Iowa Big Bass Fisher

Went out on Saturday, April 10 to Big Creek to fish for a few hours.  I also took my boat out for the first time since it was repaired last season, so I didn’t know what to expect, performance-wise. Especially since I neglected to winterize the engine. It was stored inside though, so I figured it would be alright. Thankfully it was, it started on the second pull, which was a relief, until it stalled out.  After about 5 minutes of pulling it was running smoothly and I was moving!

Anyway, I headed towards the Saylorville Lake Spillway, I didn’t go down the passage to get to it, I stopped near the area you drive by as you enter Big Creek State Park, because I always have luck around there early in the season. The bite was slow but after about 45 minutes I finally had the little guy pictured. Sadly, that was my only catch of the day.

I moved around a couple times and didn’t have any more luck. Oh well, it was great to be on the water, until the clouds rolled in. I should have some better luck next week.

Mitchell Lake

Members of the Mitchell City Council voted unanimously Monday evening at City Hall to approve the purchase of a used SolarBee water circulator to combat algae in Lake Mitchell.

The City Council’s Finance Committee voted to provide $20,250 for the purchase. The remainder of the necessary funds — $6,750 —will come from the Lake Mitchell Advisory Committee as a 25 percent match.
The unit, which sells for approximately $50,000 new, will cost $22,000. Installation in Lake Mitchell will cost $5,000.

The council also awarded a $5,180 bid for work on a handicapped fishing dock to Colwell Concrete Inc., of Mitchell.

There’s an extra incentive for anglers to get out in Clear Lake. Anglers fishing Clear Lake could pull out more than just a fish.

The Iowa DNR is tagging 26-walleyes for the upcoming season.

25-fish carry 100 dollar marks. The one fish has a 1,000 dollar tag.

The $1,000 fish tagged last season is still swimming around out there in Clear Lake. The prize money is still good through the end of May.

Its Fishing Season Again

Alright, I’m not an Ice Fisherman, which is pretty much why this blog has been dormant this winter. I’m still alive though and if the weather and my alarm clock cooperate, I hope to be out fishing in the morning.

Sean Kinnear, 27, was amazed when he felt a fierce tug on his fishing line and pulled in the 9ft monster. He waged a 15-minute battle to land the beast, which hits the scales at an incredible 233lb 6oz.

It is the third largest catfish ever caught in the world.

Sean said: “As the fish surfaced we were all in shock as it was so big. It was really hard trying to reel it in as it was so heavy and the rod was bending. It came close to breaking me, but I managed to pull it in, although it took four of us to get it on to the shore.”

The big catch came after a 12 hour day of fishing. Sean added: “We had been fishing all day and it was just starting to get dark so I thought I’d have one last try.

“The fish bit very hard and I managed to land it within 15 minutes.”

The mighty fish was loaded on to a sling and weighed before it was returned to the river.

Sean, who has a photo of his big catch on his wall, revealed: “I was totally over the moon and it’s a fishing holiday I’ll never forget.

“I might have to change species now to have more of a challenge and move on to sturgeon which can go up to 1000lb.”

Wells Catfish are the largest freshwater fish in Europe and eat anything they come across, including swans. The largest ever caught weighed 246lb.

Sediment ponds, road culvert risers and extensions, boat ramp designs, watershed work and archaeological surveys are all part of Lake Darling’s continuing restoration activities.

“Weather slowed Lake Darling Restoration activities in 2009,” DNR Fisheries Biologist Chad Dolan said. “Extended dry weather was rare in 2009 and is needed for the lake bottom to harden so that construction within the lake may happen.”

The lake was first drained in November 2008, and subsequently, has refilled and drained numerous times since its initial draw down.

Weather has allowed the completed construction of five ponds and one terrace as well as six road culvert risers and one road culvert extension within park boundaries. In the watershed, final plans have been completed for an erosion control pond involving four landowners.

The purpose of each is to slow the transport of water and trap sediment and nutrients before run-off water reaches the Lake Darling basin Dolan said.

Reduced sediment and nutrient inputs into Lake Darling will result in increased water clarity and decreased algal blooms. The growth and condition of fish such as largemouth bass inhabiting the lake may also improve as they’ll be able to see and capture prey more successfully.

The ponds themselves provide fishing opportunities and are already stocked with bluegills. In spring 2010 the ponds will be stocked with channel catfish and largemouth bass. All of the ponds and riser structures are visible from the park roads and are easily accessible.

Dolan, along with the DNR Fisheries Bureau and Engineering Bureau, has also been working on plans for the construction of a new boat ramp and parking area. The ramp and parking lot will be constructed on the shoreline before the entrance of the existing campground and will replace the current campground boat ramp Dolan said.

Archaeological surveys are being conducted in areas anticipated to be impacted by project construction activities. All archaeological work has been completed with the exception of a single site which has valuable historical significance.

Archaeologists will be exploring this site further to insure they collect as much information as possible regarding past civilizations before restoration work moves forward.  The last phase of archaeological work will be completed in November 2009 and lake restoration construction activities are expected to proceed in 2010.

Old Man Winter owes West Des Moines taxpayers $75,000.

That’s the cost the city will bear to get a close look under the Raccoon River Park’s fishing pier, which was surrounded with an orange, plastic fence all season due to damage left behind by last winter’s brutal temperatures.

High water had closed the pier periodically in past years, then winter delivered more ice than the structure could handle. “The ice actually got underneath and lifted it off the supports,” the parks department’s recreation director, Todd Seaman, said.

Parks director Sally Ortgies closed the pier while the city’s insurance company, the contractor, and the designer debated who would handle the cost for repairs. When the ice melted last spring, high water slowed the inspection process.

Raccoon River Park, 2440 Grand Ave., is considered the “crown jewel” of the city’s parks system. It comprises nearly 632 acres and features Blue Heron Lake, which is managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

United Contractors Inc. of Johnston has been hired to “de-water” an area around the pier so city inspectors can examine the extent of damage to the footings and deck. The city’s insurance provider will pick up half the cost.

No timetable for repairs, if needed, has been set.

Heritage Pond will be stocked with more than 1,500 catchable-size rainbow trout today. Today’s stocking will be the first of three trout releases planned for Heritage Pond, which is located on Dubuque’s north side on Iowa 3/U.S. 52. The pond will be stocked a second time in January and again in April following ice-out as part of the annual family fishing day. Anglers who are interested in fishing for trout need to possess a fishing license and a trout stamp. Anglers younger than 16 do not need a trout stamp as long as they are with a licensed adult and any fish kept are part of the licensed adult five-fish daily limit.

Clear Lake’s long-range fishing forecast showed a marked improvement last week as more than 18,000 9-inch, advanced fall fingerling walleyes were stocked near the reed beds at McIntosh Woods State Park.

Reared at southern Iowa’s Rathbun State Fish Hatchery, the fingerlings began life on natural foods but were then trained to feed on a specially developed dry ration. The protein-rich mixture promotes rapid growth and produces advanced fingerlings that are regarded as “super fish” by anglers who one day hope to put them in the boat and on the table.

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