Early Season Bank Fishing for Some Monsters
This time of year I have usually lost interest in ice fishing. I know the bite can be good, but after a long winter, I am looking forward to chunking and winding for my fish and usually can find a few spots that open up early and hold some fish. One of my spots involves a short hike through a little swamp area to get to a shallow backwater area that holds some good size bluegills. Another of my spots that opens up early is right off the main road to my house in Maple Grove. I can sit and watch the traffic whiz by as I cast to several hundred carp that stack into the open water formed by flowing water coming through a culvert on the north end of the lake. That was my spot of choice last Sunday.
I know Carp are often ignored if not maligned by fisherman in the states, but they provide me with a quick escape from the cabin fever that afflicts me so this time of year. It is also better than watching someone else catch fish on TV which usually just makes my affliction worse.
Sunday I found myself with a few extra minutes, so I grabbed a couple rods and a small selection of baits and corn and headed for the Applebees parking lot. I wasn't sure if the fish would be there. A late cold snap had closed the open water just a couple days earlier. It had opened again though and my faithful carp were stacked in the shallow water like all the past years.
Now just because there are lots of fish in a spot like this, doesn't mean they are willing to bite. I have witnessed this before and experienced much frustration from it. I have been studying the Carp fishing techniques of Europeans and was going to try a few that day. First off, I had spooled up a 8 1/2 foot Shimano downrigger rod with 25 pound mono and tied on a "bolt rig" which consists of a heavy weight affixed to the main line a foot or so above a bait holder hook. Often times the leader is made of braided line to help cut through weeds when a fish is hooked. The idea being that the bait is allowed to float free and when taken by the fish, they feel the weight of the sinker and "bolt" setting the hook on themselves. I tried some Berkley corn flavored Carp Nuggets without much luck. I haven't had much luck with them in the past and don't know if these fish see enough corn to recognize it as food.
My other rod was my Shimano drop shot rod spooled with 8lb bioline. This rig is a little light for the larger carp that can be found in Minnesota lakes but provides some fun even when the fish are sluggish in the cold water (I could cast to the ice edge).
As I sat on the bank watching the mass of fish slowly mill around, I thought of an interesting legality question. I would have liked to leave the bolt rig soaking while I fan casted my lighter rig but wasn't sure if that was legal. On one side of the lake guys were still sitting on the ice. They were allowed two rods. Could I use two rods even though I was sitting on shore? (Feel free to chime in with an answer readers)
I decided to reel in the bolt rig and try my drop shot rod. I used a small crappie jig baited with some Berkley Gulp Maggots. This rig has been my most productive in the past for this early season pattern. Casting into that many fish you eventually will foul hook just as many fish as you catch legally in the mouth. As they swim by they will often hook the line on a fin or tail and make you think your line is swimming off. When you set the hook you often have a double digit fish by the tail. On eight pound spinning tackle that can be fun.
I managed a few good hookups with fish ranging in the 6-8 pound range. No monsters although I had a few bigger fish foul hooked that came off after a short fight. I also got a surprise when a 8 pound Northern took my little jig. When I set the hook he shot out of the hole and stripped line off my reel like he was headed for Mexico. I was not expecting a Northern but did know that they will use the area as a travel route to spawning areas on the other side of the road. Why he wanted a small glob of maggots is beyond me. I eased him to shore and put him on my boga grip to take the hook out. A gentleman walking by was kind enough to tell me I was catching fish out of season as I sent the Pike on his way. I thanked him for the info and pointed to the can of corn next to me and mentioned that he was not my target species. I sat there without any company for over an hour before I caught that pike, and of course someone walks by right as I land it. Thats how it goes I guess.
I landed one more carp about 7 pounds and decided to call it a day. I will probably fish that spot again as soon as the ice goes out and I can get my boat in. If you are interested in going after some of the biggest fish in area lakes, shoot me an email at info@sportsmithfishing.com. As the water warms a little the fish get more active and will provide good action for anybody willing to pull on them.
I know Carp are often ignored if not maligned by fisherman in the states, but they provide me with a quick escape from the cabin fever that afflicts me so this time of year. It is also better than watching someone else catch fish on TV which usually just makes my affliction worse.
Sunday I found myself with a few extra minutes, so I grabbed a couple rods and a small selection of baits and corn and headed for the Applebees parking lot. I wasn't sure if the fish would be there. A late cold snap had closed the open water just a couple days earlier. It had opened again though and my faithful carp were stacked in the shallow water like all the past years.
Now just because there are lots of fish in a spot like this, doesn't mean they are willing to bite. I have witnessed this before and experienced much frustration from it. I have been studying the Carp fishing techniques of Europeans and was going to try a few that day. First off, I had spooled up a 8 1/2 foot Shimano downrigger rod with 25 pound mono and tied on a "bolt rig" which consists of a heavy weight affixed to the main line a foot or so above a bait holder hook. Often times the leader is made of braided line to help cut through weeds when a fish is hooked. The idea being that the bait is allowed to float free and when taken by the fish, they feel the weight of the sinker and "bolt" setting the hook on themselves. I tried some Berkley corn flavored Carp Nuggets without much luck. I haven't had much luck with them in the past and don't know if these fish see enough corn to recognize it as food.
My other rod was my Shimano drop shot rod spooled with 8lb bioline. This rig is a little light for the larger carp that can be found in Minnesota lakes but provides some fun even when the fish are sluggish in the cold water (I could cast to the ice edge).
As I sat on the bank watching the mass of fish slowly mill around, I thought of an interesting legality question. I would have liked to leave the bolt rig soaking while I fan casted my lighter rig but wasn't sure if that was legal. On one side of the lake guys were still sitting on the ice. They were allowed two rods. Could I use two rods even though I was sitting on shore? (Feel free to chime in with an answer readers)
I decided to reel in the bolt rig and try my drop shot rod. I used a small crappie jig baited with some Berkley Gulp Maggots. This rig has been my most productive in the past for this early season pattern. Casting into that many fish you eventually will foul hook just as many fish as you catch legally in the mouth. As they swim by they will often hook the line on a fin or tail and make you think your line is swimming off. When you set the hook you often have a double digit fish by the tail. On eight pound spinning tackle that can be fun.
I managed a few good hookups with fish ranging in the 6-8 pound range. No monsters although I had a few bigger fish foul hooked that came off after a short fight. I also got a surprise when a 8 pound Northern took my little jig. When I set the hook he shot out of the hole and stripped line off my reel like he was headed for Mexico. I was not expecting a Northern but did know that they will use the area as a travel route to spawning areas on the other side of the road. Why he wanted a small glob of maggots is beyond me. I eased him to shore and put him on my boga grip to take the hook out. A gentleman walking by was kind enough to tell me I was catching fish out of season as I sent the Pike on his way. I thanked him for the info and pointed to the can of corn next to me and mentioned that he was not my target species. I sat there without any company for over an hour before I caught that pike, and of course someone walks by right as I land it. Thats how it goes I guess.
I landed one more carp about 7 pounds and decided to call it a day. I will probably fish that spot again as soon as the ice goes out and I can get my boat in. If you are interested in going after some of the biggest fish in area lakes, shoot me an email at info@sportsmithfishing.com. As the water warms a little the fish get more active and will provide good action for anybody willing to pull on them.
I have caught several carp on tube jigs from the Mississippi in the winter targeting smallmouth, they are fun!
This post could have been so much more interesting with pictures
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I know. That is a problem I face when I go out alone.
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Sport, Do you ever fish Rice Lake for panfish, pike, or bass? Back when I lived in the cities there was a couple of years I fished Rice with some great results. I have a small Coleman Crawdad boat that I would put in at the park on the river outlet. I would then use the trolling motor to take me out to the lake. For the first couple of years I fished it the pike fishing was nothing short of amazing. I caught a bunch of 5 to 10lbers. The bass fishing was pretty weak which surprised me because I thought it would be a great bass lake. In my experience the panfish bite is hot and cold, but the lake used to hold some nice pannies.
I haven't really had any success Spring shore fishing in my panfish spot in the last few years. I didn't get out there last year because of the late ice. Since I moved North in 1993 I have traditionally fished the lake the 1st Thursday in April when I come down for my Fishers of Men Fishing Club meeting. I don't know if I will try to hit it or not this spring.
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I put my canoe in once and caught some good size gills just in the river. It was too windy that day to venture into the lake without someone else helping me paddle. I have always wanted to get out there and cast for Northerns but never made time. Now that you tell me this, I may make a little more effort. I see the occasional ice angler in the winter out there but not enough to make any dent on the fishery. My guess is it is another one of those hidden gems of good fishing right in the metro area. If you are in the area, and want some company out on the lake let me know.
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