Round 2.. More local pannie action...

So knowning what I am going into this weekend.. 2 smallies were definitely not enough to hold me over... I needed another fix... So I headed down to the local pond once again for some pannie action.. I figured most of the spawning would have been done by now.. But there were even more beds in one of my spots than were there the last 2 weeks... I decided I would use a new top water that I picked up at Bob's Bait n' Tackle in LaCrosse.. and it worked wonders.. Some people have maybe argued that I am using too big of a popper for panfish... They couldn't be any more wrong.. These Accardo top water lures drive the bluegills into a frenzy.. Even a 4" sunnie will make a quake and hit these things hard... I could have easily taken home a limit tonight.. But I didn't want to be filleting til almost 11pm...

Another day on the backwaters...

Decided to go and hit another backwater spot today with some crawlers and take the fly rod along for shits and giggles... Was an absolutely wonderful day to be out and fishing... Days like these make me wish I had a boat.. Not for better fishing opportunities.. I like 2 blocks for the 'Sippi.. I'd say that's almost as good as it gets for some.. But mostly to just be out on the water and enjoying the day instead of tucked in between trees smelling like OFF!... But none the less it was another semi-productive day.. Plenty of fish cruising the backwaters.. tiny panfish that would rip off parts of my crawler.. could see some small largemouth bass cruising around as well.. and then there were a couple nice sized smallmouth cruising right along the rocks.. I could see them clearly as they ran off bluegills and other small bass... Fishing was slow... but was able to get both of the smallies I saw cruising the rocks on crawlers that were about a 12" below my bobber.. Pound for pound.. This fish puts up a hell of a fight.. I tried to see if I could get one on my fly but no such luck.. they'd look at it and then continue on their way...

Ol' Miss

Decided to head out and fish the spillway today with Sarah.  Fishing was slow at first but it started to get a little more excited as the day progressed.  Caught a couple gills on the fly... Caught a nice smallmouth bass off of the dock.. just let it fall to the bottom and I watched him slurp it up... Also caught a northern.. Seemed to have almost been big bird food.. but had gotten away... All and all in was a good day out...

Sun Is Shinin' And The Weather Is Sweet

Woke up early this morning.. No work.. Nothing but fishing on my mind... Decided to hit up the local pond for another day of pannie action.. This time just for fun.. Since I still have a bunch left over from Monday's outing.. After first going to my northern hole.. and getting nothing but wet feet thanks to my waders that need to be patched up. >.<  I got to the lake at about 9am.. It was beautiful.. Sunny.. No Wind.. Probably around high 60s.. Never did get a temp read on the day.. Started out at a spot that is not a normal spot for me and caught a few smaller bluegills and pumpkinseeds.. As I was walking along the shore I noticed carp cruising along the far side of the weed beds.. I started focusing on them.. Unfortunately today was not the day I was gonna get my first carp on the fly... After about 3 hours of fishing and too many pannies to count.. I headed home for awhile for a meal and to rest a bit..

     3pm I headed back out to do some more fishing.. It was around 80F.. A little windier than this morning.. But not awful in the least... Not really knowing where I wanted to go.. I headed back to the lake.. Opposite side.. Hoping to tie into some bigger gills.. which I did.. Had I been keeping.. I would have had a nice limit for sure.. Lot caught 7-8"+ range.. Got a lot of practice on distance casting.. being able to get my flies out roughly 50ft and with some accuracy when i wasn't getting lazy with my wrist action..

      As I was fishing for gills I got a hard hit.. and whatever it was put up a nice fight until it dove into the weeds and covered it's face.. It was a very nice largemouth.. My biggest on the fly so far.. What a great surprise when I'm just out fishing for gills.. Nice thing about flies.. Almost anything will take them..Given the chance.. I tied into a second largemouth but lost him just feet away from shore as like the previous.. He dug into the weeds... This has got me really excited for the 29th.. Bass Opener.. As I did see a couple hefty largemouth cruising the weed beds when I was fishing earlier today..

    After a couple more hours of fishing I decided to call it a day.. You can only fish for panfish for so long before the fun starts wearing off.. Especially when you start catching bass and are the better man and don't target them.. Unlike the couple of people I saw out today.. Grr..  But none the less.. A lot of fish were caught.. And it was definitely a beautiful day to be out....

...Unless you were this bird brain =P

Pannies on the fly

Today started out with the normal problem I often see myself faced with... Where and What do I want to fish for?   Since gas and money are on the low end of the scale right now.. and since the sun was shining high.. I figured today would be a great day to catch some pannies on good ol' Lake Winona..  Pannies are still in spawn on the lake.. the last couple weeks of cold weather probably forced them back down deep and held off on their spawning pattern.., It was easy pickins... Tied a popper onto my fly rod and I was tying into the pannies for 3 hours until I filled a hefty limit.. Boy are panfish a hoot when you are using a popper on a fly rod.. You really get to see the true aggression of these little guys as you see their wake as they zip across the water to pounce on that popper.. And not only are they entertaining to catch on the fly.. But they are delicious as well...

The Bond Between Fishermen, Land

HERE is the Winona360 article on trout fishing

Thank You Lisa for helping spread the word!

5-11.. more crappy weather

Woke up looked at the radar and saw that the rain was definitely coming.. Temperatures were in the mid 40s roughly.. This weather really needs to go away.. Thankfully next weeks outlook looks amazing.. 70s/80s.. That's What I'm talking about!  Was on the road by 10am.. Today was not only a day for trout fishing.. A co-worker and writer for Winona360 asked me a couple weeks ago if she could follow me on the stream for a day and write an article about trout fishing in southeastern Minnesota.   I decided the South Fork would be a good spot since it's pretty cleared out and I knew she wouldn't have to cross any waters.. She didn't strike me as the kind of girl that had waders haha..  On the way to our spot Wes called me and he decided he would meet up with us... Just more information for the article that was being written... We get to the spot at about 10:45.. Rain was eminent.. Actually I think it started misting when we were there.. It was windy.. 10-15mph winds here and there.. Definitely nothing as bad as the days previous to day.   Started out pretty slow.. not much happening.. Hooked into one brown.. Wes hooked into a couple chubs... water in the lower South Fork is starting to warm up as the chubs are starting to get thicker.. But the brookies are still holding in there...
     We moved up stream and it started raining harder.. Luckily for our little cub reporter we were near a bridge.. so she was able to stay dry and continue her interview.. We made sure to try and cover all basis.. What makes this area good trout water.. why.. the technique involved in trout fishing.. Why we love to do what we do.. Sometimes it's something tough to put into words.. why one loves to do what they do.. especially when it's something like trout fishing... As one of us fished.. She interviewed the other.. Wes tied into a couple dinky brooks on a PT so i switched up to a PT as well and hooked into a brookie... after about an hour of this spot.. Our reporters hands were too cold to write anymore and she was on her way.. Hopefully with more than enough info to write her article... I think she enjoyed it..  I know Wes and I enjoyed sharing our love for the sport with world on a local level and I cannot wait to read the article...
     We decided we would head upstream and hike through some thicker stuff to a section of the South Fork that is not only beautiful but also usually holds some good fishing.. It was beautiful as always.. but it was definitely not holding much today.. Or at least were not feeding... The rain my have cooled off the water and put the trout on the DL.. we caught a couple.. but nothing over 10" that's for sure..
     Personally cannot wait for next week.. This weather is beyond ridiculous.. Cold.. Windy.. Rainy.. Even some snow flurries and frost.. It's May.. Seriously this weather needs to go.. And by the outlook it will be amazing.. 70s and 80s by next week.. About time!

Slow day...

Got out to a couple spots today.. it was windy.. probably a constant 15-20mph wind with gusts in the 40s... overcast.. looked like it was gonna rain all day but it never did until the end of the day there was about 5seconds worth of sprinkles..  first started out at the Sheldon area but winds were nasty and fish just weren't biting... a few rises here and there.. and i could see them sitting at the bottom of the deep pools.. next i went to Choice.. still the winds would not let up. but at least the trout were rising though i couldn't get them to really take on anything up top.. with the winds blowing against the current it made it too choppy and tough to see my dries...  took a couple, that are now in my fridge, on a combination of HW Prince nymphs and orange scuds... and caught about a dozen or so creek chubs... finally i decided i would stop at Rush Creek.. not much going on.. nothing at all really.. saw a couple small risers.. and tied into one on one of my last casts.. but he was never brought in.. seemed to be a nice sized trout too =( ... well at least i got out for a couple hours.. but this mess of weather we have been having of late sure needs to straighten out.. if its not raining.. its windy as all hell.. its getting annoying and frustrating

New Waters

After going to Trout Day at Forestville on Saturday and talking with Steve Klotz about a certain stream in the Winona area.. Me and my buddy decided to head out and explore a new stretch of stream... We arrived at our destination around noon... Cool.. Slightly windy.. Very cloudy day.. Looked like rain.. There was another angler... He wasn't having any luck.. We decided we would walk down stream and work our way back up to the cars... After a little bit of walking we cut through the brush and headed stream side where we found our first hole and riffle for the day..  Water was still murky from the rain over the weekend... Area was tight and proved frustrating with snags and hang-ups in brush... Hewas able to pull a few smaller trout out of the riffles.. Myself had no luck.. I changed up to a bugger at the head of the riffles with no luck.. Here my buddy was able to hook into a pair of browns.. ~14" and a fat ~16" Both taken on #12 Princes.. I switched back to a #12 red SJW and worked a downed tree and root wad that looked promising.. and landed myself a ~14" brown.. Those would be the only fish of the day.. A couple more hits.. But nothing landed.. Overall a successful outing for unknown water...