I’ve been going to leech the first weekend of October for 14 years. For the majority of those years I would troll from dusk into the night for eyes.
I wouldn’t always slay them but it was virtually a guarantee you would catch something. The last 2 years over 3 fall trips and multiple boats we have not been catching anything. Even over the full moon. I know nothing is guaranteed in fishing but any idea what could have caused a decade long productive spot from turning into a dead zone?
Jonesy: I just spent last Thursday and Friday fishing Leech and to say the fishing was slow is an understatement. Two fish for two boats combined… We fished Pine Point, Otter Tail, Goose Island… nothing. Cold and frustrating weekend.
I have a very nice cabin to stay free year round on it, new fishhawk with gen2 birds to ulterra to use anytime, and I haven’t been there this year, once last year. Dnr can have their high #’s, I don’t catch crap there and noone I know who fishes it does. Spring run can be good, that about it.
I blame it on the nets. 
There was a recent article in the outdoor news that showed the fishing hours on some of the big lakes in Minnesota and Leech was something like 760K for a year. That is a lot of fishing pressure plus what other have mentioned is substantial. Possibly that could have something to do with it as well. Decent fishing and easy to get to with good accommodations = more fish taken. Just my 2 cents. I live close and prefer not to fish there due to all the people.
Easily caught fish don’t last forever. The lake gets an extraordinary amount of pressure from guides and regular joes 7 days a week.
I fish Leech several times a year, my numbers definitely are down this year and I’ve heard the same from numerous other contacts there.
Big difference on Pine Point area seems to be the level of weed growth… I remember fishing there 10 years ago and having decent bottom cover. No such luck anymore. I’m unsure what’s caused the difference, but that point in particular seems barren by comparison.
Seems to coincide with the discovery of Zebra mussels to me? Water gets clearer, fish go deeper.
Seems to coincide with the discovery of Zebra mussels to me? Water gets clearer, fish go deeper.
They were just found in Leech, and I’m not sure if they are to a significant level to impact the fishery. Or if they really ever negatively impact as much as we are led to believe, but that’s another discussion.
What happened to Pine Point? Nothing, there just were no (or not many) fish there when you fished it. Fish don’t know or care when your vacation or fishing time is, nor where you’d prefer to catch them. I’ve had very productive days on areas like Pine Point, and then the same spots be terrible the following day, and vice versa. That’s fishing. I’d consider myself more lucky if I were able to catch fish on the same structure for 14 consecutive October’s, than think something is wrong with the lake when that doesn’t happen a few years in a row. I’m often surprised at where fish are or aren’t, that challenge of dialing em in, is what keeps me coming back!
They were just found in Leech, and I’m not sure if they are to a significant level to impact the fishery. Or if they really ever negatively impact as much as we are led to believe, but that’s another discussion.
I never said they have a negative impact, just that as the ecosystem changes so do the fish. Even a slight change will make the fish change their behavior, even if it is just moving deeper a couple feet.
The fish on Leech see a ton of pressure. A lot of those fish that frequent the community spots earlier in the season and are of legal size are likely in someone’s freezer or septic system.
I also think fish really are pushed deep or suspend over deep water with the excessive pressure. Fish may not be genius creatures by biological design, but having boats pass over repeatedly for days on end has to turn most of them negative or at least push them out of common areas.
As they say – that’s why it is called “fishing” and not “catching”
Rusty crayfish are taking out the weeds. The weeds which likely drew the bait that attracted the fish. So the fish are going where the bait is.
Mwal
I was up there from 10-4 to 10-7. I did pretty well especially on Saturday (10/6). It’s not that I’m not finding fish it’s just that pine point was as reliable as taxes. I gave it a try Friday night and we were the only boat on it.
Fwiw another group of friends had very good days fishing walker bay. I’m not very good in there but I should figure it out. My focus was wind blown shore and points and going north.
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Even fishing away from the “crowds” has yielded significantly less fish over the past 2-3 years. In my opinion, from fishing Leech multiple times per year and also first-hand reports from people on the lake, is that Leech is in a decline. I think the DNR was crazy for considering raising the limit.
You can blame nets, rusty crawfish, zebra muscles, fishing pressure but bottom line fishing is nowhere near as good as it was 3+ years ago.
Even fishing away from the “crowds” has yielded significantly less fish over the past 2-3 years. In my opinion, from fishing Leech multiple times per year and also first-hand reports from people on the lake, is that Leech is in a decline. I think the DNR was crazy for considering raising the limit.
You can blame nets, rusty crawfish, zebra muscles, fishing pressure but bottom line fishing is nowhere near as good as it was 3+ years ago.
I’m not sure that I would share that sentiment. I have had some really great fishing up there and some of my absolute best the last 2 years.
The DNR is looking at going to a 4 fish 1 over 20″ limit as opposed to the current 4 fish with a protected 20-26″ slot. Personally I am in favor of this. The one way I have truly seen this lake change in the last couple of years is that there are tons of 22-25″ fish in there. That can lead to predation issues
The DNR is looking at going to a 4 fish 1 over 20″ limit as opposed to the current 4 fish with a protected 20-26″ slot.
Last I heard they were considering a 6 fish limit. This sounds better.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jonesy wrote:</div>
The DNR is looking at going to a 4 fish 1 over 20″ limit as opposed to the current 4 fish with a protected 20-26″ slot.Last I heard they were considering a 6 fish limit. This sounds better.
Oh yikes. Ya that would not be good
The DNR is looking at going to a 4 fish 1 over 20″ limit as opposed to the current 4 fish with a protected 20-26″ slot. Personally I am in favor of this. The one way I have truly seen this lake change in the last couple of years is that there are tons of 22-25″ fish in there. That can lead to predation issues
This is similar to what Ontario does (except its 1 over 18.1″) and the fishing is fantastic up there for all sizes of fish. YES, far less fishing pressure, but allowing to harvest a few of the larger fish does good because of the predation factor as you mentioned.
Have tournament weights up there also gone down? Its amazing to me how some of those guys can bring in huge bags in lakes where the trend has been tougher fishing. Gives me hope to stay after it!
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