Gores pool (Hastings)

[buzzsaw]

Has anybody been out here lately? It was really slow two weekends ago and I have not been back since. I'll probably get back there in the next two weekends.

[Guest]

Never been there but my son and I are looking for areas to hunt after the deer opener. Does it have decent late season hunting after the ponds and lakes start freezing up? We hunt around the north metro on up to Marcell.

[dkhntr]

Gores pool is back waters of the river. It really doesnt freeze thick enough till way late.

I hunted north of Redwing dam and it was SLOW! Shot a GW teal. Should have been 2. But that was it.

[Seabass77]

Can you get a canoe into Gores pool or is it accessible only by a motor boat? Would I need to worry about big waves in this area? Thanks for the help.

[buzzsaw]

The hunting gets quite a bit better later in the year as the northern flight arrives... which should be soon if the weather stays cold and directly out of the north. I'd recommend getting to the access early...5:00ish. As far as waves go... it's a shallow backwater area... probably 6 feet deep at the most... you could use a canoe or a duck boat with small motor. It's a nice area, give it a try.

[Seabass77]

Buzzsaw, can you e-mail me at [email protected]?

[walleye_nut]

Can you get to any area by foot and put some decoys out, or it only accessible by boat?

[superfish2]

I hunt gores pool / north lake a lot. There a several access points and areas to hunt. Most of the spots you can walk to are really good early in the year (teal/woodduck) and get worse as the year goes on. But if you are willing to hump some decoys for a ways you can get into some good birds. There are two access points along the vermillion river. one more about a 400 yards after crossing the vermillion river. Those access points will get you into some old channels and beaver ponds as well as the vermillion river, and the mud hen series of lakes. Then of course the North Lake access. As far as equiment goes a small boat with a motor is the way to go. I hunt North from a canoe all the time. If you use some common sense you should be ok. The only problem is that is won't get you into the best hunting spots. It is just too far to paddle. There is a refuge on the south side of north lake, but it's ways down there and almost no one goes south from the launch. The best hunting is on the north side.

This place gets pounded on the weekends, but it is a big area with plenty of room. There is one spot on the lake (which I will not name) that will have people showing up at midnight on a weekend to make sure they get. One thing I will say is that North Lake/ Gores pool has some top notch duck hunters. Especialy later in the year. Early in the year it's like every where else there will guys standing on the railroad tracks shooting birds as the come over the levy, skybusters, just like everywhere else. But later in the year it's a pretty group of guys. Maybe it's just the equipment that is neccessary as it is big water with lots of divers, but most guys will be using 100+ decoys with a well equiped boat. And all of their decoy and calling mechanics are done correctly.

I was out there yesterday and was skunked. We had a several chances but kept doing the next time the circle we'll take them. We also saw a lot of cans out there. A lot more birds then last week but still could be better.

[buzzsaw]

Superfish, Nice post!! I couldn't have said it better myself. I'll be out there by 4:30 sunday morning. I'll be with two other guys and we will be out on "a point" were we like to go. It's been the honey hole in past years. I'm hoping to get a big drake Canvasback so I can put it on the wall.

[Finlander]

Can you run a 9.9hp outboard there?

[buzzsaw]

I've been on a duck boat with an 8 hp and with a 5 hp... so yes a 9 hp would be fine... just be careful with the logs in there.

[superfish2]

Well after I made that last post I deceided to run back down there for an evening hunt. Only myself and one other gentleman out there. I saw one flock of high flyers and two mallards after shooting hours. Thats it. I don't know if was just hunting in the evening or if there were no birds around.

[buzzsaw]

4 of us got out Sunday morning til 10:30 and we got two Canvasbacks, two drake mallards, 1 woodie and a Bufflehead hen. WE missed a lot of shots!! The ducks were pretty active and obviously since the Canvasback are not locals one can assume that the northern flight has begun.

P.S. Pintail season is over!!

[superfish2]

Went out this morning. Tons of hunters out today. Lots of birds too, but not decoying all that well flying high and fast. Did manage one goose that just magicly appeared over my head.