I mean wow! I can't believe I haven't posted since June, oh well. This summer was a little different, I fished no walleye tournaments and went on no out of state trips. I have my back stiffened a little bit about gas prices and decided I couldn't afford to go all over the place.
Fishing in Boji Land was excellent this summer, we did well in June on walleyes and August was dynamite for panfish. We cleaned up on bluegills and yellow bass. Yes, we now have yellow bass in the Iowa Great Lakes, I don't know how the hell they got there but they are there, throughout the Okoboji system, I haven't heard any reports of them in Big Spirit as of yet. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, yellows are supposed to be excellent tablefare. We have some in the freezer but haven't tried them yet.
I was able to spend some quality time on the water with my oldest and youngest grandsons this Memorial Day, and the oldest came up for Father's Day and went fishing with grandpa. He is a senior in high school this year, next year it will be work and off to college for him, so time on the water with grandpa will be rarer than it is now. I hope that won't be true but I fear it will be.
Muskie fishing has really heated up in the last couple of weeks. We had our 27th Annual Upper Great Plains Chapter Release Tournament last weekend and a record 32 releases were recorded, the winner had to catch 3 fish to win it and he was pushed really hard be another 3 fish catch. FANTASTIC!!!! I along with my partner Mark Mitchell blanked, I never even had a follow, oh well that is muskie fishing.
I am getting ready for deer season, I am lucky enough to be able to go to South Dakota and Minnesota this year deer hunting. November will be a busy month for me. I also have been getting the rods, shack, auger etc., ready for ice fishing. My bride informed me that since she has retired she wants to give ice fishing a try. I guess now we need a Fish Trap Guide and some warm clothing for her. OH NO NEW GEAR!!!!
Anyway that is a brief synopsis of what has been going on with me in Boji Land since June.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Thursday, June 07, 2007
aaaaH Spring Fishin in Boji Land
Well spring has sprung and the fish are moving into their spring bite. I have been getting nice walleyes on Spirit in 8-12 ft of water, with a variety of techniques, live bait drifting, cranks trolling, slip bobbers etc. We saw a 50 inch muskie awhile back, she swam right along side the boat, just under the surface. The pan fish are on their beds in the shallows, on both Gar lakes, Minnewashta, and Center Lake. I have picked up a few in the reeds at Hale's Slough. I have only been muskie fishing once to no avail, but I saw a nice fat 37 incher caught last week in Anglers Bay. Muskie League for the Upper Great Plains Chapter of Muskies Inc. has started but no fish have been taken as of yet. I have spotty reports from Lake Sara in Minnesota. I am heading to Storm Lake tomorrow to check out a walleye bite rumor.
If you get a chance pick up a copy of The Iowa Sportsman magazine, I have an article published in the June issue. I had an article called "Seeking Dragons in Rodney's Bay" in the May issue of P2H(Permission to Hunt) and will have another one in the June or July issue of that same magazine. It is a kick to be published in print!!
Oh, by the way I have changed real estate companys, I am now affiliated with Walters Real Estate, 1013 Okoboji Ave., Milford, IA 51351. 712-338-4544. Give me a shout if you are interested in buying or selling real estate in BOJI LAND.
If you get a chance pick up a copy of The Iowa Sportsman magazine, I have an article published in the June issue. I had an article called "Seeking Dragons in Rodney's Bay" in the May issue of P2H(Permission to Hunt) and will have another one in the June or July issue of that same magazine. It is a kick to be published in print!!
Oh, by the way I have changed real estate companys, I am now affiliated with Walters Real Estate, 1013 Okoboji Ave., Milford, IA 51351. 712-338-4544. Give me a shout if you are interested in buying or selling real estate in BOJI LAND.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
April musings
Well, I am back. I have the Ranger all ready to go and all the spring chores accomplished. We have the walleye opener here at the IGL this weekend, I am not going to be able to participate. I did get up on Little Spirit this week and caught a few eyes and a real nice Largemouth Bass. I look for the bite here to be tough this weekend we have a cold front sitting here now and the forecast is for rain, wind and thunderstorms, typical opener weather.
We have a debate right now in the IGL regarding putting limits on panfish. I support this idea, but many do not.
I had another article published in the May edition of P2H magazine, called "Seeking Dragons in Rodney's Bay". It is an article about muskie fishing on Lake of the Woods.
Short blog this month, I have business to attend to.
We have a debate right now in the IGL regarding putting limits on panfish. I support this idea, but many do not.
I had another article published in the May edition of P2H magazine, called "Seeking Dragons in Rodney's Bay". It is an article about muskie fishing on Lake of the Woods.
Short blog this month, I have business to attend to.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
March Madness
Well, we are entering the time of year where I am torn between trying to get on the ice and getting the boat ready. I decided today to put the ice sticks away. I am going to get the Ranger out and get her ready for ice out and smallies. I need to change the oil in the cool hubs on the trailer, install a new actuator on the PANTHER LIFT,move the radio antennae, clean and wax the hull, put the electronics back in the boat, respool reels, clean rod eyes, change hooks on cranks that need them, clean reels and on and on.
I am going to try some Spiderwire Ultracast and Trilene Maxx this spring. The ultracast is supposed to be wind know free and I believe will probably be comparable or better than Power Pro. I will be using the Ultracast on muskie reels and linecounters. 65 and 80Lb test for muskies and 20Lb for line counters. I am very used to 10Lb fireline on my line counters so it should be interesting. I am really excited about the Berkely Flickershads for cranking!!!
Ice fishing has been good on the grade, you have to sort and the gill bite is still going on Little Millers Bay on West Okoboji. I took a drive around Big Spirit this morning and there was a pack of Fishtraps on Anglers Bay so something must be going on up there, probably crappie and gills.
Oh, by the way I am now a published author, I have an article in the March issue of THE IOWA SPORTSMAN magazine. The article is titled "ICING WALLEYE". You can pick a copy of the magazine up at Casey's stores, they are still free I believe.
I am going to try some Spiderwire Ultracast and Trilene Maxx this spring. The ultracast is supposed to be wind know free and I believe will probably be comparable or better than Power Pro. I will be using the Ultracast on muskie reels and linecounters. 65 and 80Lb test for muskies and 20Lb for line counters. I am very used to 10Lb fireline on my line counters so it should be interesting. I am really excited about the Berkely Flickershads for cranking!!!
Ice fishing has been good on the grade, you have to sort and the gill bite is still going on Little Millers Bay on West Okoboji. I took a drive around Big Spirit this morning and there was a pack of Fishtraps on Anglers Bay so something must be going on up there, probably crappie and gills.
Oh, by the way I am now a published author, I have an article in the March issue of THE IOWA SPORTSMAN magazine. The article is titled "ICING WALLEYE". You can pick a copy of the magazine up at Casey's stores, they are still free I believe.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Extended BRRRRRR
Well, I can no longer complain about no ice and too warm, it has been below zero at night for a couple weeks. We Have Ice. Although I must caution that there is no such thing as safe ice, it is always unsafe somewhere on the system.
I haven't been on the ice in Boji Land since I returned from Ballard's Resort on Lake of the Woods, January 27th. However, the reports I'm getting are that fishing sucks right now. I talked to Ryan Hale this week and he did get into the gills last weekend but they were only in his spot a day and a half.
The Lake of the Woods trip this year was great as always. The only difference this year;the walleyes were on a chew; we caught fish in numbers and size. I believe there were 32 anglers on the bus this year. This trip is sponsored by KMNS-AM62 and "Experience The Outdoors with Rick Dicus. I of course out fished Rick, but he was outdoors. Seriously, I don't know if I caught more than Rick and vice-versa, I don't keep count and neither does he, unless we are in a tournament. The only bet was on who caught the biggest and I think I won that with a nice fat 24 inch walleye. We also caught sauger and some nice perch. The only eelpout caught in our group of 6 was about a 10lb slime ball caught by John (the chessman) Torzon. I'm sure I butchered the spelling on that. Anyway we had a great time, great food, great fishing and great comaradrie.
The other anglers in our group were Wayne(POPS)Warren, Scott (Chopper) Miller from Z98FM out of Sioux City and Jim Nolton from Sioux City, we had a great time.
Oh, by the way I am finishing this on 2-14-07 and it was -15F this morning when I got up, man this is getting old. Anyway keep your line fresh and stay warm. SET THE HOOK!!!!
I haven't been on the ice in Boji Land since I returned from Ballard's Resort on Lake of the Woods, January 27th. However, the reports I'm getting are that fishing sucks right now. I talked to Ryan Hale this week and he did get into the gills last weekend but they were only in his spot a day and a half.
The Lake of the Woods trip this year was great as always. The only difference this year;the walleyes were on a chew; we caught fish in numbers and size. I believe there were 32 anglers on the bus this year. This trip is sponsored by KMNS-AM62 and "Experience The Outdoors with Rick Dicus. I of course out fished Rick, but he was outdoors. Seriously, I don't know if I caught more than Rick and vice-versa, I don't keep count and neither does he, unless we are in a tournament. The only bet was on who caught the biggest and I think I won that with a nice fat 24 inch walleye. We also caught sauger and some nice perch. The only eelpout caught in our group of 6 was about a 10lb slime ball caught by John (the chessman) Torzon. I'm sure I butchered the spelling on that. Anyway we had a great time, great food, great fishing and great comaradrie.
The other anglers in our group were Wayne(POPS)Warren, Scott (Chopper) Miller from Z98FM out of Sioux City and Jim Nolton from Sioux City, we had a great time.
Oh, by the way I am finishing this on 2-14-07 and it was -15F this morning when I got up, man this is getting old. Anyway keep your line fresh and stay warm. SET THE HOOK!!!!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
January Ice Fishing in Boji Land
Well, we finally got some ice, although until the last 2 days it has been iffy. We finally got below zero and have been below 32 degrees for a few days. Big Spirit is pretty much frozen over and West Okoboji is close. Boji has ice in all the bays now. I fished the 1st Annual Harbor View bluegill tournament last weekend and the only ice was Smith's Bay, North Bay and Little Emerson. Although, there was 10 inches of ice in Little Emerson. The tournament was blast and local guide Ryan Hale did an excellent job putting the tournament on.
The tournament was bluegill only with a 10 fish limit. I had a limit iced by 10 AM, but could only get 4 big gills to bite the remaining six fish were small. I had under 4 lbs, I think it was 3.8 Lbs and you need at least 4.6 to get in the money. My fishing partner Rick Dicus (Experience The Outdoors Radio KMNS AM) got 7th and tied for the biggest gill. Good job Rick. The results of the tournament are as follows:
Eric Goodale won the event with a 10 fish limit with the weight of 5.70#'s.Mike Wanser of Nebraska was a VERY close 2nd with a weight of 5.66#'s.3rd.Local hot stick Catland Landegent 5.28#'s4th.Local and fellow IGL's guide John Grosvenor 5.18#'s5th.Gene Weitzema of Sibley 5.16#'s6th.Local Derek Ter Wee 5.04#'s7th.Experience the Outdoors radio host Rick Dicus from Nebraska 4.90#'s8th.Howard "The Duck" from Illinios 4.86#'s9th.Chad Peterson 4.7#'s,very good showing in Chads first tourney10th.Blaine Fopma from S.D. 4.64#'s
Thanks to Ryan Hale for posting the above results at www.hawgz.com, please visit that website, it is a good one.
I also met Thomas Allen from The Iowa Sportsman's Magazine., Thomas is the Executive Field Editor for the magazine, more information and subscription info can be found at www.iowasportsman.com. Thomas is an avid muskie angler and hopefully a new member of the Upper Great Plains Chapter soon.
I was on the ice today and caught a few gills in Little Emerson, it was slow, however. I think the gills are a little tired of being hammered for a month. I talked to Rick and he told me there was a bunch of guys on Templar Point and McClelland's Beach. I think that is a little soon for as far out on the ice as he said they were. I will be getting a ice thickness report for Spirit soon.
January 25th will find Dicus and I on the ice at Lake of the Woods, the bite has been fantastic up there. I hope it won't be a you should have been here last week, deal when we get up there. I will give you a report when I get back.We are staying at the excellent Ballard's Resort again this year, where the service, food and accomadations are beyond compare.
The tournament was bluegill only with a 10 fish limit. I had a limit iced by 10 AM, but could only get 4 big gills to bite the remaining six fish were small. I had under 4 lbs, I think it was 3.8 Lbs and you need at least 4.6 to get in the money. My fishing partner Rick Dicus (Experience The Outdoors Radio KMNS AM) got 7th and tied for the biggest gill. Good job Rick. The results of the tournament are as follows:
Eric Goodale won the event with a 10 fish limit with the weight of 5.70#'s.Mike Wanser of Nebraska was a VERY close 2nd with a weight of 5.66#'s.3rd.Local hot stick Catland Landegent 5.28#'s4th.Local and fellow IGL's guide John Grosvenor 5.18#'s5th.Gene Weitzema of Sibley 5.16#'s6th.Local Derek Ter Wee 5.04#'s7th.Experience the Outdoors radio host Rick Dicus from Nebraska 4.90#'s8th.Howard "The Duck" from Illinios 4.86#'s9th.Chad Peterson 4.7#'s,very good showing in Chads first tourney10th.Blaine Fopma from S.D. 4.64#'s
Thanks to Ryan Hale for posting the above results at www.hawgz.com, please visit that website, it is a good one.
I also met Thomas Allen from The Iowa Sportsman's Magazine., Thomas is the Executive Field Editor for the magazine, more information and subscription info can be found at www.iowasportsman.com. Thomas is an avid muskie angler and hopefully a new member of the Upper Great Plains Chapter soon.
I was on the ice today and caught a few gills in Little Emerson, it was slow, however. I think the gills are a little tired of being hammered for a month. I talked to Rick and he told me there was a bunch of guys on Templar Point and McClelland's Beach. I think that is a little soon for as far out on the ice as he said they were. I will be getting a ice thickness report for Spirit soon.
January 25th will find Dicus and I on the ice at Lake of the Woods, the bite has been fantastic up there. I hope it won't be a you should have been here last week, deal when we get up there. I will give you a report when I get back.We are staying at the excellent Ballard's Resort again this year, where the service, food and accomadations are beyond compare.
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