Should Have Been Here Yesterday
If you spend any time at all at the lake or resorts then you have heard the famous line about the fishing. You should have been here yesterday. It seems that line just keeps coming up. Whether the fishing is less than great, the weather is less then perfect, or the person you are talking to at the time just had the best fishing day of his life.
If I had a dollar for every time Ive heard that line I would be sporting a brand new boat by now. If I had to pay a dollar for every time I have said it I would be in the poor house by now. The famous Should have been here yesterday just seems to keep coming up and the past couple weeks have really solidified it.
Two weeks ago was the annual sturgeon excursion that my buddies and I go on in search of giant lake sturgeon at Lake of the Woods in Minnesota. This trip is one of my most anticipated trips of the year. I get excited for this trip for two reasons. The first is really big fish. The chance at a 100 plus pound fish just gets me excited as it should because fish that big around here are had to come by. The second reason I like the trip so much is simply the first opportunity to sit in a boat and enjoy fishing with the long rod in hand after a long winter on the ice.
Last year, Sturgeon Excursion 2007 was the perfect trip when considering average size and numbers. Our boat landed 54 sturgeons with about a 30-pound average in just a short two days. Only a few days later friends of ours couldnt buy a fish giving us the opportunity to say You should have been here yesterday. We knew this year would be a long order to beat but were willing to give it a shot.
The weather leading up to the annual trip was nothing short of perfect and we all hoped by some shred of luck that the fine temps and little wind would hold on through the weekend and into Monday and Tuesday.
We arrived mid-day Saturday at Ballards Resort to check in. When we walked into the office we were greeted with a photo of a 79-inch approximately 130 pound sturgeon caught by a woman from Devils Lake. Wow, that fish would have broken the Minnesota state record by about 30 pound had it not been released. We were really pumped to hit the water. We quickly got into the river on the wonderful day to try fishing with about 100 boatloads of our best buddies. The fish were really biting, now if only the weather holds for the rest of the trip.
Sunday morning we woke up to a cloudy, cold and windy day. Not only did the beautiful weather go away over night, but so did the wonderful sturgeon bite. And as you may have expected as we drove around the bay talking with other boats the famous words you should have been here yesterday. Or You should have been here Friday, the fish were jumping in the boat.
Our trip was good despite the cold weather and not as many fish as we had hoped but after this past weekends rain, snow, wind, and freezing temperatures it left us saying to all who planned a sturgeon trip saying You should have been there last week.
Until next time get outside and make some memories
Posted by: BradD on 5/01/2008 at 8:45 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Spear Fishing-A new addiction
Last week I finally made it to Devils Lake for the first ice adventure of the season. The plan was to fish northern pike with tip ups, which is one of my favorite methods to catch fish through the ice. All week I checked the weather and fishing reports to make sure this would be the perfect outing. Other than the fact that fishing reports were a bit sparse the weather was looking spectacular.
Mid-week the weather guy changed the forecast to a winter storm on Friday followed by a 20-degree plummet in the high temps. Oh well, in this country you learn to deal with rapidly changing weather. The pike reports (not that there were many to go off) looked pretty good. One thing in the bait shop report that caught my attention was good water clarity for spear fishing. I had never speared a pike before but the idea sounded like a good one.
Saturday finally arrived. I had a game plan in mind as to where to fish, just a lowered expectation as to how the bite was going to be since the high temp had fallen from 24 to 4 in less than one day. Our group was armed with a bucket full of tip ups, six pounds of smelt and the desire to see the flags jump off the ice. This setup is pretty run of the mill but today I also had a borrowed dark house, a spear, some decoys and an ice saw and some knowledge (from a phone call) as to what to do.
After setting out eight tip ups I started to get cold so I thought a little work out (cutting a 3x3 foot ice hole should warm me right up. I drilled four holes with the auger then used the ice saw to connect them and there we have it, a spearing hole. I then simply slid the dark house over the hole and decided to jump in and try it out.
Here I was with a decoy that I chose from the box of about six because it was connected to a jig line. (Way to be scientific about it eh?) I was ripping and shaking the decoy trying to find the right combination to lure in my first fish. After about 20 minutes of nothing, just as my eyes were beginning to cross from staring at the hole, a northern flew through the hole and SLAMMED the decoy. I must have jumped two feet off my seat. What a rush! Now with a new found enthusiasm for the task at hand my senses were keen and I was ready for fish number two and I didnt wait long. Within about five minutes of the first fish, a smaller pike slithered into view like something from jaws for a closer look at my decoy. I slowly lifted the spear off the seat, held it vertically with the fork in the water moving it slowly over the fish and let go. THUMP. you could hear the spear hit the fish. All that was left to be done then was to grab the rope and pull the spear and my trophy back to the surface.
I shared the dark house with my two buddies throughout the day and over the couple hours I spent ended up spearing three more pike, missing one and seeing many others. When the adventure was done I was thinking the only activity I have ever done before that even comes close to spear fishing is bow hunting for deer. You sit still and wait for your prey to come into sight. When it does you have to be so careful as to not spook it before you can make your move.
I have a new fishing addiction to add to the already long list, and that (if you have not figured it out) is spearing northern pike. I strongly urge you to give it a try if you are looking for an exciting challenge on the ice this winter. Before you head out just make sure you have your spearing permit (its free) and check the regs to see if your favorite lake is on the list of legal spearing waters. One strike and Im sure you will be hooked too.
Until next time get outside and spear some memories
Posted by: BradD on 1/18/2008 at 4:38 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
From Missouri to Ice Fishing
This past weekend I joined some of my fishing buddies on a small pond near Grand Forks for some pike action. This particular pond is kind of a secret but not really. Everyone knows it exists but with the lure of walleyes and big lakes close by many people simply overlook it. Many of the folks stationed at the Grand Forks Air Force Base fish this little lake because it is close and available.
One of the gentlemen who joined us on this trip is Brandon Jordan, an air force soldier who at the time of the trip had 53 days left in his military career. I met Brandon last year when I helped him take his son ice fishing for the first time. It didnt take me long to realize this guy really like to fish, A LOT. Any time anywhere, no matter how bad the weather you can count on Brandon to be there ready to fish.
The second or third time I met Brandon I couldnt help but comment on his enthusiasm for ice fishing so I finally asked him what the rush was to fish all the time. He went on to tell me that he was from St. Louis, Missouri and just loved fishing in North Dakota. He also told me that ice fishing is new and exciting and that he has to enjoy now while he is here because when his Air Force days are over so will be the ice fishing because he is moving back to St. Louis.
His big mission in his last days on the ice is catching walleyes through the ice. He has caught most of the other fish but not many walleyes. Remember, Brandon will fish for anything any time.
The Small Pond
We invited Brandon along for a day on the pond knowing he would enjoy just being around catching a few fish and just hanging out with the rest of us. He arrived later than everyone else but we saved him a spot in one of the ice shacks where we were hiding from the cold Northwest winds of the day and trying our luck at some perch.
He came into the shack where I was hanging out and about as fast as he lowered his hook with a minnow, he had a punishing hit that turned out to be are very respectable perch. Just the way he was looking at the fish I realized it must be his personal best so I offered to snap a picture for the memory. He said it was a personal best perch and gladly accepted my offer.
A couple more hours went by. A few more perch were caught and a northern or two from the tip ups outside. It was more about visiting and just having each others company at this point. This is all about the meaning of fishing too.
I was outside visiting with another guy getting ready to begin the cold process of packing up to leave for the day when I saw a tip up flag jump. Brandon just happened to be standing outside the shack so I said you better take this one. The three of us walked over to the tip up to see the post spinning wildly and the hole froze over. We use a dipper to break the ice open so Brandon could get to the line and set the hook. The hook was set and the race was on. It didnt look like a normal four to five pound pike from this pond by the way it would run and pull line. After about five hard runs the fish finally came up the hole and just like that the leader broke setting it free. Thankfully our other buddy Rich was ready and grabbed the fish, pulling it out of the hole for all to see.
What we saw was a massive 37-inch northern, one of those fish that you simply cannot imagine swimming in such a small shallow pond. A couple photos were taken of this personal best pike and it was set free to fight another day.
Brandon Jordan came to North Dakota from Missouri to serve his country and take in the northern way of life. What he found when he got here was a love of ice fishing, something totally new to him and something he will not get when he heads back to the south. Getting two personal best fish with less than two months remaining in his stay are memories that will last a lifetime.
Until next time get outside and make some memories.
Posted by: BradD on 1/18/2008 at 3:57 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
A wonderful Snow Day
It was December 1st, 2007; I had headed to Devils Lake for the weekend. The main reason for the trip was to make sure the heat was still on at the cabin and park my river boat for the winter.
Besides just making sure the heat was on I had every intention of sleeping in until I woke up, making a pot of coffee and enjoying my pot of coffee with no interruptions. I had been hearing from my local (not so reliable) tv weather man that we had a slight chance of snow. ﾓPerfectﾔ I will sleep until Iﾒm done and wake up to a light snow. After I was done with my coffee I had this idea that testing the new ice might be a great idea. I like pushing the limits of ice on lakes (ok, I donﾒt but the need to wet a line drives me to it.)
My wife and I showed up at the cabin to find the heat was on just as I had hoped. (Thank god) We turned the heat up to a comfortable 70 degrees and turned on the fireplace to give us the cabin feel. We proceeded to watch some tv and turn in early for the night after a long week of working.
I managed to sleep until I woke up (at 9:45) and it was wonderful. As my eyes opened I could see a bit more than just a light falling snow. It was snowing for real and appeared to have been for a while. I just laid there and looked out the window for about 15 minutes thinking how nice it is to just do nothing every once in a while.
I then got up, made my coffee and began milling around getting my ice fishing gear ready to go. I thought it would be a great day to slither out onto the newly formed ice and hopefully tie into that first little northern pike of the year. I got everything about ready to take off, poured the last cup of coffee from my pot, and sat down to enjoy the wonderful hot coffee. I looked out the window and noticed it was really snowing. I looked at the driveway and realized it had snowed about four inches on this morning. Everything looked so peaceful and perfect as the snow fell. I couldnﾒt help but to think if the wind comes up and Iﾒm on the lake I could really have a problem seeing to find my way home, and being only December 1st the ice wonﾒt be very safe anyway.
All of a sudden I found myself brewing up another fresh pot of coffee and spending the rest of the day parked in front of the window watching the snow fall to the ground while drinking coffee. I couldnﾒt help but steer my mind to what could have been the first day on the ice this fall of 2007 but the peacefulness of the fireplace and a warm cup of coffee brought me back to the fact that simply spending a day doing nothing in this fast paced world we live in really is necessary some times.
It comes down to the fact that while we spend so much time working, attending sporting events, spending time outdoors, and doing whatever our busy lives require that sitting around just reflecting and thinking is a great thing. Iﾒm guessing by the time you read this I will be back to my on the move. I probably will have been on the hard water a time or two.
While Iﾒm sitting in that ice house this winter I will probably think back to this day when I decided not to fish and just simply sit and enjoy everything around me.
Until next time get outside (or maybe inside) and make some memories.
Posted by: BradD on 12/04/2007 at 9:35 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Transition Period (Deer hunting and Christmas shopping)
I guess you could say we are in an outdoor transition. Some of us are hitting the ice soon if we already havenﾒt while others of us are still out looking for deer with the muzzle loader. Which ever of these groups you fall into it is an exciting season.
Christmas is Just Around the Corner
Itﾒs hard to believe we are only about three weeks from Christmas already. Turns out I am the guy with gift ideas for your ice fishing enthusiast. Iﾒve been checking out the stores recently for the new ice fishing gadgets and great fish catching devices. To be blunt most of the new stuff is out there to catch more fishermen than fish. It seems the big item this year is the tip up rigged with a rod that sets itself when the fish bites. Whether it works or not, who cares the whole idea of fishing is the feeling of the hook set. You can tell it is not high on my list.
New items this year that do look great are the new Cold Snap fishing suits from Vexilar. They are designed for warmth and comfort in the coldest of temps and priced to be affordable. Another new item this year (but not the cheapest) is the new R2-Tec fish house from Frabill. They have developed an insulated portable that doesnﾒt way any more yet is considerably warmer for those of you who get cold easily. Also from Frabill this year, are the Fin-S rod combos. They are a high quality ice rod with reel, line and even a box of lures to get you started.
Some other gadgets that make good gifts but are not new this year are tip ups and of course the Arctic Sirens for them. These sirens are not only handy for night fishing as to not strain your eyes looking for flags but they are also fun for the kids when place in a big spread fishing pike. They really get a kick out of a car alarm going off when a fish bites. (Big kids like myself get a kick out of it too.) Other fine toys are of course Vexilar electronics, fillet knives, and of course lure. Another good idea might be a gift certificate for a guided fishing trip. Email me, I know lots of good guides of nearly all species and locations. If worse comes to worst a gift card to the sporting goods store is always a winner.
Good luck in the shopping and if you have any questions shoot me an email I would love to help out. http://brad@whyfishradio.com
Deer Hunting Ends with a Bang (Just not from me)
When I left you last time I had a fun meter on empty. I was unable to get out for week two but gave it a good go on week three. To put it simply the fun meter is still on empty. I had two decent opportunities but more less than stellar shooting produced nothing. The bad news is I let my third buck tag go unfilled in as many years, the good news I still have two doe tags for muzzle loader season. Not filling tags for the first time in my deer hunting career does bother me a bit but not near as much as what I saw while walking to the truck after the final fruitless push.
We had just finished a push of some cattails and were heading back to the truck. There was about 30 minutes left of the season when a red, Ford pickup drove by us stopping about 200 yards from where my truck was parked. A rifle came out the window and BOOM, dead deer. They drove to the field threw the deer in without even field dressing it and took off down the road. An enraging end to a disappointing rifle season, that indeed did end with a bang, just not from my rifle. Next year Iﾒm guaranteeing I see a giant buck in good shooting range. Iﾒm only going to buy doe tags. That should about do it.
We are in the midst of a great transition. Deer hunting is nearly over for another year while another exciting season of ice fishing is just beginning. If you have never enjoyed the winter outdoors give it a shot you really might like it.
Until next time get outside and make some memories
Posted by: BradD on 12/02/2007 at 9:55 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
