Minnesota Fishing and Minnesota Resorts

ffishman · Master Angler Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 1977

I am guessing MM should be back. If he is not frozen to the boat seat. How did you do. Any pics?

MuskyMark · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:16 am Post subject:

Well, I'm back. Really hard to summarize this trip. I think I "learned" a couple things, but I'm not completely sure. The weather was brutal, and the fishing... was even more brutal. As far as catching/seeing fish... it was the worst trip I've ever had up there. But it was still a great time as always. Here's my best synopsis.

Buddy Adam sticks a fat 36 incher 20 minutes into the morning on Wed. I had a mid 40s up on a jerkbait later in the day. Neither of us ever saw another muskie the rest of the trip.

Fished every piece/kind of structure imaginable the rest of the trip. Main lake humps. Bars. Weeds. Points. Backwaters. Rocks. Islands. Some open water. Every lure imaginable. And then floated a couple frisky suckers up to 50% of the time every day as well. NOTHING!

Conditions... started cloudy drizzly SE winds on Wednesday. Winds turned stronger and steadily more out of the east from that point on. Temps droppping each day. By Friday, the driving rain suddenly switched to ice, then heavy snow. We fished the lake in white-out conditions all Friday afternoon. Ended up getting a couple inches in the boat. Woke up Saturday morning. Still heavy winds (now NW), snow on the ground, highs in the mid/upper 20s.

Still.... no muskies. Caught 2 or 3 small pike each day.

Lessons learned? Perserverance in super-nasty conditions still doesn't always pay off in muskie fishing. I really thought we would eventually get a big girl to eat at some point despite the weather. Have had some REALLY good fishing in mid October with similar conditions. Just not this time.

But still had fun. Ran in to Kevin and Tom (Pikeholers) in Bemidji on Saturday night. I think me and my buddy were the only ones in town that were out of costume! Pretty funny.

Going to really stick it to those MN fish next year. Wink

gene · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 4:15 pm Post subject:

Too bad MM....you know the one about good fishing and great fishing-well at least you had good fishing. We did all have our hopes up for you. Nothing more frustrating than knowing there are fish in the barrel but having a barrel the size of an ocean.....and freezing your butt off for the pleasure.

ffishman · Master Angler Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 1977

Too bad, but shi= happens. I just hope nobody said to you "you should have been here last week, we killed them"

Grouch · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:50 pm Post subject: trip

Oh well, any fishing trip is considerably better than sitting here pounding the keys on this computer. It looks like I'm going to have to wait till spring to get out. My wife's got problems (health - not me) and it looks like a long recovery period. That makes me the cook, laundress, dishwasher,cleaning lady and the gardener, etc.

MuskyMark · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:05 am Post subject:

Amen to that. Any time I started feeling a little ticked about the conditions... all I had to do was think about the alternative. On the Lake... in the office... on the Lake... in the office. Lake wins. Always. Next year I'll have my boat up there with me and we'll bounce around to some different lakes in the area if fishing is tough.

And there's still always the Fox Chain and some other S. WI lakes this fall. Wink

It ain't over yet girls! Laughing

gene · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:20 pm Post subject:

Grouch,

Sorry to hear about the health issues at your homestead. Hope they improve.

I myself have a mental problem...ontop of all my other problems. When my wife walked I too became all of those...it ain't easy doing women's work especially if you ain'ta had ta do any in 25+ yrs...I still haven't turned on an iron yet.

MuskyMark · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:28 pm Post subject:

Good! Stay strong Geno! NEVER turn on an iron! That's what the cleaners are for! Wink

I agree. They work my wife performs is never-ending and tedious. The only problem I have with it is the associated costs are SOOO steep. Rolling Eyes

gene · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:16 pm Post subject:

A French Maid has just gotta be less costly....

Grouch · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:18 pm Post subject: housework

Gene - I am getting used to doing part of the stuff. Like -the laundry. I just drop it off at the laundromat, pay for it and pick it up later. It's all clean and folded. I can cook a bit but the wife usually kicks me out of HER kitchen until it's dishwashing time.

I guess that's fair because I never let her run the boat or pick the spot to fish. Equal division of labor!

Already starting to think of next May

MuskyMark · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:16 pm Post subject:

Fortunately, I don't have enough full-time housekeeping duties to put my season to bed yet. Still have a couple opportunities (hopefully) before ice-up to knock a couple fish with suckers. But beyond that, the thought of my trip back up to Cass in June is always in the back of my mind...

ffishman · Master Angler Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 1977

House work, no problem. I do it all the time. Hey, I am part of the problem, I should also be part of the solution. As for next June, looks like I will not be making the trek. My partner Rob, most of you guys know, backed out on me this year. I thought, no problem stuff happens. I really thought he would have called me saying something as to how he messed up, and it would get back to normal next year. Well, I was wrong, he never even sent me an email, or phone call. I guess he is done with Cass Lake. Too bad!!! He was a great fishing partner.

MuskyMark · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:27 am Post subject:

T! Don't give up on Cass in June! Give Rob a call. Ask him WTF is going on? Or start working on some other partners. Wouldn't be right up there without you.

gene · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:41 am Post subject:

I already emailed Ff an offer to make him a Rockie fisherman with us...think he'll accept?

ffishman · Master Angler Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 1977

I hope he calls. Won't be the same without him. He's a great boat partner, and a dang good fisherman. Thanks for the offer gene, but, I will have to take a pass on pan fishing.