First open water fish of 2008

[DTro]

and it turns out to be bait.....

[walleyeslayer18]

awesome! love to see your out and fishing already! i think im going to head to the minnesota in jordan on monday from shore hopefully! good fishing!

[DTro]

I'm behind schedule.

I just looked back and my first open water kitty was on 3/11.

I have some catching up to do. Maybe today?

[harvey lee]

This week I plan on hitting the Minnesota with the boat hopefully.

[hanson]

Thats what I call a SHAD! Beauty!

But I'm also going to hop on my soapbox here for a minute, there is plenty... PLENTY of summer to fish the river. Growing up on the Red Lake River & Red River of the North, I have seen first hand what a flooding river can do, year after year after year. The Minnesota was up bigtime last year at this point and with these heavy wet snows we've gotten recently, a quick melt could do the same this year. Add in icebergs, logs, stumps, and trees that come with a flood and that is no place to be with a boat and 30-40 degree water temperatures.

Call me conservative but I plan on fishing for many years. This river can turn on you even under the best conditions. I'm not going to talk an EXPERIENCED river rat out of doing what they want to do, but now is not the time for a "newbie" MN river fisherman to get out and see what the river is about.

I have confidence in the folks I know but there are others who are new to the river, new to the forum, and look here for advice.

My point (and advice)... Use common sense and be careful!!

[DTro]

Good Advice, especially since it's not worth a fish or two right now.

Got the ol skunkaroo again today.

I compare early spring and late fall river fishing to early ice.

It comes down to using common sense and good judgment. Being with someone who's experienced helps a ton as well.