Just passing time
Grandson Scott is just passing time and practicing his fishing skills until he comes to Minnesota this summer to fish with Papa.
Fishing in Minnesota; there is not much for change; it’s still January. After a few days of cold weather, the temperature got decent so I opened the holes in the shanty on Friday afternoon. A short bite just before dark produced two nice walleyes; 14″ & 18″ and a very nice one that got off just below the ice. I got a look at it and it was way to big to keep. Saturday morning it was back at the house by 9:00 and didn’t have a bite.
I’ve talked to some guys that have fished the Lake this past week and reports are not very good. Hopefully, as we get later into February things will change.
This is the crap (she meant Carp) they catch in Phoenix
Thursday morning
Thursday morning; back at the house by 9:00 and didn’t have a bite. That’s fishing on the Rainy in January; pretty spotty. The reports I’ve gotten the past few days on Lake of the Woods are not very good; some being down right bad.
The weather is suppose to put us back in the deep freeze the next few days and the calendar indicates poor fishing for the weekend; two good reasons to take a break and sit by the fire.
Start the day
Wednesday morning; up at 6:30; dress; make coffee; feed the cats; start a fire in the fireplace; have a bite to eat; leave the house by 7:30 and back by 9:00 with three nice walleyes. A nice way to start the day. Of course there are days when I’m back by 9:00 and did not have a bite as was the day on Monday. Tuesday morning was better; caught two saugers that were big enough to keep and a nice walleye that was close enough to the slot so I released it. I have a calendar that supposedly has what days are better than others and whether mornings or evenings are best. Being the fair weather fisherman that I am; normally I don’t pay that much attention to the calendar, but these past few days it has been right on the money; Sunday, Monday; poor and Tuesday, Wednesday; fair in the mornings. Maybe those fish do keep an eye on the moon.
A nice walleye to close to the slot size – released
Winter Severity Index (WSI)
We are having, what one might say, is some good old fashion winter; cold and lots of snow. It was -40 this morning, give or take a degree or two and that’s not wind chill. The day time temperature may not reach -10.
I haven’t fished in nearly a month. We were gone over Christmas and the day we got back I came down with a cold. Then I find out that the river is a mess with slush all over; to much snow with not enough ice. It’s a good thing I had my little house propped up six inches because when I went down to check on it last week the water had come up to the runners and froze. Fishing reports I’m getting from on the river are not good; most of the time it’s one bite, one fish. Conditions on Lake of the Woods are better. I understand Adrian’s have their winter road out nine miles past Pine Island and the going is good. I haven’t heard much for fishing reports on the lake, but for most of the early winter season it was very good.
If this winter continues it may take a toll on the deer herd. The Minnesota DNR has a Winter Severity Index (WSI) that adds up the number of days the temperature is below zero and the number of days with 15 or more inches of snow on the ground. Any time the WSI exceeds 100 the winter becomes severe and the deer can suffer. Thus far this winter I understand that the index is not quite at 50, but it’s two points a day with the current weather so it won’t take long to reach 100. The last really hard winter was 1997 when the index reached 200 and many deer were lost.
Lots of Snow
