# SHEYENNE REPORT



## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

It was an awesome weekend on the Sheyenne!

In total we CAUGHT AND RELEASED around 40 bronzebacks, including five over 16 inches with the biggest topping out at 17 inches. It was an interesting weather weekend too! We had rain in the morning and 50 degrees until about noon, where the temperatures skyrocketed to around 80 both today (Sun) and yesterday.

The bite was tough on Saturday, but the fish we caught were all good sized. Todays fishing was fast after the warm sunny afternoon yesterday. I left Grand Forks right after my final exam to head home (Valley City, ND), because my brother called me and said that he had gotten into a slew of walleye and smallies. He said one caught by his group was over 19 inches, and pushing 20, but he didn't get a good measurement on it.

Most fish were holding along breaklines in 5-8 feet of water, with smaller males already moving up into the shallows to stake their claims. The bigger fish were in deep holes just off steep drops or near structure, like fallen trees. Most fish came on 1/8 oz jigs in orange or pink with 3" twistertails in white or yellow (our staple). Yesterday, the majority of bites came on slow to medium retrieves, or by bouncing the jig along the bottom, especially in rocky shoals or along areas where creeks or runoff met the rvier. Today, the bite was faster in the same areas, and the smallies were willing and ready to hit!

So needless to say the smallie season is firing up on the Sheyenne, and hopefully the bite will stay strong throughout the summer! The river is really coming alive, there are already several dozen goslings that have hatched in the last few days, and the numbers of other species of birds along the shores of the Sheyenne have just exploded.

I have never seen bluewing teal on the river before this year, and now I have seen at least 10 pairings out on the waters around VC. And those male wood ducks, in their full plumage are truly a work of art. What a great scene to be on for a great weekend of fishing!

New pictures are up at my website, so check out all the great fishing! AND REMEMBER TO CATCH AND RELEASE THOSE BRONZEBACKS...THEY HAVE *NOT* SPAWNED!!!! (Not that anyone would ever kill such a kick-*** fish!)

Tight lines!


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