Caught a loon...wow

[Jack Peterson]

while lindy rigging with big shiners tonight, I caught an adolescent loon. for crying out loud I'm sick of them, but luckily he wasn't harmed. anybody else sick of these dumb young loons scaring all of the fish? time for them to leave!

[norm25]

I am not sure I would get sick of it it's too bad you feel that way. I have quit fishing because of immature loons a couple times now. They have all the good spots covered. It made for some great pictures though!!!!!

[JBMasterAngler]

A few years back I was casting a mepps from shore and had an adolescent loon follow it all the way back to the dock...scared the krap out of me! Out in the boat, I won't cast spoons or cranks if there are young loons around, makes me too nervous

[Ufatz]

I would hope that we would all appreciate having the loons around our lakes. They are an important part of what Minnesota and our lakes country is all about. Remember, only so many loons will live on a lake...if it gets crowded they move along to another lake. A loon will stay on "his" lake for most of his lifetime, having family after family. They are totally harmless and enjoy watching us as much as we like to see them. The impact they have on small fish is minuscule.

I will ALWAYS move away from them especially if they have young. If I thought they were having ANY impact on the fishery I'd gladly go out and BUY fish to keep them happy because a summer early morning in Minnesota just isn't the same without a loon's call rolling down the lake into the sunrise.

[dairyman]

I have been fishing and have them take my minnows-----first time it happened I thought I had a good bite------------until I saw him surface not far from the boat with my minnow in his mouth

[Jack Peterson]

I have nothing against loons in our lakes, but when you reel one up all the way to the boat, that's not good at all. This young loon has been following my boat for the past few days now. Scaring all my fishies! Move to California dangit!

[BobT]

I guess I've never considered loons to be a problem. Like already meantioned, they are pretty territorial and you don't usually find too many on any given lake.

[Northlander]

Try a different lake maybe? Loons are beautiful creatures and I would gladly watch them and move to another area/lake if needed.

[Jack Peterson]

I seriously think this same loon follows me about a half mile sometimes. He keeps popping up 5 feet from me. Couple more days and hopefully he'll pack it up for the year.

[BobT]

You've got a new pet.

[RebelSS]

Maybe he's your new "Non-electronic HumminBIRD" HEE HEE!

[Ufatz]

Count your blessings Jack. It's something you'll be able to tell your grandchildren some day........about the time "I almost had a pet loon!" I've had them come up with two or three feet of me while fishing from a float tube. They'll go down and pop back up on the other side of me. They just can't figure out what this guy is doing sitting in THEIR water. Ha!!

If there are too many loons, or if there is TOO much activity i.e. jet ski's, tubing, water skiing etc. it will drive loons right OFF a lake and they won't come back. So if you have lost your local loon maybe you now know why it left.

They are marvelous creatures.

Hell, if he keeps buggin you, toss him a can of sardines.

[bigred1974]

so, how did you prepare it? lol

[croixflats]

I seriously think this same loon follows me about a half mile sometimes. He keeps popping up 5 feet from me. Couple more days and hopefully he'll pack it up for the year.

Watch out! You have a Loony Stalker on your hands.

[Raider4ever]

Don't let it give you a kiss. Their beaks are sharp.

[sikaso]

Early this fall we had a young loon follow us while trolling and constantly come up to our poles tips and then dive down and go under the boat. Thought for sure it was gonna find our bait sooner or later but it finally gave up. We also seen loons diving down and then the seagulls would swarm in because all the bait fish would soon start surfacing.

[CANOPY SAM]

Evidently, loons are one of the migratory birds that may be negatively affected by the Gulf Coast oil spill. From what I've read, they are one of the few major avian species that go all the way to the coast, and do a lot of deep water fishing off the saltwater estuaries.

It would be very sad to see our MN loon population depleted, or wiped out because of the Gulf oil disaster.

[Steve Foss]

while lindy rigging with big shiners tonight, I caught an adolescent loon. for crying out loud I'm sick of them, but luckily he wasn't harmed. anybody else sick of these dumb young loons scaring all of the fish? time for them to leave!

No, I'm not sick of loons occupying the fishery with me.

When you say you caught that loon, was it a CPR moment? Actually bringing a loon into the boat will darn near guarantee a bunch of bloody wounds.

[Larson15]

I actually hooked a loon this summer while boating for a youth bass tournament. I hooked him in 16 feet of water on a jig. Wow was I surprised to see that come out of the water when I thought it was a fish. I got him as close to the boat as I could and cut the line, from what I could see he was hooked in the foot! Another boat on the lake saw what happened and came over to ask what was going on, I told him what happened and he called me an a-hole and called the DNR because I didn't dig the hook out! This was not a good experience considering I had 2 youth anglers in the boat. Needless to say the DNR told me that I did exactly what I was supposed to do and the last thing the DNR would want you to do is get him close enough to dig the hook out. The DNR guy said that they can do some serious damage.

Now I just totally leave the area if loons are nearby. They have been a serious problem for me all summer on a few lakes.

[Jack Peterson]

By saying caught I meant he held onto the shiner until he was within arms reach next to my boat. Luckily he let go, and I didn't hook him, but he kept sticking around thinking I had food. Just smacked the water with my paddles until he decided it was time to leave.

[zamboni]

Consider yourselves lucky. We don't have them down here, and they are truly a beautiful creature to watch and especially listen to. I will switch you anyday- your loons for our honkers

[pureinsanity]

Consider yourselves lucky. We don't have them down here, and they are truly a beautiful creature to watch and especially listen to. I will switch you anyday- your loons for our honkers

+1

I hate walking in a darn park and seeing all the goose landmines!

[Jack Peterson]

yeah, I guess. at least my local lakes don't have geese and pelicans =)

[zamboni]

Geese also keep some water open in early winter. Lake will freeze over, except for one spot where theres a hundred geese. They are a pain

[buddha]

I've noticed that the loons have really been watching the boats. I've had them chasing baits many times the last few years. I will leave the area also as I they are scaring anything below away. Neat to see up close though.