4 Days until......well you know!

[OUTDOORNUT]

Anybody as geared up for this opener as much as I?? I've been packing and preparing for three days now !

I and a group of faithful BWCA buddies are headed back up the Gunflint Trail in hopes of fits full of that tasty orange meat!

Good luck to everyone, hope to hear some reports come next week!

[This message has been edited by OUTDOORNUT (edited 12-30-2003).]

[Jim W]

LEt us know how you do. WIth such low water levels here in SE MN, not sure how much if any winter troutin' i'll be partaking in!

LEt US know how you do!!

Jim W

[Steve Foss]

I've spent the afternoon getting ready to walk into Trout Lake off Vermilion tomorrow morning. I hope there are a couple Bdub lakers with my name on them. They're driving across the ice of V from Mocassin Point to Trout. After a two-mile walk to laker haunts from Vermilion in -20 degree temps, I REALLY hope there's a laker or two for me.

Got the tow sled loaded and all the gear checked off and stowed. Ahhh, the anticipation. Can't wait to see that big red band climb up the Vex toward my lure.

Let the latest installment of the laker addiction begin.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[Renneberg]

How did you do Outdoornut?

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"Study to be quiet"

[EBass]

Steve, I'm going with some FM'ers to this years trout opener. (stocked pond here in the cities) I'm going to take Lighty out to. On 1/1/04 he caught his first walleye that went about 22" on a tip up! He wanted to kept it but we made him put it back.

Any tips for a first time winter trouter?

[tjhunter]

Ebass,

Where are you headed? I've been out the last two openers to Cenaiko. It's been a blast, but very, very busy. Let me know where you're headed and I'll try and help you out.

tjhunter

Have you been out to 'Tonka lately? We went to Grays bay and got a few small crappies...

[Renneberg]

EBass, jigging spoons and tear drops work every well for me. My best colors are pink, green, blue, silver and red.
The size of the lure should be the same size you would use for panfish.

Tip it with waxies, dead minnows (live minnows where you can) and power bait.

If you are fishing for rainbows start shallow (10 feet or less) and move deeper until you start to see trout. Rainbows like to cruse right under the ice in the winter so when your in water deeper then 10 feet keep the lure in the first 10 feet under the ice.

Brook trout on the other hand stay near the bottom. They are found flats less then 10 feet deep. I've personally caught them in water 2 feet deep. Never fish for brookies in water deeper then 10 feet.

Because Rainbows and Brook trout swim in such shallow water you need to stay as quiet as you can.

Hope this helps and good luck this weekend EBass.

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"Study to be quiet"

[Azenmstr]

Me and some buddies are heading up to the Silver bay area for Walleye's on Friday and Trout on Saturday. Will let eveyone know how we do.

A ZEN MASTER

[Renneberg]

EBass if there is a big crowd on the lake then stay away from them. If they are making alot of noise they will spook the trout out of that area of the lake.

I think you gave away the location of the lake your fishing this weekend when you said what kind of trout are stocked in it.

Good luck this weekend everyone. I hope we see some good reports on monday.

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"Study to be quiet"

[Mr Special]

Ebass, thanks for trying to save the spot, but don't worry everyone will be at every stock pond in the metro. but anywho it's the courthouse guys. It's no secret lake it will actually be fun with the crowd kinda, but over all it'll be a good time. The weather supposed to be nice too. Hopefully we can get everyone on some trout, sinced I've hyped everyone up on how good they fight.

Good luck and see ya there

[EBass]

tjhunter, I don't think I'm supposed to say where, sorry. But it's a metro stocked pond. It has lakers, rainbows, brown and brook. I was told that the DNR stocks it a couple days prior to the opener. I have no idea how deep it gets. Mr Special is taking me out there and he's been there a few times. Oh I was on Wayzata on Sunday. I got two walters, a 20-21" and a cigar just after dusk on the edge of a bar in 20 feet. Glow Devil got the big one. Go to Black Lake is you want Tonka crappies. Better in March though.

Renneberg,
Thanks for the tips. I think I need to print this out and take it with me. I'd like to be quiet, but I guess there's a 100 people there at 6AM. So we'll see how that goes.

Thanks everyone, I'll report back on Monday.

[Swamp Scooter]

With all the traffic will ther be any fish left a week from now? How long do you think they will be active? I am tied up this weekend but want to head out soon.

Great advice for the trout not being deep under the ice. it will save me time.

Anyone try Square lake in Washington County? There are rainbows and salmon in there, along with other things. I have gotten a few in the summer but never through the ice. it is deep but should be good ice fishing. Not a lot of pressure. The fish were big and healthy too.

[tjhunter]

Ebass,

You'll have a heck of a time avoiding the crowds on the opener - plus, it doesn't really make that big of a difference with stocked trout. I've fished right next to people and still gotten bit. After the first day, it's a different story and you'll have to work much harder for them. Let us know how you do. I'll let you know how the zoo is out on Cenaiko.

tjhunter

[EBass]

Well I didn't know if Mr Special wanted me to blurb it on the net, but I guess he did.

I'm looking forward to this and I hate waking up that early, but for a tasty trout why not?

Is Cenaiko that trout pond by Coon Rapids Dam?

Oh PS. do they bite better when it's sunny or cloudy?

[This message has been edited by EBass (edited 01-14-2004).]

[tjhunter]

Ebass,

Yes, Cenaiko is the pond up in Coon Rapids. It's packed the first day and the fish usually commit suicide on the opener(they have the last two years). I actually had a nice brookie swim into my hole for my bait as I was reeling it up. It's like someone flips a switch after the first day. They become finicky and you need to adjust your presentation until you find out what they like.

tjhunter

[Renneberg]

Cloudy days are better then sunny days EBass.

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"Study to be quiet"

[EBass]

Woo Hoo! It's going to be cloudy and a wintery mix for Sat here in the cities! Can't wait! The biggest trout I ever caught was a 13" Rainbow from those mine pits. Looking to smash that record.

[EBass]

Scratch that weather of course. It's supposed to be sunny with a high of 30. I'll post a report on Monday with I hope some results for the early rise effort.

[OUTDOORNUT]

Sorry for SLOW response.

posted 01-06-2004 08:41 AM
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Well we returned home from another good, but darn cold trip from the BWCA again. We again did very well. 8 guys brought back our limit, and threw a bunch back. I thought I was at Poutfest the first day, our house produced 6 pout in about two hours! ha ha Someone must have either taken a wrong turn or something because there were snowmobile tracks on the lake we fished in the BW! River Raptor got to catch his first laker, so that was fun to see the flat lander catch some REAL fish once! Never fished anything deeper than 30 f.o.w. and caught most of the fish jigging in 20-24 f.o.w.! Now I have to fire up the smoker, and get a fresh batch of smoked trout done!