Leech Lake Water Level Remains Low

The water level in Leech Lake is well below where it was a year ago, and significantly lower than it was in the spring of 2006. From April to June of last year we had relatively normal water levels in the lake. But the lack of rainfall during the summer, and the unseasonably hot temperatures, led to extensive evaporation and thus the lowering of the lake's water level. Click here to see a graph of the water level in Leech Lake during the past 12 months. The graph is from the Army Corps of Engineers at Federal Dam, MN.

Newman's Ice Angling Success

Here's a recent update on the Leech Lake ice-angling action from my friend and neighbor, John Newman:

"The weather was mild and perfect for outdoor action. The fish house performed beyond my wildest expectations in terms of comfort, ease of use, conviviality and, above all, angling success. We all caught plenty of perch all day long. Each evening from approximately 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. our 'Walleye Power Hour' produced exciting walleye action. Karen battled a 22-inch beauty to a successful finish, and I caught a nice walleye of approximately the same length; plus several eater size wallies were kept. Mixed in with the walleye were several eelpout. All in all it was a fabulous winter getaway that culminated with a picturesque 3-inch, day-long snowfall on Friday, December 29. With light winds and mild temperatures hovering around 30 degrees, it was a magical way to cap off of a great family fishing excursion."

NOTE: The fish house to which John refers, and is pictured below, was designed and built by John himself. I look forward to spending several hours in the warmth of the Newman fish house this February when my son Joe and I visit Leech Lake for some hard-water angling excitement.

Leech Lake: 2007 Governor’s Fishing Opener

Leech Lake has been selected as the site of the 2007 Minnesota Governor's Fishing Opener. For more information, click here.

MEA Week Update

I was at Leech Lake for the MEA week in Minnesota (Oct. 14-22) and it was a nasty week weather wise. Temperatures were colder than normal, in the mid-20s to low-30s, and it was windy several days during my stay.

With my boat already out of the water (see Sept. 15, 2006 post) I once again relied on the hospitality of my neighbors Tom Malay and John Newman for any open-water angling action. I went out once with John, and three times with Tom. The trip with John and Johnny Newman produced no fish, and not even a bite. We were jigging with minnows while both drifting and anchored.

Tom and I tried a different technique, one that had proven very successful during my September visit to the lake -- trolling crankbaits. This time, however, our catch was limited to a couple of good sized northern pike, but no walleyes. I'm not sure if was because of the cold front that moved in, or if we were just not fishing deep enough -- we were trolling in 5-6 feet of water and in 8-10 feet. The walleyes might have been even deeper.

On Friday, Oct. 20, I awoke to a 1 1/2 inch blanket of white snow. It was great to see snow again, although it melted by late afternoon.

I won't be back to the lake until the third week of February. I'm already looking forward to some ice-angling action.

MN DNR Update: Sept. 25, 2006

Greetings!
This update is the third in a series of reports the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) is sending to Leech Lake area resorts, businesses, and others interested in DNR activities on Leech Lake. The goal of these messages is to keep you up to date with our findings and our current activities on the lake. As always, please contact our office (Walker Area Fisheries Office, 07316 State Hwy. 371 NW, Walker, MN 56484 (218) 547-1683) if you have any questions or comments.

Leech Lake Gillnetting
The Walker Area Fisheries office finished the gillnet survey of Leech Lake on September 15. Since 1983, Leech Lake is sampled annually with gillnets. Nets are set in the same locations and at the same time of year. In this way, we can compare net catches from year to year. What we found was very encouraging! The overall gillnet catch of walleye was 7.1 per net, up from 4.9 per net last year. The catch rate was even higher in the main lake (8.7 per net). While large walleye are still present in good numbers, nearly one-half of the walleye catch were from the 2005 and 2006 year classes. Further, growth of age 1 walleye (2005 year class) indicates they will reach keeper sizes early next year. We are hearing some fall anglers are keeping walleye that are 13 inches in length. There is more good news from our gillnet survey. The catch of yellow perch in the main lake increased dramatically from last year, primarily perch less than 7 inches in length. This is likely the result of good natural reproduction and the double-crested cormorant control over the past two years. With a larger population of small yellow perch currently in the lake, better catches of big yellow perch are likely to follow in the coming years. Anglers this fall, however, are catching good numbers of big yellow perch. If you are interested in other information from our surveys, please call, email or stop by the office.


MPCA Looks for Mercury in Leech Lake Fish
Most fish are healthy to eat and are an excellent source of low-fat protein. Eating fish may also reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. But any fish (store-bought or sport-caught) could contain contaminants such as mercury and PCBs that can harm human health - especially the development of children and fetuses. You can't see, smell, or taste the mercury or PCBs in fish. That's why it is important to know which fish are safer than others to eat. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) tests fish from Leech and other lakes on a periodic basis. This year, the Walker Fisheries Area office sent walleye, northern pike, and yellow perch to the MPCA to once again check mercury levels in Leech Lake fish. Previous tests have found very low levels of mercury (see this link for current Leech Lake guidelines http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/fca/report.html?downum=11020300).
The DNR website will be updated if there is a change in consumption advisory. For more information on eating fish, please visit:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/fish/eating/index.html

Eurasian Water Milfoil is Hard to Find
On August 8, staff from the DNR’s Ecological Services Division in Brainerd made a search for Eurasian water milfoil in Leech Lake. Originally found growing in five harbors in 2004, areas that continued to have the invasive exotic were treated with an herbicide earlier in the summer. The August inspection found very few plants and in only two locations. While it is not likely possible to eradicate Eurasian water milfoil from Leech Lake, aggressive treatment and follow-up seems to be keeping it in check. For more information on Eurasian water milfoil, please visit:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecological_services/invasives/ewmprog.html


Of Interest
Many Leech Lake residents and tourists note the large number of loons seen on Leech Lake counted common loons (Gavia immer) weekly onlakes Winnibigoshish and Mille Lacs to determine premigratory numbers, flock sizes and locations. Counts were made from shore, boat and plane. On Lake Winnibigoshish, the highest count was recorded on October 21 with 1,599 loons. On Lake Mille Lacs, thighest count total occurred on October 20 with 1,688 loons, a record high count for any lake in Minnesota at any time. Minnesota has more loons than any other state in the lower 48.


Contact Information
Pat Rivers (pat.rivers@dnr.state.mn.us) or Harlan Fierstine (harlan.fierstine@dnr.state.mn.us)

More on the New Rapala Minnow Rap

New Minnow Rap to Come in Classic and Bleeding Patterns

It's been called the offspring of a famous heritage, and we like that. Because it is. The new Minnow Rap is the latest balsa creation from Rapala, the only company in the world that can make lots of lures from balsa that all swim the same, right out of the box.

Whether you're a fish or a fisherman, you recognize the shape as that of a 'baitfish' that big fish are born to chomp down on. This lure has the swimming action of a Shad Rap, in a thin 'minnow' profile.

In a never-ending quest to marry the best of old world craftsmanship and modern technology, the Minnow Rap will be available in two distinctly different versions. Classic Patterns will feature clear diving lips and VMC black nickel hooks.

Bleeding Patterns will sport red diving lips, bleeding gills and VMC red hooks to give off the ultimate wounded minnow impression.

Hall-of-Famer Al Lindner already calls the Minnow Rap, “a multi-species fish catching machine,” and says in his testing, he can't find a fish “that can resist its shivering wiggle.”

The new Minnow Rap will come in No. 9 size, measuring 3 1/2 inches long and weighing 5/16 oz.

The color patterns are true Rapala in quality and detail. Classic Patterns include Silver, Shad, Perch, Yellow Perch, Firetiger, Hot Tiger, Hot Steel and Purpledescent. Bleeding Patterns will be Bleeding Copper Flash, Bleeding Hot Olive, Bleeding Olive Flash and Bleeding Pearl.

It's a shad. It's a minnow. It's both.Best of all, it's a balsa Rapala.

New Boat (part 4 of 4)

Post number four from my recent 10-day stay at Leech Lake.

As mentioned in an earlier post, when I pulled my boat out of the water during my recent stay at Leech Lake -- much earlier in the season than usual due to the extremely low level of water in the lake -- I took it to Corner Sports in Bemidji and traded it in for a new 2006 model. While the new boat is techincally mine, it will be in storage until Spring 2007 when I put it in the water for the first time on Leech Lake.

The new boat is a black Lund 1800 Pro-V IFS, Verado Limited Edition (pictured). It will be equipped with a new 150hp, 4-stroke Mercury Verado motor, my old Honda 4-stroke 8hp will serve as the kicker motor. I'll also add a new MinnKota Maxxum Pro 80US electric trolling motor and a new Lowrance LCX-25C professional sonar/GPS+WAAS. I will mount my current Lowrance LCX-15MT sonar/GPS+WAAS unit in the bow and use it with the universal sonar on the MinnKota Maxxum Pro as a sonar-only unit.

I look forward to posting a report here next May after the new craft is in the water.

I will be at Leech Lake in mid-October to close up the house and cabin for the winter -- clean the gutters, close the vents, etc. -- and for one last adventure on the water before the winter. I'll post here again after that trip.

Trolling Crankbaits (part 3 of 4)

Post number three from my recent 10-day stay at Leech Lake.

Once my boat was out of the water for the season, I had to rely on my neighbors the Newmans and Malays if I was to have any fishing action this trip. As usual, their kindness and generosity allowed me several trips out onto Leech Lake to hunt for walleye.

Of the several trips I took onto the lake this trip, one of my first was with John Newman. We started the day with controlled drifting off of Duck Point with Lindy rigs for walleye. The little breeze we had at the start of our expedition died in the middle of our second drift off the point, and with it, any chance we had of catching fish. We motored over to Hardwood Point to try the reported 'hot' action on the west side of Sucker Bay, but we didn't catch anything there either.

We then moved north about a half mile to the weedbeds near Deadhead Bay. There we saw some limited action; we both caught a number of small perch, rock bass, a few small northern pike and John hooked a very large black crappie, which was returned to the lake. To end this trip, John and I motored across the bay to "the birches" where we had very good luck fishing for jumbo perch during my July 4th trip (see July 13 post). But whatever had attracted the jumbos to "the birches" must have passed, because we only hooked into a couple of small perch.

While the fishing wasn't that great, being on the water again was absolutely wonderful. Nothing beats being on the water fishing!

My better fishing experiences came with Tom Malay and his son Sean. Both Tom and I, and later Sean and I, tried Lindy rigging for walleye off Duck Point, but as with John Newman, we never hooked any fish. It wasn't until we changed tactics and began trolling crankbaits that we started to catch fish.

During one angling adventure with both Tom and Sean, we all caught fish. Sean caught a nice small walleye, which we returned to the water, while Tom and I caught a couple of medium-sized pike. As the week went on, both Tom and I, and later Sean and I, trolled for walleye off Duck Point, Second Duck Point and Ottertail Point. All three locations yielded walleye. The best fishing was during the evening -- from sunset until about 10 p.m. There was a full moon on Thursday, Sept. 7, and it was a wonderful experience to watch the giant, bright, full moon rise over the trees, illuminating the entire lake, while we were trolling and catching walleye.

The lure of choice for the Malays this trip was the very new lure from Rapala called the Minnow Rap #9, or the MR-9 (pictured above). The lure is so new that as of this posting it isn't even listed on Rapala's web site. The hot color for Tom was the MR-9 'hot perch', a red/yellow/orange-colored lure with black strips. It looks kind of like a orangish-colored firetiger. Tom landed at least a half dozen or more beautiful walleyes between 19" and 25" with this lure -- unfortunately, those fish fell smack in the middle of the Leech Lake slot limit and were thus returned to the lake immediately.

I used my trusty Cotten Cordell Grappler Shad in the Glory Green color. I hooked several nice walleye and several large pike, including what may be the biggest pike I've ever caught at Leech Lake, a 31-inch marvel that was almost as fat as it was long. Must be from eating all those white suckers that swim in the lake.

This trip was very enjoyable from a fishing perspective. Lot's of walleye put in the boat, all while trolling crankbaits during both the daytime and after sunset.

My last post from this trip will be an update on the new Lund boat I'll be getting next spring. I can't wait to fish for 'eyeballs' next May in my new boat. Until then, may your lines stay tight and your stress level loose.

End of an Era (part 2 of 4)

Post number two from my recent 10-day stay at Leech Lake.

As mentioned in my previous post, I couldn't get my boat off of the boat lift because the water level of the lake was too low. That meant I had to devise another method to get my boat off the lift so I could trailer it for the winter. My neighbor Tom Malay and I came up with the plan where we would use our ATVs, and the attached winches, to pull my boat off of the lift and into the water in my harbor. Once the boat was in the harbor, I could motor it out onto the lake and then put it on the boat trailer using the boat ramp at our cabin next door.

Tom and I positioned our ATVs behind my boat on the morning of Labor Day. I got into the water to attach the winch cables to the boat. Unfortunately, the winch on Tom's ATV was broken, so I ended up attaching only the cable from my Warn winch to the boat. I got back out of the water, placed my Polaris 500 Sportsman in reverse, hit the 'reverse override' button, and began reeling in the winch all at the same time. Slowly, my boat backed out of the lift and into the very shallow water in the harbor.

Tom then got in the water and helped me maneuver the boat out of the harbor and onto the lake. Once the boat was in the lake, I got into the boat, started up the Honda 130hp motor, backed the boat into deeper water, then motored next door to our cabin which has a boat ramp. Tom helped me get the boat lined up with the ShoreLand'r trailer and then attached the trailer strap to the bow of the boat. Tom then cranked the trailer winch to pull the boat out of the water and onto the trailer. In 5 minutes the job was complete and I was pulling the boat and trailer out of the water with my 1997 Chevy Blazer.

This marked the end of an era for me. After pulling my boat out of the water, I took it into Corner Sports in Bemidji where I traded it in for a new boat (more on the new boat in another post).

I purchased my Lund 1850 Pro-V SE in July 2001. It was a used boat (1999), but to me, it was the best boat in the world. During the five years I owned this boat it took many trips out onto the water. I went fishing with my son Joe, my daughters Melissa and Liz, my granddaughter Ashley, my wife Kathleen, my neighbors the Newmans and the Malays, my brother-in-law Tim and his son Jackson, and by myself.

The boat also took me and Kathleen on many pleasure rides around the lake -- looking at the beautiful Leech Lake shoreline in the Fall, or just taking in a sunset from the water. I used my boat to pull Liz , Melissa, Joe and Ashley on a tube. The boat even pulled Liz and Joe while they waterskied. It was a good boat, but it was starting to show its age. The livewells had stopped working, the electrical system was beginning to go, and the motor had been recalled by Honda. As much fun as we all had in that old Lund, it was time to trade her in.

More reports from my Labor Day 2006 trip to come.