Hi everyone. Just joined the board so this is my first post. I launched a canoe from Beanies a few weeks ago and hit some of the hot white bass action — dozens of 14″ – 15″ whites. I also caught a very fat 18.25″ white with a 16″ girth! I didn’t check for records until a couple days later. Wouldn’t you know it — the MN record was an 18″ fish — 4lbs, 0 oz!
Here’s a little better pic. The big white dwarfs the 14.5″ sauger. I didn’t weigh the white bass though. So I guess it’s just a fish story.
Hey Canoeguy!
Congrats on your first post…and with pictures!
I was fishing by beanies about a week ago when the silvers where hitting too. There were a few that I concidered using the net for, because they were so heavy. I was telling some friends that they had to be close to the 3 lbs range…some of the biggest bass I’ve seen.
The next day I figured I should weigh one to see what they actually were. I pulled out my 30+ year old Zebco Deliar and weighed the bigger ones of the day. They came in a 1.5 lbs. Which surprised me, but they were smaller than the hogs I caught the day before. I didn’t put a tape to any of them.
After seeing some of those bass, I’m sure there’s more than one record fish out there!
Have you been out lately? I put my boat away last weekend. Everyone else seems to be deer hunting.
Those were caught about October 20. I haven’t been out lately. With my canoe, I spend most my time on smaller rivers, or on the catch and release smallmouth fishing on the Mississippi near Clearwater. I might give the sauger action a try before I put the canoe away for the winter.
CanoeGuy, way to go on the Stripers, they can sure be alot of fun. looking forward to some more updates. thanks Jack.
Now I guess there’s two of us that should pay closer attention to records like this one. Last month I brought in a massive 18.5″ white bass into Everts Resort to show Steve Vick. It was an absolute slob of a fish. We never thought to weight it and after Vick oggled it for a bit, he let if go. 
I wonder how frequently record breaking fish are either consumed or released without a second thought. I bet it happens far more often than we’d ever think possible.
The 15″ limit is for walleye only. Sauger have no size limit.
GREAT,
Now my secret is out. If been after that state record for three years now. Last year we came close with a handful over 3lb 8ozs, not quit enough though. Now everyone is going to be chasing my white bass. 
O well, i’ll keep trying.
P.S. Brain the reason i keep telling you they don’t count, is because I don’t want you to catch the record. 
It’s mine, hands off. And with the amoount of silvers i’ve seen come to your boat, it’s only a matter of time my friend. 
A big for me! I would have bet the boat that eyes and saugers limits and lengths were treated the same, I should read the regs a little closer! Thanks DaveB for staightening me out! And to think I tossed all those 14″ saugers back, again is say
them 14″ sauger are good eatin!
BTW-one of my 1st trips to the St Croix I got lucky based on some of Turks reports (still remember-17′ of water on steep shorelines w/ rocks…4 years ago but thanks again Turk) and managed a limit of walleye and sauger. Most were 16-19″, but one eye was just over 14″. The DNR was a the ramp doing some education on exotics and took a long look at the small eye. Maybe he wasnt qualified to do it or he was cutting me a break, but he never measured the shorty. I rarely keep fish, but if I am going to clean one, I might as well clean a mess-but I would never think of keeping an illegal fish. I just didnt realize that there was any size limit on the Croix. Now I know better!
I’m the same way – I wouldn’t keep an illegl fish. I knew the Croix had special regs for walleyes and the combined limit of Walleye and saugers was 6 so I assumed the length limit for each was the same. What kills me is seeing people catch the illegal dinks and put them in a fish basket or livewell. Even worse are when the real piggies are tossed in the livewell and turned into dinner. I just won’t keep for the table anything over 20.” Besides if there is a hunk of beef or fillet o’ fish in front of me I choose cow. The best part of fishin’ is being there and the occassional catchin’. I’m going to Pool 3/Croix Saturday, with the snow flying outside it looks like its time to get the ice auger out.
Here’s another border water puzzler. WI allows an angler to use to rods unless a particular body of water has special regulations. MN allows only one. If I am a MN resident and fish the croix how many rods may I legally use? 
you are allowed 2 as a MN resident on MN/WI boarder waters (St Croix and Miss Pools 3 on down). WI residents are allowed 3 rods.
That is correct. You win a 5 day/4 night all expense paid trip to…OKAY, nowhere. Just little Croix trivia for the viewers of this site.
Congrat’s on the big silvers! A point of clarification regarding the number of rods you can use on WI/MN boundary waters. Wisconsin allows three hooks/lures per angler, not three rods. If you use multiple lures on your rods (i.e., a DuBuque rig or variations thereof) you might be limited to just one rod. From experience, the WI DNR will ticket for multiple lures exceeding two hooks (MN License) or three hooks (WI), especially on the St. Croix river. Good fishing.
Dr. J.
Here we go again!!! 
Believe it or not, the DNR isn’t always 100% accurate on their ticketing. But here’s the point to ponder……………
You can operate a crappie harness, that divides out to 2 seperate hooks, legally, as a one-line/hook qualifier. How does this differ from running a Dubuque rig off a 3-way swivel?
The verbage is one hook per line…………….right? A rapala lure, in spite of having up to 9 hooks (3 trebles), is considered “one hook”. So, in working a crappie rig or 3-way, as long as it’s a “single hook” beyond the split, isn’t the WHOLE thing considered a lure? A package presentation?
Yeah…………I’m stirring the coals here but I’d like to know the difference between a multiple line/hook lure like a perch or crappie rig is legal yet a Dubuque on 3 seperate rods would violate the law?
Kid, I can understand the confusion. Perhaps this will help. The 2003/2004 Wisconsin Fishing Regulations state that in Wisconsin, it is illegal “to fish with more than three hooks, baits or lures.” The Wisconsin DNR interprets this to mean that one lure counts as one hook, even though that lure may have multiple treble hooks (i.e., a Rapala). So, if you have a current Wisconsin fishing license, and you are fishing in Wisconsin in-land waters, or on the Wisconsin side of the St. Croix or Mississippi Rivers, you could legally fish with one rod rigged with a three way rig using a Phelps floater and a jig, (which would count as two hooks), and another rod rigged with a Rapala crankbait and a bell sinker. However, if you are fishing on the Minnesota side of the river with either a valid Wisconsin or Minnesota Fishing license, you are limited to TWO hooks. I’ve witnessed anglers with a valid Wisconsin Fishing license being ticketed for using two rods with two lures on one rod, and one lure on the other while fishing on the Minnesota side of the river! The point is, according to the Wisconsin DNR, each licensed angler is responsible to know where they are fishing—Wisconsin or Minnesota waters— and to comply with the appropriate regulations. So, when fishing on the St. Croix or Mississippi river, it is not only the number of lures but also which side of the river you’re fishing on. Hope this helps.
Dr. J.
You are correct sir! We’ve had “the go-around” on WI/MN sides of the water. We got a reply directly from a WI DNR Officer who said they’re basically shared waters until you venture beyond the main channel. So you STILL have to be sure of where you’re fishing. In the same discussion, it was reported that a MN DNR Official said they’d ticket anyone for using 3 rods on the Mississippi. Granted, it’s hearsay………… but I believe it happens.
I’ve had a couple of fellas here offer to take me fishing, let me use 3 rods on the “WI side” but turn the boat around when they spot a DNR rig coming………………….to put me on the MN side! lol! I bought my own boat soon after! 
“So, if you have a current Wisconsin fishing license, and you are fishing in Wisconsin in-land waters….”
Actually, you need to also be a WI resident. A MN resident with WI license can still only fish two rods no matter which side of the river you are on.
Jon J.
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I’ve had a couple of fellas here offer to take me fishing, let me use 3 rods on the “WI side” but turn the boat around when they spot a DNR rig coming………….
Why didn’t I think of that! 
So MN states that I can use two rods. If I’m fly fishing can I use two rods with a total of 6 flies? Three flies per fly rod? This could be hard to handle and I really wouldn’t want anyone in the boat with me!
Bump from the “Way Back When” machine.
Very nice fish. For the record, the MN state record is 4 lbs 2.4 oz. Length 18.5″ and girth 15.1″. Your fish would have been close.
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Bump from the “Way Back When” machine.
This post was from 2003. 
Note to self. Launch from Beanies and fish for Whities in Oct-Nov.
Autumn is the bomb out there when you find em
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Autumn is the bomb out there when you find em
Oh I know it! My problem is finding people who want to go find them.
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Autumn is the bomb out there when you find em
Oh I know it! My problem is finding people who want to go find them.
Large white bass are not uncommon in Minnesota here. This one was C-N-R last winter on Prior Lake. Nothing wrong with big white bass! 
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Autumn is the bomb out there when you find em
Oh I know it! My problem is finding people who want to go find them.
Have to save this for the fall or whenever the bite is good. Maybe chase some seagulls for the day.
I know a lot of people don’t think they are anything special, but I wasa amazed the first couple I accidentally hooked. I landed it and thought, “Really? I thought by the fight you’d be a lot bigger.” Fun on light gear and in a current where they can slice through it with those paper thin bodies.
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