Tuesday, July 30, 2013

What happend to summer?

July was going along great - good SMB popper action and then last weekend happened.  It was a 45 degree drop from the previous week's high to the low Saturday.  We were wet wading to cool off and then Saturday we did it to warm up.

What was weird is how it triggers musky and pike to bite.  Friday we floated the St Croix near Grantsburg and although we managed a dozen nice smallies on topwater the highlight was Jeff's 36 inch musky on a topwater.
The best part is I didn't have my net along.  When I picked up he and Bob in the morning I said "muskies have been biting but if I put the net in the boat we won't catch one".  Of course we were in waist deep water and I had to try and grab the thing.  The water was really low and we (me) dragged the boat a lot.

Saturday it actually got colder and cloudier.  Smallies slowed more but the pike started biting.  I caught this beauty on a flash tail streamer on a jig hook (PS I think that helps the hook setting - note the fly in the top of the mouth).
Going to do an evening float Monday and then Mississippi Friday.  I'll try and take less grip and grin photos.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

St Croix Early July

We were on the river (both St Croix and Namekagon) over the 4th a number of days.  Flows looked good but the rivers had some color to them from the heavy rain the previous week.  Fishing was pretty slow even though we managed to catch fish each time out.  Smallies weren't chasing topwater and you really had to drop it right on their head.  Muskies on the St Croix were really active and we landed a nice 32 incher wade fishing (very fun) and missed two others.  The Namekagon musky bite was slow and we had one take early on and saw a nice fish right in the middle of the river below a riffle. 

Here are some good early morning pictures on the St Croix the morning of the 4th.