Opener Reports!!!!!

[jacktar]

Fished Forest Lake Sunday morning. Good number of boats out near channels, reeds and breaks. Raised one mid-40's on East end, and my partner had a fruitless blow-up on a surface bait. Witnessed some great baitfish movement on and below the surface around 0830 shortly after the rain quit.

Near the end of the morning I hooked into a FEISTY bass -- thought it was something much larger. Boat partner grabbed the net and prepared for a serious catch. But when it surfaced, we saw it was 12 inches of smallie with 40 inches of attitude. That little guy really got my pulse up!

[setterguy]

Was out this morning, had about a 36-38 ready to party right away about 6 am, short hit a physco spinner. That was the only fish we saw all day. Sounds like everyone has about the same story, moving males....maybe the big girls are about a week behind them?

[cherokee]

Fished Saturday and fish were active early especially when the storm approached. We boated one smaller one and had a bigger one blow up on topwater. A lot of smaller (males?) follows. Saw one big 48" just swimming in front of the boat.

[ptkane]

Everyone at the landing I talked to said the same thing -- saw fish but couldn't hook any. All said the weeds are aren't up yet.

[Rebel9921]

Sounds like the small bucktails and topwaters were the key over the weekend... Wondering how well did the Showgirls and Pacemakers do over the weekend???

[slipperybob]

One looker...I thought it was a floating submerged log, but it moved so I look closer.

[Scoot]

We had a great opener. Didn't fish Sat, but on Sun I saw a lot of fish and we boated two- I got a 37" peanut, but put my buddy on a 49 incher! It was his biggest by a foot!!!

[HugoBox]

Fished WB yesterday - two of us had 3 follows total but I still haven't figured out how to move from the jerk-bait/pause retrieve with a jerkbait into a decent figure eight so there was no real chance of hooking up.

[cjac]

I caught some rays on Saturday, that was about it. I tried the tiger route, and nothing doing.

Felt good to get out and throw a few baits. The Curado 300DSV is unreal, didn't know a muskie reel cound be that smooth.

Looking at Tuesday after work, hoping a couple days of stable weather may help.

[RK]

Hiya -

I only got out Sat AM for a couple hours (work on the cabin to do...), but it was nice to get out at all... I ended up seeing 7 or 8, got dumped by a 20 pounder that nipped the back of a Bomber Long-A and got stung for a few seconds, and missed one other fish that took a swipe at the same bait. Fish must have just spawned, because they looked terrible. Had one going around on a figure-8 and found myself thinking "do I really want to catch this poor thing?" He looked like someone had dragged him across a parking lot. Must be a lot of work making little muskies, because they sure look beat up by the time they're done.

Water temp was only 60 degrees, even on a fairly small body of water, so still going to take a bit of heat to get things moving I think.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[cjac]

Quote:

Fished WB yesterday - two of us had 3 follows total but I still haven't figured out how to move from the jerk-bait-bait/pause retrieve with a jerkbait into a decent figure eight so there was no real chance of hooking up.

Hey Hugo,

Not the greatest fig 8 bait, but with a jerk-bait or a glider, just get it to the 8 to 12 inches of line off the tip and spin it. Shorten up the rod movement to get it lined up a little bit on the last few feet of line helps make the transition into the spin. You're not looking for any real action on the 8, just the trigger of speed to make the silly fish eat it.

[Nick Kuhn]

Hiya -

I only got out Sat AM for a couple hours (work on the cabin to do...),

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

Now I don't feel so bad for not fishing that much this year. The upstairs of our cabin was just an open space over the winter. We're turning it into two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a family room looking over the lake. Entire downstairs is rewired, only thing left is one last wall (an easy one), wiring the upstairs (again easy as it isn't finished like the downstairs), install a shower/bathtub toilet and sink, hang some drywall, and finally put on some doors. Carpeting/tiling is going to wait, it can be one of those Saturday night after dark ongoing projects.

[markkstanley]

Lost a high 40s a boatside on Tonka. Jumped clear out of the water twice about 10ft from boat. I was fishing for crappies in 8ft depth with a 1/16 oz tadpole spinner (white if you really need to know) 4lb test Ultralight Avid. Some serious fun while it lasted. Line didn't break. The hook just came out after three trips around the boat. Saw two more working docks for green carp but they didn't want to come out and play.

[cupper]

I threw a pink showgirl for a while with no luck... blades weren't turning very well. I wanted to fish it slow, but the blades would stop turing if I went too slow. I had one small pike swipe at it and miss.

[HugoBox]

Cjac -

Thanks for the boatside tip on the Reef Hawg. I think I had as much fun washing all the new lures I bought!!

thanks - erik

[DHanson]

In reply to cupper's post:

I don't think the showgirls are made to be worked slow. It's more of a bait made to be burned. There are a lot of other bucktails that are made to be worked slower. Just my 2 cents.

[Rebel9921]

Well during daytime it should be burned quickly as possible... at nighttime... it should be burned slowly as possible... just enough to get the blades turning...

[JRedig]

Well during daytime it should be burned quickly as possible... at nighttime... it should be burned slowly as possible... just enough to get the blades turning...

Did a muskie tell you that's how they like it? Cuz i've CERTAINLY found opposites of both to be true at times...

Was out Sunday AM, just a bunch of pike. This morning moved 3 fish before sun up, but no biters. Lots of weeds, water 67-68 degree's!

-JR

[Rebel9921]

Just advising on what did work... but no harm in changing it up sometimes... thats how fishing goes... one way or other for one day, next its different...

[Harty1384]

Went back out sunday at about noon Moved 1 fish mid 40"s about 1:30 had a high 30's pike follow around 3:00 saw a low 40"S ski just swimming on the other side of the boat from which we were fishing at about 3:30. Then at about 4:15 or so got a hot follow and stuck the 47 incher on the figure 8 good fight took 3 runs then got her in the net. Not bad for a total of 12 hrs fishing in 2 days

[propster]

Fished Island Lake near Moose Lake on Sat. Water temp only 57-58. Had one follow over 22 fow and then had one miss a topwater that evening over a weedless hump that is normally full of cabbage by now . Still sluggish I think. Next day Hunter went down to the lake his grandparents cabin is on (Sand Lake) with his bass outfit to throw for a few bass - there's about a 50 layin' there a foot from shore in a foot of water, just soakin' up the rays. He tried quivering a jig in front of him. Not interested and eventually moved off. Lonewolf - what were the water temps on Mantrap? And what sort of structure did you see fish - shallow sand/shoreline or over open water? Or were they relating to the weeds already? How is the weedgrowth so far? Thanks.

[Hugo]

Propster,

I was on Island on opener also. Saw 4 fish on Sat. 3 in the weeds with the biggest (upper 40's) on the weed edge on a crankbait. No hookups either.

Hugo

[Andrew Erickson]

last night on a city lake i went out and had a follow on my second cast of the night and about a half hour later i lost a low 40" on a topraider.I was sick to my stomach watching the bait pop out of her mouth.That fish hit about 5 feet from the dock and it was such a perfect hit.followed it in nosing it then the water just erupted.it was great

[RK]

Hey RincRat78 -

Was that you on the sailboat dock at Harriet last night?

[Andrew Erickson]

yea that was me