I found this post from last year, and figured to “bump” with some photos from a year later. Another fun one day excursion on the southern rocks, with the boys now 4 and 6. Even the wife got into the action. The boys love this Lake. I have to say, it was funny listening to my oldest (Carson) telling my wife (Kelly) why her fish had to go back in the lake.

Thanks guys for the previous replies and kudos to dads/moms getting the next generation out. Very important in these times.

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Bill,

I had the same problem after owning and running for 2.5 years (went out this past fall). So of course, happened a few months after my warranty was up. But I ended up taking mine to Motor Clinic in Bloomington, MN (recommended by Rapid Marine and Cabelas). I took it in after I went through my batteries, re-setting/unhooking/rebooting everything, etc…..everything in the manual and what a guy familiar with motorguide told me to do. The down-side, had to take my trolling motor off my Ranger for them to even look at it.

I did call MotorGuide customer service and they were good and said that they will look into my situation once we know for sure what the issue is….assuming GPS module. Told them the truth, I’ve always been a Minnkota guy but tried MotorGuide because of the 5′ Jog feature while on anchor mode and the connectivity with Lowrance units.

One thing I did notice when I dropped off my MotorGuide, is how many trolling motors they had there to work on….both MG and Minnkota.

So yes, a pain in the @ss and still don’t know what the damage to the wallet will be, along with what MotorGuide may do for me. But will all be my deciding factor on what trolling motor I use in the future.

Thanks for sharing….simply disgusting, and don’t care what clan, nation, citizenship, state, creed, color or whatever the f you are…smoking a bass to let die or having a walleye fall off your spear should be counted for the poundage…really want to know their spearing mortality number, but that will never happen. The only count we would get is from folks like yourself video taping or witnessing this (in that clip they are 1 for 3 – 2 fish dead and not collected). And I would gain faith with the FDL if they prosecuted these clowns and published it, or confirm with the MN DNR that this was handled properly. Any other citizen busted would be in the Cuffs and Collars section (as they should). And kudos, I couldn’t of held back.

Very good read. Common sense resolutions to what appears to be common sense issues. My question is why we don’t hold these DNR and Tribal DNR more accountable. I made a mistake this bad I would be out of a job.

I really like how Ron calls out Dayton as well.

Chris

I’m curious why anlgers have a hooking mortality number and the tribe doesn’t have something similar in place. I understand that walleye caught in the protected slot need to be released ASAP and may die, why anglers have a mortality poundage (seems high to me). Also, I understand the tribe are suppose to keep all fish (walleye, northern, musky, etc.) caught in there nets which go to their total weight tallies. But if anglers have such a high number of hooking mortality (crazy where the DNR gets this number), wouldn’t it be right to then knock down the tribes poundage when piles of northern or even walleye are found in the ditch somewhere, either not counted or unknown if counted, whether the fish are filleted out or not, or video evidence of them tossing unwanted fish over board from their nets. Tribel authority and DNR should have a magic number as well for the waste with tribal netting, for the idiots wasting the resource and ditching unwanted fish or not properly counting/acknowledging netting numbers. There is enough proof that this goes on. Most anglers do everything in their power to make sure proper CPR is conducted, whether smallies, slot walleye, musky, etc are caugh. But anglers have this high mortality poundage number. Maybe not the right post for this thread, but the unfairness chaps my @ss. I hope and want to believe most tribe members do it right, even though I think the whole netting issue is a joke.

I will be fishing Mille Lacs no matter what the outcome, whether keeping fish or not. I just hope we all as anglers and our kids can still fish the pond in the future.

Chris

Once I get a chance to shrink and attach a pic, I’ll do it. But I do have a good pic of the Winnie Twister on Kare11.com…viewer photos.

Chris

Thank you guys, really appreciate the reports. Yeah, I have a feeling I will be putting some miles on searching for those waldo’s again this year. Last season, similar weather it seemed (no constant weather patterns), we would find’em biting on Stoney and then the next day around the Dugouts. We were everywhere.

I hope they go on a feeding binge. After we got our butt kicked on the St. Louis river last weekend, I could go for a little brain dead fishing.

But like someone mentioned, just getting up there and camping out in Cut Foot makes the trip.

Thanks again guys and hopefully I’ll have a decent report

Chris

Thanks Sully! Wow, 80 year low. Talking to some friends up in Duluth, the rain and hail they got last night didn’t amount to anything I guess.

That Current Data is great, thanks for the link.

But yes, I’ll be up there, at my normal haunts. I generally don’t go any further than the alley. But sounds like Spirit Lake could be a bear. Nervous to see what the river looks like!

Thanks and good luck to you also

Well, opener was a little tough. From what we found, the fish were in transition yet. The walleyes we caught (5 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday) were in shallow water…not to mention late morning to the afternoon. Largest being a 17″er. My main water haunts did not produce, some short biters, that was it.

We sure did get the rods bent though, I’m not a bass fisherman but we caught so many…smallies and largemouth to keep us busy. Also, couldn’t believe the sunnies we nailed on leeches!

I think next weekend will be money out there. However, I don’t fish Koronis again until June, off to St. Louis River this weekend, and then Winnie for Memorial Weekend and then Musky opener.

So PM me for some of my June spots!

Chris

For 1-3 foot contours (I think that is what this thread is for):

Koronis – Stearns County
Sugar – Wright County
Independence – Hennipen
Big Pine – Ottertail

Chris

Yeah, I think I re-organized the boat now atleast 4 times this week. Each year we are 50/50 about heading out at midnight, but this year I have too…I need to feel that tap ASAP.

Good luck to all this weekend , and I’m not saying a thing about the weather…see, I jinxed it already.

Chris

Hey Bobber, any WI netting boats out there yet? That is what really gets me…quota left over and other tribes…for that matter, other state tribes having fun with MN eyes.

This a boatload of fish these guys are netting out…and my question is, are the fish going to restuarants? Casino Buffets? Legit Tribal family handouts? The ditch?

Chris

We were out on Koronis last Saturday (the 30th) and did really well. But they weren’t crappies, nailed some really nice bluegills. We did catch some crappies, but they were dinks. But the sunnies were hammering, and they were perfect eaters. Not to mention alot of Largemouth interested in the waxies. I took my parents and girlfriend out, and fished the afternoon…I could only imagine the evening or morning bite and really working some other bays. But the sunnies were well worth it, due to the size and tastyness.

Will be out there for opener. The eyes should be on fire by then…hopefully they are in the post spawn rest right now and then come out on fire wanting to eat.

Chris

Good job, thanks for the report. Going and try to make it down next week sometime….again. When you say down river, did you try around Hay Creek?

Chris

Was out Wed (27th). Haven’t been to the Pool 4 in awhile, lets say over a year , so I was looking to vertical jig and get the rod bent. Fished all day and caught around 20 fish, primarily sauger. Fished up by the Y and chart/pepper Doos on a black precision jig (5/16ths) was the ticket for me. Threw alot of little guys back, but did manage some nice eators for the box . It seemed the bite was consistent from 11:00 to about 1:00 by the Y for me. Found anywhere from 16 to 22 FOW.

Fished down river a bit by Hay Creek during the afternoon, caught a couple walleyes (nothing over 13″), darker colors (watermelon doos) out fished what I was using upstream.

Headed back up to the Y around 3:00. Caught a couple little saugers again on the black precision jig tipped with chart/pepper doo. Did manage a nice 18.5″ Sauger in about 14 feet of water adjacent to the Y (downstream) .

The weather is better now than any MN fishing opener!

Good Luck and I’ll be back.

Chris

Oh yeah, water temps were 72 on the south southeast end….Isle, Wahkon, Twins

Chris

Well, was up there last Tuesday afternoon and evening. Weather held out (flat calm) on the south end until about 8, but we had some near misses with muskies and caught plenty 30 to 35″ northerns…fun getting the rod bent anyway. Find thicker cabbage, you’ll find fish (on Tuesday anyway).

Chris

Well, the river was good on Friday and then really good on Sunday. The current was hardly moving Friday afternoon and Sunday. Both days nice weather, first time in three years having that kind of weather on that weekend.

It was slow up by the walleye alley and then down to Spirit Lake, but we managed our limit on Friday just downstream from Boy Scout, all fish between 18 to 22″…solid eyes. Same thing on Sunday , but more fast and furious. It was fun throwing back the 20 to 22″ers, and trying to catch 18″ for a meal or three. Dragging jigs (actually kept 1/8 ounce on the bottom) with leeches.

Chris

Well, I will be up there checking it out today (Friday) also. And then back on Sunday. The good news, if its unfishable, Island and Fish lakes (resevoirs) are on the way to my buddies cabin. Good luck and will hopefully have a good, rod bending report on Monday.