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No wake, no fish ... no problems on the water

Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:07 am

By John Cross, The Mankato Free Press
Sun Jul 06, 2014, 05:38 AM CDT

Patience is always a virtue when fishing.

But in recent weeks, anglers have needed a good dose of patience just to reach their favorite fishing spots.

After near-record rainfalls filled area lakes to the brim and beyond, virtually all lakes have been posted as no-wake zones to prevent shoreline erosion. By definition, no-wake regulations require watercraft be operated no faster than is needed to maintain steering and no faster than 5 mph.

Which means it can be a long, leisurely ride to a favorite fishing haunt.

Being forced to throttle back to an idle is not without benefits, however, since no wake means no wakeboarders, water-skiers or personal watercraft buzzing past, either.

But judging by the traffic in some area bait and tackle stores, not a whole lot of anglers are taking advantage of this rare opportunity to fish in relative peace,

“The high water has been affecting everyone’s business around here, restaurants, everybody, but especially at my end,” said Axel Streed, owner of Axel’s Tackle Box in Waterville, a community that has been hit hard by flooding from the nearby Cannon River and Lake Tetonka.

He speculated that homeowners dealing with flooding headaches and campers who have altered vacation plans because of reports of area flooding have been factors.

Likewise, Walt Hohn at Walt’s Hook, Line and Sinker near St. Peter, said his business has been affected by high water, especially on the Minnesota River which is still flowing out of its banks.

“Normally, late June and into July is the best time to fish the river,” he said, adding that in its present state, it is virtually unfishable.

However, Ryan White at White’s Bait and Tackle in Madison Lake, said angler traffic through his door has been steady despite the high water and no-wake edict.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” he said, speculating that a factor in his favor is his central location to so many lakes.

Although the high water and no-wake policies have created some inconveniences, once on the water, fishing has been good.

“The high water has disturbed some fish patterns, but guys who are fishing on Washington are catching some really nice sunfish,” Hohn said.

Streed said fishing also has been good on Tetonka, with anglers reporting nice catches of walleyes using leeches and night crawlers.

While walleyes and crappies have been scarce on Madison Lake, White said anglers are doing well on northerns, bass and bluegills.

Of course, when it comes to a fish bite, the devil is always in the details. This angler fished two of the aforementioned lakes a few Sundays ago.

I got a late start and wondered if there would be any room left at the first lake access on such a nice Sunday. When I turned into the site, I discovered only two other rigs and plenty of elbow room.

A few hours later, at the second lake, I had the landing all to myself.

After five hours of poking around the customary mid-summer fishing spots, and expanding my search to some areas created by the unusually high water on both lakes, I tallied not a single fish.

In fact, I didn’t even have a single, verifiable nibble.

No big deal, I suppose. We all have days like that.

In spite of catching little more than rays of sunshine, without the usual boat traffic buzzing by, the absence of close-cruising ski boats and personal watercraft buzzing past, it was still a very pleasant, if unproductive, excursion.

On such a pleasant, sunny Sunday, it was eerily quiet out there. So quiet, in fact, that I’m guessing the fish were taking a nap.

How’s that for an excuse?
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