Cottonwood Seed - Now is the time

[Hotspotter]

Thought I'd share a quick indicator of fast bass/panfish action in the small southern MN lakes I fish.
My grandfather told me when the cottonwoods start blowing their seeds everywhere, drop everything and start hitting the shallows and developing weedlines for bass and panfish. He said the really fast action lasts only about a week or two, so make the most of it.

Taking his advice I headed out last night with my brother and we C&R'd about 15 bass each. The largest was 20 1/2", and most ran a chunky two pounds. They hit just about anything we threw. This time of year has meant phenomenal fishing for me in the past.

Was wondering if any of you had any information to share on "natural indicators" of fish/wildlife activity? These were the ways that old timers like my grandpa and others found everything from morels to bass, and I'm interested in at least preserving some of those for my kids. Thanks for sharing.

Joel

[huskminn]

Growing up in South Dakota, we always went bass fishing when the lilacs began to bloom. This meant good prespawn angling in the shallows. Unfortunately, with MN's wacky season tradition, that opportunity is lost.

[Lowe]

In northern Minnesota, the catfish seem to be spawning (and hungry) when the cowslips are blooming. Every spring when I see bunches of yellow in the swamps I know the channels are putting on the feed bag.

[Surface Tension]

When the frogs start croaking the walleyes are spawnin.

A week after the leaves start to appear the Northern Orioles show up.

[bucktail]

I think I call cowslips, marsh marigolds, but when they are out it is time to start lookin for morels.

[Guest]

My grandfather always told me that the best time to go fishing is anytime you can.

[red bricks]

I have heard the same thing about the cottonwood tree from a older fella who used to fish the metro lakes a lot when he was younger. He said he could always go out and catch a ton of largemouth at this time. And they were quite hefty. I just got a 6 pound bass mount from him that he had caught in the 70's on a inner city lake.

[Steve Foss]

Yep, marsh marigolds and morels are out about the same time, and since it's easy to see marsh marigolds glowing yellow in the wet ditches in northern Minn., they're a good marker species.

Good thing morels don't grow in the same place as the marigolds, or we'd all be wearing waders.

It isn't a spring thing, but when the cottonwood leaves lay yellow on the Red River of the North, the sauger and walleye are running upstream and stop at the lowhead dams.

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 06-08-2003).]

[Guest]

My grandma used to say that when our plum trees were blooming, the suckers were running.

------------------
DIRTBALL2