Minnesota Fishing and Minnesota Resorts

[slipperybob]

Well was on St. Croix out of the Bayport area. Tried trekking to the Wisconsion side and got close enough. Was over 35 fow and marked lots of fishes all over the water colum, including schooling shads. Got a few light bites, but was too stubborn to switch over to plain hook or downsizing, so I couldn't hook what was biting. Did catch a little walleye as well as a mooneye. I probably should've trekked a little more to about 20 fow.

[slipperybob]

I'm already yearning to try the good ol St.Croix for some ice fishing again. Still a few months away. I can hardly believe I didn't post any entries for ice fishing on the St.Croix from last ice season. Must've been too busing fishing I guess.

[slipperybob]

I did get to go out on the St.Croix. Walked out on good 7 inches of solid ice. More ice is forming everyday on it.

I took a spot on 24 fow. Talked to some other people and the consensus is pretty much the same, a lot of fish looking but very few were biting. Typical St.Croix pressured fish. Water was very murky and stain, probably just from the fresh precipation just before ice up.

[slipperybob]

Ice was a good solid 8 inches. Tried another spot close by in 25 fow. Didn't fare to well this day. One 10" crappie for my trouble. Still trying to figure out the area...

[slipperybob]

Slush, mush, and more flush...ice is back down to 6 inches with the slush on top thawing out and snow insulating it from freezing.

[slipperybob]

12 inches of solid ice, 1-2 inches of crusty ice on top, some light snow cover.

Well the bluegill search almost turned up empty...only one to show for, just shy of 8".

The perch came out to play today. Biggest was just shy of 11" with the rest all less than 9". The St.Croix has some of the most blemish free perch...really beautiful winter colors on these guys. Some of them will be getting an oil bath.

Lost two very big fish...just another big one that got away. I was using ultralight gear and couldn't make it work. Gonna have to bring out the premium equipment...for next time.

[slipperybob]

13-14 inches of solid ice, with 1-2 inches of crusty stuff on top.

Lots of people and vehicle traffic now. The fishing is practically become a staring contest of sniffers. It gets worst when someone is drilling withing 50 yards of somebody else and the fish scatters. Usually it doesn't matter, but the fish aren't use to all the traffic yet.

[slipperybob]

15-16 inches of ice now...1 inch crusty on top, light snow cover.

Lots of people driving fast in a hurry to their spot or in a hurry because they forgot something because they were in a hurry.

Very few fish caught...even with the whole day, I went searching all over. All fish bites were very light and some barely even lip hooked by just the skin. Finally about noon I retreated back to the main basin and played with the sniffers and played the staring contest. Wasn't till about the last light of the day...I got a good bite by a 10 inch crappie. This one was hooked deep.

I guess there was a fire. Saw the black smoke in the direction of town towards the Anderson Windows plant and heard the fire engine sirens.

[slipperybob]

Less people on the ice today and the bite was hot when everything was quiet. Still there's always someone showing up or moving about so the fish seem to go tight lip when there's noise.

[slipperybob]

I spent two hours fighting one fish with 3# Asso Ice Fishing line spooled on a Shimano Sahara 750 mounted on a Shakespeare Cajun UL Ice rod. The gill plate on the sturgeon was about the size of the 8 inch ice hole...absolutely no chance to pull this fish out of the ice without getting something like a 16 inch hole. What a monster, what a beast of a nature.

[slipperybob]

Tried evening/night fishing...Got only one crappie about 7:30 PM. I guess the night bite just isn't there.

[slipperybob]

I tried the early morning for walleyes...not a true success in the ice/rain storm against some feisty gusty wind trying to take my shanty with it. At first it seemed like the fish were tight lipped, but as the morning light came about, the fish bite suddenly turned on. The perch did come out to play...the small walleyes came out to play as well. Few people came out, just die hards.

[slipperybob]

Iced my first catfish...a channel at 19 inches in length. Also the first fish to truly bite down on a Salmo Chubby Darter too. Finally proof that a Chubby Darter isn't just for attracting fish.

[slipperybob]

Went at it again...armed with the Salmo Chubby Darter. Had fish chased this lure up and down the water column. Had some bites but lost them because I was pulling too hard. I eased up and eventually got them up through the ice hole. Turned out to be mooneye's. These were some aggressive mooneye's.

Switched lures to a Dare Devle spoon and had another fish chased it. Then it ignored it and went to the deadsticked fathead minnow. It was nibbling on it when I gave it a hard hookset. It fought hard but eventually I pulled it up through the hole. It was a channel catfish...second one for me this season.