FTR member at North Lake (Hastings)…

Just curious to know who had the Suburban with the FTR decal and Crestliner/’Rude stickers on it today.

Hopefully you did better than I did.. ha ha.

Blue sub? If so, sounds like a tuckner sighting. He said he was either going to Mille Lacs or N. Lake this weekend.

Yep.. thanks. Wonder if the snowmobilers were driving him nuts also.

Well Nubbin, I guess we were real close! I was the guy dressed in red, that stood there and pointed to the “Other side of the lake” for the kids to go play on! The Warden said if that happens again, just call, and he will deliver “Happy Grams” to all. It is considered harrassment if you ask them to stop, and they don’t. I did get a crappie weighing over 2 pounds, and measured 14″! And caught 2 dog fish by hand!
Tuck

Hey Eye-Guide, nice crappie! How thick is the ice on North?I’ve caught dogfish in the winter by hand myself. On Minnehaha Creek where it starts at Minnetonka, there were some dogfish in an open area near the surface. Of course we just had to grab them. Noodling for dogfish! The area was about to winterkill & they were coming up for air. Vern

It’s about 6″ right now. Safe enough for walking and wheelers, only in the areas along shore.

About 10 years ago, I had the same thing happen to me with a dog fish. They would always come up my transducer hole, even nudging it with their noses, and coming up to gulp air. I had grabbed the first one, about a five pounder. It was about 5 AM when I got it, plenty dark….About an hour later, still dark, I saw the water rustling in the same hole again…so I waited until it got to the surface, and I lunged for it….and at the last possible millisecond I realized it was a muskrat! It scared the living bejesus out of both of us! He turned around in the hole like an olympic swimmer making a turn, and splashed me with what seemed like a gallon of water! God, did I laugh! I was all by myself, so I was the only witness. I am kinda of glad! I must have looked pretty foolish! We are going down New Years Eve morning, and evening. If anyone from the board goes down there, spread out, and give yourselves some room. These fish are nomadic, and very spooky. With out a doubt, I get more fish when it is quiet, without a lot of foot or fourwheeler traffic, kids, dogs, augers, etc.

Tuck

I may give it a try this evening. I’ll be driving a Brown Durango, and have a fish trap 1-man. Don’t worry about a lot of auger noise from me…. I use a hand model.

Oh yeah…. some directions on how to get there would be nice I guess! I just need ’em from Hasting on.

Any kind of bite other than evenings?

I didn’t see these posts til after I got back. My step-son and I got 11 today. We got 9 this morning, and 4 tonight. Morning worked out better, they bit til 10:30. We are going out again tomorrow. I did hear the hand auger going though! I even made a comment about that! How did you do? We got one over a pound, and the rest were between 1/2 & 3/4 pounders.
Tuck

Wasn’t me!!! I ended up hitting the walleye nite bite on ‘Tonka. I will hit it up tomorrow AM for sure. What time does the Hastings bait shop open? I figure if they open early enough, I could stop in and get directions on how to get there. If not, I’ll just wing it.

I just got back from the lake. Got a dozen of the slabs again today! I mean HOGS! I am heading to Wal Mart to buy a digital camera. I will be posting up a report a little later with pictures. Hastings bait shop’s number is 651-480-FISH.
Tuck

Enough about your love life….how was the fishing?

Geez. I saw you and a buddy out there yesterday morning in the fish traps Tuck. Right after you guys left, the gentleman who came over and talked to you hopped right on your spot. He gave up a short time later, and was leaving when I left. He did mange 3 nice ones on some small jigs with no minoows. I got out too late for the AM bite. I’ve only managed to catch 3 out of there so far. Not having the best luck.
Did have a dogfish swim up on me. Ugly ba$tard. Didn’t have time to grab him though. Next time!!!!

Nice one Dave, I talked to your old man today, that was nice of him to call!
I will be putting up a new report today WITH PICTURES as soon as I get this camera figured out! I am trying to download them to my PC, and having troubles.
Tuck

Yea the old man isnt so bad…unfortunately he doesnt have enough time to fish. Maybe someday he will learn to take more time out for the “finer” things in life.

Let’s see if this picture turns out….

Hey Tuck, quick question for you??? I have spent many a day duck hunting on North but never fished it. Not trying to steal your spots just wonder in general what part of North you crappie fish. Is it to the north up by Muskrat Lake , the main channel area in front of the landing or the stump fields to the south. I have tomorrow off so I think I will give it a try so hopefully you see this tonight. If not I have a couple of ideas of my own. Thanks!!!

Nice Crappies Buddy !!

Nice pic !!

Glad to see ya figured that camera out. Nice fish.
I really like the inside of your fishhouse too!
Looks like you have some fancy woodwork and a upstairs in it too! HeHe

For some reason, my report failed to post te pictures. It said tere was a problem with the “Fetching”. I have to talk ot the boss. I am sure he can add them.
As far as North goes, I have been fishing to the east of the landing. The lake as a whole in this area is pretty much a bowl. The crappies roam it, and eat when THEY want to. A lot of people used to fish up towards Muskrat, and sunnies up that way were huge, but spotty, and hard to keep on. Not buggy spotty, just scatterd around. There is a deeper hole down by Cow pie Island, towards the stumpfields, that has a stretch of deeper water. Some day when I have a little extra time, I would like to go down there and try it out as well.
Tuck

Nice pics buddy. Looks like you caught them in your living room! Doesn’t get any easier than that right?

Tuck,

Go back and try to edit the report. This is a solution for now to get the reports up with the pics. Just go back and go into edit mode and then “update report” and the report should have the pictures in it. Not sure why, but it works. The boss would know the technical side of this. Throw me an email if you need any help here.
Those crappies sure sound like fun.

Thanks Dee Zee! Ill give it a try!
Tuck

Just a little warning to check the ice every few yards if you go all the way down to the island. The current through there is pretty strong, and the ice thickness varies because of the current. I tried fishing down there a couple of years ago and the ice went from 12″ to 2″ pretty quickly. I actually stepped through, but didn’t go in. An ATV did go through while we were there. The rider jumped off and went completely under, but got out in just a few seconds. His buddies hooked a rope to his ATV and pulled it out. Needless to say, we left, carefully. Oh, we never saw a fish on the depthfinder and never got a bite, but we didn’t stay very long either.

You’re going to need hip waders if you go out. I had around 10″ yesterday, but I literally swam to that side of the lake. Just threw out tip-ups. No takers.

Bummer! Chappy and I fished out of his boat on Pool 4 today. Got three, but the wind was terrible!
Tuck