2021 Minnesota Fishing Season

[MN Fisher]

Get out early if you can - "The Heat is ON"

[larrymarketfishing]

Hi, all!

 

Heading up to Mille Lacs this weekend with my kayak and launching from the southwest side (Shah-Bush-Kung Bay and paddling along towards Vineland Bay). 
 

Any advice for targeting the smallies in and around that area? There’s a big rocky point that separates the aforementioned bays. Should I still be fishing the shallow flats since they’ll probably still be in spawn? I’m not super educated on dissecting bottom structure yet, so hoping for any useful advice so I don’t get skunked! 

[gim]

  On 6/1/2021 at 12:34 PM, Lawrence Mercado said:

Any advice for targeting the smallies in and around that area?

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Hey Lawrence.  I normally fish the east side for brown bass but I have fished over there a couple times.  Unfortunately, there's not a ton of rocky habitat over there.  Indian Point can be good but you'll probably run into other boats there and if there's any wind, it gets bumpy there quick because it sticks out so far.  The other two rocky points I have fished there are Seguchie Point and Browns Point.  If you're only in a kayak, there is a significant distance between these locations, however.

[larrymarketfishing]

  On 6/1/2021 at 12:44 PM, gimruis said:

 

Hey Lawrence.  I normally fish the east side for brown bass but I have fished over there a couple times.  Unfortunately, there's not a ton of rocky habitat over there.  Indian Point can be good but you'll probably run into other boats there and if there's any wind, it gets bumpy there quick because it sticks out so far.  The other two rocky points I have fished there are Seguchie Point and Browns Point.  If you're only in a kayak, there is a significant distance between these locations, however.

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Thanks for the advice! I just checked and yup holy crap almost a 2mi paddle from the boat launch at Shah-bush-kung to the point. Are you aware of any other more kayak-friendly launches on that side? Otherwise I was also looking at launching from Father Hennepin. 

[gim]

  On 6/1/2021 at 12:59 PM, Lawrence Mercado said:

I just checked and yup holy crap almost a 2mi paddle from the boat launch at Shah-bush-kung to the point.

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Lol ya there's not much close together on that big lake.

 

The next public access point to the north will be in Garrison and the closest one to the south will be Cove Bay.

[MN Fisher]

Does anyone else think about moving to Alaska?

[gim]

  On 6/5/2021 at 1:33 AM, MN Fisher said:

Does anyone else think about moving to Alaska?

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Grand Marais looks lovely today. The high is 55 courtesy of Lake Superior.

[Deephaven]

I went out on Tonka this morning.  Fished the main lake.  Wanted to see how the Ranger does in it.  Caught 8 dinks with the biggest being 2.6lbs.  33" pike was the regrettable highlight of the day.  Caught on 12lb big game and no leader.

[MN Fisher]

  On 6/5/2021 at 6:25 PM, Deephaven said:

with the biggest being 2.6lbs.

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That one would have gone into my freezer

  On 6/5/2021 at 6:04 PM, gimruis said:

Grand Marais looks lovely today. The high is 55 courtesy of Lake Superior.

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Little cold for summer...

 

[Deephaven]

Was a good test of rough water handling today.  This is what it looked like when I finally said enough and went for a swim.

Obviously a protected cove so not rough here, but the number of boats give you an idea what the main lake looked like.

 

  On 6/5/2021 at 6:34 PM, MN Fisher said:

That one would have gone into my freezer

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I don't eat bass.  Almost kept a couple northerns, but they were really slimy already for this time of year...figure it means they are already soft.   I like lake fish, but I also like to bass fish so I eat other species.

[MN Fisher]

  On 6/5/2021 at 9:44 PM, Deephaven said:

I don't eat bass.  Almost kept a couple northerns, but they were really slimy already for this time of year...figure it means they are already soft.

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I don't like dealing with the Y-bones, so I pass on northerns. Walleye are possible keepers, if they're the right size.

  On 6/5/2021 at 9:44 PM, Deephaven said:

I like lake fish, but I also like to bass fish so I eat other species.

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I do selective harvest for bass - 2#-3# only, and only the odd number catches...#1, #3, #5, etc -> freezer.

[Deephaven]

The y bones are super easy to filet out...and make great fish stock.

[gim]

  On 6/5/2021 at 11:06 PM, Deephaven said:

The y bones are super easy to filet out...and make great fish stock.

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I have trouble with the y bones. My Grandpa and Uncle showed me how to remove them many years ago but I haven’t done it in so long I’m just not proficient at it. The filet itself isn’t bad out of cold water, but when it starts to get warm...I’ll pass too. The easiest route is pickling because it just slowly breaks those bones down.

 

Considering the bag limit on pike is 10 daily, it’s obviously a very abundant resource that can easily be caught. More people should take advantage of it to be honest.

[Deephaven]

I couldn't believe how mid summer they felt to me already.  Lake is at 74 though so it isn't spring anymore.

[MN Fisher]

  On 6/6/2021 at 2:26 AM, Deephaven said:

I couldn't believe how mid summer they felt to me already.  Lake is at 74 though so it isn't spring anymore.

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I'm just dreading what the rest of the year has in store.

 

I think it's time to rig the frog-rod for my next trip and find those lily-pad patches.

[Deephaven]

They weren't ready today.  Nothing near them.  It is where I wasted too much time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

......again

 

Not that I threw a frog, but I wanted to

[Fishin Dad]

The frog bite is definitely going.  With the insane abundance of weeds in the lakes here this year, frogs have been solid.  Find shade and weeds and hang on!

[throttleplate]

  On 6/11/2021 at 3:57 PM, Fishin Dad said:

The frog bite is definitely going.  With the insane abundance of weeds in the lakes here this year, frogs have been solid.  Find shade and weeds and hang on!

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last weekend in detroit lakes mn area the weeds and pads were not abundandt at all. I was wading where it is usually unwadeable with heavy weeds and pads but this day it was like walking on a sidewalk.

This weekend i suppose after the heat wave alot has changed in the growth department and i will find out.

[Deephaven]

  On 6/11/2021 at 3:57 PM, Fishin Dad said:

The frog bite is definitely going.  With the insane abundance of weeds in the lakes here this year, frogs have been solid.  Find shade and weeds and hang on!

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Interesting.  Just barely North of you our surface weeds aren't all that developed.

 

[gim]

  On 6/11/2021 at 3:57 PM, Fishin Dad said:

The frog bite is definitely going.  With the insane abundance of weeds in the lakes here this year, frogs have been solid.

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I haven't been on a decent frog bite in at least 3 or 4 years.  Its completely non-existent where I fish.  It used to be pretty good before that too.  I think they saw too many frogs.

 

I have not been fishing since this heat wave started, which is very rare for me this time of year.  I am fishing tomorrow morning in a muskie tournament.  Unfortunately, the conditions do not look favorable.  Its bright sun yet again, although the temperature and humidity will thankfully be much lower.

[Fishin Dad]

Wow.  The weeds here have been obnoxious.  A lot of them are curly leaf pond weed and will die off soon.  I have a tourney on a lake Sunday that is horrible.  Weeds and dead carp by the 1000’s.  Check it out.  Some parts of the lake are not navigable.  Bringing the push pole in case.  

[gim]

  On 6/11/2021 at 8:34 PM, Fishin Dad said:

Check it out.  Some parts of the lake are not navigable.  Bringing the push pole in case.  

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Plus all that cottonseed is just everywhere too. Man do we need a hard rain badly.

 

I’ve lived here for 28 years and I’ve never seen it this bad so early in summer in terms of dryness and water levels. So ya, this is the worst I’ve seen in my adult life here.

[throttleplate]

  On 6/12/2021 at 12:16 AM, gimruis said:

Plus all that cottonseed is just everywhere too. Man do we need a hard rain badly.

 

I’ve lived here for 28 years and I’ve never seen it this bad so early in summer in terms of dryness and water levels. So ya, this is the worst I’ve seen in my adult life here.

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i was fishing in ND this past week and this cottonseed you mention, is that the cotton type of fluffy stuff that is floating in the water and gets stuck on the line? 

It is hard to get it off because in literally winds itself to the braid line and i had to stop many times and pick it off with my fingernails. My line in the spool looking at it now has many little white tufts stuck to the line.

[gim]

  On 6/12/2021 at 6:19 AM, throttleplate said:

is that the cotton type of fluffy stuff that is floating in the water and gets stuck on the line? 

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Lol yep, that’s the stuff. Usually quite thick in early June and will be floating around until for a while. It’ll clog up your AC unit too.

 

I caught 44 bass this morning on an east metro lake in about 5 hours. It’s the most I’ve caught in an outing in years. Tons of 12-16 inches. We had four doubles.  Just endless, constant action. I was actually trying to catch a muskie in a contest and couldn’t keep the bass off. Got all of them on a spinnerbait or chatterbait reeled fast.

[Deephaven]

  On 6/12/2021 at 7:05 PM, gimruis said:

I caught 44 bass this morning on an east metro lake in about 5 hours. 

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Awesome!!