November fishing on the Mississippi

Chunky smallmouth

I caught this 17-incher on a fathead and jig in the vicinity of the American Iron scrapyard.

It was tough to frame this fish properly for the self portrait.

Multi-tasking angler below the Plymouth Avenue Bridge

Unemployment + Indian Summer = Channel cat, caught and released

Unemployment + Indian Summer = Smallie by the Treasury Building

Halloween channel cat

Self portrait of hoser with a respectable kitty.

He is holding proof of his sound technique

I came across this fellow, Justin, a few days ago while he and a buddy were fishing under the Plymouth Avenue Bridge.

In a couple of hours, they caught a bucket of good sized crappies (!) and a five pound channel cat.

He was fishing with fatheads under a bobber.

City fishing: Monday morning at Hidden Falls

I gave my neighbor a lift to his job at Minnehaha Academy this morning. Since I was in the neighborhood, I decided to check out my old fishing grounds at Hidden Falls.

Upon arriving, I discovered some dead bait fish near the eddy by the boat ramp. One is pictured to the left. I believe it is a shad. At least, it looked like a shad.

Aiming to match the natural forage, I pulled a white and yellow Shadrap from the tackle box and pitched it into the current, gently retrieving into the seam between the fast and slow water. Hooked three walleyes, landed two using this method.

I was feeling like hot shit until I swung by the pier at 36th St. on Lake Calhoun. There I ran into another angler who had just landed a 36 inch tiger muskie on a sucker minnow. He had the pictures on his phone to prove it.

As God is my witness, I'll be fishing at Lake Calhoun tomorrow morning.

Hesler poses with imaginary muskie at Lake of the Isles

We cast mightily under the cold, gray October sky. Hesler spotted a nice northern in two feet of water but it ignored my Rapala on a few passes and then lazily swam into the milfoil.

Goodbye, BWCA

It was nasty and wet when PK and I finally evacuated our camp at Ensign Lake, paddled four hours into a stiff wind, and strapped the canoe on top of the truck.

24 inch (or so) walleye from Ensign

I caught her on a deep diving, yellow and white Shadrap, which she broke while thrashing around the canoe. (Photo by PK)

A respectable pike from Ashigan Lake

PK with another pike from his secret BWCA hotspot

Fall fishing in the BWCA

PK demonstrates the sublime aspect.

I think he should request that this image be used on his funeral program in the unlikely event he ever dies.

PK with a northern that swallowed his deep running, firetiger Shadrap

PK loved that lure. He got it back using his jaw spreader.

PK scrutinizes a dandy stringer from his BWCA honeyhole

I have to admit it: I am damn impressed with the greatness of his firetiger Shadrap lure. In his honeyhole, it fooled northerns, walleye, a smallie, a largemouth, a perch and a bluegill.

A breakfast stringer

PK with a 16 inch smallmouth from Ensign Lake

The otters of Ensign Lake heisted two of these walleyes

PK and I ate the rest.

PK with a northern from his BWCA honeyhole

September walleyes

Snared one evening while trolling O'Neill's Point.

Brother T's chunky carp

Best fish of a fruitful night fishing below Gabby's.

Channel cat, fooled by a crawler

Something to carp about

Biggest walleye I've caught since I don't know when

Fooled her with a shallow running, perch pattern Rap while trolling in a pontoon at Whitefish.

Twenty four inches, or roughly five pounds.

Arnie picked up two 'eyes, too

He was trolling a shallow running Rap.

Waldos on Whitefish

PK hoisted this fat 'eye from Father Foley Point, where we trolled in Arnie's pontoon at dusk.

Prelude to the butchering

Hesler looks on as PK readies to go after his prize crappies with a very dull fillet knife.

Stringer of crappies from Whitefish

PK examines the result of an early morning fishing outing on the Hamelot Dock at Whitefish. Three of those crappies were big -- a smidgen under 14 inches.

Curiousity didn't kill the dog...or the cat(fish)

Daisy inspects a channel cat

And now a drumroll, please!

I snared this nifty drum while casting a rattle-trap along a sunken rock island above the falls.

Another smallie nailed under the Lowry Bridge

Pain Island was fishy last night

Hesler showcases the best of the smallies he ensnared in the shallow water just upriver from the notorious Pain Island.

And here's the grim bucket shot...

Mr. Chunky

Another shot of one of those Shallow Water Point 'eyes.

Respectable: A couple of shallow water point waldos

I was casting a floating perch-colored rap at dusk proved when I ran into these characters.

Hesler's chunky smallmouth

Fooled by a preposterous chartreuse twister tail!

Fiddler

Caught below the Lowry Bridge