Mississippi Gold...

The last few days have been beyond stellar.  Leading up to this point I was wondering if this years run would even happen.  Thoughts of the flooding high waters of a year ago rushed my memory and I figured this year would be even worse.  While this flood may still occur, and likely soon, one thing is for certain - it didn't happen before we got a few great days on the water.

The last 3 days I snuck away to get my boat in the water for an extended period of float time.  I recapped Friday evenings events in the last update, but want to once again give a shout out to Mitch and Bails for all the fish they caught.  Mitch, you are a hoot! 

Saturday was more of the same but with a different group.  Subtract Mitch and add Dusty and Dingwall to the mix.  Par for the course, these boys didn't skip a beat.  In fact, they brought a little more action to the table and matched the performance of both Bails and myself.  The only difference on this day was that we couldn't find a monster to take a picture with.  Most of our fish were in the 16 to 20 inch range with about a half dozen between 20 and 23 inches and the biggest fish only pushing about 4.5 pounds.  Not that we were complaing, but that kicker fish is always cool to top off a perfect day on the water.  Our fish to remember on Saturday was not the biggest walleye of the day, however a giant sauger that had a belly full of future river runners.  She was a dandy, and Bails was the catcher. 

Sunday afternoon gave us another spectacular day of Minnesota spring weather.  Water temps jumped slightly and you could see the response in the fish.  Again we caught a pile of them, but this time I noticed more females showing up.  Yep, the big fat bellies that we look forward to so much this time of the year.    We only had a couple of hours of afternoon daylight to enjoy it, but this time it was Phillip and Mike's turn to join us.  They all did their share to hoist the fatties, and Phillip took first place with one of his first fish of the 2010 open water season.  It just doesn't get any better than that. 

Overall it was a picture perfect start to the open water season.  The weather was fantastic and the fishing was great too.  Everybody got in on the ation and we caught fish in every size range.  If you would like, you can check out the photo blog and photo albums to see some of my favorite shots from the last few days on the water.  I will continue to upload them as I sort through them all.  I hope you enjoy.  Until next time, keep on livin' the dream!

It's Time...

It's been exactly 3 months and 4 days since the last time I swam on open water in the Ranger.  When I think of it that way, winter doesn't seem too long at all.  Heck, I feel like I just got out of that bad boy.  Well anyway, here we go again, and this time we are a few days ahead of schedule.  Typically we would just start thinking about getting the boat out of storage, but I'm actually bummed that I didn't get it out sooner.  The reason?  First, we are going to have a flood coming up soon which will likely end the season early, and secondly, they swines are already smacking.

Yesterday Mitch, Bails and I snuck away from the grindstones of work a little early to enjoy the day and see what was happening on the flowing waters.  This proved to be a good choice, because the water was much warmer than I expected, and the fish were literally smacking the jigs.  It took about 2 to 3 minutes to land the firs one.  We found a pod of fish stacked in a likely haunt and caught our share.  Not that we weren't happy with the fish, but they weren't exactly up to our size standards - so we moved on.

As the afternoon quickly came to a wrap, we struck gold.  I found a little teenie tiny cut that was loaded with some very nice fish.  It was everything you could dream of in a first time fishing outing.  Numbers and size!  Not to mention the great company in the boat.  As the sun faded, we quickly snapped some scenic shots over the river banks and as luck would have it, the final piece to our puzzle latched on the jig.  A swine that shook her head like no other.  It doesn't get any better than that!

Here's a quick tip if you want to fish the river.  Do it now.  If you wait a few days or weeks, it's likely to be all over.  We are about a week or two ahead of schedule, but floods and high water are predicted which will make this feat impossible.  It's time...  Until next time, keep on livin' the dream!

Xtreme Ice Fishing

I've done a lot of stupid things in my day.  I've put my life in some precarious situations more than once, and I've taken risks that many fisherman would likely think foolish.  I've seen some insane conditions and circumstances have unfolded in the past that left me shaking my head.  I thought I had seen a lot, that was until this weekend.  What I experienced makes everything else seem like no big deal.  I cannot imagine it could get any more intense than this.  Let me explain.

It all started out on Friday evening.  Mike Tengwall, "Tinger," and I hooked up the trailer, loaded the snowmobile and portable shack, and headed for northern Wisconsin.  The object of our effection was Lake Trout on Lake Superior.  I've heard the stories about the ice and watched the news episodes about the guys drifting away on ice chunks, only to be rescued by helicopters.  In fact, that was exactly what we were discussing at about 10:30 PM as our snowmobile trailer ripped off the tongue and went flying out of control at 60 mph.  We got lucky and somehow the trailer stayed upright as it spun in circles attached to absolutely nothing.  God was looking down on us, because magically our gear made it through the disaster and the trailer never flipped.  To make a long story short, this was not the way we wanted to start our trip, and it took us the next 4.5 hours to get all of our gear to the hotel.

Our night was short and our morning consisted of trying to resolve our problem first thing before we went fishing.  We quickly discovered that northern Wisconsin is not the best place to shop for a snowmobile trailer.  We would have ended up with nothing, but found a local business owner about 50 miles away looking to sell a trailer.  After everything we went through, we bought it immediately.

Finally, we reached the ice shortly before noon.  It was at this point that we should have taken everything as a sign and turned dircectly around.  Our friends, Kent and Jenny, were already out on the ice and our goal was a GPS icon that had been so hot for Mike and Kent the years before.  Kent reached that 250 foot deep spot by snowmobile on Friday and had good ice beneath him.  In fact, the locals had piles of fish on the ice when he got there.  That was yesterday, this was today. 

When we finally navigated our way 10 miles through the Apostle islands, it was very clear that the ice we wanted to fish no longer remained.  In fact, we were looking at nothing but open water as far as the eye could see.  It left an uneasy feeling in our stomachs to be so close to the water's edge, especially when one of the locals came up to us and said that this ice would soon be gone too.  We were so close but yet not willing to put ourselves any closer to the water and decided to fish for a short period before we left for the afternoon.  To fish in 230 feet of water only a few hundred yards from open water was just not right.  I had that eerie feeling in my stomach the whole time, but managed to pick up on the techniques and coax a few Lakers into eating.  Unfortunately I missed all 3 of them and we headed to shore without a day one fish. 

Day 2 we figured we would get in on the morning bite and fish in a similar area from the day before.  As we came around the island, 2 of the locals that headed out before us were coming back our way.  Mike instantly said, "that's not good if they are coming back," and as we approached them it was very clear why.  The entire area that we had fished the day before was nothing but open water.  It broke loose in places that we didn't even think possible.  Somehow the current that was ripping through the islands had take out nearly all the ice in it's way.  It was simply incredible to see a mile of ice just dissappear only 12 hours after we had fished it.

As we stood on the ice trying to ponder our next move, things became even more interesting.  Jenny made an insane revelation when she said "guys, am I seeing things, or is this ice moving up and down?" She was right and it was beyond freaky.  If you stopped walking around, you could look in one direction and physically watch the ice raise and lower a foot or two at a time.  I didn't even think this was possible, but sure enough, as I looked at Mike and the others we were riding on waves.  At one point I would be a foot taller than Mike, then the wave would continue and I'd be a foot lower.  It put knots in my stomach instantly.  It was the worst roller coaster ride I had ever experienced, and to make it even worse, we were only on 6 inches of ice.  Every crack around us had water in it (the tell-tale sign that the ice is going to break free) and we were without ever knowing, in the heart of it all.  If I didn't think that I could fall through at any second, it would actually have been kind of cool to get my camera, set it up, and record the motion effect.  That was not the case though, and I didn't race for the camera.  Instead, it was a race to get the heck out of there.

Ever heard of a Beetle? This is what you use to fish in 230 feet of water, weighs 2 to 3 ounces and catches lake trout like crazy!With an entire 5 square mile section of ice now off limits, we opted for a somewhat protected location to try our luck.  It was a new spot a few miles away and around an island.  None of us had ever fished it before, but we didn't care and just wanted an area that we felt safe and could wet a line.  In our minds we were still shaken up and just wanted to fish comfortably.  This was the right idea and by 9:15 AM we were finally fishing.  Around 10:00 I finally iced my first Lake Trout.  Not a giant, but a Laker nonetheless, and out of 160 feet of water, it was pretty darn sweet.  Mike followed that up shortly after with a couple of his own and soon after Jenny and Kent each iced their first fish.  Entangled in the fun we almost forgot about our morning experience.  Mike then stole the show with a battle that was the exact reason for our insane adventure.  A dandy of a laker that gave me a new appreciation for a giant battle on ice.  It was at that point that we could almost enjoy the art of fishing again.  Unfortunately that was all about to change. 

As the early hours of the afternoon started to pass Mike took a walk outside.  It was obvious that something drastic was changing under our feet.  All I heard from Mike was "Travis, you better get out here."  As I walked out of the house I noticed that it was wet every step I took.  All the cracks had water in them (the bad sign) and Mike told me to stand still.  Sure enough, I could literally see the waves in the ice.  We were raising and lowering as if we were in a boat.  I can honestly tell you that this is not cool when you are on ice.  Not even a little bit.  Our stomachs just dropped and we raced to get our gear packed up.  We tried to keep our cool, but you could feel the urgency in our work.  In a matter of seconds we were ready to go but the snowmobile was stuck in the wet snow.  Not cool.  As fast as two grown men could, we pushed the snowmobile and sled out and started heading back as fast as possible.  The only problem was the loose chunks of ice that we were driving over.  The smaller chunks would take on water as the weight of our machine would push them down.  I almost crapped my pants at that point, but thankfully the snowmobile could handle it and would skip over the bad spots.  It wasn't until a few miles and two large pressure ridges were crossed before we had any sense of comfort about us.  I can honestly say that I have never screamed "Go, Go, Go," so loud in my entire life.  The second we hit shore I knelt down, patted the ground and said thank you God.  For the first time in my life, I actually thought that I may have gone too far and tested the limits too much.  We were so pumped to be on solid land and without hesitation, we called it a weekend.  We packed the gear and drove 6 hours through a midwest snowstorm.

We figured we lost a good 5 years on our lives after that day.  Looking back on it all, I can say that I never truely felt comfortable on that ice.  I wore a life jacket and had ice picks, which I am usually too tough to wear.  There were several times that I will admit to being scared.  It sounds aweful to say, but I remember playing out scenarios in my mind for when we went through.  How would I get out?  What would I do if we both were in the water?  Things that I've never had in my mind on a fishing trip.  I can't explain it, it was just something that I am glad I made it through, and glad I was able to experience just once.  But, on the plus side, I was told that this was as bad as anyone has seen it up there.  So I guess I have seen the worst of it.  Will I go back?  I don't know that yet.  I'm still trying to clean my shorts. 

P.S.  That ice we narrowly escaped from on Sunday...It's gone.  Until next time, keep on livin' the dream!

It's as good as it gets!

Winter got you down?  Typically this is the time of the year that I start to get bored with the bite.  Traffic on the lakes become almost unbearable, and it seems almost impossible to talk a walleye into biting.  It's usually the time of the year that people start to get sluggish in their walleye fishing and a few panfish guru's are all that is left.  I use to be this way too, not anymore!

There is literally something large to pursue and catch all year long.  Just ask Phillip.  He's the guy in the first picture holding the fish.  He's a river rat you could say, and the more I fish with him, the more I want to become one myself.  The river is simply where its at.  This is almost a secret that I shouldn't even be posting, but I will because it is such a challenge that 99% of you won't even give it a try.  Rivers are so unpredictable, challenging and frustrating that it takes a lot of patience to actually succeed.  The end result if you do give it a try?  Well it can be better than anything you ever imagined, and the rewards can be very very big.

Think of it this way.  Our lakes are slowly losing their oxygen levels.  Snow cover is depleting oxygen to the point that fish slow their metabolism to make due.  They move around less as a result of this, and the end product is less active fish that feed less than we would like.  Now think about this.  Rivers are always flowing.  Oxygen levels are always high and fish are always on the move.  As spring approaches the big females are putting on the feedbag in preparation for the spawn.  This means that the bigger fish are only going to start feeding more and more.  Ten pound walleyes are not out of the question, and I've even heard of some pushing the scales over 12 and 13.  True giants!

Last night Mike and I met up with Phillip to give it a shot.  It took us all of about 15 minutes to land the first walleye.  Not a giant, but too big to keep and an exciting start to our afternoon.  Shortly after, Mike landed his first and the game was on.  Before the sun set on our evening we landed several nice walleyes and kept a few to try in the pan.  We didn't land any monsters on this particular evening, but from what I've seen in the past, I'm getting jazzed for the next several weeks before the season closes.

Here are some things to consider before you even think about fishing a river through the ice.  First thing - safety.  Always use caution when you head out on the ice.  The ice is very unpredictable and only venture on areas that you know are safe.  Secondly, you should know your waters before you head out.  What you might think to be deep water could literally be the bottom and therefore your auger blades will be toast before you even make it through one hole.  Trust me, I've seen it.  You'll also want to be prepared with the appropriate lures.  Current makes things a lot more interesting and your small little cute jigs will seriously drift into no man's land.  Lastly, persistance is key.  You may fish several days with nothing, but if you stick it out, you just might have to figure out how to stuff a football through an ice hole with flowing current below.  It aint easy, but a good problem to have!  There are several other things that can help your cause, but I'll keep that to myself for now and leave some of the challenge up to you.  Good luck, Minnesota is full of rivers, get out and explore, I assure you that you won't be dissapointed.  Until the next fat walleye strikes, keep on livin' the dream!

Dougy has the touch...

Sometimes one man just has the touch.  Whether it's a big fish, a limit, several limits, or just a unique event, someone always manages to stand apart.  This trip was no different, and this time it was Doug's turn.

Friday evening we gathered the troops and headed up to the big pond.  It was a guys weekend away so to speak.  Not that I have a shortage of these trips, but its still nice to get away from town for a day or two.  Our group consisted of 6 dudes, Dusty, Bails, Dougy, Dingy, Pauly and yours truly.  We had two big shacks and a few portables, so basically we were ready for anything.  Our plan was to have base camp and venture around in the predicted warm temps. 

Saturday morning came and we were busy catching.  Not a ton, but we were still catching.  My patience lasted for about 15 minutes without a bite and the truck was already warming up.  When I'm on that lake, I know they are always biting somewhere and I can't stand sitting around waiting for them to come to me.  Shortly into our morning we abandoned the home base and left Dougy as the dude watching the house.  Helping Dougy hold down the fort was his mother Lucille who lives just outside of Garrison.  She came early Saturday morning along with her Daughter Janet and son in law Vic.  This was the way it was scripted and we left the fabulous foursome alone in the house while we went out to play.

Every once in a while the phone would ring and we would get a fresh report from the shack.  A few here and a couple misses there was the voice on the other end.  Not earth shattering, but action nonetheless.  We experienced similar results on our end while on the move.  We had a mixed bag of walleyes, perch and tullibee.  This was all good, but the highlight came when we returned to the shack for a freshly made home cooked stew from Grandma's house.  Does it get any better in the fish house?  I think not!

That afternoon we pounded holes in the ice looking for untouched territories and aggressive fish.  We found little of either and had to really work hard on the crowded ice to find what we wanted.  We managed a few nice walleyes and several others on the small end.  This was ok, because we were about to experience a memory that will likely never fade. 

As we approached the house on our way back for the evening, the phone rang.  Dougy was frantically asking where the ruler was.  "Grandma has a good one" he said loud enough for me to hear through the phone.  Nice, was all I thought.  As we walked in the house, it was a little bit chaotic to see a pale with several walleyes, and Grandma with a big smile.  At 87 ripe years of age, she managed to take the rattle reel and go into hand to hand combat with her dinner.  The house was alive, and Dougy was the happiest son on Lake Mille Lacs.  It was awesome just to be a part of it, and they relived that moment several times over with us.  To make it better, grandma Lucy took her 16 1/2 inch walleye home, cleaned it herself, cooked it, ate it and then called us to tell us how great it all was.  Now that is cool!

Saturday night we moved home base to a fresh area we scouted out.  We felt good about it, and hoped for a good Sunday morning bite before we were to head home for the Vikes game.  Again we went outside exploring, and again and again, Dougy kept coming out to show us about the ones he was catching.  Not that we weren't catching them too, but he was definitely putting on a clinic for us "young boys."  To top it off he opened the door one last time and was all smiles with a fat 25 incher in his hand.  Big fish for the trip and icing on the cake.  A few moments later we finished our limit and called it a day.  A perfect one at that.  Congratulations to Grandma Lucy and Dougy for a weekend never to forget.  Also thanks to everyone for all the laughs and fun.  You are the best.  Until next time, keep on livin' your dream!