BP's Fishing Stories Part 3: Root and Pike In Sconni

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 3, and it is about me fishing in the Root River at Racine, Wisconsin, and the Pike River in Kenosha.

I have also fished the Root River in Racine, WI, and the Pike in Kenosha for trout and salmon in the fall. Maybe one of these years, I will go back down there to do some urban fishing. It was like the United Nations being that close to Chicago. I almost got pinched by the WI DNR in the Pike for netting a guy's fish that was snagged. I think Snagger was Russian or maybe Ukrainian. I told the guy keeping a snagged fish wasn't smart. I had been warned about releasing snagged fish by my buddy, who showed me the bite down there and witnessed guys getting busted for snagging on a subsequent trip. I usually ran into at least one C.O. every year I went. Well, sure enough, about an hour later, about 5 C.O.'s came out of the woods. Thankfully, the CO did his job, considered the facts, and didn't write me a ticket. They took everybody, but me and a couple of Cheeseheads from the middle of the state back to the road to get tickets and I presume their gear confiscated. I hear they don't play around in WI. If you FAFO, they are apt to take your gear if you are out of state.

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. 

4/3 Bulldog, Rock, GOMH

 

Me with My New Glasses at Rock

Woodpecker at Rock Lake

Immature Eagle at Bulldog Lake

E of GOMH

Fishing Story From Bass Pundit's Youth: Nine Mile Creek, Bloominton MN

 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 1: Nine Mile Creek.

The first paragraph was about Nine-Mile Creek, a quarter mile from where I grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota. I don't think I have a single picture of me ever fishing there. Maybe getting one fishing in my old stomping grounds is a future fishing goal in the making.

Nine Mile Creek in Bloomington, MN, was not much for fishing in my youth, or at least not in the stretch close to home in the Moir Park area. We might catch a sunfish, bullhead, or crawfish if we were lucky. There were two to three-pound carp around occasionally. And one summer when I was maybe 9 or 10 years old, I think they stocked the area with bass, but they may have been trout. They were about 8-10 inches long, and I never caught one of them. They swam as a school, and I spied them frequently in a particular bend in the creek. They seemed to be on the move quite a bit. When I got older, I caught a few pike and bass where Nine Mile enters Lake Normandale. I heard stories of huge pike, bass, and crappies coming out of Normandale. I favored wading and float tubing in Hyland and Bush, mainly Hyland, where I had better luck and there was more shore access, being fully surrounded by the park. 

3/29 Platte/Sullivan, GOMH, and Rock

Ice Jam at the GOMH Platte

Platte Lake Access

Rock Looking North

Rock Looking South, still plenty of ice

NW Access Sullivan

Sullivan Inlet

Sully Inlet Dirt Access

5:10-5:20pm Rock Access

5:50-6:25PM GOMH SW

33℉, Cloudy some sprinkles, 10-20mph NE

I checked out Bulldog first still 80% locked up. Then I went to Rock. Saw an Eagle. I fished for about 15 minutes. I'd say maybe 50% of Rock still has ice. I drove North Platte Lake Drive. Don's Bay is completely ice-free. Our bay was over 50% ice-free. The North Bay 80% still covered. Not much ice left in Big West, and I think that ice flow down by the GOMH is what is left on the southern end of the lake. I was not feeling it tonight, so I only fished until 6:30. I drove down the West side of Sullivan, which I would say was 50 to 60%  ice-free. 

Tomorrow or Monday at the latest for ice out.

3/28 Platte, Rock, and GOMH

 

Platte Lake Access

Looking East of GOMH

Rock Lake looking North

Rock looking South

I caught a gator in the morning

We got clouds, so it stayed cool today. It got to the mid-50s in St. Cloud and mid-60s in the cities.

3/27 GOMH & Jumpin' Bullheads

 

1st Jumper of 2025 was caught on this Mepps Spinner

4.93lbs Rocket Shad

4.53lbs Mepps See Best Spinner

Dark blue ice and open water out from the GOMH

Bulldog Access

A Few New Fishing Goals And I Dropped One

 Numbers 11, 12, and 13 under the Technique, Equipment, and Tackle Goals category and Number 8 in the Blogging category are all related. It started with the thought that I wanted to be more intentional with my tackle this year. I am a tackle junkie that has accumulated a lot of excellent equipment and lures over the years. My motto on fishing rods has been, "Since I've got them, I might as well bring them." However, I am not perfect, and certain rods that I had envisioned for one use or another fell out of favor for various reasons. I have done some reassessment of my rod situation and think I can do better with what I have. Thinking I can make better use of my vast lure collection is a no-brainer. A couple of years ago, when I had a goal of catching a bass on every type of frog I owned, reaching the goal really motivated me. I am hoping this goal will have an even more significant impact on my motivation. Last year, because the fishing was tough, my motivation to get out really flagged in the fall. I don't know what this year will bring, but I got caught in a rut of trying to repeat 2023 in 2024. I don't want a repeat of 2024 on Platte/Sullivan.

The fishing goal I dropped was about the number of fish that I wanted to catch on a Stanley Phantom.

3/26 Bulldog, GOMH, and the Lake Place

  

Picture Kim took

E of GOMH

Bulldog Access

12:30-1:00pm GOMH NE SW

43-44℉, MS turning cloudy, 4-6mph SW

I drove Kim up to Pine Center to get her car. I stopped at Bulldog, where open water was creeping North from the access next to shore. More open water E of GOMH and out from SPSI. I didn't get any hits in the half hour I fished both sides. Clouds moved in for the day as I was finishing up. We took mom into the cities after 3:30 pm, so we didn't get back until after 8 pm. Kim sent me a pick fro the lake place of where there is open water out front.

Skunked 

GOMH 3/24, Not Skunked

Muskrat headed South

 

Thankfully, there was not much wind because it got cold after dark. I think swans were swimming off of SPSI, and E of GOMH is starting to open up. I thought maybe I had a hit on consecutive casts with the Rocket Shad on the SW side, but then again, maybe not. As I was about to call it a night due to darkness, I got hit halfway in on the same exact cast I got hit two times earlier at the beginning of the retrieve. Gator Bullhead, no skunk on the boot tail shad. I thought maybe i saw a small walleye when I was doing my shinig at the end of the night after I did 7 laps.

1Pike 

Beast'N Brings The Classic Crown To Minnesocold

 

photo: Seigo Saito

The kid from Grand Rapids, MN, has won his first Bassmaster Classic Championship Trophy in his second attempt at the crown. He did it with 76-15ozs, breaking KVD's record for Classic Winning Weight.

Congratulations World Champion, Beast'N!

2025 Bassmaster Classic Fantasy Fishing Results

 Day 1 has me in contention, but I must have Blaylock, J Pow, and Butler all move up on Day 2. J Pow absolutely must make the 25 cut and that is a big ask with the guys around and in front of him. I should have had more faith in Fothergill in Bucket D. E was a crap shoot, and that was what I got.

Update: Day 2 didn't go well. I am done with these recaps.

GOMH 3/22

 

On my way up to the Bass Snatcher Award Banquet I stopped at the GOMH to experiment with the Aqua-Vu and throw a few casts. It was cold and windy. I nearly took out a turkey along the road that runs along the West side of Platte. I got skunked.

2025 Bassmaster Classic Fantasy Fishing Lineups

 I forgot to change out Powroznik due to Day 1 conditions. I was leaning towards replacing him with Schlapper, with Patrick and Schmitt also being considered. 

3/20 GOMH, Sully Inlet, and Doggo's

  

6:30-7:10pm GOMH SW NE & Sully Inlet

37℉, PC, 10-15mph SSE

Sunny Day but Cool and windy out of the South. Ice in Platte is a bit past the first dock. I didn't wear bibs, so the wind went right through me, making the conditions suck to fish in. Not as many birds around tonight. I went down to the inlet on the south end of Sully. Water is flowing and is getting close to being open on the marsh side. I was hungry, so I skipped doing laps and headed home early. Luca and Belle were in the field when I dropped by the lake place.

Skunked