Fishing tomorrow

[tom_w]

I have two small kids and tomorrow is my one night off this week from domestic responsibilities.

I have made up my mind that after work I am going fishing in SE MN. Perhaps the Red Wing area.

I am thinking all the rain will make for a tough evening. Anyone have any input?

[goblueM]

well there's a flash flood warning. doesn't sound too good to me... if you know of any streams that are spring fed and in areas that don't get a ton of runoff they'd be the ones to hit

[itchmesir]

i don't know about the red wing area.. but south of 90.. i know of one go to stream that is usually one of the first streams to clear out when it rains... but 3 days of nothing but rain.. its gonna be tough to find a stream that's not completely bloated

[Scudly]

Southeast got hit harder with the rain. I'd hit western WI instead. Kinni gage is only slightly elevated, showing .6" rain only.

Scratch that idea. WI is closed this week. Always find that weird. Why does WI do this anyway? This Sat is the opener

[itchmesir]

i think the usgs is a little off in the lanesboro/houston reports.. they haven't even recorded an inch of rain.. which cannot be right

[tom_w]

I may change my mind about tomorrow...

[mark p]

I think smaller streams will be fishable on Monday if it rained all over SE MN like it did in Rochester. We had over an inch each day, but never any downpours. As dry as we were I bet almost all of it soaked in. Was a much needed and very beneficial rain.

This stream conditions for whitewater hadn't been updated yet (it still says 4/24/09). Check this link and the date and if it's updated, maybe you can use this to judge what other streams will be like.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/crystalsprings_hatchery/stream_cond.html

[tom_w]

Thanks mark p!

That report is now updated and says a lot of rain fell, but perhaps most was soaked up. I think I will give it a shot. For me just getting out is worth it. Catching trout is frosting on the cake.

[itchmesir]

so did ya get out at all?

[tom_w]

Yes!

I only got about an hour south of the cities. The stream was pretty clear and normal flow. Much better than I thought it'd be. As always my biggest problem was my own lack of skill.

I did get a couple trout on tube jigs, so that was cool. You can drift them like a fly.

I caught perhaps eight browns. Great day for me.

[tom_w]

And I caught a couple on one of my hand-made spinners!

[itchmesir]

nice..

yeah.. i was wondering how clear the streams were seeing as i was on the mississippi yesterday and after all that rain we got the river was still going down and the water was almost crystal clear on a backwater i was fishing

[Scudly]

Tom glad to hear you made it out and caught some nice fish. Great colors on those guys. You make your own spinners, huh? That is pretty cool. What are your all time favorite colors, size, blades? Mine would be PMD #6 all silver, all gold, silver blade with yellow body red spots and silver blade black body with yellow spots.

[tom_w]

My favorite is surely #4 silver blade: yellow body with red spots. It used to be #2 before I realized that even the smaller trout will nail an #4 and they're easier to cast. I have used a #6 a few times, but I normally fish small streams and they're harder to control with my light gear. They also sink quicker than I'd like. Of course, I am not catching 20" fish and maybe I would more if I used #6.

Also, part of the reasons that is my main spinner is that is what I primarily use. It's self-perpetuating. I normally don't have much time to fish, so I am afraid to experiment with a new color that may not catch anything. Of course a hungry trout is a hungry trout and would prob hit any spinner.

I got the components for the spinners from Cabela's. It is fun to whip up a few before a trip. I can make four spinners in a few minutes now. I may order more parts as well from another store.

I am starting to get confidence in all-silver.

[Scudly]

I use #6 exclusively now. I even have caught a few on #9 but generally I think that is a touch to big. Plenty of fish in the 12" and up will hit a #6. My experience is #6 all silver catches me the most. In fact that is all I've had in my tackle box this season so far. On Tuesday I actually regret not having any yellow bodied red spot spinners to mix it up.

You can probably save a ton of dough making them yourself. I'll have to look into that. I just buy them by the case at Panther Martin site (12/box) and get the $1 off per lure deal plus free S/H. I generally only lose 1-2 lures tops which is less than $5 per outing for me.

[tom_w]

Yeah, plus it was a fun thing to do in the winter making lures. Perhaps I will stumble upon a new color or pattern that will catch even more trout. Maybe if I make you a few custom fish catchers you can show me where you catch them 20" trout!?!?!?

When I fish in down there I don't catch 20" trout!

[itchmesir]

Yeah, plus it was a fun thing to do in the winter making lures. Perhaps I will stumble upon a new color or pattern that will catch even more trout. Maybe if I make you a few custom fish catchers you can show me where you catch them 20" trout!?!?!?

When I fish in down there I don't catch 20" trout!

you should start learning some basic fly tying and incorporate them into your spinners.. also i've always been sad that PM does not have a brown spinner.. thinking it would match up with nymphs... like a #0 or #1 colored in brown with a little black mixed in with it.. brass blade.. i think it would be a killer combo slowly rolled along the bottom of a stream or over a riffle

[tom_w]

Oooh, good idea. That's totally what I am after. Also, perhaps I should consider tying hair on the spinners.