SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

[Guest]

I know there is still some good fishing to be had yet this year. But what are your best catches or highlights of this season?

I have two highlights:

1)Catching my group of mounted perch
2lb 2oz, 1lb 11oz, 1lb 4oz, and 1lb 2oz

2)Catching my biggest fish through the ice.
37-inch, 15 pound pike. (Caught her on Sunday)

Good Fishing, Matt.

[Gonzo]

Nice batch of Perch!
This year will go down as (so far) the best ice fishing I've ever experienced on Lake of the Woods. Six guys, three days, six limits of 14 ea., all some of the nicest sauger (and a couple eater walleyes) you could hope for. Even caught a walleye over seven #. I had some great fishing on Mille Lacs too. Now to the crappies and perch!

[LaVoi]

Well I finally got out quite a bit this year and had many highlights in my book. Got in to some real nice pike this winter, some of which include

-37"
-2 34"s
-3 33"s
-about 10-15 between 29 and 32"s

All very nice fish and ALL REALEASED!
No big walleyes but let's hear about some, I know there had to be many nice eyes pulled through the ice this winter

Good fishin, LaVoi

[SpikeRoberts]

I fished more this winter than any other in my life. I caught quite a few fish but none very memorable. I did, however, have one day on the ice this year that I'll never forget -- the day I brought my 16 month old son fishing for the first time We caught quite a few sunnies that day and we both had a great time. He only knows about a dozen words and one of them is fish! All you pro-types better look out, he's a natural

[Guest]

This will go down as the year that I learned the most. I learn the best "the hard way" This winter through long periods of trial and error I was able to catch the most and biggest walleyes I have ever caught. My partner and I probably pulled in close to hundred eyes this winter. And my biggest was 27 1/2. And I had one that appeared a bit larger but he never got out of the hole. you gotta remember that all i do is go to class and then head out to the lake.

[LaVoi]

Bigguns3- Hey I noticed your from St. Cloud. What lakes do you fish down there. I am just trying to get ready for next ice season cause I will be transferring down to SCSU and just wanted to get a head start on some good lakes down there. Good fishin, LaVoi

[RipJigger]

My biggest highlite of the year was catching and releasing a 29" walleye. The big thrill was that I caught it while fishing for crappies using ultra lite tackle.

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Hard Water Rules
RipJigger

[Guest]

WE'll you name it, And I've probably been there. But I fish different lakes depending on summer or winter. In the winter Millacs is my prime and specialty, I also fish alot in the annandale area in the winter. Thats only about 20 min if you're ridin with me. I like big fish lake and sugar,and clearwater cause theyre the closest with the good fishin.
Lavoi-
where are you at right now?

[LaVoi]

I am in Crookston, not enough lakes up here for me. I drive home every weekend though, which is Mahnomen. I usually make it down to the D.L. area most weekends, I love fishin that area. Have you ever fished Reno, Rice or Big Birch, they are in that area aren't they? I heard they were supposed to be decent lakes.

[doubleUcubed]

I had a very good year of ice fishing, although quite short do to the late ice and now lack of ice. Highlight for me, C&R 29" eye! Fat pig she was!!

[Ishmel]

LaVoi - I'm from St. Cloud also, and rent a summer spot on Reno. The fishing there is usually pretty good but it's an hour and ten minutes from here, so that slows you down a little. I haven't found too many lakes around town that I like to fish, but I haven't been very dilligent about trying either. This forum is a good place to start getting ideas.

[Guest]

Gonzo, nice walleyes and saugers. That 7 pounder must have been fun.
LaVoi, those are some big pike. They are sure fun to catch.
SpikeRoberts, I'm glad your son likes fishing. Way to go, teach him the ropes.
Bigguns3, thats a lot of walleyes. Nice 27 1/2 incher.
RipJigger, a 29 incher is a prize! I didn't get any walleyes that big this year. Must have been fun on ultra lite tackle.
doubleUcubed, that is a fat pig! I'm glad to hear you let her go. The ice is frustrating this year.

Thanks for the replies, keep em' coming.
Good Fishing, Matt.

[Guest]

LaVoi,

I have fished big birch and rice. I enjoy fishing rice at first ice. This year we were the first idiots to walk out and boy did we have a good time. I don't like fishing rice mid winter, cause its too populated for me. Matt

[Early Riser]

The highlight for me this year was watching our three children (4,7,10) take over the tip-ups - from setting them to landing all the fish. I still drill the holes. It is awsome watching them run out there and go at it! They enjoy ice fishing and I think I love it even more than ever now.

[The Chemist]

Rice in EV is great first ice. I walk out ~ 100' from shore in front of the cabin and wait for the sun to go down. Perch during the day and then the eyes take over. But this only lasts a week or so and then they're gone. I think because the shiners have vacated the shallows.

[Steve Foss]

Well, no big fish so far. But I've got two great highlights.

Had nine flags fishing pike on Lake Owen a few weeks ago, a gin-clear lake in NW Wisconsin. No real size (5 lb max), but I'd never fished pike with big live golden shiners, which are impossible to get in eastern N.D., where I moved from. Good pike fingers were real tasty, and that was some fast action. And hurray for three lines in Wisconsin, not the stingy two-line Minnesota thing (N.D. was four).

And I met a good fishing partner on this post. Now, most of you guys know it's harder to find the right fishing partner than it is to find a good wife. He and I both know our onions on fishing, but he knows the area, and we have a lot in common.

Mighty good forum, this.

Set the hook yourself, Lundman.

[Guest]

8 flags on Monday. 1 Bass over 5 pounds. 1 Northern 5.12 pounds. Several big Crappies and lost one big something on a tip up. Lost several more on tip ups! Great Weather but sort of disappointing - had to take the permanent off of the lake.
CpR

[Guest]

Hmmmmmmm. I guess it would have to be the action on Mille Lacs this year. Letting those 27.5 inchers go was tough for me. I dont get many that big. It was a good hurt. The group I was with laughed at me when I pulled up with the giant shinners and tip ups....... until I had about 6 flags go up and they did not have a bite on their fatheads and/or jigs. Ended up catching about 14 that day, 4 nice slot fish too. All shinners........the next weekend they all had tip ups and killed em. Thanks for the tip "Polaris and Resort man!" YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

[Poutmaster]

I finally broke my big walleye mark (7.5)that I was stuck on for the past 3 years. In a matter of 45 minutes on Mille Lacs a couple weeks ago, I caught a 28 1/4' (8lbs 10 oz)and a 28" 8 pounder. Throw in some nice 14" perch and I now a new walter and perch personal record. The walleyes were released, the perch were good eatin'!

[Ruegs23]

Bigguns,
Did you grow up around st cloud? I grew up in st joe just outside of st cloud and I am attending scsu too. This year has been killer for me though, i got a new job so i go to school and then work till 6 everyday and didn't get much fishing in this winter. Only weekends. If you ever need a partner give me a call, me and a couple guys go pretty much every weekend. My email is [email protected]
Ruegs23

[Perch Jerker]

The season 'highlight' for me was when myself and 5 other guys headed up for the Eelpout Festival.

Myself and another friend put the house (6'x8'x22' bolt together design with 4"x4"x6' posts in the corners) up 3 weeks before the festival straight off the landing 2 miles north of Walker in a pretty good spot with 31' of water. When we drove out on the ice looking for the house, it wasnt there. We looked around for a bit and found it 'broken' into two pieces, upsidedown, and 100yds apart from each other 1000ft from where it originally was. We drug the smaller piece (6x8x8') to the larger piece (6x8x14'), flipped them right side up, and proceded to put humpty dumpty back together again. It took us about 2 hours from 'discovery' of the house to being set up and fishing. As a friend of mine says, "After this weekend, were freaking Marines".

Note to self for next year, anchor house if it is glaze ice on the lake and 70 mph winds are expected.

Perch Jerker

ps. That was my unpainted plywood house on it's back off the north landing on Walker Bay if you saw it. After we got things 'running', we had the 3 2x4's 12' long sticking straight up 'marking' our tip-ups.

[Matt D]

AAAwwww ... it's touching to hear the end of the season success stories. But the season ain't over yet. I' guess I'm a little spoiled sitting here smack dab between URL crappies, LOW walleyes, and Devils Lake ND where the season never closes. Sure the fishing is great at times at all these lakes, but I'm getting goosebumps thinking about our trip to ONT on a week. I'll share my highlights when I get back.

If the walleye fishing is anything like the last trip, I'm gonna start selling raffle tickets for info on the location! (Not really. There's just something special about pulling in 4-5 pounders every few minutes as the sun sets on the horizon without another soul in sight -- I wouldn't trade that for ... well, anything!)

[Guest]

Ruegs-

I am originally from Saint cloud. I moved down to Owatonna MN and then about 8 years ago came back and have been living in St cloud ever since. Are you a first year student at State? I do concrete all summer long hard core. The only times I get out in the summer is Sat afternoon, Sunday, and any rain days. So winter is my time to shine. I go to class and then hit the lakes. Now that the permanents are off the lake I have to do my homework at home instead of up on Millacs. What lakes do you fish primarily? We could go any time.

[ifalls_archer]

Mine was watching my 3 year old pull up a 25" walleye. He just grinned from ear to ear and giggled. That moment was priceless.

Good fishing everyone.
Brent-I haven't caught a fish that big- Walchuk

[Nels]

I think the best part of this season has been that it was really my first year of trying several different lakes, and getting out at least once a week.

I caught my first 12 inch crappie! I also caught 5 species of fish since Jan.1st, and I hope to catch many more through the rest of the year.

The one last highlight was getting a vexilar. I have been so happy with it, and have been able to catch alot of finnicky fish using it.

Next year I hope to catch some real trophies through the ice!

Have Fun Fishin.