What are your plans for 2013?

[JohnMickish]

It's really quiet around here lately, lets chat things up a bit.

Does anyone have any plans for this year? Trips, new equipment or techniques they plan to learn?

I'm taking a family group of 9 to lake Oahe this summer for a 4 day mini-vacation. There will be two boats but I'm the only one that has fished the lake before. I think I should have had my head examined for bringing up the idea.

Maybe a weekend on Green Bay or Lake of the Woods will be in the cards this year???

How about you guys?

[shamus]

Learning the to fish the Mississippi from shore are my plans.

[zymguy]

Bout the same as last year except Ill bring my 3 yo springier everywhere! prob a pheasant farm trip or two, i did not do that at all 2012

[tunrevir]

I plan to do my usual trips to the north shore and the St. Croix to fish walleyes but I am also looking at pulling boards and dragging cranks and crawler harnesses on Green Bay this summer while out there Salmon fishing. I'd like to hit Red Wing this spring and may yet do so before the kids sports seasons kick in. I plan to work the weeds harder this season working plastics and trying a few other techniques on my home waters to try and put some more fish in the boat rather then my usual goto, techniques. I plan to further experiment with segmented leadcore on my home waters to try and dial in that technique a bit more then I have in the past. Have fun on Oahe, it is on the bucket list as well as Fort Peck.

Tunrevir~

[MaxGoldman]

The only thing set in stone for myself is a week to Devil's lake towards the end of May, then another week the second week in June. Fish numbers are looking even better than last year and shore fishing should be great as always in May yet, hoping for some great trips!

[otterman91105]

I will be up on a lake by detroit lakes. Have fished opener up there for quite a few years.

[GSP4ME]

You can shore fish devils lake? how is it andfor what I'm up for that waters to big for my little boat

[shamus]

yes, Devils Lake has miles and miles of shore line to fish from with success. unless things have changed you can park along side most of the highways that run thru the lake and toss out a line.

[MaxGoldman]

That's correct, and actually parking is the easiest it's ever been with the roads redone, there's more room than there was before, my picture is actually from Devil's lake, and that's exactly what it looks like everywhere. We'll go catch northern all day long for fun then come evening get a limit of eyes in a matter of minutes. There's always community spots like any fishing but we tend to break away from that and do just as well if not better. But if you go somewhere on your own, beware of the "white bass anglers", they'll drive around and stop anywhere there is a vehicle assuming you're catching fish. They come down and basically fish right on top of you, snag your lures with their casts, when there's the entire shore for them to spread out on. Anytime you see a toyota slowing down, brace yourself for frustration.

The shore fishing isn't always good either, we never know until we get there.

[BTL]

I'll be in OTC for a couple weeks in late May/early June. I still haven't figured out how to consistently catch walleyes that time of year, so I'll mostly be fishing for other stuff.

[Vitreus]

I want to start hitting more remote waters. I'll be investing in backpacking gear and other stuff to lighten the load of my arsenal. Also, along with this, I'm going to try to move completely away from live bait. It's expensive and difficult to maintain!

[GSP4ME]

rwhat time of the year is best

[Stick in Mud]

My goal for this year is to continue trying new things and learning new techniques. Last year I had a BLAST learning how to troll--both leadcore and after-dark fall longlining. I can't wait for September to come.

For this year, I want to figure out how to catch the walleyes on Mille Lacs that move up in the water column at night chasing bugs out on the mud. I work launch boats during the summer for extra $$, and the launch will head out to the mud and catch lots of fish on bobbers near the bottom after dark. I've tried and tried and tried to do it in my own boat, and I'll catch a fish here and there, but nothing like the launch. There's something about those big boats....(the lights? the number of lines in the water?) I don't know what it is, but after years of watching guys anchor up next to the launch and not catch fish, there just seems to be something about the big boat that helps. No idea what it is.

As the sun gets farther beneath the horizon, I almost always see huge arcs waaaaay up off the bottom--some as far down as 4 or 5 ft--that I'm pretty sure are walleyes. I've tried putting a bobber above them with a crawler or leech, but that very rarely works.

So, I dunno. My plan this year is to toss out some boards and pull some spinners 5-10 feet down. Maybe even some Raps running around that deep out on the boards, too. I've got no idea if it'll work, but it's better than sitting in the bar.

I also want to try some non-traditional (for Mille Lacs, anyways) baits while pulling leadcore....spinnerbaits, spoons, blade baits, swimbaits, etc.

[hanson]

Assuming I get into the Cabela's National Walleye Tour events this year as a Co-Angler,

I'll be fishing Pool 4 @ Red Wing, Lake Erie, Green Bay, and then Devil's Lake as thats the tour schedule. Should be a lot of fun again as usual.

Also looking at doing the Cabela's King Kat Catfish Tournament on the Red River in Grand Forks, ND this year. First time the King Kat has come to Grand Forks.

Little bit of Mille Lacs fishing, little fishing back home at the lake cabin,

hopefully get back into the Flathead Cat groove a bit this year and then fall trolling.

Mix in some local metro muskie fishing as well. Variety is good!

[Gary_l]

I also well be fishing all 4 Cabelas National Walleye Tour events plus pre-fishing with a Boater for 5 days prior to each tourney. Starting the Grand Kids on boat fishing this year.

[gloomiseye]

Will be fishing pool 4 a lot this spring along with the local des Moines river. Will definitely hit a lot of local lakes around here in the summer and make a trip to the Iowa great lakes or Mille lacs. Highlight of the year is always the week long trip to the English river in Ontario in late July.

[Fish Head]

I purchased a cabin on Vermilion in 2011, so I'll be spending most of my time fishing there this year. Walleyes, muskies & smallies...

Last year was a great year for me. I did a lot of trying new things and different techniques. I had a great time trying new things and trying to think outside the box a little last year... and for the most part, it really paid off. I plan to continue that this year.

I fished as a co-angler in the AIM even on Winnie a couple years back and I would like to get back into doing that. Maybe I'll sign up for the Cabelas pool 4 event?

[Nhamm]

Opener depending on water levels may try to fish the coon rapids dam.....in a boat. Might be fun and not far from home. Midnight rolls around and start hammering em.

[quadfisherman]

Yes, I am excited to get out on the water and try the trolling techniques you wrote about. Growing up in South Dakota, I never owned a boat so I grew up shore fishing and did quite well so I didn't have many opportunities to troll on my own. Learning Minnesota lakes is taking me a little bit also because SD lakes are like fish bowls and mostly no structure so it is a bit different fishing.

I have one week vacation planned by Crosby and I'm excited for that week long fishing treat.

I also can't wait to go fishing in my dad's new pontoon. He got the new iPilot Link which should be amazing. I have the iPilot on my pontoon and love it so it'll be interesting. And also it should be fun to get out fishing on my home lakes again in SD since ending up in a chair.

[pikerliker]

No big trips planned this year, but I am getting into leadcore trolling for walleye's for the 1st time ever. I have been reading up on it a little bit and just purchased a pair of rods/reels and leadcore line from Cabelas. I'm looking forward to trying it out and seeing how I do at it. I know it's mostly a middle/late summer presentation so I will have to wait a bit but I'm kind of excited to try it out.

[Ice Wolf]

I plan on getting up to the cabin more this year on Vermilion. Hitting the walleyes and pike in May, some largemouth bass in June and musky in July. fishing different areas of the lake looking for some deep water pike in between. Maybe hit Trout lake in the B.W.C.A this summer for an over night camping/walleye fishing trip.