BP's Fishing Stories: Canby MN, Mid 1990's

MN Opener 1996

  On IDO Outdoors Fishing Forums, one of the regulars was reminiscing about wade fishing in rivers, streams, and creeks in his childhood. 

I gave a three-paragraph reply, which I will share in three separate posts. This is Part 2: Canby, MN 

I was a Youth Pastor in Canby, MN, for a couple of years in the mid-90s. They drained Del Clark Lake before I got there the same year I arrived. I was able to catch walleye, suckers, and pike at various points in the creek that runs through town. The final year I was there, Del Clark, which I think had been off limits to fishing, opened up, and it was on fire for 17" to 20" walleye and 28" to 32" in pike, and I was like the only person who knew about it. It was ridiculous. And then, at the end of that magical May, my time in that town was over. I also tried some fishing across the border in South Dakota for spawning pike, but I couldn't figure out how to get the big gals to bite in this one particular creek. I caught a few hammer handles over there but saw many spawning pike. 

The Magic Lure

I took a faded rainbow trout color Rebel Floating Minnow from my Uncle's tackle box when I was probably 16 years old. I took it because it was magic on bass, pike, and walleye; It made them appear out of nowhere consistently. I caught dozens of fish on it and some really nice one's. One day when I was probably around 19 I got a hammer handle pike on it. As I swung it into our old Alumacraft boat it came off and the lure hit off the side of the fishing boat and broke the back inch and a half off clean. I was devastated and pissed off for about 15 minutes. I decided to cast it out and it still had the wild action to it and two remaining trebles, so I decided to try and modify it. I glued a paperclip into the body and then put a cut up Sassy Shad Tail on it, so it was kind of like an AC Plug thing. The bait was as good as new with the tails on it. I continued to catch dozen's of more fish on it. 

Then when I was 26, I was shore fishing with it on a small 5 acre lake in Canby MN where I was a Youth Pastor at the time. I had a decent size pike bite it off. About a week and a half later I was fishing from shore again and there it was sitting up against the shore. I couldn't believe it, I got it back. Then that Fall it got stolen out of out of my car along with the tackle box it was in and about 3 rods. My magic lure was gone for good.

That was my favorite jerkbait. I bought several more Rebel Floating Minnows but they were all dud's.