Home Forums Fishing Freshwater Fishing 2022

I kept a diary of sorts on the Upland Game page last year keeping track of when I went out hunting and what the results were. I think I'll do the same here so if its of interest you can read along as I go. I'll put up some pictures from time to time.

I went out for the first time on Saturday the 7th, down to West Bend and caught a limit of walleyes in about an hour. Minnows on a bare hook behind a bouncer was the drill. 2-15", a 16" and an 18". Just SE of the campground.

I went to West Bend again last night and caught another limit, 3-17's and an 18. I lost one at the boat and caught six bass, the largest was about 3#. This time I was over about a mile west of the pump house on that big island.

My oldest is home for a month between graduation and starting her career. I decided I work enough nights and weekends, the forecast was excellent and so we went fishing today, along with a family friend who's home for a few days between end of school and her summer internship starting.

We hit the water about 930am, and were off by about 1. A limit of walleyes from 15-18", threw back several more, and a couple of bass on the catch and release plan as well. Excellent fishing, they were pretty proud of themselves. They loved it. So did I.

Looks like fun those Walleyes sure are good eating. Were y'all Trolling?

What a great day!
The eats are the bonus. What was your water temp?

Osky

Water temp right at 60. We found fish at 18-22' deep and used 1-1/2 bottom bouncers with a 4-5' snell, and fathead minnows. Used the bow mount electric to move us along the structure. Fish are still schooled but will spread out soon I think. Spot on the spot was more pronounced than usual. I would say minnow with a bead on a "slow death" hook was best but we did have one spinner rig out at all times for the bass, and at the end of the day we caught about as many on that as the hook.

My live well pump was blowing fuses so used a pail to fill it. Found out last night that there was mono jammed up in the works and as soon as I cleared that we're good to go again.

I went after tiger trout this weekend at Center Lake in Custer State Park. The first day I caught approx 15 cutthroats and no tigers. It was a lot of fun. Biggest was probably 12"

On the second morning I caught exactly 1 cutthroat and no tigers, although I did see one caught. On day 2 the fish wanted nothing to do with my spinner rig and were all about the neighbor guys crude nightcrawler rigs. Go figure. All the fish were released.

I went out yesterday afternoon during a break in the rain only to fish through the rain and catch a limit of walleyes at West Bend. Avg size smaller than before, only one went 16" and threw back many 12-13" to take home four. Thankful for pit zips in my rain jacket. I fished the flats 17-22', water temp 65, dark rainy day.

I went out on Saturday, solo. My usuals were tied up with stuff. Went to Bush's Landing and fished the mouth of Tall Prairie Chicken Creek. I was getting set up when I watched a little Lund with Minnesota plates plugging it a touch deeper pull a nice one from about right under me. I moved a smidge deeper and started to catch fish, mostly small ones and released them. The sun came out and they quit so I moved to the downstream point. As I was moving, the wind came up stiff so I pulled into the cup and found an active school. I put four fat ones in the live well in about 30 minutes time and that was it for me. Time to go home. The boat ramp there is crap, what a mess. Good fishing though. Half a nightcrawler on a bouncer, 10' of water in the wind, 20' when it was flat.

I went back out on Sunday. After a real rodeo with my boat shed door, I got out late, went to Cow Creek and put in, and up the river to the Snake/Deep/Agency area. I found fish on a small spot, main lake point, again 10-12' deep and picked up three real nice ones, 17-18" and fat. Much fatter than the fish at West Bend. Threw back the smaller ones. A couple guys in an Iowa boat slipped past me, asked what I was doing to catch fish, so I told them. My penalty for telling them was that they decided to move in on my spot. With no success. Ha. F them.

My family called to see about joining me in the boat so I went back and got them and a bucket of chicken and we boated for a few hours. No more fish were caught.

I went up to Center Lake again and caught one cutthroat on Saturday morning. Just not alot of action there.

We had business in Duluth Monday and went to Crane Lake afterwards to fish Voyageurs National Park on Tuesday. We caught one small mouth bass, and had a nice walleye on but the line parted at the knot before we got it in the net. I can see why Minnesotans come here to fish. Yeesh. I expect to catch one fish an hour just by accident...no such luck up there. Beautiful place tho and glad we went.

Crane lake is pretty country for sure. There are a bunch of great fishing lakes up there.

Osky

Grassy Bay, Sand Point Lake, June 2022

Went to a prairie pothole lake twice over the weekend and caught fat walleyes and feisty northerns. Walleyes were weighty for their length. 18" weighed 3 pounds I bet. Northerns were not weighed; all released. I'd say the biggest was 36-38" Tough to get my boat in some of these lakes. I wanted to fish a different slough but a gravel boat ramp is too risky for my rig.

Good thread with good photos, enjoying it. Thanks for posting.

+1

Fishing's gotten tough here. Daughter #1 and I went up on the big lake in a real blow and caught a few. We could find them but couldn't stay on them in the wind. Then this saturday went out with down riggers for salmon and caught one 6lb channel cat on a brads bait off a dipsy. I could already taste salmon on the grill but it wasn't to be. Catch and release.

I talked to a guy yesterday who said the his buddies that have gone to Canada this year are having trouble getting eating size fish that are under the slot size. With the Covid crap closing down the border for three years, the walleyes haven’t had the pressure and they got big.

My first group this year on Cree Lake Sask all boated pike over 45” with the biggest just under 55”. Best opening size wise I’ve had there. Since then I’ve been thru Manitoba and northwestern Ontario in walleye waters and the average size was bigger than normal.
Lakers are lakers and we’ve been getting beauties the biggest boated so far at 37.5 pounds, I cannot say the fishing break was help or hinder on these fish.

Osky

That's incredible. With the heat our fishing has gone to crap. I did however take a kid fishing Sunday for the first time in his 21 years and put him on a few walleyes and cats. A stout blow from the NW had me scrambling to find spots where boat control was possible but we did put a few in the boat. Sending him back to college soon, a great kid indeed. He really picked up on things fast, I was impressed with that.

I've pulled the plug on fishing for the year. Went out yesterday, moved a few 10-12 inch walleyes to bite and packed it in. Two elk licenses and a busy fall ahead, no more time for this. Last year we took a lot of nice fish in September but the schedule doesn't allow in 22. Boat covered and put away. Looking forward to next year.