First Open Water Fish

[The Grebe]

Finally got a little free time early Saturday morning, so I went up to the river to do a little fishing...just to see if the crappies were in yet.

Boy, did I get a mixture of fish and it was fun. I used a little feather jig for some and crappie minnows and a plain hook for others. Lets see, what did I catch? One huge perch, as big as any I got out of mille Lacs last winter...2 northerns in the 3-4 pound range...a number of little smallmouths, some rockbass and 4 nice crappies, plus I missed some fish.... not bad for a little over an hour!

This morning in the light rain, same deal, a good mixture. First fish of the morning was a nice walleye in the 3 pound range, pretty fish, golden in color, really vivid. Then came a pike, then a couple of nice crappies, then a huge smallie to go with the half dozen or so others that I caught.

My little jig snagged a fat, hard fighting carp in the dorsal and the fight was on the light rod and 4# test was really getting a work out before the fish tired and I was able to unhook it. Guesstimated weight 6-8 pounds. A school of rockbass moved in and thats all I could catch, some were good sized. Finally a large pike grabbed my little crappie minnow, showed himself when he rolled and that was that!

Seeing how I was getting kind of cold anyways, (I didn't dress properly for the weather) after a couple of hours, I pulled the plug and headed for home....I think this is going to be a good open water season!

[tacklebox7FF]

went out to wet the line last saturday.. a catfish was my first open water fish this year!