Fishing Update

It has been busy the past few weeks.  We've hit the St Croix a bunch of times but mainly wade fishing.  It's been great and we even hooked a few small muskies

The water came down through July and we couldn't get the boat on the Upper Upper St Croix and the wade fishing has been great around Cty Rd T and above (don't get lost though - we did).

It's also been nice because you can really work a spot thoroughly and see fish like this walleye and get it on the fly (my first on the fly, the next one was 21 inches but still difficult to get a good pic on).

It's also easier to manage the little rug-rats.

I've done a few floats too in the Grantsburg area and the water is getting pretty low.  We had to drag the boat a few times but it's been worth it.  I also fished the Snake from Pine City to the St Croix for the first time a few weeks ago.  Great water, it was maybe a little low when we went down but I will definitely do it every year from here on out. 

But summer is coming to an end, we've been in Minong almost every weekend since May.  I'll be heading to Washington to fish the Klickitat the 24th & 25th for steelhead, wish me luck.

Week of fishing and exploring

I took last week off and started the weekend by hosting my brother's bachelor party.  It can pretty much be summed up with this time lapse video.

Matt and I snuck away Saturday for the St Croix by Cty Rd T.  We had really good luck for it being overcast.  Probably got a dozen SMBs and some nice pike.  Everyting on top-water.

The pike must really hide went the water is high - because Saturday when it came down we caught a bunch - and this nice 30 incher.

Sunday morning I took Jon out on the St Croix before he left and was able to land this beauty - biggest of the year for me - 19 inches.

Right away we turned around and hit the Namekagon from Cty K to Whispering Pines.  I don't know why I've never done this stretch of river before - it is possibly the best in the area.  Flows were fast and the SMBs were slow because of the high water.  But the plus side was the musky maddness.  Matt landed this 36 incher before the middle split ring was about to give.

Matt's hit a Skitter Prop mid stream with a cool slow take.  We floated with it for awhile to tire it out before netting.  Lou had one hit at the boat while Matt and I were recovering from his fish. 

I also had 3 bit offs with the fly rod.  Unfortunatley I wasn't prepared and didn't have my 20 lb floro for a bit leader and lost some nice fish that took the Bart-O-Minnow. 

The rest of the week I explored some nearby musky lakes and also floated the Totagatic from the County I Dam to Lake Nancy Road - and the St Croix from the Gordan Dam down to Cty Rd T.  Both were awesome water and hopefully I can fish this next week. 

I have a guide trip Friday on the St Croix above Grantsburg.  The flows should be prime with the Kettle falling quickly after the Duluth area rains - the 4th is shaping up for a good weekend.

Hot St Croix Fishing

Fished the St Croix for a full day float last Friday and short float Saturday.  The flows had come down from the record highs after the Memorial Day and the fishing was great.

Friday I had Matt and Mitch in the boat - who were both in the casting zone.  We hit a stretch above 70 in Grantsburg and caught fish entirely on top-water.  Mitch casted a Skitter-Prop and Matt a Hula-Popper.  Matt took the oars I had great success on boogle-bugs and JJ-Specials. 

We caught at least 50 and even caught them shortly after a passing thunderstorm.

Mitch caught the biggest fish of the day - right around 17 inches - right after the storm.  There was nothing bigger than that but a lot in the 16-17 inch range.  The real excitement when both Matt and Mitch hooked muskies on their top water lures.  Matt's fish hit and swam right at the boat - we both got a look and he was gone.  Mitch's took the Skitter-Prop right in front of us with an aggressive take.  He got good hooks into him and he jumped straight out of the water.  We estimated him at 45 inches - and after a pretty good battle with the landing net ready he bit through (or the knot slipped - it's still not fully know).

Anyway the following day I hit the St Croix with Donny up by Cty Road T.  The flows were at 1400 (in Danbury) which is about as low as it can be for me to float there.  Donny casted great as well and was rewarded with a dozen SMBs in about 2 hours.  We also finally got some pike.  I hadn't seen many all year and was getting a little concerned.  My thought is they really hide in the grass in the those high water situations.

I have some good video to put together - but next week I have off up at the cabin - hopefully I can get some good fishing and footage in - if Lou participates.

Tough Mudder

The brothers and I completed the Tough Mudder Saturday in Somerset - it was a blast and I highly recommend it.

Wisconsin Fishing Opener

I took the week off to work on cabin landscaping projects - which also happened to coincide with the Wisconsin fishing opener.  Everything was shaping up perfect except the rain.

Saturday Matt, Gus and I hit the St Croix way up by County Road T for a short and successful float (Gus really tested my knot-undoing-abilities - he's 7 and loves bombing casts).

 Matt's musky took a size 9 shallow shad rap in black and white right on the seam of this pool - it really whacked it too.

I caught this walleye in the middle of pool with a clackin-minnow.  The clackin-minnow in firetiger really works well on walleyes this time of year.  We also caught a few smallies on the smaller version of the whopper plopper which is a blast to cast.

Then the rain came.  This is the graph at Danbury and it was already a little above normal which happens depending on rain - but the increasing river levels and cloud cover cooled the fishing for Sunday. 

Sunday I missed on a nice smallie but that was it.  On Monday the fishing was better again and we hit the river right after lunch - which is really the best time for both visibility and water temp this time of year.  A few more smallies, a walleye and nice pike.

Otherwise for the rest of the week it was back to the landscaping and other cabin projects.  I broke free after lunch a few times and really hammered crappies and bluegills with the fly.  It's a real blast watching panfish slam a tiny popper or rubber ant.

Anyways, a very successful week - especially because I didn't get hurt - even though it was close.

Post Tax Season Fish

Matt and I finished up tax season last week and took Wednesday off for some Western Wisconsin trout fishing.  First we hit the Willow Race without Luke, who had made the rookie mistake of drinking with JFT at the tax party (it never ends well).

We didn't spend too much time on the Willow - probably 10:00 to 12:00.  The water was definitely off color and we only managed 3 fish.  I did however get a great brown (I think about 16 - judge from the pictures) on a size 10 black and olive woolly bugger twitched through a run. 

Matt and I ate our sandwiches in the car and took the short drive to the Kinni at F.  We had big plans for the GoPro.  We hit the first run and Matt couldn't wait for me to get everything setup so I didn't get his spectacularly jumping brown.  He did however do some great camera work on this nice brown.

Overall we had about a dozen a fish on nymphs and streamers.  The water was off color so the bigger and brighter flies really worked.  It was a lot of fun because the fish were in skinny water hammering bugs. 

Sure Brian said he had 50+ on Sunday with about 2 dozen on dries -

Kinni Sunday

Brittany and the boys took off Saturday to Arizona for spring break while I stayed home and diligently worked to finish up tax season.  Well I guess I took a little break and hit the Kinni with Brian and Matt Sunday.  I didn't want take any pictures so there wasn't proof of me having a good time while my family was gone, but Matt got some great pics - especially since it was probably my biggest trout on the Kinni.

Look at this great panoramic shot - he happened to time it perfect when I set the hook.

That brown took a size 16 olive hare's ear.  All three of us caught fish, hare's ear was the best fly but pink squirrel, sucker spawn, and pheasant tails also worked.  Flows were good and the kayakers were out in full force.  Be careful with the trees in the water - we witnessed one dump.

Matt and I are fishing again the 18th (day after tax season) - but we are going to try to do GoPro footage.  Stay tuned.