percent of walleye sampled were within the slot limit, which will provide anglers the opportunity to catch a large fish.

The number of young-of-the-year walleye (those hatched during the spring of 2012) sampled with both trawling and electrofishing were above the long-term average for each gear type. The average size for this year-class was good, at 6.1 inches during the mid-September electrofishing assessment. Larger sizes in the fall usually translate to higher winter survival.

Other game fish species targeted with test nets include yellow perch and northern pike. Yellow perch abundance declined for the fifth consecutive year, while northern pike abundance continues to remain stable. The primary species of nongame fish assessed with the test nets is cisco. Despite a minor cisco summer kill caused by warm temperatures in 2012, fall test netting indicated adequate numbers of cisco continue to be present.

Lake-wide, walleye counts in DNR test nets averaged 9.42 walleye per net lift, which was similar to results from the past four years and was above the long-term average of 7.7 walleye per net lift. Walleye numbers indicate that management actions implemented under the 2011-2015 Management Plan are succeeding. Key elements of the plan include special fishing regulations, walleye fry stocking, cormorant management and an increased emphasis on aquatic habitat protection.

For more information, contact matt.ward@state.mn.us. 

October 7, 2012 -- At Leech Lake

This morning the wind was again blowing hard, at 15-25 mph out of the SW. The temperature was 40 degrees and the sky was mostly cloudy, with only moments of sun now and again.

Just before 11:00 a.m. I noticed through the window that my neighbor Don Poage was struggling to get his trailer backed down my boat ramp and into the water. His numerous attempts ended with the trailer and truck cockeyed and skewed awkwardly on the ramp.

I made my way next door to the cabin and offered him some advice on which way to turn the wheels to back the trailer down the ramp. Eventually Don got the trailer into the water, fairly straight, where it was ready for the boat. With the wind blowing as hard as it was, I was worried that the boat would slam into the dock during the docking procedure so I stuck around to offer any necessary assistance.

I suggested that Don get into the water and hook the tow strap onto the boat while T.J., a member of Don's family, motor the boat around the dock and into position. They had originally planned to just motor the boat directly onto the trailer, a process that could not only damage the prop (if it hit a rock) but is generally not allowed on Minnesota lakes.

At last, Don and T.J. got the boat onto the trailer, which they then hauled up the ramp and over to their driveway where Don will do the winterizing on the motor himself.

Don mentioned to me that he, T.J. and T.J.'s wife (or girl friend?) did have success fishing for walleye yesterday. According to Don they caught their limit -- four fish per person -- of 12 walleye. Some, however, were as small as 14- and 15-inches. Technically fish that small are legal, but in my book it's kind of unconscious fishing. I have to wonder how many of the fillets from those 12 walleye will end up freezer burned and completely devoid of taste?

Confident that the boat-removal exercise was out of the way with no damage done, I went back into the house to have a late breakfast. Today I need to clean out the gutters on the house, and it's a chore I really don't like doing and so procrastination set in. Finally, at 1:30 p.m., I went outside and gathered the materials necessary for cleaning out the gutters and got to work.

Finally three hours later, at 4:30 p.m., I put away the ladder and other tools; the gutters were clean. Well, as clean as possible. By the time I'd cleaned out four 5-gallon bucket loads of gunk and crap, the strong SW wind blew leaves off the trees and into the gutters. It's a losing battle, and I have to realize that the gutters will never be 'clean' for very long. Yet twice per year I climb up onto the roof and clean them out just the same.

With the messiest and most time consuming of my 'winterizing' chores behind me, I went over to the cabin garage, got the bike out and went for a ride to the Harbor and back. I love that ride and will miss it when I'm back in California.

West Shores Rd. during my bike ride on a cool, windy Autumn afternoon

After my bike ride I went back to the house, cleaned up myself and then cleaned the kitchen. I also prepped the fireplace for a fire after dark. The temperature is supposed to drop to around freezing again tonight and a nice fire will keep the living warm and toasty.

With the sun sinking quickly into the western sky, I donned my sweatshirt and hat, grabbed a Wild Blue and made my way to the end of the dock to watch the sunset. One thing I never tire of up here at the lake is the fantastic sunsets. Every night since my arrival several months ago, I try to make time to watch the sunset. Of course, when I first got here the sun was setting close to 9:00 p.m. or later, and today it was long gone by 6:45 p.m. Once the time changes the sun will set here in the northwoods around 5:00 p.m.

October sunset over Leech Lake

For dinner I had the walleye that I filleted the other night, beer battered, along with Cole slaw and French fries. It was delicious. Then I settled in for the evening with a roaring fire in the fireplace and classical music on MPR. A good end to a long and productive day.

Good night from Leech Lake. Three days and counting.

October 6, 2012 -- At Leech Lake

Although it was cold this morning at 9:00 a.m., only 35 degrees, the wind wasn't blowing nearly as hard as it had been the past two days. The wind was out of the north at 12-15 mph, definitely breezy, but not as strong as it's been. The sky was mostly sunny, so the leaves shown bright yellow across most of our properties.

After a hearty breakfast, I set about with many winterizing chores. I started with taking the power cord off the dock. For the past several years my good friend Rick has helped me run the power cord out to the end of the dock in May -- to provide electricity for the boat lift motor and canopy light -- and for the past several years I have taken the cord off the dock in October by myself, usually in cold and windy conditions much like today. As much as putting the boat in and out of the water signals the start and end of each open-water fishing season, so too does running power out to the dock and then wrapping it up. And since the power is the last thing removed from the dock before the dock itself comes out of the water, today signaled the definite close of the season.

From there I folded up the boat lift canopy cover and stored it in the garage. As I was putting the canopy cover on the shelf I bumped into one of our bikes. That got me thinking that it was a good time for my daily ride to the Harbor and back.

On my ride I had a brief stop and chat with Glen and Gabe, two of the residents of the Harbor. They were out mulching and vacuuming up leaves on their properties. They share a property line and working together to clean up the fallen leaves is obviously a task they've tackled together before.

Back at home it was time to climb up onto the cabin roof and clean out the gutters. With that chore out of the way I removed the solar lights from the two paths between the house and cabin and stored them for the winter. Next, I took apart the hammock and stored it for the winter. I also collected firewood in anticipation of a fire in the fireplace later tonight.

I also cleaned out the fireplace. Then it was time to get cleaned up before driving down to the Ottertail Peninsula Town Hall for the annual pot luck and association meeting. I realized that this is the twelfth consecutive year that I've attended the pot luck/meeting. Many of the usual attendees, including the Malays, the Newmans and Norm Hanson were obvious in their absence. But other regulars, such as the Boyds, Porters, Schiebes, Gepperts and Snyders were there.

Getting down to business at the Ottertail Peninsula Township meeting/pot luck

As is tradition, after the meeting there is a raffle with door prizes (usually handmade) contributed by area residents. Tonight I won a cribbage board made by Mark Boyd.

Once home I immediately went to the end of the dock to watch the sunset. It's been so overcast the past few days that there's been no real sunset to watch, just grey skies turning darker until it's completely dark. But tonight there was some good color to the sunset.

Another in an endless series of great sunsets over Sucker Bay, Leech Lake

Sitting on the end of the dock got me chilled, so I went inside and got a fire going to warm up the house, and myself, since the temperature outside had dropped to just above freezing. I enjoyed a quiet evening listening to music and enjoying the fire. I also kept up with the day's sporting events, including the Tigers win over the A's in the first game of the ALDS

There is still a lot more work to do to winterize the house and cabin before I leave on Wednesday, including cleaning the gutters on the house, cleaning the house and cabin, laundry, cleaning out the refrigerators, etc. It'll be another busy day tomorrow, but at least I'll be at the lake.

Good night from Leech Lake.

Four days and counting.

October 5, 2012 -- At Leech Lake

Today was another cold, very wind, grey day with snow flurries on and off all day. The temperature may have hit 38 degrees today, but for most of the day it hovered between 32 and 36 degrees. The sky was grey nearly all day, with just a brief few moments of midday sun. Snow flurries, which melted upon landing on the ground, fell from sunrise to sunset.

My first order of business for the day was going down underneath the house in the crawlspace and closing up all of the vents. While I was down there I emptied out the 'stair way to heaven' mouse trap, which yielded enough mice to fill a plastic grocery bag half full. I then rebaited the trap, added new antifreeze to the bucket and set it up for more rodent eradication.

Despite the inhospitable weather, I did spend several hours outside. I planted fertilizer stakes around our crab apple tree and next to nearly a dozen pine trees. I also went on a bike ride to the Harbor and back -- although gloves would have been a good idea. Then around 5:00 p.m. I removed the 17-inch walleye, which I caught earlier in the week, from the basket from the lake and cleaned it in preparation for dinner.

As it turned out, I wasn't very hungry and a full-on walleye dinner just didn't sound good tonight. I put the fish in a resealable bag and stored it in the refrigerator for either Saturday or Sunday night dinner.

The snow flurries continued long after dark. I meanwhile, spent a quiet night listening to music and having a fire in the fireplace. Weather permitting tomorrow, I need to fold up and store the boat lift canopy and clean out the gutters over at the cabin. At that point the 'winterization' of the cabin should be complete.

Good night from Leech Lake.

Five days and counting.

October 4, 2012 -- At Leech Lake

This morning at just after 9:00 a.m. I got in the truck and left for Bemidji with boat in tow. The temperature was 47 degrees, the wind was 10-15 mph out of the NW and the sky was overcast and dark. It looked as if it was going to either rain or snow, or maybe both.

By the time I hit Sucker Bay Rd., just 3 miles away, the temperature had dropped to 44 degrees and a light rain had started to fall. Eight miles later as I came to Hwy. 2, the temperature had fallen to 39 degrees and the rain was now steady. When I got to Cass Lake, which is only an additional 12 miles, the rain had turned to sleet and the temperature had dropped to 36 degrees.

When I came up to the first exit off Hwy. 2 Bemidji the temperature was down to 32 and the sleet had turned to giant snowflakes. With the wind blowing at 25+ mph, huge snowflakes falling and driving down the highway at 50 mph it was close to a 'white out' on the road.

I finally made it to my exit, took it carefully and then drove the finally couple of miles to Corner Sports, where they will winterize my boat and store it inside for the winter. Big, fluffy, wet snowflakes fell while I was unhooking the boat/trailer from the truck. By the time I went into Corner Sports I had nearly a half an inch of snow on my hat and shoulders.

I spent a few minutes with Jimmer and Rhonda chatting with them about fishing, what I wanted done to my boat over the winter, etc., then it was time to leave the boat and head into Bemidji to run a number of errands. I made stops at L&M Fleet, Target, Gander Mountain and Lueken's Village Foods.

I made one additional stop after leaving Bemidji. I stopped at Cass Lake to visit a friend of Kathleen's, Elizabeth, and her mom and brother. They have a cabin on the west shores of Cass Lake and were in the process of closing it up for the winter. We had a nice visit, and within 45 minutes or so I was on my way back to the lake.

Although it was very windy and cold, and occasionally spitting sleet, we really didn't have any snow at Leech Lake.

I had a quiet night after dinner. I simply had a fire in the fireplace and listened to music.

I have lots of 'winterizing' chores to complete before I leave for California, I just hope the weather cooperates so I can get them all done. I simply refuse to climb on the roof to clean out the gutters when the wind is blowing at 25-30 mph and the temperature is only 35 degrees. If the forecast can be trusted, Saturday should see temperatures near 50 degrees and lighter winds. That's the day I'm targeting for all of my outside chores.

Six days and counting.