Is there such a place in MN??

[Down to Earth]

The Post Bulletin here in Rochester had a pretty good article in the Outdoors Section about how the panfish run small in our area. However, the opening line of the article is what caught my attention.

"The dream of consistently catching 12-inch bluegills and 15-inch crappies in this region is mostly that -- a dream."

To me a 12" bluegill is not something that can is caught on a consistent basis. Maybe its my lack of fishing expertise, etc. 15" crappies are something I could imagine,(even around SE MN) but not the bluegills.

[Brian Jones]

There is a small lake about 35 minutes from Grand Rapids that consistently produces 12-13.5 inch gills and monster northern pike. I don't know about the crappies. There is spot where you can stand and watch some of these monster gills and a couple of the guys who have held the 13.5 inchers say they have seen bigger ones. There are three people that I know of who know about the lake and it is difficult to get on without permission. I was told how to get on it but for some reason spend my free time chasing muskies instead. I will try to get some photos of these giant gills and post them. I would have to agree with the article that it is simply a dream for the most part this day in fishing.

[CrappieJohn]

Unless you start looking at sandpits and private waters, your chances of finding a 12" sunfish are not good. You MIGHT, accidently, pick up a sunfish of the size mentioned in the backwaters, but I don't think targeting them would be a prudent way to spend ones time. Lake George in Rochester (private!) has 10 1/2 to 11 inch sunnies in it and probably is the one of those very few that might hold a 12.

The crappies mentioned are a better bet. The Mississippi has tons of potential for putting fish of this size out. I can think of four fish I know to have been measured and weighed, all black crappies, that exceeded the 16 inch mark in the last three years and were taken from waters that, by all appearences, don't look like big fish crappie waters. The Brawl last February gave up several fish in the 14 inch range and during certain times in open water the backwaters can cough up much larger fish. Chesterwoods reservoir has some ugly big crappies in it, some likely to approach this 15 inch threshold.

A new post in the Rochester forum has stated that a crappie bite is going towards dark....these are nice fish. Lake George, again, located less than a quarter mile away has given up some piggies this winter as well. The author of that post e-mailed me a couple pics last winter of his son with a fish that any crappie angler would like to get and one which an awful lot of Red Lake anglers would have liked to caught!

In general I have to agree with the article's content. But the gray side of this is that you have to target fish of specific size in order to catch them and this would have to pertain to the dnr's attempts at catching them for sample purposes in nets. From what I have witness on one lake, the dnr's nets were placed where they were at an advantage to capture northerns and muskies, but not at such an advantage to catching larger crappies and sunfish. They did catch crappies and sunnies yes, but if they wanted a better idea of the size of the larger fish in that lake, they'd need to change locations. I tend to think that some of the statistical data released by the dnr doesn't always reflect the true nature of a water, but is based on a more generic level because they try to net samplings from maybe ten species at one site and that site be at such a place as to assure that each of those ten species will be captured. They are not funded well enough to target specific sizes of specific species of fish....at least not in this area.

People can find big fish just about anywhere IF they invest the time and target big fish. This requires a tremendous amount of study, knowlege and time. Big fish behave differently, they eat differently, and and are what they are because they are smart and genetically superior. Granted, they are just fish, but those assets takes them to the top of the advantage pole. To find them you will work.

[united jigsticker]

Tom,

You live in such a wonderful area ripe with potential to put you in the record books.

Do you have any open water around there yet?

All this talk of super slabs has me chomping at the bit. My last outing was Upper Red Lake at the end of December. Why did I get married?

I used to think I was a "guru" of the Crappies....Now I am just an avid reader of the verbage printed by my peers.

Heck, I was surprised to see that I'm even a field staff member anymore.

That deserves a "kripes!!!"

Tom, of all the times I have been invited down, I've never been. I drove through your neck of the woods last open water season, it sure does look intruging.

Matt Johnson:

We were suppose to get together this winter and ice some slabs. Heck, I'm sorry dude. Guess I've "Sally'd up!" at home here.

Guess I better get me a grill steak.

[CrappieJohn]

Hey Jeff....Good to hear from you! You definately need to come down for a day! I'm thinking by this time next week I maybe even have the boat out. The ice is going to pot there in a hurry and tomorrow will probably be my last trip out on this puddle. The weatherman is doing me justice finally and predicting some "real weather" instead of teasing.

You let me know when you want to hit some crapigators.

[Matt Johnson]

Hey Jeff! Good to hear from you buddy! You been chasing the hussies haven't you?!?! Don't worry about this winter, we'll get out again in the future. Did you say grill steak? I think I can arrange something. This summer we'll have a recap! Drop me an email.

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[LardLaker]

United I am from central minnesota and i hear how you southerners feel, because that is becoming the same story up here. I do attend college in Bemidji and its really nice up there for lakes and to find a sunnie or crappy lake, but just gotta keep it quiet so it dont get fished out, because it does happen up there, especially if the bait shops catch wind of it. Your comment about getting married made me laugh, because i feel the same way, i am only 21 gonna be 22, but I want to keep fishing as long as I can, because I believe once i get married she won't let me go as much as I want, basically I'll be whipped, and so my theory is I gotta catch a Northern over 40", a Walleye over 30", a Sunnie over 10", and a Crappie over 14" before i do that, because more than likely i will put all those fish on my wall. I've gotten close with the Walleye of 27", but biggest Pike is 31" But crappie im close because i got a 13" and Sunnie i have gotten 9" so i just need to hit some more honey holes and i got a trip planned to the BWCA, so i hope to run into a big pike or walleye. hopefully the lakes of northern minnesota do not become like they are in other parts of the state, otherwise this state will deminish for its fishing.

[chasinredeyes]

I've fished private lakes where northerns, bass, and walleyes were never introduced, and those lakes have consistantly produced crappies above 15", and the occasional foot long gill has surfaced as well.

However in this state, any public lake with that potential will undoubtedly be fished out and completely destroyed.

Its sad but true, and until we can educate both locals and tourists on the ways to improve upon and sustain fisheries, I doubt many lakes, if any, could "exist" where slab crappies and bull gills are gigantic and frequent.

To be honest I haven't even seen a nintendo/game cube/playstation game where you can boat monsters like that!

[united jigsticker]

Rock Bass eh'?

The folks from the south are pretty stuck on them Rock Bass. They caught some up here and were bound and detirmined to have the biggest feast of their lives.

Kinda questionable if you ask me.

I've been on some really good Rock Bass bites over the years. Rock Bass pushing 3 pounds a time or two. Can't say I was ever too thrilled about it though.

[poutpro]

I fished a lake this winter that produced a lot of 2 lb fish, I didnt catch any, but saw a few that were taken while i was there. The average fish is about 9-10 inches, but there is a good number of those pigs in there too.

[rod-man]

Hay jigsticker

(Crappie Tom back me on this one)

If you find and marry the right girl you can fish as much as you want. I know I did (the second time lol) she loves to fish and hunt with me and last year she learned how to run my boat so I can fish more. the only thing that slows me down now is a broken foot it's hard to crutch on the ice

but thats soon to end. the ice that is I'm on sticks for 2 more mos. so dont give up on fishing or marrage you can have your (wedding) cake and eat (fish) too.

good luck

[CrappieJohn]

And there you have UJ!

[chasinredeyes]

"Rock Bass pushing 3 pounds a time or two"... that would be a state record. Although Rock Bass seem like monsters, there weight isn't represented as well on the scale as it is on the end of the line. And although you claimed little excitement at the time, you may be excited to have your name in the record books, even if its for catching a goggle eye.

"I've been on some really good Rock Bass bites over the years"... no kidding, every day on the water is a good rock bass bite. They are everywhere, and they will eat anything.

I don't eat them, and my signature is posted to elicit a laugh. And yes, "southerners" (Iowegians) love them. (nothing against people from Iowa)

[united jigsticker]

Well then thanks for setting me straight.

[Matt Johnson]

I've witnessed 3 rock bass caught over 2 pounds in my life time, all in the same lake, only to find out afterwards that the state record was 2 pounds. My uncle and I spent a weekend on a lake where he has a cabin and we got into some rock bass and couldn't believe the size. We were targeting crappies but the rock bass were so aggressive and big that we decided to stick it out and just fish for them instead. After catching quite a few nice ones my uncle took out his digital scale. Just to set things straight about the accuracy of digital scales... my uncle works for Guidant and has a custom digital scale that is accurate to .1 of an ounce. We weighed 3 rock bass between 2.3 and 2.5 pounds that day on the scale. This was probably 7-8 years ago and we've tried finding them on several occasions since then without any luck. We mananged 2 that were between 1.8 and 1.93 since then, but haven't hit the 2 pound mark yet. We sure are trying though At the time we caught those bigguns we had no idea the state record was only 2 pounds, I guess we should have looked it up. I've also heard from a few other people about similar stories where they've caught, and weighed 2 pound plus rock bass only to find out that the state record is only 2 pounds after releasing the fish. Now everytime I catch a rock bass that is decent I'll weigh it, you never know...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Brian Jones]

The record will fall Johnson!! Mark my words, it will fall soon!..LOL

[Matt Johnson]

I know Jones! Our hunt continues! Fish the shallow wood

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[delmuts]

i'll take a rock bass over a bullhead !!! oh that's right; we are suppose to like them too . del

[koWALLEYEski]

I for surely through away the state record pumpkin seed. State record is 1.3 and this fish was well over a lb. Too bad i didnt save it

[poutpro]

It was probably a hybrid sunfish, but you never know. You should have brought it in to get identified.

[TylerFlom]

I'm curious, how did you guys come upon your private lake havens? I fished one a few years ago in a fly fishing class,the property around the lkae was owned by the place the class was in, so no one else fished it, I caught dozens of bluegill, and none were under 9 in.!