# Any luck lately?



## specialpatrolgroup

I havent been able to get out there in forever, hows the bite. Heading to my parents place thsi weekend where I hope I can stock up on some frogs.


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## triwithzinger

I fished for aout three hours near the Hickson bridge and had nothing until a 11 pounder nailed my chunck of frozed goldeye. I tried frogs, crawlers, and venison liver, but none of those seemed to work.

BTW: Don't believe those folks who say the big fish don't taste good. I filled him up, soaked the chunks in milk for a day, then my wife fried them up nice and they were great! (maybe it's all the extra mercury that make them taste so good!)

BTW 2: I cut open his belly and there was what I think was a half a goldeye (no head or tail and probably about 10" long) and a giant water beetle in his stomach)


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## triwithzinger

Pucker up BABY!!!

(a nice close up of my 11 lber)


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## specialpatrolgroup

Never even thought of using deer liver before.


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## spentwings

It's really been slow down here.
Evening before last, the guy I was with caught a 7 lber (weighed and released) on cut sucker.
Been having better luck cranking for smallies with a couple of nice pike thrown in.


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## seabass

spentwings said:


> It's really been slow down here.
> Evening before last, the guy I was with caught a 7 lber (weighed and released) on cut sucker.
> Been having better luck cranking for smallies with a couple of nice pike thrown in.


Do you cast or troll for smallies on the Red? I have tried casting cranks while we are tied up to a tree fishing cats... but haven't caught anything yet. This is near Hickson. I went out yesterday and only caught small cats. I'd appreciate any tips on small mouth fishing on the Red if you're willing to share! If not, no problem either...


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## spentwings

seabass said:


> I'd appreciate any tips on small mouth fishing on the Red if you're willing to share! If not, no problem either...


Sure,,,but not much to tell.
I do most of my smallie fishing on the Ottertail though,,, between so called Lake Breckenridge and Wells Memorial Park.
Basically, just casting to the slack water, eddys, and current lines near or around rip rap and boulders. Outside bends and
areas around the divergence can also produce at times. Haven't taken a smallie around wood yet but if something looks good 
I'll cast to it.
Main drawback about cranking around rock are hangups so I either use MadDads or the cheapest cranks I can find.

So how big are the smallies down here? Well I've heard the 5 lber rumor but the largest I've actually seen is this
3.25 lber caught and kept by an Asian lady using a night crawler on the RED. 









I've taken many 2 lbers and many more smaller. On light or ultra- light tackle they got to be the funnest fish in the river.


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## seabass

Thanks! I'm basically doing the same thing, except there isn't much for rip rap or boulders on the Red near me. I'm hitting sunken trees, etc that look promising... but just can't pull one out.


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## NDduckslayer

went out on the red yesterday and the walleyes were biting on cut sucker. Biggest was 18inchs. Went out today for 8 hours of fishing one 16inch sauger, 1 10inch cisco and a 6 pound walleye on cut goldeye!


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## spentwings

It's always a pleasant surprise to catch a walleye fishing for cats.
I've caught several nice ones over the years on cut bait,,,it's been a awhile though.

Caught this smallie at noon today.
At 16 1/2" she had to be pushing 3 lbs or a little better,,,, my best Ottertail River smallmouth to date.


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## spentwings

An average size pike down here,,,again, on light tackle a lot of fun.


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## spentwings

Been baiting for cats this week X3 and nothing.

Cranking for other species still producing.
Didn't weigh/measure,,,maybe 6-7 lbs.
Totally engulfed the Cabela's crank,,,love that braid.


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## NDduckslayer

Went open water fishing in January!  There is some open water right by the fargo waste management plant. Went for two hours. I caught a 26 incher pike and a 24 incher casting softbaits.


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