Cabin fever wanderlust

[redhooks]

I know this is the icefishing forum and don't get me wrong "I LOVE ICE FISHING!!" but this winter has been incredibly cold and with ice this thick it doesn't ever feel like spring will be here. I know a few people that have been/are going down to Mexico, Florida, ect... for some warm weather fishing this winter and frankly, I'm a little jealous. Anybody care to chime in with past places and species they have been fishing for or future trips planned to get away from these subzero temps. It may help give others some nice vacation ideas for the future as well. I'm heading to Lousianna to fish for Redsnapper in the Gulf in a month and I wish it was gonna be tomorrow, but I'll settle for tropical URL tonight. Dreamin' about a sunburn...
redhooks

[Steve Foss]

redhooks, take at look at the Mississippi River Pools 2-9 board, hitch up the trailer and make a road trip. And you can still bring your winter clothes.

Don't even need to cross an international border to get from URL to Big Miss, like you would to Mexico. Well, if course it always IS culture shock to leave the URL Triangle.

[Mueske]

We are reaching the high forties in SW Wyoming again this weekend. Although there are several lakes that failed to freeze this winter and we had very little snow once again, I chose not to use the boat on the large lakes this winter. I'd hate to have a mechanical problem and have nobody hear my pleas for assistance. I'll wait for even warmer days. Until then I'll continue taking the preschoolers out on the ice. In two weeks we'll make a trip up to Willow Lake near Pinedale for some trophy lakers. We'll use snowmobiles for about the second time this year as there is plenty of snow there yet at 7500 ft. I look forward to this trip even more than my annual search for muskies on Leech in MN where I grew up. I'm sorry that the season for most of your fish has ended in MN but it has barely begun here in Wyoming. When the ice does go out in late April/early May the fishing is even better. I gotta go to bed so we can outwit the crappies (many 12-14 inches)in the morning on a nearby Utah lake. Hang in there; the fishing opener will get here before you know it!

Kevin

[redhooks]

Hey stfcatfish- I Wouldn't mind doing some pre-rainey jigging (if it ever opens). I grew up in Rochester and have had many fun days jiggin eyes and saugers below Redwing and Alma while the ice chunks bounce off the boat. Mueske-Those western lakers and slab crappies sound fun as well. the URL triangle got the best of us last night-it ate my gearcase and only gave up six slabbers-still beats watching someone else catch fish on TV. I have a friend up in AK that said they are playing golf in anchorage and many lakes only have 1-3 inches of ice on them-strange days indeed!
Here's to a tightline w/ plenty of sunshine!
redhooks

[This message has been edited by redhooks (edited 03-08-2003).]

[Mueske]

Ya know, the more I think about it, the more I remember that I wanted so bad to travel to URL in early March with my dad from southern MN and my brother from SW Wyoming to catch perch. That would have been my favorite fishing trip for the year fer shure.
Redhooks you are so lucky. We only caught 20 crappies today, nothing for the record books. There is always tomorrow though.

Kevin

[Mueske]

Redhooks
I was in Pine Island 1965-1972 and only fished twice. Once on a vacation to Pukwana Shores and once on the Oronoco. We bought a campground on Leech and moved there in 1972 and met many of the big-time muskie fisherman over the years. I go back once a year but never have any luck; had a follow in 2001. What's URL like in the summer?

Kevin

[redhooks]

Hey Mueske-I graduated from JM in 93 and have been living "up-north" in Ely, Bemidji and Grand Rapids ever since- I do miss the trout streams,turkeys and roosters but, there's such a veriety of trophy fishing w/in a couple hours drive of home.. Red, Rainey,Vermilion,BWCAW, superior's northshore, Millelacs,Leech, Winnie and everything in betweeen. I'm poor in wealth but rich in memories and opportunities! Sounds like you have a little slice of paradise over there as well with the lakers and crappies and I'm sure the hunting isn't bad either-Someday I'd like to get over that way and try for some of those big trout in the Wind River range. I have just began chasing muskies the last couple summers and I've managed to see a few every summer but only have one under my belt-guess that means I'll just have to keep casting 9998..9999... I haven't made it up to Red on open water but hope to sometime this spring/summer to try for some slabs on the fly and do some trolling/casting for some of those gators. So much water so little time...good luck and tight lines!
redhooks

[Steve Foss]

redhooks:

As of next weekend, we'll be living in Ely, having moved there from Superior, Wis.

And I'll be casting an eye on Vermilion (and hopefully more than an eye ) for musky, if I can round up a boat. I'm boat-poor but tackle-rich. If you're looking for a partner in your boat, give me a shout if you feel like it.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[redhooks]

Hey stfcatfish-I got addicted to the BWCAW at an early age so I went to VCC for a couple years and really enjoy tromping around in that neck of the woods-I think we may have to get together sometime and hit the big-V or some other neighborhood waters. I plan on getting up there more than a few this spring/summer and have a permit for basswood via moose for opener(may have to bring the auger this spring!) I'll drop you a line and we can shoot the bull about monsters of the deep.
redhooks

[redhooks]

hey -Jeff in LV- good to hear the baja is doing well, never done it but hope to someday. I have some cousins vacationing in Fla and am looking forwrd to hearing how they did, hopefully over a fish dinner. As for up here, if your gonna make the trip up to Brainerd for panfish you might as well head all the way up to Red(it's a phenomenon that won't last long)-it sounds like the action is heating up and I'm looking forward to some warm temps and a full moon for this weekend. I've been finding a few around rapids but plan on hitting Red a few more times before the year is over-I'd like to come home w/ 15 slabs since this is the last spring to do so.
stfcatfish-you've got mail
Good luck to all who venture on both hard and soft water!
redhooks

[Guest]

Redhooks....What years did you go to VCC? I was there from '95-'99

[Jeff in LV]

redhooks,
I just returned from the Long Beach sport show(HUGE!!). I fish in Baja, Mexico(La Paz) quite a bit. Friends who own the super panga fleet there said they were catching Dorado(MahiMahi) that were going 20-40lbs, Yellowtail was wide open(10-20 per day) 15-35lbs,Pargo(snapper), and lost their first sailfish last week. The water has been warmer than usual--thus the good fishing.
On the other hand, I have been thinking of flying out to "iceland"(Brainerd) next week, but wonder if it is worth my time given what has to be 5 ft of ice, and not hearing/readingmuch about good panfishing recently? Suggestions on fishing ou/up that way?
Thanks!

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[redhooks]

hey Alaskander- I was up there in 93-95' in the aviation program.I lived in the A-frame up by the ski hill one winter and out at Garden Lake resort my 2nd year, Good times at VCC-what other school has such a big playground for recess? I was lucky enough to spend a couple summers up in AK guiding on lake creek as well-thats the real playground!! Hunting and fishing paradise! I heard it's been unusually warm up there- did you get out on the ice for any pike/trout/other? A friend went out on the kenai to hit some lakes but said there was only 1-3 " of ice so he opted to look for moose sheds. Good luck to all who venture out!
redhooks

[Crawlerman]

It's supposed to be near 50 this weekend. Yahoo! I am going through BWS (boat withdrawl syndrom) Right now.. so... My uncle keeps his boat out all year and fishes by the Redwing dam year long.. maybe I can get him to take me out...

[redhooks]

Alaskander 70- I do a fair amount of stomping around in the Suomi hills and up hwy38 as well. I have some friends that are in fisheries biology that are moving up to Fairbanks soon as well as some down here in Rapids. Drop me a line ,if you feel like it, and we can shoot the bull about about fish, lakes and other bullshooters we may both know.It's a small world w/ lots of water and I hope to fish it all!
[email protected]
redhooks

[This message has been edited by redhooks (edited 03-11-2003).]

[Guest]

Redhooks....Been fishing in the Fairbanks area and down by Delta Jct. for Rainbows and Arctic Char. Haven't had time for a laker trip this year, too busy! I fished in Ely for a week in December and had a blast! Walleyes and crappies were biting very well.
Spent a lot of time fishing off #38 and the Soumi Hills area as well as the rest of Itasca Co. Just getting ready for the field season up here, I have a radio-telemetry study going on with pike on the Yukon Flats and a salmon study in Western Alaska. Other than that I will be back in MN next December for another month of ice fishing as usual. I usually stop in Rapids and visit my old buddies at the DNR and look over survey reports and B.S. about fishing.