2024 Minnesota Season Thread

[WaskaCrank12]

The DNR put their docks in (the city has not done so at their ramps).....along with 60 degree weather......so the DNR lot was full and several in the over flow lot when I looked after work today.....I counted 20 plus boats on the water......I still have to de-winterize the boat and get some minor motor things done (a friend cleaned and put new kits in the carbs for me so I need to put them back on and a few other things)......will try and get that done tomorrow (taking the day off work to go to the NCAA Frozen 4 at the X) and perhaps will dunk the boat in the water on Sunday if all goes well

[gim]

  On 4/10/2024 at 11:31 PM, WaskaCrank12 said:

taking the day off work to go to the NCAA Frozen 4 at the X

Expand  

I went in 2011 when Duluth won. Great event.

[throttleplate]

  On 4/10/2024 at 7:04 PM, MN Fisher said:

my rainsuit isn't the top-dollar one most of you guys have so I don't want to test it in a downpour.

Expand  

 

nothin wrong with wearing the 50 gallon trash bag.

[MN Fisher]

  On 4/11/2024 at 12:48 AM, throttleplate said:

 

nothin wrong with wearing the 50 gallon trash bag.

Expand  

Well, it's a bit more than that

[throttleplate]

i went from a 50 gal trashbag in 2020 to a cheap hooded poncho to 2 piece frogg toggs.

[MN Fisher]

  On 4/11/2024 at 12:57 AM, throttleplate said:

2 piece frogg toggs.

Expand  

I looked at Frogg Toggs - but the Columbia and ICreek had better reviews (not just Amazon, other places too)

[throttleplate]

i looked at the price only and frogg toggs were cheap at fleetfarm about $25.00 so i bought it and gave the wife the poncho which she likes because she can curl up in it while sitting in her fishing chair.

[WaskaCrank12]

@MNfisher

Columbia makes high quality gear -- I have a few bucket/sun hats, gloves, wind proof hoodies, sun shirts and other gear from them and those all have withstood the test of time in the elements. 

[Fishin Dad]

  On 4/10/2024 at 10:09 PM, Hawkeye21 said:

Okoboji?

Expand  

I fished Rice, Okaboji, and Clear. 

[gim]

I think we're gonna go backwards this week.  A slow moving low pressure system that arrives during the night will drop copious amounts of rain (which we obviously still need) through out the region.  But behind that temps are going to drop significantly.  I am seeing below freezing temps in many areas on Thursday and Friday night.  Only in a week or so will temps rebound.

 

I am not sure what water temps are at this point but 8 days ago they weren't even 50 yet where I was.  A week of cooler weather/rain is going to send things in reverse for a while now.  Here's the predicted air temps on Saturday morning.

 

 

 

[MN Fisher]

Welcome to April in Minnesota....

[Standard]

I brought the kayak to a metro lake just to check things out and do some panfishing.  Head out of the launch, and see two guys heading back to the launch on their bass boat, one with a big ole' spinnerbait and the other with a big swimbait dangling from their rods.  I know.. watch your own bobber and all that, but if you're gonna target out of season fish wouldn't you at least be a bit sneaky and remove those big ass lures before you get back to the launch?

[MN Fisher]

  On 4/15/2024 at 3:16 PM, Standard said:

I know.. watch your own bobber and all that, but if you're gonna target out of season fish wouldn't you at least be a bit sneaky and remove those big ass lures before you get back to the launch?

Expand  

That type of thing - I would have taken a pic showing the lures and the boat reg #, with date-time stamp enabled, then sent that to TIP

[gim]

Ya that's total BS.  You're really not even supposed to have that tackle with you.  I don't keep mine in my boat until the season is legally open.

 

I would definitely report that to TIP too.

[throttleplate]

Thats why i like livin in north dakota, i ate fresh caught walleye from our saturday trip while you Sota"s are waitin for your state governor to hop in his jon boat on May 11th to declare fishing is now open while he is freezing his buttocks off.😂🐟

[gim]

  On 4/15/2024 at 8:09 PM, throttleplate said:

Thats why i like livin in north dakota, i ate fresh caught walleye from our saturday trip while you Sota"s are waitin for your state governor to hop in his jon boat on May 11th to declare fishing is now open while he is freezing his buttocks off.😂🐟

Expand  

 

I don't foresee them ever opening up walleye season until May here.  They are trying to protect them while they spawn.

 

There is really no reason to have a closed bass season though.  The only reason its closed is to protect people from accidentally catching walleye while bass fishing.  If the reason to close bass season was to protect bass while they spawn, it would be closed in late May/early June when they're actually doing it.  No reason bass can't be C & R right now, like it is in Wisconsin.

 

Either way, they're both closed right now and having a spinnerbait or a swimbait on is illegal, and should be enforced.  What those guys are doing is targeting a fish out of season, which is technically poaching.

[Standard]

  On 4/15/2024 at 3:20 PM, MN Fisher said:

That type of thing - I would have taken a pic showing the lures and the boat reg #, with date-time stamp enabled, then sent that to TIP

Expand  

 

Unfortunately I didn't even think about that.  I did give them the 'you guys know it's not bass season, right?' and one guy gave me a sheepish 'yeah..'.  But I was also the only other truck at the launch and didn't want to risk any retaliation.  

 

  On 4/15/2024 at 8:09 PM, throttleplate said:

Thats why i like livin in north dakota, i ate fresh caught walleye from our saturday trip while you Sota"s are waitin for your state governor to hop in his jon boat on May 11th to declare fishing is now open while he is freezing his buttocks off.😂🐟

Expand  

 

I don't think an extra few weeks of fishing is worth living in Nodak 😁

 

  On 4/15/2024 at 8:13 PM, gimruis said:

There is really no reason to have a closed bass season though.  The only reason its closed is to protect people from accidentally catching walleye while bass fishing.  If the reason to close bass season was to protect bass while they spawn, it would be closed in late May/early June when they're actually doing it.  No reason bass can't be C & R right now, like it is in Wisconsin.

 

Either way, they're both closed right now and having a spinnerbait or a swimbait on is illegal, and should be enforced.  What those guys are doing is targeting a fish out of season, which is technically poaching.

Expand  

 

I agree, and it's also why I went over to Wisconsin on Sunday.

[gim]

In case you were wondering, this April is already one of the windiest ones on record.  There's only been 2 days so far the entire month were it hasn't been blowing at 30 mph or stronger.  So ya, its not just your imagination.

 

April is living up to its billing as the windiest month of the year in the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota where peak gusts of 30 mph or stronger have been recorded on all but two days this month.

 

[throttleplate]

Went fishing monday in lisbon nd and the wind was 35 mph in my face standing on the bank close to the dam, i was getting sprayed spritzed so had to move down some.

Wind made current so much stronger and combined with using a bobber and jigs my line was acting as a sail. The wind died off at 7pm, but yeah every trip we have gone fishin the wind has been bad.

[Blackpolar2021]

I have fished most of my life off an on but have seriously been fishing for the last 6 years. Caught my PB largemouth yesterday. 4 lbs. on the nose. What a blast on my light action crappie setup. I keep being told that the file is too large and can't post the photo. Any suggestions on how I can get it to fit?

[gim]

You can try resizing it with this.

 

https://picresize.com/

[MN Fisher]

  On 4/23/2024 at 8:07 PM, gimruis said:

You can try resizing it with this.

 

https://picresize.com/

Expand  

Bring it down to 900x1200 - that's the size I use most often

[Blackpolar2021]

Thanks.

[Bass_Fischer]

Happy 2024 season, all.  Any recent lake temp observations in/around the Twin Cities?

[MN Fisher]

  On 4/29/2024 at 6:00 PM, Bass_Fischer said:

Any recent lake temp observations in/around the Twin Cities?

Expand  

Omnia is reporting that Minnetonka's surface temp has hit 52, while Dutch Lake is still at only 48.