Journal of a Minnesota Angler

A few weeks ago, I heard about a lake near my office that was supposed to hold monster bass. Schedules had prevented me from going after work since I heard about it, but I had to work this last Saturday morning, so I took the opportunity to hit the lake afterward.

During the week, I had gotten some advice from a Twitter friend and fellow blogger, mdtolic, about where to fish and the most effective baits. I bugged him so much he asked if I wanted him to just put fish in my tube. I wasn’t going to complain if he was offering. 🙂 He also said he would come out to meet me if he got a chance.

By the time I got done with work, I didn’t get on the water until almost 1:30. The sky was clear and the wind was blowing hard from the Northwest. I started with a dark blue jig and pig when I realized I had forgotten my sunglasses. I wasn’t going to bother going back to shore to get them, but the wind was blowing so much, I decided I needed my windbreaker as well. Right after I got back in my tube after getting my sunglasses and windbreaker from my car, another car pulled up. The driver waved at me. Access to the lake was through a retreat so I thought it was a guy that was going to tell me I shouldn’t be there. It turned out it was mdtolic. He came out to cast for a while.

My buddy, Matt, also came out to do some shore fishing. The two walked to the point where there was some good shore access while I went back out in my tube. I had switched to the Bitsy Bug + green watermelon trailer and as I got to the point where mdtolic was casting, I got a hit. It turned out to be this small guy, but at least it was something.

Species: Largemouth Bass
Size: 10.5″
Lure used: Bitsy Bug and trailer

Over the next hour, I would keep with the Bitsy Bug, but would also end up throwing a texas rigged power worm. I would only get one other hit on the power worm that I wasn’t able to hook up.

I then swam to the South shore where there was some downed trees. I switched to a white rattling jig with white chunk. I was impressing myself with my casts that were dropping right in front of the branches sticking out of the water. One of the casts paid off with a 12-incher. I got one more hit on the white jig and pig a few casts later, but couldn’t hook that one.

Species: Largemouth Bass
Size: 12″
Lure used: White jig and pig

The two fish and two nips were the only fish for the two hours I was out there. Mdtolic fished the whole time I was there and didn’t get much either. Matt landed 3 small sunnies and small largemouth. It was just a tough day all around.

I checked the MN DNR site and the bass in this lake are definitely above average size–at least in what I’m used to catching. I plan to come back next year to try again.

While we didn’t fish “together” per se, it was nice to meet mdtolic. We resolved to meet up again in the Spring to fish. He looked to have a good pitching technique that I’ll have to watch more carefully and try to learn from.