GEM club spring panfish outing 4-26

We had a short but fun outing on Medicine lake....full report on the GEMkids blogspot

the bowfin pro...

BP wrote a fun story about how he became a dogfish fisher
He forgot one small detail though in his evolution to become a diverse
angler....the MT influence!

Evening crappie bite on tonka

With the warm temps and the wind stacking the warmer surface water in the shallows, the fish were really on the bite gobbeling up any plastic put in front of them. they were not huge, but some were big enough for the pan!

Casey gets a fish

nice one

I get something that actually can fight back!

Casey

Jack




a few keepers

A great way to spend a weekday evening, thanks guys!

Sunday evening on the river

Sunday afternoon we were inticed back out on the river, this time close to home looking for smallmouth, whitebass and crappies. I got a pike on a ringworm in the smallmouth spot. Got a couple of good wallyes on berkley power minnows, also got some crappies. Jack got lots of crappies and a couple of whitebass on power minnows.

Saturday fishing on pool 4 and 5

I got to fish with Jack in the boat today, we started on pool 4 by wabasha. we tried an area that is good in the fall for largemouths and crappie, I got 2 pike for the effort and missed something.
I got them on a rattlein rouge stickbait in shallow weedy flat areas.
We then tried another backwater area that usually produces alot of bass and panfish.
Tried in the middle with no bites.
We got near shore and started working the shore by some flooded trees. Jack promptly pulls in a 3 pound smallmouth near some trees! I pitch a big ring-N tube by a fallen tree root and nail a nice smallie too! I thought we were really into them, but after working that spot hard and also up and down the shore, nothing would bite. But, i got the fishin year started anyhow, yeah!

Back on and in the river

I got out fishing and to meet some other fishers from fishing minnesota. They were not there yet so I got my yak in the water and putzed around in front of the landing.

I must have hit a boat wake sideways and over I went!

No big deal, I got good at flipping it over last summer and getting back in, but for some reason it was not working that way today, I couldn't get it back over. It was quite embarrassing as there were a ton of people watching me flounder about, probably sure I was about to drown. Luckily no one called 911 anyways. Someone in a bigger motorboat came out to lend a hand, they took my yak and fishing gear and brought it to shore for me and left before I could thank him. I got to slog my way to the ramp, a sea kayaker came up to offer me a tow, that was cool, got all my stuff together, except my anchor, oops forgot to tie it on, now it is on the bottom somewhere.

I had my dry top and chest waders on so I really didn't get too wet even though I was swimming for a bit, so I decided to head back out for some MORE fun! First I had to convince some of the concerned people on shore that I was not cold and going into hypothermia.

I told them I was not very wet and not cold at all. (I guess that is what all people say right before they freeze to death!)

I was a little clammy I guess with some water in my feet area and my seat, but I warmed up fine paddeling up stream.

Reelemin was up stream aways and didn't get to watch my dunking. Franchiz then came out in his cool looking rigged up fishin yak. we decided to try paddeling to the dam to try some of my spots but the water was really flowing hard and I was not up for another swim so we decided to just drift down and fish. about half way back with no bites I got a snag. I paddled up past it til it appeard to be free, then drifted back towards it, only it was still snagged. and I was drifting so fast , no time to open my bail...SNAP! there goes my rod in two places! bummer, looks like I got a dunking, a skunking and lost my rod too, oh well, still had a blast! am I crazy or what?

YES!

but I met a new fishing friend,and I never did get cold!

Franchiz in his cool yak

At the landing..

I'll be back, but I want the water to go down about three feet first so I can get to my favorite spots!

Still ice fishing

I guess global warming forgot about minnesota as the old groundhog saw its shadow over 10 weeks ago and it is still winter here!





18 inches of clear hard ice, could drive a truck out still if the landings were not soft...






hello down there!

schmucko scores!

Blizzard!

where did spring go? that way I think!

Open water!

Whens to the river looking for the massive walleyes that were biting a few weeks ago. met a couple of yak fishers from the fishing minnesota forums and wet a line. we got lots of sun and fresh air, a few snags, but it was nice to be back in the water again!


Yak fishie

Huey looking for the big one


floating down stream

frozen waterfall


Blooming silver maples, a good sign of spring!



A "reele" nicely decked out yak


Lot of boats out fishin was good, catching not so good, no one was getting a bite


Mendota bridge


Another "rock" bass


My catch for the day!