Plenty of fun at skimmer pond

[ricqik]

Well, being how nice it was today I went fishing for carp. When I got there the carps weren't real cooperative. Caught one carp 26" on a 3" sinking crank. Everything else that bit was crappies 8"-12", bluegill 4"-6", greens 3"-7", pumpkinseed 3"-5", hybrid 4"-8.75", bullheads(black & yellow)12"-13", perch 5"-7", and bass 12"-18". Oh, 1 leopard frog. Alot of carps and bigmouth buffalo suspending near the surface.

[ricqik]

Went there today and caught 3 bowfins with the largest at 26" on huskyjerks and 4 crappies on minnows with the biggest one being 13". Many sunnies. Saw 1 bullhead, a few carps and many suspending buffalo's. Alot of little 4" shads cruising back and forth. Saw 8 largemouths guarding nests.

A word of caution, if you are not hardcore, don't fish there. You will go home disgusted.

[Lunker]

Where is this place?

[deadeye]

Yeah, where is this skimmer pond?
I could go for some Carp when I get back from school. Thanks for any info!!!! ><>
[email protected]

[ricqik]

It's down by the bass ponds in the MN wildlife refuge. Take Old Shakopee south from 494, past mall of america 1 block, left on 86th, entrance is on the left just before the dead end. Park in lot and walk 1/4 mile down to the ponds. Look at the maps to id the ponds & lakes. Caution, fish comsumption is highly not recommended. Remember, I warned you it's only for the hardcore angler. Everybody who has fished there refuse to dip there line in Skimmer pond, they would walk further down to the other ones.

[deadeye]

Whats so bad about this place? Is it sewage pond or something? or is it really polluted?

[ricqik]

It is a direct runoff from street sewer, very dirty with debri/trash. All the debri collects in this pond before the rest of the water flows out to the other ponds. because it's only 40'X50' it hold a high concentration of fish(easier to catch). I think it is no more polluted than the Mississippi.

[Lunker]

sounds like I might have to try this place out. How big is it? What would you recomend fishing for and how?

[ricqik]

the pond has the following fish: shads, sunfish, crappies, perch, lgmth bass, suckers, carp, bgmth buffalo, bullhead(yellow, black, brown), and bowfin. What it use to have: gar(long & shortnose), channel cat, northern, walleye, and freshwater drum.

Sunfish and bowfin are my main targets in skimmer. The longer pond next to it is call hog back ridge pond, it holds all species listed above. The large lake that spands from skimmer all the way past hwy 77 is long meadow lake. It is shallow and holds all species as well. I target northern and bowfins here. The third one down is the cleanest of them all and is stocked by DNR with sunfish, crappies, and bass. Last year I witness a father & son caught a 16.5" crappie from this third pond. This place was intended as a kids fishing ponds. Most of the fish left these ponds during the spring flood of 1997. The ponds are starting to recover with good size fishes.
Depending on which pond you fish. Skimmer is good for carp, sunish and crappies. Hog back is good for carp, bowfins, and northerns. The third pond is good for bass, northerns and bowfins. Skimmer and hog back has no weeds. The third one is more natural and has weeds. Long meadow lake is good for bass, northerns and bowfins.

[Lunker]

The DNR is hosting some sort of kids fishing day down at those bass ponds by the mall. Saw it on a slip at G.M.

[ricqik]

Yeah, the dnr does host a little event for kids every year. I've never been there when the event is going.