Fishing reports

[dan in webster]

my shack is on burlingame, east of danbury. the panfish bite has really shut down. must be a mid winter deal. still getting some pike on tip-ups. we've got some seriouse ice in our area

[Steve Foss]

Fished Lake Owen in Bayfield County with tip-ups for pike. Quick-strike rigs and big golden shiners in 5 to 15 feet at one spot on the west shore of the western "ear" and one spot near the narrows.

Three flags from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. One very heavy fish worked loose before it hit the hole. Never got a look at her. One broke a leader when I set the hook. The leader had rusted and weakened. I finally caught the third, a 2 pounder that even now is becoming pike fingers for supper.

Two guys showed up about 1 p.m. with tip-ups and said they'd been at Nelson Lake near Hayward and had lots of flags, but each time the pike had dragged the hook into the timber, and they broke off every time. These guys were using single treble hooks and lighter line than I was, and they had to wait before setting the hook, giving the pike time to hit the woods. Think I'll take my 30-lb line and quick-strike rigs and head to Nelson tomorrow and stare at tip-ups near some wood, then get ready for the evening walleye bite.

Will be good to do a little preliminary scouting for the Nelson Lake outing next month, too.

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"I've driven farther before to catch fewer fish . . ."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[steve schmidt]

fished Balsam Lake Tuesday afternoon. Limited out but had to sort. Fished east end.

[Steve Foss]

Fished three spots on Nelson Lake in Sawyer County today. No flags at all, but that was mostly my fault. I was fishing three tip-ups with 10- to 12-inch suckers looking for big pike.

Probably should have stuck with two tips and broken out the crappie rod for the day, then switched to lighter tip-ups for the evening walleye bite, but that's life.

[Steve Foss]

Fished a hit-or-miss spot on St. Louis Bay near the shipping channel in Superior for 'eyes.

Tonight was a miss. Two guys, one small pout. Wind 20 mph, zero degrees, auger blades iced up, pushed auger down hard, buried air intake in water, glug glug glug, killed. Lost the cell phone and had to go back out after dark looking for it in the blowing snow and the blue glow of my Aurora Tech. No cell phone.

Turned out it was in my coat pocket.

It's STILL better than working.

And the new Dyna glo heater kept the Trap II very toasty, even in that wind, with slush sealing the tent.

[condor]

ok catfish I'm back. now I can try to defend myself

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[Steve Foss]

Hey Condor:

Good to see you back in cyberspace. You and Jar coming to Burntside by Ely Feb. 8/9 for the big FM get-together and laker fishing excursion?

Today's fishing report: Three guys with nine tip-ups fished Minnesuing in Douglas County, on both sides of the saddle that separates the south bay from the rest of the lake. Fished from 10 to 1. Not a single flag.

Pulled up stakes and headed to nearby St. Croix (Gordon) Flowage. Set up in about 7 feet off a point. Had seven flags from 2:30 to 4 p.m., with a tripleheader just after 3 p.m. Smallest pike half a pound, biggest 5 pounds. All but one flag came on dead smelt.

Planning on going back tomorrow to the same spot and spending the whole day. Can you say "flag up!"

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"I've driven farther before to catch fewer fish . . ."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[condor]

probably not going down to smith lake this sat. and a small trout lake to, will post results on sun. I will be at Nelson on the 15. other than that not much to report,Minnesung has been dead for awhile.

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[Steve Foss]

Fished the St. Croix Flowage near Gordon for the second day in a row. Did better this time.

Three tip-ups off a point on the flowage's south shore. Ten flags, caught seven pike, kept five, all 2-3 pounds. No big ones.

Had three fish on the ice by 9:15 and figured I'd be off the ice by noon, but it turned into the Dead Sea, with no flags until 12:15 and no other fish on the ice until 2:30, then it was hot for an hour and I left. Have to stay next time in hopes of an evening waldo bite.

Didn't mind the dead hours too bad. Watched an eagle hunt, crows fight over thrown out bait, and a pair of otters a quarter mile away play on the ice and in the water where current kept a hole open. It ain't all about fishing, after all.

Smelt was the hot bait. Eight of the ten flags came on smelt, with two on a live golden shiner.

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 01-30-2003).]

[condor]

I've fished the flowage for over 20 years you're not going to catch any eyes out of there. I don't believe there are any in there

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[wounded minnow]

This post is for all of the forgotten mississippi backwater fisherman. Gremore Lake, near Prairie du Chien was full of bass this past weekend. The water is shallow, but they were unusually eager to be caught. Saw quite a few panfish as well.

[Shorthair Guy]

Hey just wondering if anyone out there fishes Bone lake in Polk co. My buddie has a cabin up there and we were thinking of heading up there for a day. Any info would help.

[steve schmidt]

Haven't fished Bone for years. Used to for perch and panfish. There are several lakes very near there with better fishing. Depends on which ones are hot and when. Also depends on what you are fishing for...I am strictly a panfisherman.

[Little Worm]

I fished it once last winter. Caught a lot of perch...all small. I musky fish that in June and I see people catching some really nice crappie. I have no idea where they go in the winter.

[Guest]

You can catch alot of little perch but not much bigger then about 9 inches.
Last year they were cathing crappies in front of Wilkins resort just before dark in 20 feet of water. That is what a friend told me so take it for what it is worth.
Good Jigging