Cats starting to feed on the Red River Basin.

[Ed Carlson]

The cats are starting to show promise. With this new rain, it should escalate quickly into a spring cat bite. The suckers are on the run so there is a bountiful supply of cat bait and food for everything in the area to show on. I suspect the walleye are taking advantage of this as well.

Run off will flush a supply of worm/crawlers into the drainage’s and into the rivers so they will be high on the menu the next few days. Not to say minnows or other baits will not work but a easy meal is an easy meal to a fish Eh.

If suckers, Goldeye, Carp, and Freshwater Drum are not your intended species to catch or cats PLEASE do not toss them up on the banks to rot and stink up the place. Let them go unharmed, as removing a few here and there has no real impact on the greater population in the basin. In the end all wanton waist of undesirable species will do is subject you to potential fines and greatly disrespects the other fisherman whom fish the same area next. So, be courteous and respect the non-game species as well as your fellow fisherman and do not waist or deposit fish on the shorelines of lakes and rivers.

On certain waters, there is designated drop off locations for undesirable species of fish. In that case please fallow the recommended disposal procedures as posted by the NDG&F.

Good luck and good fish'n.

[CatManLee]

GOOD COMMENTS ON THE RELEASE OF ALL FISH!!!

I absolutly hate when people throw any fish on shore to die or purposly kill them, just because they might not like the species.

I love to fish, it's my life...(other than my wife)

Anything that wants to grab my hook and be caught is alright in my book.

Hopefuly I'll be on the Red this weekend catching some cats.

Ed, I found a place that has frogs already! Lots and lots of Frogs! Leapard's and even Bull Frogs. I can't believe they are out, but who am I to say when they are supposed to come out.

Do you know if a guy can keep them alive, and how till later in the year? If I can catch some now to use later in the year, I will. What do they eat?

[Ed Carlson]

Yup it is good to hear and see them hoppers again. I tend to leave them be in the spring so they reproduce at least once. The more frogs around the better latter on in the season is how i see it. I kinda treat them like spring run walleye and try not to hurt the population by harvesting prime spawning critters. Many Northern Leopard Frog populations were hurt badly by last springs and early summers wacky weather so they need a chance to recoup there populations in the region.

But...Latter on this summer if they be plentiful...look out hoppers!

[Scoot]

Early in the season I tend to have a lot better luck with cutbait than frogs anyway. I'd follow Ed's lead and use cut goldeye and sucker for now. After they spawn, go back to your frog hole and have at 'er.

[CatManLee]

I don't want to use frogs right now. I prefer cut bait or crawlers early on, but can a guy can keep em' alive? That's what I was wondering. The pond I found with all the frogs is FULL of eggs, so they probably already did their business in that location. Any how, I went there today to take a look and they were gone! Where the heck could they have all went?

Never thought about the "Spawn" as you mentioned, good point. I would never harvest fish in that stage, so it would make sense to do the same with frogs.

Do either of you know when frogs typically do the dirty?

I suppose it's about now this year, since I saw all those eggs, so when is it over?

[Ed Carlson]

There appears to be lots of Goldeye/Mooneye and Suckers tossed up on the banks at the WR Dam and other spots.......so bait should be kinda easy to find.

PLEASE do not toss fish up on the banks to die and stink up the locations! Depositing fish on the bank is illegal, consider yourself warned!

These locations will be shut down for angler use if this practice persists.

[CatManLee]

Hey, by the way I was looking through my MN Fishing Regs, and saw Frog Season is closed right now. So I'm glad I did'nt get any yet. I guess I won't have to worry about getting them early after all.