Amazingly, I found an excuse

to run up to Cass Lake for the tail end of the Memorial Day holiday. PK joined me.

On Sunday, the weather was dramatic. I shot the cloud images below while we were fishing the channel between Cass Lake and Pike Bay.

For the most part, Monday was nasty. Cold, windy, and--while we spent a lot of time on the water--not very fishy. Working the outlet of the Turtle River and Kitchi, we managed to boat two walleyes and a northern.

That night, the front blew through, the wind died and the skies cleared. I picked up three walleyes on Shallow Water Point. They all hit on a Rap.

Another thing about late ice on Cass Lake

If the wind direction shifts, open water can quickly be overtaken by ice flows.

I learned this lesson on May 12.

As it turned out, this was not an especially big hassle. I rowed the Alumacraft to the big boat and slowly crunched my way to freedom.

Actually, it was a gratifying experience. I beached both boats at Deep Water Point.

That night, John H. (the handsome chap in the red coat) and I checked out the remaining ice that was packed in at the south shore campground. Within a day, it had vanished--just like Kaiser Souze.

A svelte urban smallie

Crappie

I caught this fish in about 30 feet of water near the French Fry. The French Fry? Yeah, you have to be a connoisseur of the Potato Islands gets that reference.

I was surprised to find a crappie in such deep water this time of year. I thought they would be in shallows.

I can report, too, that it was a tasty fish.

Faces of Death: Cass Lake edition

Dead whitetailed deer at Deep Water Point.

About that late ice out at Cass Lake

I arrived two days after the opener and there was still a hell of a lot of ice on the lake. Weird. The main shelf extended about a half mile from the entrance to the Marina harbor (see image below).

At first, I thought I wouldn't be able to make to the island but then I noticed little fractures in the shallows. I fired up Mom's boat (Sorry, Mom!) and slowly banged my way to open water.

Later, for shits and giggles, I took out the Alumacraft and trolled through the loose ice. It made a lovely sound, like a thousand people toasting with champagne glasses.

The opener

There were no walleyes to be caught here on the urban Mississippi--at least not on my stretch of the river. I suppose the fact that I was using chicken livers probably hurt my odds when it came to the 'eyes.