Thanks for the info, fellas!

Cap’n Cat

Man, guys. I love fishing in the SCR at Prescott, but I hate all the ramp rage at that one drop-in downriver from downtown. One of these days, I’m gonna smack one of them Chriscraft weasles with the underage trophy girlfriend!

Anyone else know of any other boat ramps within 2 miles of Prescott?

Was thinking of using that one below the Hastings, MN, dam and just boating over to the junction, then upstream.

Thanks!

Cap’n Cat

Steve,

I wasn’t at Balsam, but, last Saturday, 6/19, my brother, son and I went to Deer Lake, just a few miles to the west, right on Rt 8, and knocked the fish dead!

Initially, my brother and I were thinking pike and musky, having heard that Deer is a superb muskellunge body. We cast some gigantic sticks and spinners, to no avail.

My son, 7, just learned how to cast a rod two months ago, is still pretty green and was having problems getting his big jointed Rapala to go more than 15 feet from the boat without creating a huge bird’s nest. We switched strategies and started targeting bass and smaller.

Dropping pieces of nightcrawler and whole walleye minnows beneath bobbers, we must have caught 80 fish! Tons of small-to-decent-sized bass, a truckload of rock bass, pumpkinseeds; bluegills galore and a few fat perch. We had a blast! We were in the many bays on the north side of the north side of the lake in anywhere from 4.5 to 12 feet of water. My son was just reeling ’em in like Daddy did the chicks when he was in college!

My brother, recently moved back from ten years in Alaska, even busted out the fly rod and caught several bluegills and one nice bass on a bumblebee popper.

The public boat ramp is on the northwest side of the lake and I’m sorry I don’t remember road names. My brother was driving! The lake is completely surrounded with private home and cabins.

One other thing about Deer Lake: virtually no recreational traffic. There was one boat pulling a skier and we saw one PWC. A couple of pontoons, but this lake was very quiet for a late June Saturday. Temps were in the low 70’s, so maybe it was not an indicator of how truly busy it can be, but, that day, there were only a handful of boats fishing it.

One thing I gotta warn you about, though, and I hate to do it, but, we bought minnows, leeches and nightcrawlers from a bait shop right on Rt 8, near the west end of the lake. Don’t remember the name of the place, but I do remember that the nightcrawlers were skinny, sickly and near death. Also, the minnows were very slim, on the small side and not very active. Same with the leeches. Yeah, we could have checked the crawlers before we left, but I think we all get into the habit of trusting our bait vendors. It’s definitely “buyer beware” there. I believe there is a much better bait shop a mile or two down the road toward St. Croix Falls.

Regardless, we had a terrific day on Deer Lake and will be back! Look for us in the red Lund, 25 hp Evinrude, with University of Northern Iowa stickers on it! Toss us a beer, or we’ll do the same for you.

All the best! Safe fishing to all!

Cap’n Cat

HNTNBUX says:
“but I believe this country was founded on Christian principles. “

Well, it wasn’t. It was founded on very secular principles. Take the time to truly read up on it.

Regardless, the country is not inhabited solely by Christians. We rarely remember that.

Captain Cat

Sorry, guys. Have to disagree. I want freedom from religion. We non-believers grow up to be wonderful, responsible tax-paying citizens, too.

Captain Cat

Thanks for the info, everyone. For years, I remember driving over the bridge on my way to college in Iowa and never seeing anyone working the water.

All the best!

Captain Cat

Coot,
My brother and I were up there in late June, ’03 and there was what I would call significant rec traffic. Wouldn’t say they were interfering with fishing, though. They stayed away from fishermen. Lots of families out boating, so it seems there was a little respect for us anglers.
Highlight of the trip was pulling into the marina on the south side and us following around the hottie boat girl for a while! What a cutie! Invited her to go fishing with us, but, dad was around…………..

Capn Cat

Will do, Coot. Thinking of going up this Saturday and hitting the weeds for pike (CaptainCat’s favorite fish).

Capn Cat

Hey, thanks a lot!

Captain Cat

Hey, guys, help me out. Where is Pool 4? I’m up in Hastings (just moved from Michigan) and my brother is near Beloit and we’re looking for a “halfway” point to put the hurt on some winter ‘eyes.

Thanks!

Captain Cat

Thanks, Jeff. Actually, after reading one of your reports last week, we were going to head up to the Ft. Atkinson portion of the Rock. Didn’t make it up there, though.

Had two Gyros Plate Specials and a couple Heinekens at Ray’s Restaurant in Edgerton on the way up, could hardly walk to the truck afterward, so we limped home to Orfordville and slept like a couple of bears………….

CaptainCat

Thanks, Gator and Bill! I’ve done my share of Minnesota fishing over the last 17 years, having lived here for about 9 years of that time. Lots of stories.

Cap’n Cat

Thanks, Brian. Knocked the smallmouth dead against the rocks on the east shore of the STC in July, a couple hundred yards upstream from the Rt 10 bridge. Cast after cast almost, using Mepps 5 spinners. I’m a BIG St. Croix fan!

Thanks!