twincityriverrats

No Guts, No Glory.

2011-07-09T00:36:00.001-07:00

Musky Opener.

2011-07-09T00:34:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, there were no muskies to be had, but here's one of the "consolation" northerns we boated on a scorcher of an afternoon right in the city....

Catchin' Up Again....

2011-07-09T00:29:00.001-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

The first of the summertime action....

In Training.

2011-03-03T22:49:00.001-08:00

I don't think this needs any further explanation....Here's Otto learning the ropes...

End of the season...

2011-02-27T22:49:00.000-08:00

I'll try to keep it brief here... We definitely worked some big fish over the last two days, but, unfortunately we were not able to get any of 'em up on top of the ice. We lost seven or eight on tip ups, and I had a really nice 34" or 36" muskie on a super light crappie rig that I lost after a four or five minute battle... At least we were able to watch that whole fight play out, a foot or two below the ice, and let me tell you, that was one of the single most exciting things I have ever experienced. I just was not able to give it a proper hook set at any time during the fight, I had left my drag too loose, and had no muscle on the reel. Lesson learned.

We ended up with a couple of small muskie in hand, Brandon had the first rod and reel muskie of the season up through the ice, and a smallish northern was also tallied....Now it is back to jigging for crappies. Here's hoping....

Leaders...

2011-02-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

Another "snowpocalypse" up here right now, so there will be no ice time today. I figured I would try to make myself useful and tie up some new tip up leader rigs. 20 lb. lo-vis pink flourocarbon, no.6 red treble hooks on the left, no. 6 black ones on the right, and both are finished off with orange beads and yellow blades. The reds, oranges and yellows have been working well, so I'll give 'em a shot and just wait to see what happens.

Sucker!

2011-02-20T11:42:00.001-08:00

Time for some action...

2011-02-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

Any one who cares about fishin', or huntin', or campin', or boatin', or just cares about the simple fact that we still have such a vast amount of amazing wilderness left in this country that we are able to experience and explore, should check this out and take a minute to let the folks in Washington know that it is certainly not alright to put any these things on the legislative chopping block...

House Leadership Attacks Wild Lands: Follow our live blog from the debate

By Christopher Lancette on February 15, 2011 - 6:41pm
The U.S. House of Representatives began debate on Feb. 16 on a slew of anti-conservation budget cuts attached to legislation to keep the government running in 2011. These initiatives would deliver crushing blows to wildlands, public health and to economic growth. Follow us as we blog from the Hill and then take action today !

Skunked...

2011-02-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

I was hoping that with the full moon, the cold weather settling back in, the crisp and clear sunny morning, and the storm system we were expecting to be moving in later on in the day, that the fish would be whipped up into a frenzy and that the fishing would be fantastic.

Wrong.

Four and a half hours and nothin'.

Bob had gotten out on the ice a couple hours before I had, and he landed the first and only fish I saw a bit before noon.

On the bright side, I got to hang out for a while with a couple of bald eagles. They were sitting side by side up in a tree not too far from me, and man, were they squawkin' at me. I tried to get closer to take a picture or two, and one of 'em took off, but I got this one right here...

Tip Up Rigs.

2011-02-19T23:10:00.000-08:00

These here are a couple of examples of the tip up rigs I have been using this season.

This one here is the business end of my Berkley tip up. A sweet dual treble hook, quick strike style rig, wound onto 30 lb. Berkley Ice tip up line.

This is on the end of one of my Frabill 10" insulated tip ups. The spool is wound with Woodstock 65 lb. ice line, smallish Swedish pimple with an upgraded and upsized treble hook in order to accomodate the big 'ol sucker minnows we have been using lately.

The final rig here on another Frabill 10' insulated tip up. Wound with 25 lb. Shakespeare Ugly Braid, and topped off with a Kastmaster maroon and gold flasher, also retro fitted with a slightly larger treble hook, only to accommodate the larger bait fish.

Two Bucket Style...

2011-02-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

So this here is my own personal recipe for a nice, lightweight tip up expedition. Two buckets, filled to the brim, and you have everything you need, except a shelter, which I guess on windy days might come in real handy for sure. On second thought, I guess this also leaves you armed with only a hand auger, and that can leave you with some seriously tired arms, but once again, you still have all of the absolute bare necessities at hand.

Eight inch auger, check. I am using an HT Polar Auger. It ain't perfect, but it is definitely light and it gets the job done. Vexilar, check. I have the FL-18 Genz Pack, no bells and whistles here, but it is (relatively) cheap, and, it's both light and extremely functional.

Also included in my load out pictured here, one nice insulated styrofoam minnow bucket that fits all snug into a five gallon bucket, and I have that outfitted with a Frabill aerator to keep those minnows all lively and kicking for days. In the picture up top, I have three Frabill ten inch insulated tip ups stacked on top of the minnow bucket, with my sweet old coffee mug floating around on top of those... I've also got one Berkley tip up, stuffed into my other bucket, just in case.

So as for all of the other miscellaneous gear , I also pack a big 'ol Frabill ice scoop, complete with a 36" measuring stick on the handle, it is handy for positive ID. Also included is a small tackle box with extra pimples, hooks, bobbers, weights, and leaders. Pliers and jaw spreaders are a must for the big fish fishin, I can't be without these. Two rods fit nicely in the bucket, just in case you would rather be jigging, instead of just sitting around, waiting for your tip ups to go.
I had ordered what was described as a "fish-safe" gaff hook, thinking it would be all smooth and good to go. When it arrived, however, I discovered that it was nothing more than a huge sharpened treble hook welded onto the end of a steel shaft. Not so "fish-safe". I decided to hack off the sharpened treble, and replaced it with a nice homemade brazed treble, all nicely rounded and smooth. The rest of the gear I have loaded up here includes my thermos, (a nice small one to save room), a couple of packs of hand-warmers (just in case), and a camera in a (somewhat) waterproof case as well.

Thanks, Sharon!

2011-02-18T21:55:00.000-08:00

I stopped by the Ace Hardware, up on Diamond Lake Road and 54th the other day before hitting the lake, but showed up and hour before they opened. They have taken over for Bob Moore, after he had to close his doors they bought some of his tanks, and are now peddling some real nice live bait, right here in the heart of the city. As I was driving out of the parking lot, a woman flagged me down and asked me what I was looking for. I told her I was hoping ot get some minnows, and she was kind enough to open the doors early and sell me some real nice suckers, as well as a few good looking shiners. So I just wanted to take a moment and say thanks, Sharon, you really saved the day!

Sunny Sunday...

2011-02-17T22:55:00.000-08:00

Lets rewind for a quick minute...This last Sunday up here was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to get out on the ice, but Brandon hit up the lake with his dad and brother, and was not disappointed with his catch of the day right here...

Another nice little tiger muskie up through the ice...And just check out the patterns on these guys, absolutely beautiful.

Fog and Fish...

2011-02-17T22:33:00.000-08:00

Tons of fog on the lakes this morning, and not so many fish...

Brian showed up and landed the first two or three fish of the day, one of them being this trophy walleye. Come to think of it, it's actually the first walleye we've seen come up through the ice on this particular lake this season. It was caught on a floating jig and minnow if I remember correctly. Oh., and I can't forget to give a big old shout out to Brian's friends, who had come out to meet him with some nice hot coffee and generously hooked us up on a cold wet morning... Thanks guys!

We definitely missed a some fish this morning during a couple frantic periods of activity, and then it would shut off just as quickly as it started. Brian had a nice pike earlier on a tip, unfortunately I don't have a picture of that one for you, and he managed to jig a couple of perch as well. I ended up with this one here, a 30ish" tiger, and unfortunately that was about it for Brandon and I for the day.

More Gear Talk...

2011-02-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

Its all pretty simple, ice fishing gear, at least the ice fishing gear I prefer to use. A few different rod and reel set ups, and a couple of different tip up rigs. But I guess ice fishing is absolutely no different than everything else in the fishing world, in that there are seemingly millions of different tools, tactics and techniques at your disposal for each and every unique situation you might happen to find yourself in.

I have three different rod and reel combos that I use fairly regularly, each set up a slight bit differently than the others. I'll get around to all the tip-ups in a later post.

I use an Ugly Stick wound with 20lb. braided line, tipped with a decent steel leader and finished off with a pretty big Swedish pimple. Obviously, this rig is geared for the more aggressive fish, northern and muskie.

I also have a cheap little sporting goods store special combo, set up with 4 or 6 lb. mono on the spool, a sponge bobber and topped off with a basic Swedish pimple, not too big, not too small. It's not the most sensitive rod, not a lot of finesse there, but it seems to work well on everything just the same.

I have saved the best for last. My absolute favorite setup, though, is something that is truly special. This rig here is absolutely tangible proof of the age old adage, "you get what you pay for". This is the whole reason I wanted to write about gear.

This beauty here is hand crafted by Scott Fox of Fox Custom Rods, located right here in Minneapolis, and I can tell you that this rod is absolutely magical. Not only is it beautiful, but it is absolutely deadly as well. Perfectly sensitive and amazingly strong, it is the ultimate secret weapon in my arsenal for sure. Finicky crappies, no problem. Big 'ol ornery pike, absolutely. (I landed a 35" northern on this rig not two weeks ago...) They might be a bit spendy for some folks, but after using this, I am definitely a bit hesitant to pick up anything else when I find myself fishing rod and reel through a hole in the ice. Right here is where I need to give a quick shout out to Patty, who had given this rod to me as a gift in the first place. It has definitely upped the ante in my own extremely limited knowledge of ice fishing. Thanks for the rod bud, and Scott, thank you for the exquisite craftsmanship and love that you have poured into these.

Gangbusters!

2011-02-13T14:36:00.000-08:00

It was supposed to be a warm Saturday morning, at least by mid-February Minnesota standards. So tip-up fishing was on the agenda, no house, no heaters, just some buckets and an auger. Sunrise looked promising, as the sun had started forcing it's way through the clouds early on. But then all that stopped, the cloud cover thickened, and the cold decided to stick around. Definitely under-dressed, all I could do was hope that the days fishing we had in store would make up for the deteriorating conditions. Brandon had hooked up with the first fish earlier than we were expecting it, as the bite has been somewhat predictable lately. A nice little northern, and, hopefully an auspicious omen.

The sun started to look as though it might come back out about a half hour later, and right on cue, suddenly I had a flag up. I grabbed the line, let it run for a second, and then gave it hell. I set the hook into what felt like a real nice fish, and after a little excitement, ended up with this in hand as my first fish of the day..

A good looking 34-36 inch muskie, and everything seemed to start looking up right about now for sure. Then the sun disappeared, the cold settled back in, and everything shut off for the next two hours. Now I love fishin' as much as the next guy, but sitting out on the ice, cold and empty handed, certainly ain't good for my morale, and I started thinking about calling it a day. And again, the sun started peeking out again,and suddenly the bite turned right back on again. One of the other fellas who was out on the ice had landed a nice fish, another muskie, and as the three of us were were standing around, talking about the differences between tiger muskies and pure muskies, Brandon had another flag go up. I'll fast forward to the pictures, enough dialog...

Brandon had his first muskie through the ice, as sun was coming back out. He re-upped the minnow, reset the tip-up, and hadn't even taken two steps away when the flag popped up again, right as his other tip up went off. He ran to check that one and I went to reset the other one, we kind of figured the fresh minnow was just tripping the flag. He pulled out another nice little northern on his, and we ended up with a double, as I hooked into another little muskie as well.

We hit a couple more small pike, that kept us busy for a bit, then a brief lull in the action. We started jawing about some other real nice fish that had been caught in the area, and figured our chances of landing a pig were pretty good. Two minutes later and I had a flag trip, and the spinner was absolutely flyin' on it by the time I got there. I ripped a decent hook set, and it was on. It took about three minutes to get that beast to show itself, and it had taken off on three real nice runs during the fight. Man, those three minutes felt like an hour for sure. Maybe I am a glass half empty kind of guy, but all I can do when I am fighting with a fish is to think about the hundreds of things that could possibly go wrong at that moment...

I think this here is proof that nothing went wrong this time. 42" tiger muskie on a tip up, and a feeling that is hard to match.. And to think I was thinking about packing it in an hour earlier...I would have missed all this!

Sunrise...

2011-02-08T19:52:00.000-08:00

Oh, I think I forgot to mention that you get to watch sunrises like this....

They Just Keep on Comin'

2011-02-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

At times it can seem almost unfair, at least when you find yourself right smack dab in the middle of days like this. Brandon won the biggest northern prize of the day with that brute up top. And Matt, who had lost a nice one earlier in the morning on account of, um, well, let's just call it "an equipment malfunction", landed his first tip up northern this year...

I had hooked into the first fish of the day with this handsome fella.

I was just about to knock off for the day just a little earlier than everyone else, so I made my rounds one last time and checked my tip ups, just to make sure everything was still all good. Not two minutes after I had reset my second tip up, and literally right under my feet,( as we were standing right over the hole), I had a flag up, and I had hooked up with a right stubborn monster. A minute into the fight, and it finally showed itself at the hole, a muskie! At that point, my hands were already trembling, half cold, half full of adrenaline, and then seeing what was on the other end, that only made it worse. Now my tip up was rigged downright ghetto, with some old 20 lb. braided line and a small pimple with a smaller stinger, no leader, no nice thick vinyl tip up line. That fish came up a couple of times, dipped back out of sight and finally, just parked his head right up under the edge of the hole and wouldn't budge, and then he made a break for it ripping line from the spool at an alarming rate. All I could really do was hope that my line didn't get hung up on the underside of the hole, try to keep it tight, and tire 'em out. And, thankfully, in the end, that is exactly how it all played out. Brandon braved the frigid water and scooped 'em up, bare hands and all, and that right there, is the very first muskie that any of the three of us had ever seen come through the ice.

Fish Stories....

2011-02-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

Ask anyone who as ever fished a day in their life, and they will surely tell you, there is always at least one story about the one that got away. On open water in the spring, summer and fall, most of the time those stories will revolve around pure speculation as to what kind of fish it was and how big it truly was... But when you find yourself sitting in a dark ice house, watching the fish swimming five feet below you, you get a chance to see some truly spectacular things. You get a front row seat to watch finicky crappies, spittin' out minnows a thousand times and not get hooked, or watch as they fly out of the weeds looking for an quick snack, and you get to witness the monster northern and muskies, come lumbering through, if only to check out your minnow, and watch helplessly as they disappear, just as quickly as they appeared in the first place. You get to see just how big and powerful they are, and you know, as soon as they vanish, that they are still there, hanging around, just out of sight, waiting for that perfect moment to come back and eat...
That feeling alone is enough to make your heart race, to keep you out on the ice another two hours. Sometimes, it is almost better than actually catching the fish. That excitement of the unknown, the thrill of the chase. But that excitement has two very definite, very different faces. It can also be terribly bittersweet, as we all know all too well.
We have all been there at one time or another, and this season for me is no different. The very first time we set foot on the ice this season, we had line stripped from a reel at a blistering rate, only to be snapped on the jagged ice on the bottom of the hole. We have watched as tip ups zipped around and around, and fought bravely, if only for a split second, and wind up empty handed in the end. We have seen the mouths of monsters fill up the holes in the ice, but could only helplessly watch on as our hooks were seemingly spit out of those great jaws.
Having seen just how big those fish really are, watching them from above, and seeing that they are really there, makes it that much more painful, that much more personal. If you have ever read Moby Dick, you must recognize that this is the exact kind of motivation that fueled Ahab, that motivation that drove him to incessantly pursue that white whale, and that motivation that ultimately drove him over the edge.

More Monsters...

2011-02-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

One week later, and another Saturday morning of fishing before work. I cannot thank my wife enough for affording me the opportunity to get some time in to get out and chase some fish with some good buds...

This one here is a 39" northern caught on a tip up rigged with a large pimple coupled with a stinger hook and topped off with a big ol' sucker minnow. The tip ups have quickly become a massive and integral part of our arsenal out on the lake. In military terms you would call those a "force multiplier". Oh, wait a sec, quick Google search... here it is right here... "Force Multiplier Definition noun any activity or equipment which increases the combat effectiveness of a military grouping without actually increasing its firepower (such as engineer support, electronic warfare, deception, and surprise)"

Suckers, in my humble opinion, can catch anything, from the big nasty cats in the river to these sleek, monster northerns in the lake, suckers are the deal for real.

The Ice is Here...

2011-02-06T00:11:00.000-08:00

I'll have to skip a few months of the whole catching up deal, and fast forward to more current events. The ice is here again, and with it comes some beautiful fish, some freezing cold hands, and some absolutely majestic sunrises. My first trip out to one of the many metro lakes here was perfect, a Saturday morning out on the lake before work
and I could not have asked for anything more than this....

35" northern on four pound test and a tiny Swedish pimple tipped with a crappie minnow...rod and reel style! I honestly thought this beast was gonna run my spool out under the ice. And this is just the beginning...

Kids and the Cabin...

2011-01-24T21:10:00.000-08:00

It is something that is hard to find, and something that is even harder to beat. It is that unique kind of enthusiasm that little kids will demonstrate while they are catching sunnies off the dock with reckless abandon. Catching them faster than I can pull 'em off and rebait those hooks. It is quite magical to be sure, and most definitely something that they will not soon forget. To this day, I still remember those mornings from when I was that little kid, effortlessly catching so many fish, and how much fun it was, and how much fun they still are....

Scenery....

2011-01-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

Just a few of the many beautiful backdrops we fish up on in the Twin Cities here...

See if you can come and find us, suckas!

Regrets...

2011-01-24T20:43:00.000-08:00

After going through and posting all of these pictures, I can't help but get a little bummed out that I didn't get out fishin' more this last year. So many nice fish so little time, hopefully these guys will help fill in the blanks with some fun stories, intimate details, and some solid measurements...

How 'bout a muskie...

2011-01-23T19:23:00.000-08:00

Quick shout out to Tim who made the trip up from Chicago to grab one out on Minnetonka. Tim chartered that boat, drove that thing and put himself on that fish...That is what it takes, some serious, do it yourself stick-to-it-tiveness...

Diversity....

2011-01-23T19:16:00.001-08:00

Ain't nothin' like a quick little trip to one of the Great Lakes for some salmon and some steelhead...Brandon and extended family showin' off the goods!

...and reaping the rewards...

The Holy Grail

2011-01-23T18:55:00.000-08:00

I am pretty sure that these pictures will speak for themselves. If you can't hear them, they are saying "This is what it is all about!" Brandon has trumped everything else with this beast here...

Here be Monsters!

2011-01-23T18:21:00.001-08:00

New boat, new fishing waters, new monster fish...Flathead fishin' on the Minnesota... Raising both the bar and the expectations all around. Not necessarily monstrous in size, but this little hammer handle most certainly looks ferocious up close. This one was caught way up in Bemidji....

This one is a tad bit bigger...and a tad more monstrous...

I honestly don't think that there are very many things that can look quite as gnarly as snapping turtles...

Here's two nice late season channels, late enough to be the last two cats landed in 2010. Maybe they're not necessarily "monsters", but they are both certainly nice...Especially when you are out there braving those cold, dark Minnesota fall nights.

I would have to say that, in my humble opinion, these two channels certainly fall into the monster category for sure.

Local Wildlife...

2011-01-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

All those trips to the river just wouldn't be complete without running into these guys as well...

Carpblood!

2011-01-23T16:32:00.000-08:00

Not only Matt's nickname, but a universal truth. Carp can bleed like nuthin' else...

Check out just how gnarly the mouth is on this handsome fella...

Springtime Carp...

2011-01-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

Springtime up here means carp, and man, it is certainly hard to beat the sheer thrill of horsing an angry carp up onto the rocks...

Just a few of the fish we met this past spring...

River Rats

2011-01-23T12:47:00.001-08:00

A quick introduction to the rest of the cast of characters, and I do mean characters....
You probably remember most of these guys.

Brandon....

Matt...

Teddy.....

Nate...

and introducing the Silver Shadow...

First River Trip 2010

2011-01-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

An ill fated night of ice fishing ultimately led to the first river fishin' of 2010...A bit cold, and no fish in hand, although we both did get picked off and missed a couple of fish by the end of the night...

Playing Catchup....

2011-01-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

As much as I hate to admit it, I slacked terribly on both fronts this past year, fishing and keeping this blog up to date. I'll do my best to bring it all back together and get everyone all caught up. It will be a quick summary, mostly of all the fishing everyone else was doing, with a few personal accounts thrown in. So without further ado, here we go....

Mama Crayfish & Tons of Little Tiny Crayfish Babies, Too.....

2009-06-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

The river never fails to amaze me, and now I get to add this to the list of all of the crazy things I have seen, sittin' down by the river....

How crazy is this? I cannot help but to be utterly amazed by the marvels of mother nature, all right under our noses, right here in the city...

It is times like these that I wish I had a super nice camera, but these pictures sure came out sweet. It kind of makes me laugh when I think about all of the photographers that come down to this particular spot, only to take a picture of the Mpls skyline at sunset, or at night, and are absolutely oblivious to all of this going on right under their feet....

Carp, Carp, Carp Part 2.....

2009-06-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

As I had mentioned earlier, we had run into a fella named Dwayne who was down at the river carp fishin' with oatmeal one night, and it certainly seemed to me like it was super secret magic carp bait...The following night, we showed up to the spot, oatmeal in hand, eager to try our luck with it...The action was out of control, the fish were absolutely smashin' the oatmeal, and there were a few times that fishin' poles came perilously close to flyin' into the river...

If I remember correctly, this was number one on the night. Not to sound like I am braggin' or nothin', but we ended up with somethng like ten fish on the shore between the two of us, and it is kind of hard, keepin' 'em all straight...

This one here is number two I think, I somehow managed to snag this one up good in the tail...check it out..

Brandon took my lead and promptly hooked one up through the fin...

I was up on sheer numbers, but I think Brandon ended up with the biggest of the bunch for the night...

There were a ton of fish, and we only got pictures of a few. I am waiting ot get some more pictures from the night, but this is sure a good start. Later that night, after a couple of fantastic saves in order to keep our rigs from diving in the river, our luck finally ran out, or more precisely my luck finally ran out, and my sucker rig got yanked into the river, and fast as hell too...That is a story for another day, but a story that will be told....

One More Snapper....

2009-06-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

Chalk another one up for Brandon....

Bigger and Better in '09....

2009-06-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

If I remember correctly, Brandon hooked this one at a spot a little bit north of the city, but it dosen't really matter where, only how big, or how much fun you're havin'....

I think this one weighed in at a solid ten pounds....

Quick Tip Number 3 ...

2009-06-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

When using aforementioned oatmeal, make sure you keep within an arms length of your rig, 'cause you just might find yourself chasin' it into the river...

Quick Tip Number 2...

2009-06-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Carp love oatmeal, it's that simple. I have Dwayne to thank for opening my eyes to the magic of oatmeal....

'09 starts here....

2009-06-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

There are already so many stories to tell, and I am already at least a month behind, so I guess this is where 2009 starts for the River Rats, a little late, but sweet nonetheless.

Quick Tip Number 1...

2008-11-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

Stinky, nasty three or four or five day old suckers.

An Update on Zack's Gimped Finger....

2008-11-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, Zack had gotten smoked by some of those notorious catfish barbs when he tried to huck a fish back into the river... And if you remember my little story about it, you know that Zack did not believe our warnings about the whole catfish barb deal... Well. this is how his finger looked that night when it left the river...

And this is what he he was startin' to pull outta his finger almost three months after it all happened. This is only one of seven or eight that he's gotten out, and there are still more in there. I really wish I had a picture of what his finger looked like before they started comin' out, cause it sure was all lumpy and gnarly lookin' for a while there.
The moral of the story, I don't know, maybe believe somebody when they tell you to be careful with the catfish "stingers"...

Tips on Balancing Fishing and Parental Duties....

2008-11-02T11:33:00.001-08:00

To anyone out there who says you can't bring a baby out for a night on the river, Brandon has got somethin' to say to y'all. If you actually think that you can't fish and spend time with your little ones, well just take a good long look at this here picture...

We took this picture of Brandon and his little one right after a bottle and a burp.....

Beauty Pagent Finalists...

2008-11-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

Contestant N0. 1

Here we have contestants 2 and 3, and as you can see, the competition is fierce...

Contestant No. 4 is a real looker....It's really hard to choose, huh?

No. 5, my personal favorite...

And last but certainly not least, our final two contestants, that's No. 6 on the left and No. 7 on the right. It is going to be awfully close.

Cast your vote....Who do you think has got that winning look...

I Love The Fall.....

2008-11-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

Like I said, I really love the fall, and here's just a few reasons why...

This time I broke out the trusty Zebco De-Liar and we actually weighed and measured these pigs. All of 'em were fat as could be, just gettin' ready for the long cold winter. This one that Andy hooked was 18" long with a 10" girth and weighed in at just over three pounds.

Brandon was the big weiner for the night, His pig was 30" x 18" and tipped the scales at 12 lbs.

I think this one here is the second biggest channel for me this season at 26" long with a 13" girth, it weiged in at a solid 8 lbs. I had one other one that when stacked up against the rest of the nights' catch proved not to be all that picture worthy.

23" x 12" x 5 3/4 lbs..... What?

Cap the whole evening off with a nice little fire, and it don't git no better than this...

Finally, some new stuff....

2008-10-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

Andy and I hit up a new, well, kinda new spot. I've been there before, but never late like this. I spent the night trying to nurse a fire, as it had been raining all day, and Andy kept himself busy catchin' fish. As for myself, I kept missin' em on this particular evening.

Fish & Fire...

2008-09-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

The last few nights haven't been exactly gangbusters, but a couple fish is always nice. We aren't exactly killin' 'em like we have been, but to be honest, the nights have been positively beautiful. Clear skies, calm water and a little bit of chill in the air definately makes sittin' on the water fantastic.

With a nice little fire goin', it makes sittin' on the river absolutely perfect.Some fish in hand do make it that much better indeed.

Some More Gear...

2008-09-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

I've managed to get mostly everything I need stuffed into a nice little Plano Guide Box. It's all waterproof and it floats, which is great when you accidentally dump it in the river.

I've got another little multi-compartment box that fits perfectly inside the bigger box. The smaller one holds a mess of smaller hooks, splitshot, slip sinkers and swivels, too.

I like to keep a variety of hooks on hand, 'cause you just never know, right. They range in size and style anywhere from a size 6 plain baitholder hook, for worms and shit, all the way up to 10/0 circle hooks for big 'ol slabs of cut suckers. For the most part I find myself using 1 - 2/0 circles hooks in the river for worms and smaller bait rigs. The bigger circle hooks I use on my heavier rigs topped off with big 'ol pieces of cut bait.The weights I keep in my tackle box also come in a broad range of shapes and sizes. Smaller 2-3 sized splitshot all the way up to 3 oz. baitcasting weights. Once again, keepin' a variety of sizes on hand makes it super easy to switch up from the river to the lake.

As far as bobbers go, I like to keep a couple small ones hand for worm or leech rigs, and two bigger ones for live sucker rigs, both for when I am posted up on one of the local lakes.
I've also recently added some lures to mix, the floating and shallow diving ones I find are the most versatile for both the river and lake, and are definately the most "weed-free" as far as the l lakes here in the cities are concerned.
I have also managed to cram in an extra pack or two of leaders, a hook sharpener, and the famous Zebco Fish De-Liar, which I guess never really put to any use. In addition to what I have stuffed in my tackle box, I carry a nice leatherman multitool, a small little headlamp(to free up the hands), a pocketknife, some spreaders, and a good flashlight,too.

Let's Talk Gear....

2008-08-30T20:38:00.001-07:00

We've pared down the gear we bring over the past months, trying to dial it in just right and just tryin' to keep it simple and efficient. It certainly has evolved over the season, from one or two simple and versatile rigs to a serious catfish rig or two and some lighter rigs that can fill a few rolls. I think I have gotten it down to four rods in my truck, maybe five if I am feeling greedy, and all of them seem to do the job either down by the river or posted up on a lake. I guess it has a lot to do with the tackle box that accompanies them, but all in all. Everything is compact( I can bike on down to the river) and incredibly versatile. Here's a quick rundown of what I have found to be invaluable to me this season....

I guess I'll list 'em light to heavy. The first rig is an Ugly Stik Spin combo I picked up at Target. It's a 6’0” medium action rod with 30 size reel which I wound with 14 lb. Berekely Fireline. This little rig works great on the river, and I add a little bobber for hittin' up the lakes.

The second rig is also an Ugly Stick. It's a 7' Catfish casting rod with an old Abu Garcia 5500 C3 baitcasting reel set up on it. Right now, I think it's spooled with 30 lb. Stren Super Braid on the reel, and topped off with a light flexible steel leader. I add a baitcasting weight for the river and a topwater or shallow diving lure on the lakes.
The first of my two heavyweight rigs is yet another Ugly Stik. It is 7' Ugly Stik Tiger Bigwater, which is a medium action rod, although it feels much more burly for sure. It is set up with an Okuma Epixor EB50 spinning reel, and wound with hi-vis yellow 80 lb. Power Pro braid. The Okuma reel has got a clicker on it which is sure handy when your fishin' the river at night. It's a bit more sleek than all the rattles and cowbells I see people usin'. This is the one river-specific rod I keep in my arsenal, the other three are more versatile, but havin' this rod down at the river is priceless
Last but not least is a nice and simple muskie rig that is perfect for either the river or the lakes. It is a 7' Fig Rig Baitcaster with medium/heavy action. It is set up with an Abu 5500 C4 baitcaster and also wound with 80 lb. Power Pro braid. This one as well as my other heavy rig are both topped off with flexible steel musky leaders, and weights for the river. Like my smaller baitcaster, I can tie on musky plugs and hit up the lakes, or throw a big ol' circle hook and some weights and let it sit in the river

On Top...

2008-08-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

We have been talkin' for a while about tying on a jointed rap to check out the action on the top. The fish have certainly been jumpin' and smashin' the baitfish on the surfacefor a while now. Brandon said he was killin' em the previous night , so I figured I'd give it a shot too. It certainly panned out...This had to be the skinniest smallie I have ever seen, if it had a belly, I think it would have been the biggest I have ever caught...

No Stitches....

2008-08-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

Somehow, for once, there was no late night trip to the emergency room for stiches involved with this whole deal here...

Sucka...

2008-08-27T23:24:00.001-07:00

Here's a little pencil drawin' of a sucker that I whipped up a while ago....

The Great Minnesota Get Together Part 3...

2008-08-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

Here's another quick rundown of all the other things that I think make the fair simply amazing....

The kids & the rides...

Big fat patriotic dudes eatin' turkey legs and Jimmy Buffet dudes with sweet mustaches...

Big ol' smiles all the way around...

Big fat fish...

Incredible sales pitches...

Sweet chainsaw sculptures of clowns...

The lights and the sounds of the Midway...

Did I forget to mention big fat fish...

The Great Minnesota Get Together Part 2...

2008-08-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick rundown of some of my personal favorite state fair fare....

Scotch Eggs...with maple syrup or horseradish....

Veggie Fries...hot sauce for me and ranch for Sarah and the kids

New this year...Big Fat Bacon...not quite Manny's but pretty good for sure

Of course some corn on the cob...

The biggest and best turkey leg ever

The Ron Schara Walleye Cakes are a must...unless you hate super amazingly delicious food

Last but not least, the smelt fry...also with hot sauce...wash it all down with a birch beer or some ice cold milk and it's heaven. I think I forgot a couple, and have heard about some amazing foods I have yet to try. I got at least one more trip to the fair, so I will fill in the blanks then.

The Great Minnesota Get Together Part 1...

2008-08-27T11:38:00.001-07:00

Ain't it the truth...

17 lb. 8 oz. Walleye caught in 1979 on the Seagull River.

8 lb. 15 oz. Largemouth Bass caught in 2005 on Auburn Lake...

45 lb. 12 oz. Northern Pike caught in 1929 on Basswood Lake
We couldn't pass up the chance to get some sweet pictures taken with the state record fish replicas, thanks Phil.

Sweet Action Shot...

2008-08-27T11:14:00.001-07:00

It just landed right in my hand, honestly...

Another River Story...

2008-08-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, a group came down to take in the view and hang out for a bit. By the time they left, this one girl, Robin, who had come up to Minneapolis from New Orleans, had told me all about her brother Darren, how he had recently died, and how much he had enjoyed being next to the river. He had told her time and time again about the time he spent down by the Mississippi, and this one particular view he loved. She had come up to find this view and to finally see what he had been talking about all those years. So she had made this cross for him and posted it up on a ledge of a bridge. She had figured it would be a fitting memorial for her brother, looking over the river and the city he had loved, and went on her way...

The 70's....

2008-08-27T10:16:00.001-07:00

A little bit of the 70's washed up on the shore of Lake Nokomis...

Bullhead, Catfish & ...Magicians?!

2008-08-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

Andy & I had posted up on Nokomis with a pail full of suckers hopin' that the northern or tigers would be in the mood. Absolutely nothin' was goin' on, and apparently, the bite has definately slowed over there. So, when in doubt, put worms on the bottom, right?. Voila! Bullhead! Some people hate 'em, but man, I personally think that they are so very cool lookin'. And hey, catchin' fish is catchin' fish, right?

After the bullhead feeding frenzy, we wandered on down to one of our usual haunts on the river. With a handful of those suckers minnows still alive, we had some high hopes for some serious action. And, with all the carp that have been swimmin' around rooting for food for the last week, we figured that some crawlers and corn would be a sure fire backup plan. Well, the carp did nothin' but pick us off the entire evening, and I missed four or five fish personally. It was positively comedic, here's how it would go down... I would get a taker to start pullin' line, and the minute I would grab my rod there would be nothin' for ten minutes. The second I would put it down, that damn fish would burn more line and I'd pick up and then, nothin' again. This went on for what seemed like an eternity. For a little while there were fish workin' both my lines like that. I was goin' back and forth from one to the other and ended up with a whole lotta nothin', except stress.

Andy ended up catchin' his first fish on a sucker minnow, and it was a sweet fish for sure. Brandon got a nice one too, and, at some point, we were joined by a homeless magician who had wandered up and offered up some card tricks.

Now, what are the chances that some dude, who reeks of vodka and had come stumblin' out of the woods around midnight, is goin' to have some really "amazing" card tricks to hit us with. He had asked us if we had ever heard of David Blaine or Chris Angel, and we kinda shrugged him off at first. He hit us up with some crazy four of a kind card trick that was absolutely mind-boggling, and we were sold. His tricks were definately on par with David Blaine, and they just kept gettin' better and better. One beer, seven or eight tricks later, and a whole mess of wild stories about his nine years in the pen, his "old lady" and the fight they were in, their livin' arrangements and subsequent run-ins with the law, he had wandered off back to the "camp" and we were finally ready to get out for the night. I guess it goes to show you just can't judge a book by its cover, cause that dude was blowin' us away with his tricks for sure. There is something crazy about that river, all the different people it attracts and the all the crazy stories they have..it just never ends.

One Slow Night Under the Bridge...

2008-08-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

Orconectes (Procericambarus) rusticus
Rusty Crayfish

Absolutely nothin' goin' on for me this night. The most excitement I had was takin' pictures of the crayfish. Brandon ended up with a nice fish right off the bat, then it was awfully quiet for the rest of the night.

Dragonfly Vs. Cicada

2008-08-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this little struggle while the kids and I were out hikin' alongside the river one afternoon about a month ago. I guess there's not a lot of fishin' related sustance to this post, but some really cool pictures to be sure.

It Started Off Good....

2008-08-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

These pictures are all posted in chronological order. A big 'ol fish right off the bat sure was promising, but it just went downhill from there. Unfortunately, the only other fish we had between the three of us was that sunny, but that picture of Andy sure turned out sweet. We had pulled up and left our first spot to go and hike a spot we had never checked out before. The spot was kind of a bust and it didn't really pan out the way we had figured it would have. The carp skull definately topped off the night for sure, maybe it was an omen...

Carp, Carp, Carp

2008-08-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a pretty right on article on the pros and cons of carp fishin'. I hope I don't get in trouble for reposting part of it....

"In the early 1600s, Izaak Walton, the granddaddy of thoughtful anglers, devoted a chapter of his book The Compleat Angler to carp:

The Carp is the Queen of Rivers: a stately, good and very subtle fish. The Carp, if he have water-room and good feed, will grow to a very great bigness and length; I have heard, to be much above a yard long.
He is a very subtle fish, and hard to be caught. If you will fish for a Carp, you must put on a very large measure of patience, especially to fish for a River-Carp."

Black Metal...

2008-08-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

This is how it is.

The Last Couple Of Nights...

2008-08-17T18:43:00.001-07:00

The last couple of nights haven't been the best but they most certainly haven't been the worst, either. With the full moon and everything, I personally had some seriously high expectations for both nights. Truth be told, we probably missed more fish than we caught, but at least we still got some fish. I got my first carp in what seemed like forever and, unfortunately, Andy got skunked for the first time this year. We did get a chance to go hike a brand new spot, at least brand new for a couple of us. I think once again, the expectations were high, and maybe not necessarily fulfilled, but ultimately the river did in fact oblige us, and eventually gave up some fish before the night was over.

The Toad

2008-08-17T18:33:00.001-07:00

I picked this guy up when we were leavin' the other night. I think he would have come all the way home with us he was so chill.

Some Bitchin' New Photos....

2008-08-17T18:25:00.001-07:00

Valhalla? I think so.

These two pictures simply came out bad ass, that's all.

Not From The River...

2008-08-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

These did not come outta the river, but I had to share 'em none the less. Two beautiful fish, from two beautiful weekends. A four and a half pound largemouth, and a six or seven pound walleye...both my biggest to date.

Fish & Water

2008-08-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

This is where it all comes together for me, I think.

Handsome Fella...

2008-08-14T03:49:00.000-07:00

This good lookin' guy here is a brown bullhead...
Ameiurus nebulosus.
The brown bullhead is otherwise known as the "mud pout", "horned pout" or "hornpout" or simply "mud cat", as are all the other bullhead species.
Originally, I had figured him out to be a yellow bullhead, what with his beatiful, buttery colored belly and all. Apparently, yellow bullheads have white barbels, the little whiskers under the chin. These are definately not white....

Painted Turtle Close Ups....

2008-08-14T03:40:00.001-07:00

I'm guessing that this is a Western Painted Turtle....
Chrysemys picta bellii

Bowfin...

2008-08-13T19:08:00.001-07:00

Otherwise known as the much maligned Dogfish....Or Beaverfish, Blackfish, Choupic, Choupique, Cottonfish, Cypress trout, Grindle, Grinnel, Grinner, Lawyer, Mudfish, Poisson-castor, Scaled ling, Shoepick, Shoepik, Shoepike, Shupik, and Speckled Cat. Amia calva, family Amiidae. So there!

Snapper Close Ups...

2008-08-13T13:45:00.001-07:00

The Common Snapping Turtle....
Chelydra serpentina

One Crazy Night....

2008-08-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

It all started with some rotten worms, I think. We hit the river and there was a little painted turtle just chillin' & swimming around. We lured him in a bit closer with some of the rotten worms, scooped him up, took a couple of pictures, and let him get back to the water. The spot was way lit up, more than it normally is, so we could see everything that was goin' on in the water. The night was pretty chilly, especially for August, and with the river being as warm as it is, there was a beautiful mist floating around everywhere. We spotted a pair of carp cruising around right underneath us, and they pretty much stuck around for most of the night as well.
The little turtle that we had grabbed earlier came right back, and a bigger one showed up minutes later. Both of 'em swam right on in and kept snacking on the worms. I landed a little dogfish, all messed up and missing part of one gill plate, and immediately after I got it back in the water, a bigger one rolled on up, I'm guessing to check out the stinky worms that were all floating around.
So now we have carp, turtles, dogfish and ducks hangin' around, I think I forgot to mention the ducks earlier. The beaver and the muskrats were all busy as well, cruisin' back and forth, takin' care of business. The dogfish I caught was makin' occasional appearances as well, swimmin' round in circles, floppin' around all crazy and drunk lookin'. So what shows up next but that big 'ol snapper, all slow and skeptical...
Same deal as before, some rotten worms to lure him in, and Brandon snatched him up right quick. Let me tell you, that sure was some shit, boy. Watchin' him haul it up out of the river was sick, you could see the adrenaline pumpin'. I was all shakin' and I didn't even grab 'em up out of the water. It was like a goddamn petting zoo down there. The photo op was sweet for sure, how are you not going to pose with a beast like that. Just being able to be that close to an animal that magnificent without glass or bars is unreal. But having the opportunity to hold onto him and to feel just how massive and strong they are is damn near indescribable.
I think, or rather, I know that turtle definately trumped everything else that night. At some point Brandon caught a little cat, and Heff had a couple a fish, too, one of which was a sweet ass carp. After that turtle though, I don't think anything would have measured up, right?
Goddamn, how sweet is that river...

Roger & The River

2008-08-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

My buddy Roger was out from California for a few days, and we figured we'd get him down to the river and hopefully catch some fish. I owed him big for a tuna boat charter he had hooked up the last time I had been out there visiting him and his family. I think at the end of the day, the tuna we had boated out there were a wee bit more impressive that what we caught at the river, but it sure was fun nonetheless.

You gotta understand, Roger is like twelve feet tall and had to duck to fit under the bridge. So these two fish he landed had to weigh in at like six or seven pounds each. They were positively gigantic.

Once again, Andy and his sheephead...I don't know what he sees in 'em, but he sure does love em'....

The Behemoth....

2008-08-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

This photo definately spoils the end of a great story, but that story is still to come...

A Most Splendid View....

2008-08-11T23:19:00.001-07:00

I get to walk by this view every night on my way to the river....

Fatties All Around....

2008-08-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

So I finally broke my slump and landed a nice fish, despite a whole mess of tangled lines and messed up rods. Here's how I remember it.... Brandon had hooked into a big ol' fish ten minutes earlier and it was givin' him a real nice fight. Then it decided to run in hot and ended up wrappin' the line around the others that were still in the water. After gettin' him up and off the hook, we snapped a couple of pics, let em go, and tried to undo the rats nest we had been left with. The jokes about getting a monster fish while everything was still all tangled up were out there, and we just tried to get it all straightened out as fast as possible. We were slowly making our way through it, and all of the sudden one of the rods started bending toward the water. I snatched it up and felt the heavy swimmin' on the other end, so I gave her hell and set the hook. I reeled two or three times, and then it just stopped. I tried again and nothin'. I looked up and saw that I had probably twenty yards of line from three different poles all wrapped up around the tip of my rod and pulled down into my reel by now. I could still feel the fish swimmin' so I dropped the pole and grabbed the line and stated pullin' it in by hand. It was comin' in super easy so figured it was on the small side, and I just kept pullin'. I got it right under me and hoisted it up and out of the water, it was all wrapped in line and hooked only through the whisker....And it was hooked with a line that was not the line that I set in the first place. If that can give you any idea as to just how tangled our lines were, I managed to set a hook on a line that wasn't even tied to the hook that ended up in the fish. That is some luck, I ain't gonna lie, but hey, in a pinch, I'll take it anyway I can get it.

I think this picture sort of illustrates both the mess of lines we had on our hands and the lucky ass hookset I managed to get. The green line was the line that I set the hook with....

These are the two that Andy and Brandon had caught the night before, all from different parts of the river. So, fatties all around, I guess.

The Rats...

2008-08-09T20:46:00.001-07:00

Here we are...minus a couple.

Wait For It.....Wait For It

2008-08-08T01:01:00.000-07:00

Oh, The Carnage

2008-08-06T20:35:00.001-07:00

The not-so-pretty side, but damn, that is a sweet picture of a big ol bloody carp.

All The Pics....

2008-08-06T01:50:00.000-07:00

Hey, if you like fishin' as much as Andy here likes his sheephead, you can see a whole mess of other photos here.

Odds & Ends

2008-08-06T01:46:00.001-07:00

Gimme a kiss...

Channel Catfish.....
Ictalurus punctatus

"Um, I think I got me a walleye, fellas..."

2008-08-06T01:41:00.000-07:00

This here is the first walleye we've seen at this particular spot, and to think that Andy wasn't gonna get out that night...
Sander vitreus vitreus

The Clinic is Still On....

2008-08-06T01:32:00.000-07:00

Like I said before, Brandon kept raising the bar, and he just simply could not stop catching fish...

As frustrating as it was, sitting in a slump, it sure is nice to see some nice ass fish coming out of the river. Here's Brandon with his monster channel....What is Up!!!!!!!

Snapper....

2008-08-06T01:29:00.000-07:00

I fell into a slump for a couple of days, and all I could do was look on as Brandon kept on catchin' fish. I think when I landed this fella, I ended my dry spell, but I don't think that he was all that happy about it.

The Clinic is Open....

2008-08-06T01:24:00.001-07:00

We switched up the tactics, and Brandon just kept killin' it. The fish keep gettin bigger....

Logs....

2008-08-06T01:17:00.000-07:00

Brandon got this one.....

And this one here is all mine....

Zack Learns A Valuable Lesson...

2008-08-06T01:11:00.000-07:00

Zack had told us that this was the first fish he had caught in like 15 years...we had tried to explain about the sharp fins and barbs on little cats...and then we told him he could throw it back.

He gave it a big 'ol football throw, and it looks like the fish got the better of him. That shit don't hurt, man.

Nic's First Fish.....

2008-08-06T01:06:00.001-07:00

I don't even know what to say....He caught that one and then he got this.....

French Kiss....

2008-08-06T01:02:00.001-07:00

Nic's family hosted a French foreign exchange student this summer and we got 'em down to the river. Theibeaux gets lucky with a nice little carp....He caught a couple of fish, like this nice little smallie right here....

Andy's Monster Carp....

2008-08-06T00:56:00.000-07:00

Here's the hand off...Right before this happened, we were all getting ready to go. Then all the sudden, Andy started mumblin' sumthin' about sumthin'....All he had to say was "Hey, guys, I think I have a fish...." After about five minutes, (which felt like an eternity)and some serious fightin', Andy had backed up some twenty or thirty feet from the shore and halfway into the woods. And this is what he came up with...

No scale but I'd say about twenty pounds.

River life ain't that easy I guess. I know for a fact that the carp is highly revered in many cultures and for many different reasons. This one here proves that the carp is hard-handed and tenacious, to say very least.

Gettin' Bigger....

2008-08-06T00:50:00.001-07:00

Brandon started raisin' the bar sometime in July. I was just tryin' to keep up.

Smokin' Bullhead....

2008-08-06T00:47:00.001-07:00

Mikey and friend....

Writing 'bout all this.....

2008-08-06T00:38:00.000-07:00

I will hopefully get around to filling in all the gaps eventually. The fishing is more important than the writing right now, and I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Catchin' fish is what it is all about, and that is what we will be doing, at least until the ice comes....

Some New Fishin' Buds...

2008-08-06T00:29:00.000-07:00

For me, alot of the magic is in the simple fact that we can sit on a river, taking in a magnificent view of downtown, and have all of this around us. Ducks and geese, beavers and muskrats swimmin' by, owls and bats and herons....it's unbeatable.

Some Sweet Ass Close Ups....

2008-08-06T00:18:00.001-07:00

Whaddup....

Lil flathead....Pylodictis olivaris...otherwise known as yellow cats, opelousas, mud cats and shovelhead cats....

Cool lookin' photo of a little channel cat

Ugly....and beautiful...and ugly again....the Common or European Carp...Cyprinus carpio

Did I Say A Mess of Fish...

2008-08-06T00:12:00.000-07:00

Freshwater Drum...A.K.A. sheephead, sheepshead, shepherd's pie, silver bass, gray bass, grinder, Gasper goo, Gaspergou, grunt, grunter, and croaker. Aplodinotus grunniens..

We were all just catchin' a mess of fish. And we were all catchin' a little bit of everything, bullheads and smallies, cats and carp, even some sunnies for good measure. It's just kind of a potluck at the river, you never really know what you're gonna end up with, but you know for sure you're gonna end up with somethin'.

Humble Beginnings....

2008-08-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

This season started off small, but we all sure were catchin' a mess of fish. That is all it's about, hangin' out and catchin' fish, and we were doin' exactly that.