What a trip. It happens a couple of times a year if you go often enough, and this was one of those times. Checking the weather for Webster, SD high pressure was prevailing with winds from the west to southwest not over 15 mph. This was perfect.
I left Wednesday evening with my wife and we had a really strong south wind blowing us north. Arriving at Webster the wind was really stiff and the lakes we drove by on our way in were really rocking and rolling.
Up early Thursday, we grabbed some minnows and crawlers and headed to Waubay Lake. The wind was not a factor at this time, but it switched to the northwest and really began kicking up the waves. By noon, I was done fighting with boat control and we headed in for lunch and paid a visit to Sportsman Cove. The forecast had changed and was for stronger winds in the afternoon. So with that in mind we headed to Pickerel Lake.
Pickerel Lake is a beautiful body of water. It is long and narrow running north and south so we could hug the west bank and be out of the wind. Immediately we started picking up crappie, and they were really nice slabs about ten to twelve inches. The walleye we picked up were really small, less than fifteen inches and we threw them back. To my amazement, we were getting smacked by small northern and this went on all afternoon. When this started to happen, I took a pair of pliers and bent down the barb on the hook. I wanted to get them off as easily as possible. I have never lost fish doing this. We were pulling red and white spinners with a minnow attached. The northern were really aggressive. The walleye would just mouth the bait and you would just feel a slight tug on the line. The crappie took hold like food was going to be rationed the next day. We picked up a nice limit of crappie and one northern was kept that was a decent size.
Friday looked like it was going to be a good day. A little ripple was on the lake. At the boat ramp I met two gentlemen from Aberdeen, and they told me where their favorite spot was on the lake. So we followed them over. I had never fished the south shore much. We found some outstanding structure and graphed lots of fish. Immediately we started catching small walleye in about eight to ten feet of water. This was shallow for this time of the year. I moved out deeper and worked back and forth into the bank in eight feet and back out to fifteen. We were getting some action. Then it just plain shut off. The lake went totally flat, and there was not a breath of breeze. This is unusual for this part of South Dakota. The temperature rose into the 90s and there was not a cloud in the sky. We broke for lunch and headed back to the motel for a short nap. The rest of the afternoon, we stayed off the lake. However, several of the guests staying at the motel came in with some nice fish. You don’t catch anything unless you go.
Saturday morning the wind was brisk out of the south, so we headed for a location near the boat ramp. I had never fished there before, but the people at Sportsman Cove gave it a strong recommendation. What a call. The wind was around 15 to 20 mph. We drifted into about six feet of water and back out to 15. Then we started the process over and over again. We started fishing around 7:30 AM and were done with a day’s limit of walleye each by 10 AM. All the fish caught were sixteen to eighteen inches in length and made really nice filets.
We folded up and headed for home.
Good fishing, good hunting. Hank
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Websites
When I am not fishing, hunting, going to sport shows or scouting out a new area or lake, I like to review websites posted by the various states. My three favorites are Iowa, as I am a native. I fish and hunt along the Missouri River bottoms. I review South Dakota because I fish the glacial lakes. Nebraska is referenced a lot as I hunt waterfowl, upland game and deer in the state. These are not listed by rating. I like them all equally well. The site I am looking at a lot depends on my interests at the time.
Iowa has an excellent article about aquatic hitchhikers and I always follow their suggestion in keeping my boat and live wells clean. The article below is reprinted from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Website http://www.iowadnr.gov/.
Zebra mussels and Eurasian water milfoil are two aquatic invasive species that have spread across Iowa by hitchhiking on boats, in bait buckets and on other equipment used in the water. Bighead and silver carp are two other aquatic invasive species that have been spreading their own throughout Iowa Rivers. With recent flooding, these nuisance species have been able to swim around dams that otherwise blocked their movement.
“Public action is the key to preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species,” said Kim Bogenschutz, DNR aquatic invasive species program coordinator. “Boaters and anglers can unintentionally transport aquatic hitchhikers if they do not take the proper precautions to prevent their spread – inspect, clean, drain.”
Inspect your boat, trailer, and equipment and clean them of any visible plants, animals or mud before leaving a water body.
Drain water from the live well, bilge, transom, motor and bait buckets before leaving a water body.
Clean and dry boats, trailers and equipment. Before transporting to another water body.
Spray/wash your boat, trailer and equipment with high-pressure and/or hot water; or dry your boat and equipment for at least 5 days.
Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash. Never release plants, fish or animals into a water body unless they came out of that water body.
It is illegal to possess or transport prohibited aquatic invasive species in Iowa. The fine for violating the law is $500. Signs are posted at public accesses to remind boaters to stop aquatic hitchhikers and to identify infested waters. More information about aquatic invasive species and a list of infested waters can be found in the 2010 Iowa Fishing Regulations booklet.
I just got back from a three day fishing adventure. There will be more on that trip next week.
Good fishing, good hunting and good luck. Hank
Iowa has an excellent article about aquatic hitchhikers and I always follow their suggestion in keeping my boat and live wells clean. The article below is reprinted from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Website http://www.iowadnr.gov/.
Zebra mussels and Eurasian water milfoil are two aquatic invasive species that have spread across Iowa by hitchhiking on boats, in bait buckets and on other equipment used in the water. Bighead and silver carp are two other aquatic invasive species that have been spreading their own throughout Iowa Rivers. With recent flooding, these nuisance species have been able to swim around dams that otherwise blocked their movement.
“Public action is the key to preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species,” said Kim Bogenschutz, DNR aquatic invasive species program coordinator. “Boaters and anglers can unintentionally transport aquatic hitchhikers if they do not take the proper precautions to prevent their spread – inspect, clean, drain.”
Inspect your boat, trailer, and equipment and clean them of any visible plants, animals or mud before leaving a water body.
Drain water from the live well, bilge, transom, motor and bait buckets before leaving a water body.
Clean and dry boats, trailers and equipment. Before transporting to another water body.
Spray/wash your boat, trailer and equipment with high-pressure and/or hot water; or dry your boat and equipment for at least 5 days.
Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash. Never release plants, fish or animals into a water body unless they came out of that water body.
It is illegal to possess or transport prohibited aquatic invasive species in Iowa. The fine for violating the law is $500. Signs are posted at public accesses to remind boaters to stop aquatic hitchhikers and to identify infested waters. More information about aquatic invasive species and a list of infested waters can be found in the 2010 Iowa Fishing Regulations booklet.
I just got back from a three day fishing adventure. There will be more on that trip next week.
Good fishing, good hunting and good luck. Hank
Sunday, July 11, 2010
SKUNKED
My friend and long time fishing companion, Les from Council Bluffs, called me and said the weather in Webster SD was good for Friday and Saturday. He studies the weather, so I just took him at his word.
Driving up to South Dakota was anything but good on Thursday. The wind was howling out of the south and we were making excellent gas mileage with all the wind on our tail. I was assured that by morning it would breezy, but nothing like we had blowing us north.
We were up early and headed to Sportsman’s Cove to get some bait and information about what was taking place on the local lakes. These people do more than sell fishing and hunting products. They provide great information on where to fish, how deep, and what baits have been hot. The wind was more that just a little brisk. It was getting really windy. The good news was that it was out of the west. That was a good sign. The decision was made to launch at Kango Access boat ramp on the west side of Lake Waubay. The lakes are surrounded by hills in this area. That would provide protection from the blast that was building up. From the boat ramp, we moved southeast along the shore line and started working in 10 to 15 feet of water. Not so much as a tap. We moved out deeper, but then we were getting into the high winds and boat control was really difficult. It was not impossible, but almost.
Straight east of the boat ramp was an island, and we headed to the east side of it. The lake was really starting to rock and roll and the wind was really gusty. Moving to the east side of the island we were protected from the blast. We worked again in 10 to 20 feet of water. Not so much of a tap. Jigs and spinners were worked tipped with a minnow, crawler, or a leech. No luck. As the wind had really worked up the lake, it was decided to head back closer to the west bank and work it again. We traveled 300 miles and did not want to be defeated so early in the game.
By noon, we decided to throw in the towel, grab some lunch, and take a nap. We hoped the wind would blow itself out. We could then work more of the lake than just two spots. We also stopped at Sportsman’s Cove and there were no reports of anything being caught or many boats out. There were no other vehicles at Kango Access. That made us the only boat on that end of the lake.
Late afternoon, we headed up to the Grenville Access on the northeast section of the lake. It was decided not to put in there as it was really windy, and the lake was rocking and rolling. The decision was made to go south to Antelope Lake.
Antelope has horrible access, but there have been some really nice fish caught there, and mostly in the evening. Wind should be a minor factor as long as we did not try to get out on the main body of water. This is a small lake, and I have never seen another boat on it before. Several years ago I visited with a gentleman and his wife from northern Iowa, and this was their favorite lake. I have done well there at times in the past, but it is not always hot.
The lake has a long finger that leads from the main body to the boat ramp. Close to the ramp is fallen timber. We wanted to stay out of the timber and fish along the opposite side of the finger. The water drops right off to about 10 feet. It was too windy on the main part of the lake, but this was the best spot. We worked out from the boat ramp to the main body, back and forth. We trolled out to the main lake and then back along the finger. We worked this spot for about three hours and then folded. We did not get one strike.
Back to Waubay Lake, we put in at Kango Access again. We repeated the process we had done early in the morning. I did not have one strike. Les claimed he had several. We quit for the day and decided to go to Pickerel in the morning.
Pickerel runs north and south and it is an outstanding crappie lake. I have caught a few walleye on it, but I go there mainly for crappie. The lake is deep and clear. It is surrounded by beautiful homes. A good access is available at the north end and we would fish the west side and somewhat out of the wind.
We started out and worked the boat into the shore and back out into the lake about 200 yards. Depth ran round 5 to 10 and 15 to 20 feet. We kept our lures off the bottom and looked for suspended fish on the graph. We wanted our lures in the zone where the fish were suspended. For four hours we fished away, changing lures, changing colors, changing baits, and did not catch a thing. By noon we both were done, and beat from the wind.
I do not catch fish every time I go, but we still had a great time on the lake enjoying nature. There is always another day.
Good fishing, good hunting, and good luck. Hank
Driving up to South Dakota was anything but good on Thursday. The wind was howling out of the south and we were making excellent gas mileage with all the wind on our tail. I was assured that by morning it would breezy, but nothing like we had blowing us north.
We were up early and headed to Sportsman’s Cove to get some bait and information about what was taking place on the local lakes. These people do more than sell fishing and hunting products. They provide great information on where to fish, how deep, and what baits have been hot. The wind was more that just a little brisk. It was getting really windy. The good news was that it was out of the west. That was a good sign. The decision was made to launch at Kango Access boat ramp on the west side of Lake Waubay. The lakes are surrounded by hills in this area. That would provide protection from the blast that was building up. From the boat ramp, we moved southeast along the shore line and started working in 10 to 15 feet of water. Not so much as a tap. We moved out deeper, but then we were getting into the high winds and boat control was really difficult. It was not impossible, but almost.
Straight east of the boat ramp was an island, and we headed to the east side of it. The lake was really starting to rock and roll and the wind was really gusty. Moving to the east side of the island we were protected from the blast. We worked again in 10 to 20 feet of water. Not so much of a tap. Jigs and spinners were worked tipped with a minnow, crawler, or a leech. No luck. As the wind had really worked up the lake, it was decided to head back closer to the west bank and work it again. We traveled 300 miles and did not want to be defeated so early in the game.
By noon, we decided to throw in the towel, grab some lunch, and take a nap. We hoped the wind would blow itself out. We could then work more of the lake than just two spots. We also stopped at Sportsman’s Cove and there were no reports of anything being caught or many boats out. There were no other vehicles at Kango Access. That made us the only boat on that end of the lake.
Late afternoon, we headed up to the Grenville Access on the northeast section of the lake. It was decided not to put in there as it was really windy, and the lake was rocking and rolling. The decision was made to go south to Antelope Lake.
Antelope has horrible access, but there have been some really nice fish caught there, and mostly in the evening. Wind should be a minor factor as long as we did not try to get out on the main body of water. This is a small lake, and I have never seen another boat on it before. Several years ago I visited with a gentleman and his wife from northern Iowa, and this was their favorite lake. I have done well there at times in the past, but it is not always hot.
The lake has a long finger that leads from the main body to the boat ramp. Close to the ramp is fallen timber. We wanted to stay out of the timber and fish along the opposite side of the finger. The water drops right off to about 10 feet. It was too windy on the main part of the lake, but this was the best spot. We worked out from the boat ramp to the main body, back and forth. We trolled out to the main lake and then back along the finger. We worked this spot for about three hours and then folded. We did not get one strike.
Back to Waubay Lake, we put in at Kango Access again. We repeated the process we had done early in the morning. I did not have one strike. Les claimed he had several. We quit for the day and decided to go to Pickerel in the morning.
Pickerel runs north and south and it is an outstanding crappie lake. I have caught a few walleye on it, but I go there mainly for crappie. The lake is deep and clear. It is surrounded by beautiful homes. A good access is available at the north end and we would fish the west side and somewhat out of the wind.
We started out and worked the boat into the shore and back out into the lake about 200 yards. Depth ran round 5 to 10 and 15 to 20 feet. We kept our lures off the bottom and looked for suspended fish on the graph. We wanted our lures in the zone where the fish were suspended. For four hours we fished away, changing lures, changing colors, changing baits, and did not catch a thing. By noon we both were done, and beat from the wind.
I do not catch fish every time I go, but we still had a great time on the lake enjoying nature. There is always another day.
Good fishing, good hunting, and good luck. Hank
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Lake Rathbun
The weather check was on the first part of the week. None of it looked very good, and then on Tuesday the forecasts started to change in my favor. I was looking at Webster, South Dakota and fishing Waubay. I also looked west to Nebraska and thought of Lake McConaughy northwest of Ogallala, Nebraska. The one goal I have this year is to fish that big reservoir. My wife is from Sidney, Nebraska and every time we go out, I always remark that we need to get on that lake. It holds a lot of big walleye.
The plans started to unravel as the week moved along. By Wednesday, The forecast for Webster was turning against me with high winds starting Thursday evening and through the weekend. Lake Rathbun turned positive with the forecasts. This will then be the lake of choice based on the weather starting on Friday.
My wife and I drove over Thursday night and were on the lake by 6:30 AM on Friday morning. The wind was out of the southwest and was a bit brisk, but not strong enough to effect boat control. I headed to the southwest corner of the dam and started out in 5 to 10 feet of water. Nothing happened, so I moved out to 10 to 20 feet and S turned all the time. I tried to maintain a slow troll and just wanted the spinner blade to turn over gently. Nothing happened. I pulled in the bait and sprayed it with some walleye attractant. My wife sprayed hers with some crappie spray. We continued to work up along the bank. The wind picked up, but boat control was not a problem yet. We had been working now for 3 hours and just a few soft hits. The wind was not a factor yet, but it was getting a bit brisk.
I need to change the subject. I just hate big reservoirs. I know you can catch big fish on big reservoirs, but that does not change my attitude. The problem is the wind. Maybe it is because I fish in South Dakota a lot where there are big bodies of water. I have never been caught out on one of those lakes when the wind became so strong that only a battle ship could hold its own, but I have heard the stories. Plus, it always seems like I have to go so far to find the right area across an open expanse of water. When I was younger I was bolder. Smaller lakes and reservoirs are my cup of tea, and it is easier to find the structure. The disadvantage is the smaller bodies of water have a lot of pressure.
Now we will go back to the original story. We needed a break so headed back to the boat ramp to re-think our strategy. Plus the coffee had gotten cold, and I was hoping to meet some of the local fishermen. There’s always a local person by himself needing a hand with his boat. I always stop, help out, and get some facts about the lake. It just so happened there was a gentleman coming in with a nice stringer of walleye and a few crappies. He shared his experience, where to fish and how to fish. Our how was fine, but not the where.
After re-stocking our coffee, we headed to the new where. It was opposite on the lake where we had been fishing. Moving into 15 feet and back trolling against the wind, we had a nice slow speed on the outbound leg. We then let the boat drift on the in bound leg towards the shore. Back and forth, I tried to stay in 10 to 20 feet of water. We worked the area until 2 PM and picked up some nice size crappie and one walleye.
There is one important item when fishing Rathbun. You are required to call the hatchery and report any tagged walleye. The number is 641-647-2406.
We took the rest of the day off and went over to the new Honey creek Resort to scout things out and have dinner in the evening. It is an outstanding resort and is geared for the whole family.
Next morning, we were out early just as it was getting light. We went immediately to the spot where we had some action the day before. I stayed with a crawler and a spinner while my wife switched to a red and white jig tipped with a minnow. We worked starting in 5 feet of water and S turned out to 20 feet working our way up along the bank. It did not take long. We started picking up some pan sized fish that were keepers. By 11 AM we had our daily limit of walleye, plus a few crappies. Then it just plain shut down. The wind was light and variable at first, but picked up to 10 to 15 out of the west as the morning moved on. This was about the time we helped the local fisherman with his boat. He knew when to quit.
Rathbun is a really big body of water which is clean and fresh. We will certainly come back.
Good fishing, good hunting and good luck. Hank.
The plans started to unravel as the week moved along. By Wednesday, The forecast for Webster was turning against me with high winds starting Thursday evening and through the weekend. Lake Rathbun turned positive with the forecasts. This will then be the lake of choice based on the weather starting on Friday.
My wife and I drove over Thursday night and were on the lake by 6:30 AM on Friday morning. The wind was out of the southwest and was a bit brisk, but not strong enough to effect boat control. I headed to the southwest corner of the dam and started out in 5 to 10 feet of water. Nothing happened, so I moved out to 10 to 20 feet and S turned all the time. I tried to maintain a slow troll and just wanted the spinner blade to turn over gently. Nothing happened. I pulled in the bait and sprayed it with some walleye attractant. My wife sprayed hers with some crappie spray. We continued to work up along the bank. The wind picked up, but boat control was not a problem yet. We had been working now for 3 hours and just a few soft hits. The wind was not a factor yet, but it was getting a bit brisk.
I need to change the subject. I just hate big reservoirs. I know you can catch big fish on big reservoirs, but that does not change my attitude. The problem is the wind. Maybe it is because I fish in South Dakota a lot where there are big bodies of water. I have never been caught out on one of those lakes when the wind became so strong that only a battle ship could hold its own, but I have heard the stories. Plus, it always seems like I have to go so far to find the right area across an open expanse of water. When I was younger I was bolder. Smaller lakes and reservoirs are my cup of tea, and it is easier to find the structure. The disadvantage is the smaller bodies of water have a lot of pressure.
Now we will go back to the original story. We needed a break so headed back to the boat ramp to re-think our strategy. Plus the coffee had gotten cold, and I was hoping to meet some of the local fishermen. There’s always a local person by himself needing a hand with his boat. I always stop, help out, and get some facts about the lake. It just so happened there was a gentleman coming in with a nice stringer of walleye and a few crappies. He shared his experience, where to fish and how to fish. Our how was fine, but not the where.
After re-stocking our coffee, we headed to the new where. It was opposite on the lake where we had been fishing. Moving into 15 feet and back trolling against the wind, we had a nice slow speed on the outbound leg. We then let the boat drift on the in bound leg towards the shore. Back and forth, I tried to stay in 10 to 20 feet of water. We worked the area until 2 PM and picked up some nice size crappie and one walleye.
There is one important item when fishing Rathbun. You are required to call the hatchery and report any tagged walleye. The number is 641-647-2406.
We took the rest of the day off and went over to the new Honey creek Resort to scout things out and have dinner in the evening. It is an outstanding resort and is geared for the whole family.
Next morning, we were out early just as it was getting light. We went immediately to the spot where we had some action the day before. I stayed with a crawler and a spinner while my wife switched to a red and white jig tipped with a minnow. We worked starting in 5 feet of water and S turned out to 20 feet working our way up along the bank. It did not take long. We started picking up some pan sized fish that were keepers. By 11 AM we had our daily limit of walleye, plus a few crappies. Then it just plain shut down. The wind was light and variable at first, but picked up to 10 to 15 out of the west as the morning moved on. This was about the time we helped the local fisherman with his boat. He knew when to quit.
Rathbun is a really big body of water which is clean and fresh. We will certainly come back.
Good fishing, good hunting and good luck. Hank.
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