Vermillion River

[troutman]

I've been watching and waiting all summer and now,I think it's time to ask the question.Have you noticed that there has not been one post or report on the Vermillion River all summer long?I have my own theory as to why....and it's not that folks have learned that advertising a stream on the internet is not always,if ever a good idea.

Now that the season is winding down,surely there must be some tight lipped individual that has done well there and kept his secrets all summer long.Come on guy's,how'd the Vermillion treat everyone this summer?

[troutman]

Wow,this is bad! I'm answering my own post just to bring it to the top again but,here goes.

I have the privilege to access the Vermillion through private property and in years past,have experienced some world class days on this particular section of the river. However,my experience's have declined in quality in subsequent years,with this year being abysmal.I fished the river three times between late May and early June this year.I caught one trout about 16 to 18" and saw one other trout about the same size.I also caught a small northern.

I usually make it a point to fish the Vermillion towards the end of the season but,I've become so discouraged that I didn't this year.I'd like to know how others have fared.Have my timing and luck gone bad or have others had similar experiences?

[so haaad]

I think most people try fishing the Verm once, maybe twice and give up on it. Especially fishing it after June, since it can get pretty tough because of the overgrowth and lack of easy access points. At times its characteristics remind me of the Trimbelle - a little murky, maybe a little warm and uncooperative fish at times. But it also keeps the number of anglers down, so those characteristics are not always a bad thing.

[-Marc V-]

Fished the vermill a couple times this year. Hit it pretty hard last year. Have to say I went home empty handed most of the time. Last year, I didn't care. Was into large trout hunting, and had too much time on my hands. Plus I just started to enjoy being outside, and enjoying the experience without care for a catch. The challenge of casting around the river made it fun too.

This year spin fished it on opener, and caught a 16", and a buddy caught a smaller one, 7"-8". Water was low and clear...could see bottom pretty much all the way through, and only saw one other fish I would have considered a trout.

I think part of the advertising of the stream had to do with the urban sprawl growing around it, and the awareness the community needed to have in order to try and keep it a cold water fishery. I'm not an expert on these things, but that's my 2 cents.

It wasn't only internet advertising, but county fairs, Midwest Fly Fishing Expo, and a slot on MN Bound to name a few I know of that made the river known for what she held.

[troutman]

There is a certain amount of mortality involved with even the strictest C&R regs.The C&R regs on the Vermillion are very liberal....IMO,too liberal.Live bait and barbed hooks are going to kill some fish,I don't think there's any question to that.And unfortunatly,I believe that more than one unethical person....I won't call them a fisherman, has slipped a big fish into his boot or waders and hightailed the thing home for the wall or grill.It's tough for some people to release a 24 to 30" fish.Multiply these factors by the increase in fishing pressure and I believe it has had a negative impact on the trout population.A trout stream,unlike a larger river,is a very limited resource.A dozen big fish poached or killed will seriously impact the population of big fish in the river.

Unfortunatly,these are the conclusions I have come to over the last several years of fishing the Vermillion and....maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I just experienced some extraordinary good luck for a few years, years ago and things are really pretty much as they always were...but,I don't think so.

[-Marc V-]

I've seen a smaller lake in Eagan where I grew up go through the same sort of swings. It's a pretty small lake, but has the ability to grow bass, walleye, and nothern to pretty darn good size. Bass 20"+, notherns in the mid 30". Walleye I've caught never too big, but 20" plus I've seen, which a a decent walleye anyway. Catfish 8lbs+.

There's a fishing pier off one side of the lake, and when the fish start to get big again, the lake becomes very popular. I've also spent some time fishing it when the lake hits it's high swings, only releasing because I'd rather recatch big fish. And also to keep their genes in the pool. Everytime I was fishing, or would drive by, there were at least two people fishing from the pier that kept at least 1 large fish, most of the time more. Now all that's left is smaller fish again, and I don't see anyone fishing from the pier anymore. The resource just couldn't keep producing large fish to keep up. I've seen it go through these swings at least a couple times in my lifetime now.

It may be an apples to organges comparison, but simply the resource can not keep providing. I agree that there were probably poachers of large trout. And yes, back when I used to worm fish, a gut hooked/gill hooked trout is common, and usually results in a dead trout.

To catch an inland brown above 23" is almost, (almost) impossible around our parts. To hit anything near the 30" mark is pretty much a catch of a lifetime (unless your Tom Wendlburg). The vermillion was amazing that it could grow many trout of these sizes. I agree most would not be able to let those fish go.

The hope (or maybe my hope anyway) is that some of the smaller browns will grow to those sizes again after people loose interest. Then it will become known again, and yada yada yada...what do ya do.

And who knows, maybe the trout are still there, but just got smarter than us.

[erickol]

Funny how things work, I didn't fgish the Verm once this season, and kinda didn't think about it much! I guess I was concentrating on mixed species more. I would like to put in some more time on the river though. I don't mind getting skunked if I know the pay off potential is decent

[MidCoast]

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!! Dont talk about the Vermillion river.. This is an excellent Trout fishery!!!

I love fishing on that river for trouts...

[new2trout]

Caught a few trout there in summer. Seems like just a few key spots east of Farmington.

[Lucky Dogg]

you cant fish that river. the trout season is closed a month ago!!! why put up that post!!!!

[troutman]

Dogg,

If you'd scroll up to the first post I made,you'd find that this post was started on 9/18.....12 days BEFORE the season ended.

[thistlekicker]

awww...why'd you change that post? It was funny...possibly the best first post ever! or maybe the worst.

"It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever."

- David St. Hubbins