Anyone having luck?

[Ralph Wiggum]

Has anyone picked up any cats in the metro area lately?

[hanson]

I haven't been out Mr. Wiggum!

I think FD has been living in the duck blind also.

I know the water is up & moving with all the rain we've had. Perhaps some of the metro pools have been a little more stable but I know the St. Croix was WAY, WAY UP and ripping when I was over that way this weekend.

My mind is switching to hunting and preparing for the ice season now.

If someone wants to drag me along to a good flathead bite though, I'm game. I haven't quite put the rods away.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Last I tried was the monsoon of last week. Thought it'd blow over, but I got scared off in a hurry. I probably would have needed 2 pounds of lead to keep it on the bottom, though, the Miss was roaring. I'll probably give it a shot this week.

[Dennis Steele]

I all but put the big rods away once the water drops bellow 60. You can still get on a good cat bite, but my attention turns to other species.

I usually switch over to walleye this time of year. Having a little luck but nothing spectacular yet.

[DTro]

yep, the big sticks haven't made it into the boat in a couple of weeks. I've been trying to locate some eyes, but haven't had a whole lot of luck. I managed a few before the river came WAY UP. I've been trying a few area lakes with little to report.

Don't be shy throwing some river fall eye tips my way

[Ralph Wiggum]

Thanks, guys, I had no idea when they shut off. I'm gonna give er a go tomorrow and if nothing, I'll pack it in.

Wouldn't it be nice if one could huck out a nice chunk of cut bait and throw for some 'eyes while waiting for a whiskered friend to come along???

[Mr Special]

Ditto,

[Guest]

I wouldnt be too hasty to put the big rods away.. there is warmer stable weather here now.. the best bite of the year was early in the high water(cool water temps). I would start by targeting the same early season haunts for the flatheads... I also know of a warm water discharge that was putting out an average fish of 30# this year.

I will probably go out somewhere tomorrow evening.. although I did get an encouraging report on some sturgeon action too.. im not sure which way to go.

There should be some current and possibly a nice eddy att the Red Dot.. I havent been there to look. The other place the *crew* has been fishing regularly lately is the wintering hole for channels.. they are in there somewhere.. but I wouldnt expect any monsters.

[Dennis Steele]

I was thinking about why I usually put the big rods down this time of year. After all there IS some great catfishing yet to be had. I can remember really getting into the channels as late as mid November and even picking up some big flats while jigging for walleye.

The biggest reason the big rods get put down is because I get too cold to just sit in the boat! Unless its sunny and warm, I got to be pitching jigs or at the least moving my arm up and down. (Behave now, I'm talking jigging )

dtro,

shallow, grass, current, fresh semi clear water.

[I Da Man]

I'm hoping "Fisher Guy"...opps...gets into some sturgeon...it might put me over the edge...and get my rear out there.

[Guest]

Big rods and sturgeon?

remember.. no reason to keep them big rods out under 60 degrees? Heck, I think its time to winterize the boat and get the ice house ready... nothing worth fishing these days

oops .. maybe still a reason or 4(number we got yesterday in a couple hours).

I will be dragging Hanson out there Saturday at a reasonable time to see just how many we can get!

BTW .. Blacksportsman(Manny).. I am glad my fish were not showing off their lips for the pictures... cool fish.. UGLY lips!

[I Da Man]

I just typed up a report...but I can't find it around here..

31 sturgeon and 2 channels from 1:30 to 5 today....

Three doubles, one triple...biggest was caught by non other than SteveD at 54 inches. That thing had a sucker so big it would have scared Manny!

If all goes well...I'm taking Mrs IDA Man out Friday

[Guest]

Wow .. Wow

Well .. I am going to be out there for sure on saturday with the company of hanson and Dennis Steele..

31 fish? (without cats)

how much bait did you bring anyhow?

I guess that takes care of the guesswork for tomorrow if I'm heading out there or not.. I will have to take mrs that guy too.. and hand a rod over to Tyler when a small one is on the end of the line.

My question for you I DA man... will frozen bait work too? I have a ton in the freezer.

[I Da Man]

31 did not count the two 3 to 4 pound channels Steve caught.

Since I've really never targeted these brutes before, I can't answer the fresh or frozen bait question...although Steve mentioned that keeping fresh bait on the hook seems to keep the bite going better.

It seemed that if we didn't have a hit in 5 minutes or so...we either had no bait on the hook or needed to change the bait and the action would start again.

I picked up a dozen + a couple medium (looked like small to me) suckers from Beanies.

PS I normally "chunk" my cutbait, but Steve thought they bite better "filleted". With there sucking action, I think it's easier for them to suck up the fillet and the hook with a lighter bait. Debaitable for sure...but with 31 fish in the boat...I'm not going to try anything else!

PS Sturgeon season closes this Sunday. After that it's illegal to be targeting them. Just an FYI for the veiwers out there

[hanson]

31 Sturgeon??

Did I hear that right or do I need to take windex to my monitor? 54" is a beauty!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Awesome, awesome. I wish I could get out this weekend. It is definitely on my list for next year, so someone sign me up!

[I Da Man]

Yes 31...plus two cats...I used one of your own FM guides...SteveD's Guide Service...well, he may not actually have a guide service...he plopped his anchor and we never moved...

My personal best for quantity was 2 and Steve's was 12(?)...so we were shooting for 20 and passed that too early.

Now, ask me what my wife and I caught today in the wind?

You know the big red thing that Fisher Guy was fishing around this spring? Kinda looks like that!

[hanson]

Dave-

Someone stole your motor and put that Merc on the back of your barge!!!

Sounds like its "Game On" in the morning!!! Yippeee!!!

[Guest]

Ok I DA guy... Give me a break here.. I am blonde.

I need a translation.. either you said heck with fighting the wind in the boat and found a red dot(and caught who knows what), or you got something that was often held up near a red dot while fighting wind..

Dazed and Confused over here. I guess I'll find out what happened later?

[I Da Man]

Translation: Fished my rear end off with the wife in the wind and didn't have a bite! (insert dazed and confused Graemlin here for myself!)

see email....

[Guest]

That would qualify as one extreme to another.. Tons of fish to no fish?

Strange... maybe the wind was pushing the bait somewhere and the fish followed? It couldnt have been much fun out there fighting 30 mph wind gust.

I'll be out there tomorrow.. we shall see what happens.

[Dennis Steele]

Well... I can add one more species to take up my fall fishing time now.

Thanks Dave!

What a great time.

My first sturgeon!

Dude!! Take the picture, this thing is getting heavy!!

That Guy and hanson (well hanson's hands anyway)

Doubles!!

well at least "one and halfsies"

Another nice fish!

Who's that man in the background and is he flipping us off because he's jealous that we "schooled" him??

[Guest]

It was a double.. we have to give him credit for a whole fish.. not just half.

I think that was his big fish of the day!

That was one of two doubles we had for the day.. no complaints here... So I wont say it was TOO WINDY, and I'll leave out the fact the wake was 2' tall all day. MY back started to hurt every time I watched HANSON lift 45 pounds of anchor(and the boat was still dragging). That boat that nearly took BOTH of my lines at closed throttle that wouldnt respond to polite persuasion(sp?) and hand signals didnt ruin the day either... although I think they will give *communicating fishermen* a little more room in the future .

"Scooled"? I think 20(us) to 2(him) .. yes, it was our day... but he did a great job of blocking a few tidal waves for us when we reeled in fish!

It was a heck of a good day in a local zoo! We will have to do it again sometime.

[I Da Man]

Quote:

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We will have to do it again sometime

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Try to pick a weekday....

Think I'll look as good in a Sea Ark?

[Guest]

What was that you were saying about those guys who drive lunds yesterday?

I'll have to check out the Sea Arc's and see whats out there.. I am not familliar with them.

YOur one of those St croix guys.. I thought Bayliners worked best for you?