Leech Lake Photo Shoot

Back to Leech Lake to find a few fish for some photos. It was great pleasure to have Chuck Beasley and my little brother Joe in the boat. Our goal was to catch some quality fish, mainly walleyes, to take some photos. So we headed back to the same area right were we had caught them the day before. Nothing! We couldn't catch a fish or even mark that many. These fish are on the move! It was another flat calm sunny day making it even tougher. Through out the day we bounced around catching fish but we really had to work for them. We took a break from walleyes went up and caught a few crappies. Wouldn't you know it the wind picked up while we were fishing for the crappies so we decided to go back out to catch some walleyes. The wind died again! Flustered with the conditions and the moving fish I had to make a decision. We ended up going back out to the area we had found the fish, the day before, thinking they might have moved back and they didn't. So the hunt was on. I knew the fish were close or so I was hoping! My Mercury Verado got a workout bouncing around and all of a sudden I found em'. They were loaded and about 1/4 of a mile away from where they were the day before. The last three hours of the day was gang busters as we caught lots of fish and managed to take some really nice photos. As frustrated as we were we kept the mind frame, "the fish are bitting somewhere" and stayed positive. Sometimes that is a hard thing to do! Everything came together perfect. Our light was spot on and we had a beautiful sunset to utilize in some of the photos.

Here are just a couple of photos we were able to capture! (click on image for larger view)

Leech

I was up on Leech Lake again today and can you say HOT? There wasn't a wiff of wind and it was blazing hot. I was fishing with my new buds Dave and Richard. We started out fishing shallow weed flats as I thought we could still get some of these shallow fish to go in the morning. We caught a few but it wasn't hot and heavy and most of the fish were in the slot. I was kinda stumped as I had caught these shallow fish all year last year. So we had to adjust. We started to fish some deeper main lake locations and found some fish and started catching them. We were all alone for a little while then one boat, then two, then three and so on moved right in on us. We still continued to catch a few but the fish seemed to scatter with all the new boat traffic. We ended up bouncing around looking for deeper fish which seemed to be more active. Overall we had an O.K. trip considering we had no wind and the sun was bright as could be.

Thanks to Dave and Richard for a great day on the water!

Fishing Opener 2010

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Fishing opener 2010 has come and gone. What a weekend! Well at least the for the weather. I don't think the bite was as good as what everyone had expected because I think the fish were confused as many anglers. We ended up finding some bitting fish here is the scoop.

The WalleyeDan guide group, Tim, Toby, Bruce and I took out the Lost Lake Lodge fishing maniacs on opening day on Gull Lake. It was a struggle to get on a good pattern. We caught fish in 7 feet of water all the way to 26 feet of water. Some fish bit on a jig and minnow and some bite on a rig. So we had to work for em' but we all were able to boat some walleyes for the boys.

We had pretty early spring and I think some of the fish spawn really early and some late which means some of the fish were already starting their early summer transition. What does that mean? Be versatile and look for the active school and be prepared to fish both deep and shallow until these fish decide what they want to do.

On Sunday we headed to Leech. Again another beautiful day on the water. I had my Dad and brother Jason in my boat, Tim Hanske had his Dad in Tim's boat, Joe, my little brother, Aaron, and Joe Skerik in Aaron's boat and Toby, Mike and Drew in Toby's boat. What a goon crew and there was no doubt we were going to find em.

I started fishing in the traditional spring locations. Shallow flats close to spawning grounds and we found some fish. Most of the fish were caught using a KenKatch Hair jig. It wasn't gang busters by no means. I couldn't believe the amount of boats and what a great site to see for the fishing community. It was flat calm and sunny but it seemed like when the wind picked up just a little and the clouds rolled in the fish decided to bite. We bounced from spot to spot catching fish on almost every single location. We caught our limit of keeper walleyes and some hawg bellies to boot.

So the phone rang and it was the hooligans, Joe, Aaron and Joe. "Come over Joe has a musky on!" Aaron said. We picked up and I took some shots of the boys in action. I also took a couple of other shots. Click on the photos for a larger view.

Don't forget to check out WalleyeDan Guide Group I'm so pumped to be apart of fishing with these great group of guides. We are booking up fast so make sure to give us a call and request me!

Cappies!

Had the chance to get out and fish for crappies with my good friend Pablo. We fished a local lake in the Brainerd Lakes area and had a great trip. It was super windy out but I still managed to get a little bit of sun burn and catch some crappies and some super nice sunnies. The majority of the fish we caught were still on the edge in 7 to 8 feet. Most of the fish were caught on small jigs and flies tipped with a crappie minnow. The fish were holding pretty tight to the cabbage weeds.

Walleye opener is just around the corner! Can't wait to get set the hook on some white tips!

First Professional Musky Tournament of the year Cave Run Lake

Joe, my brother, and just returned home from our first Professional Musky Tournament Trail Tournament of the year. We fished Cave Run Lake near Morehead, Kentucky.

We left on Tuesday afternoon of last week and let me tell you that is a long drive. We drove through the night and made it to the lake. After a few u-turns we got our Kentucky fishing license and we were off to the boat ramp. Going into this tournament I knew two areas that were going to produce fish and I also knew that most of the anglers fishing would also know about these two areas. Joe and I talked and said we were going to focus our pre fishing on off beat locations. The water temps were anywhere from 60 to 70 degrees with the average being around 64. Most anglers thought that the musky were done spawning and some said that the spawn has yet to happen.

On Cave Run there are several bites to key in on. One is to focus on deep “hollows”. There are several ways to fish these deep hollows. We found lots of really small muskies towards the shallow water in the back of the hollows and along the edges as you enter the hollows. We started to see fish immediately but they were small and not the fish we were looking for besides the occasional 32 to 36 incher.

The second bite on Cave is the weed bite. Now the largest weed flat known as Zilpo flats is one of the community holes I knew fish would be caught. There a very few other weeds, mostly milfoil, in the lake but we found some. There were fish on a few and the right size fish. Usually this weed bite really kicks in when the water temps hit the consistent 70 degree mark.

The other main bite on the lake trolling over deep water and bait fish. Which Joe and I did for awhile during prefishing which proved to work as we lost one nice fish. Joe and I focused our efforts away from those three bites and found fish on the deep water main lake. Needless to say we found the hawg bellies. During prefishing we saw a ton of really nice fish and on the spot we saw several, Joe had one bite 20 feet from the boat. Joe didn’t set the hook and we just watched her shack her head trying to kill the minnow she thought she just eat. Finally she let the bait go and went back to the depths. We were pretty dialed in and thought we could catch a couple of these nice fish in the tournement.

The night before the tournament we made a decision to fish these off beat spots and go for the win. We couldn’t wait for tournament take off.



Saturday came and we were ready to rock em’. I was little concerned as the temp dropped from around 75 degrees to a blistering 30 degrees in the morning. We went to our first spot and didn’t move a fish. I was thinking what in the world? These fish were just here I know there here. I told Joe lets hit it from a different angle and after that they started coming out of the wood work. We saw several nice fish but couldn’t get them to eat. We continued to fish out big fish spots and mixed in a few hollows and moved fish but had not bitters. So day one was over and we were fishless.

Day 2 and Joe and I decided to stick to our plan to try and catch a big one as we knew if we could get one of these fish to bite we would be in the top 10 and if we could get two we would win this bad boy. It was again another cold morning and we took off to our number one spot. Nothing again! We found on day 1 once that sun warmed the water up they fish would start to move and that is exactly what happened on day 2. We went back to our number 1 spot and I heard Joe set the hook, “got er”, yes fish on and as soon as I looked up to go for the net fish off. This was in the exact area we were seeing a really nice fish. Crap! That’s fishing and we continued to fish. We had several more fish follow through out the day and even had a fish with 10 minutes to go nipping the back of Joe’s bait but just wouldn’t seal the deal. So no fish but were happy with the decision we made to go for the win.

One of our main lake spots did produce the biggest fish of the tournament. Caught by locals Anthony Smith, my buddy that lives down there, and his partner. Congrats to him. Another one of my friends, Josh Brovosky and Troy Zuelzke, took third with two fish. Almost all of the guys who placed fished on the two community spots that I mentioned earlier. I knew there would be fish caught on those spots but I didn’t think that many.

Thanks to our many sponsors for helping us fish these tournaments. My Mercury Verado ran perfect! Also thanks to my good Southern Buddy Larry Besant who let us crash at his place. Larry get your butt up North and we will catch another 50 incher. Our next tournament is in the end of June on the Eagle River Chain in Wisconsin.

Here is a list of the fish caught in the tournament. (from www.promusky.com)

Southern Shootout! Day 1 Day 2 Total
Team Cave Run Lake, KY Size of Size of # of
# Place Team Name Fish Caught Fish Caught Fish
30 1 Schneider, Russell & Wells, James 37 & 38 32 3
48 2 Lijewski, Mark & Schroeder, Clay 37.5 & 36 31.25 3
34 3 Zuelzke, Troy & Borovsky, Josh 37 & 37 0 2
78 4 Burns, Billy & Tate, David 36.25 36.25 2
73 5 Reed, Joey & Smith, Anthony 0 48 1
8 6 Clepper, Brian & Smida, Charles 46 0 1
53 7 Everhart, Dave & Gardiner, Nate 45.75 0 1
14 8 Olsen, Ben & Hamm, Andy 0 37.5 & 32 2
43 9 Johnson, David & Walls, Jason 35.5 & 31.25 0 2
13 10 Rusteberg, Steven & Bowman, Ron 37.75 & 31.25 0 2
77 11 Searsor, Darrell & Seasor, Lance 0 38.5 1
57 12 Guenther, David & Lewis, John 36.25 0 1
19 13 Mullins, Crash & Mullins, Justin 36 0 1
26 14 Rozek, Tom & Dresow, Mark 36 0 1
50 15 Kircher, David & Kircher, Matt 35.25 0 1
55 16 Campbell, Tad & Kinney, Justin 0 35.25 1
5 17 Keyes, Michael & Genson, Steve 0 35 1
2 18 Summers, Jason & Bilbrey, Troy 34.5 0 1
49 19 Burton, Richard & Rue, Mark 34.5 0 1
69 20 Morris, Jerome & Burquest, Eric 34 0 1
6 21 Korpela, Ross & Adkins, John 0 34 1
25 22 Landmeier, Duane & Ryan, John 33.75 0 1
31 23 Risius, Jr, John & Lulay, John 33.5 0 1
36 24 Stewart Jonathan & Ferjutz, Jeff 0 32.5 1
24 25 Reiter, James & Saucedo, Cesar 32 0 1
80 26 Lewis Paul & Lewis, Willie 31.75 0 1
29 27 Forman, Marty & Tiegs, Donnie 31.5 0 1

PMTT Team number #37

I'm pumped to say that Joe, little bro, and I will be fishing the entire Professional Musky Tournament Trail this year. Thanks to Jeff Thoele for sponsoring our team and to the rest of our sponsors for making this happen. We leave in a couple of weeks for our first even on Cave Run Lake in Kentucky. Going South!

You can read more about the PMTT here PMTT Website

Bigtooth Tackle Slime Fest 2010

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I had just an amazing weekend fishing with my good friends this past weekend. We were fishing with Bigtooth "Natural" Quick Strike Rigs on Lake of the Woods and we put the hurt bag on some monsters.

Pure monsters found here Bigtooth Baby!

Some more photos here Become my Facebook Buddy Click Here

Clam and Ice Team Photo Shoot

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My good friend Nick Chiodo, with Clam Corp, and I just got back from Rainy Lake. Our mission was to go up and get some photos of guys with with fish for Clam Corporation and Ice Armor. We stayed at Woody's Rainy Lake Resort with Woody himself and of course the rest of crew of Woody's fairly Reliable Guide Service. All I have to say is what a fun bunch and an amazing lake! This lake is for the ice fisherman who likes to take there snowmobile and Clam Fish Trap shelter and just go. I mean the structure is so awesome and there was nobody around. If you don't have a portable they are plowing a road with access to all the fishing spots you need. We fished hard and caught some super nice walleyes. Got the walleye shots we needed along with a bunch of fish house photos. We rocked! We decided to make a pit stop on a lake on the way home and I ended up catching a 14 1/4 inch Craap Dawg! It was a hawg belly. I wish I could show you the photos but you will just have to wait for the catalogue.

Check clam out at Clam Corp

Check Woody's out at Woody's Fairly Reliable Guide Service

Check out his winter specials. They are a steal!

"make a memory"
Jeff Andersen

March Pike Madness

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Holy Hannah! March is just around the corner and that means hawg belly pike time. It’s one of my favorites times of the year and it is by far the best chance to catch a trophy pike.

As the sun starts melting the snow, that surrounds the shorelines, the warm water starts to trickle into the lakes. All the big pike that were roaming the open water start to move in and “stage” for spawning season. It’s usually like clock work and very predictable. It should be noted that most lakes have been closed to fishing so that leaves us with border water here in Minnesota and more specifically Lake of the Woods. The fish right now are still out roaming but the best bite usually happens when the first flight of big ones move shallow. Well I said it was like clock work and predictable but as with any fishing you have to hit “that day” just right and you will have a day to remember. So with that said I can’t tell you the exact date when “that day” is but watch the forecast and weather channels for warm weather and have the gear loaded and ready to head north.

When “that day” comes and you get the flags set don’t mess around with cheap equipment because when that hawg belly bites you don’t want to miss the chance of a lifetime because of “chensy” equipment. So here are the must haves when you head north.

Good Release tools! So I’m putting the cart way in front of the horse and assuming your going to catch a big one and you will if you listen to what I have to say. The most valuable part of catching the monster pike is the monster pike itself so without good release tools you are taking a chance at harming one of the gems. It takes many years for this fish to get to this trophy size so let’s take good care of them. So here is a list of must haves release tools; a good hook cutter/bolt cutter, long noise pliers, jaw spreader, measuring tape, and hook out tool. With these you should be set. Have these tools ready when the flag goes up. Don’t leave them in your truck or fish house and run to the flag land the fish then look around yelling get the release tools. Have them in a bucket or took box and bring them with to each and every flag. Land the fish and please don’t allow the fish to roll around on the ice. Have a plan once the fish is removed from the water. Someone is in charge of hook removal and photography. If you have a plan this will help with the chaos of when that monster comes through the hole. Also let these big fish go! You can get beautiful replicas made and I would recommend Rick Lax at Lax Reproductions. Rick and his crew are so talented! Check out is work at Lax Reproductions

Second you need a good tip up with a large spool. Most of the tip ups today are made fairly good so just make sure you use one with a large spool. I prefer the style that covers the whole hole. Then make sure you have good fresh tip up line. I like to use the cloth 30 to 40 pound. Then of coarse your Bigtooth Tackle Quick-strike Rig. I like the “natural” rig because it holds the bait at the minnow’s natural swimming state. Bigtooth Tackle is made tough and the crimps are double hand crimped. With the “natural” rig, hook one hook behind the head and the other just behind the dorsal fin. Make sure not to spread the hooks too far apart as when the fish hits you would like to hook her with both hooks. The best part about the “natural” rig is you don’t have to let the fish run and swallow the bait. You can set the hook right away preventing deeply hooked fish. You don’t need to set the hook like hulk Hogan either. Just a nice stiff hook set will suffice and don’t wrap the line around your hand. Just be ready to let the fish run as with this big ones they will make many big runs and if you don’t give them line they will rip the hook out. Make sure no slack gets in the line and be prepared when the fish does a “u” turn to reel up the slack. Now sometimes with the big ones they still get the bait super deep so that is why it is so important to have all the tools necessary. You can read more about Bigtooth Tackle at Bigtooth Tackle Company You can purchase the Bigtooth rigs at many retailers and online at KrugerFarms.com

Of coarse you have to drill your holes. The new Solo Engine by Strikemaster makes drilling holes a breeze. If you don’t have a ten-inch auger you can drill two eight-inch holes next to each other. Go Strikemaster Augers and check out the new Solo Engine they are powerful so hang on tight!

Next, a variety of fresh bait is a must! I like to use both frozen smelt and live suckers on my rigs. Last but least don’t forget good clothing! Fishing cold is no fun. I use my IceArmor Blue Suit and I’m all set. With tip up fishing you are on your knees a lot so one of the essential parts of the IceArmor Suits is the padded knees. Check em’ out at Clam Ice Fishing

Ok so we have most of our equipment set so where in the world do we fish? Well it’s no secret we are headed to Lake of the Woods and there are so many places to fish but a few things to look at are feeder creeks and rivers. There are many to fish around and some are fished more then others but just remember to keep your distance from a group that is already set up. Usually my first trip up we spread our tip ups in a straight line starting deep then moving shallow. If we aren’t getting bites we leap frog depending on if it’s late or early March. If we aren’t getting bites and it’s the first part of March we take the shallow one and move it deeper. Deep would be considered 12 to 14 feet and shallow would be 4 to 6 feet. So that is the name of the game. Find how deep they are staged and bada boom you will have flags flying everywhere. Once you determine the right depth concentrate your flags there and always have a few sleepers either shallower or deeper.

Here are a few items you should also think about bringing; sun block, ice cleats, good camera, GPS with lake chip, hook sharpener, hook proof gloves, and did I mention Bigtooth Tackle?

Good luck fishing and please feel free to contact me with any questions at jeff.andersen@live.com

“Make a Memory”

Kenora Bound

Northbound we headed! And, when I say North I mean way North to Kenora, Ontario. The goon crew, Dave, Rick, and Wayne and I headed up to visit my friends Jeff Gustafson “gussy” and Dave Bennett.

We arrived pumped up to go out and stretch our lines on a few fish. We didn’t let the -20 temperature scare us. Well at least not all of us. We spent three days fishing one of the best fisheries in the world Lake of the Woods. We caught several Lake Trout, Walleyes, Crappies and a few bonus whitefish. Oh yeah Rick also caught a monster scoop!

It’s no fun being cold when your out fishing so being prepared with the right clothing is so important. This was frost bite weather so I relied on my Ice Armor Clothing. I didn’t get cold once! If you dress right with the best gear you won’t have to worry about the elements and I didn’t. It’s important to dress in many layers. I started off wearing Ice Armor’s Poly top and bottom. This stuff is amazing and so comfortable. It’s made of 180 gram brushed fleece inside and is naturally moisture wicking. That means when you sweat a little from drilling holes in the ice it will wick the sweat away from your body. The next layer was a wool shirt and pants. Then of coarse my Bigtooth Hooded Sweatshirt that brings me all the good luck, then my Ice Armor reversible jacket that is windproof and then my Blue Black Suit. I will note that the Blue Black suit isn’t insulated like the Gray Black Extreme suit but I wear my suit in spring and winter also. I didn’t need anything more as I had my coat off except when we were driving on the snowmobiles. Another piece that was a life saver was my Ice Armor Neck Gaiter. You can wear all the warm clothing in the world but if you have a cold neck and face it will cool you down in a hurry! OK I know that sounded like a commercial for Clam but I now truly believe in this stuff. The weekend before I was out in poring rain and didn’t get a drop of water on me and now fishing in -20 degree weather I didn’t get cold once. I’m a believer!

Now back to the fishing. Did I mention I caught a walleye that was close to 12 pounds. Yeah baby.......

Here are a few photos from the trip: