I woke up a little late Sunday and headed down to the Red Rock Spillway. For a while it seemed like everyone was catching fish but me.  I saw a Hybrid Bass get pulled out that must’ve been at least 6 lbs, probably more. Eventually I got frustrated and the old lady wanted to be in the sun, so we moved to the other side.

The moment I walked up, this guy next to me pulled out another big one. This one took 5+ minutes to land because he was using an ultralight pole and a fairly light test. He kept pulling out smaller ones for the rest of the day. For a while, it was pretty slow, lots of snags. Then I finally got a bite and pulled out that Walleye. Definitely made the trip worth it.

Around 4 o’clock some younger kids, probably 14-16 years old come up and with this huge net and I’m thinking to myself, “What do they need that for?”  Then all of the sudden I hear one of the kids screaming. They had a 50-60+ lb bighead carp on the line. They landed this thing and I wish I would’ve gotten a picture. Some 8 year old girls were walking down the path that we are standing on and then they saw this beast and turned around and ran the other way. It was absolutely hilarious.

After the fishing was done, we went and wonder around the woods looking for mushrooms. We didn’t find anything until we got to the car and I had a tick on me! All and all a good day though. Now I have some fresh fertilizer for my garden from the sucker fish I pulled out.

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.

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.

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.

“The survival of the fingerlings we stock at this size is almost beyond excellent. Fish like these don’t happen by accident but are the direct result of more than two decades of advanced fisheries research and technology,” said DNR fisheries technician Randy Esser.

Until recently, first-year walleye growth exceeding 6 inches was considered out of the norm and 9-inch fingerlings were simply unheard of. In addition to already achieving the 9-inch growth mark, this year’s crop of “Rathbun Jumbos” currently weigh in at more than a quarter of a pound each — simply incredible for walleyes less than six months of age, said Esser.

According to DNR district fisheries Biologist Scott Grummer, the Rathbun walleye stocking represents the season’s final installment of young gamefish to Clear Lake and is intended to supplement earlier 2009 stockings which included 16 million fry, 55,000 3-inch fingerlings and 18,000 6-inch advanced fingerlings.

“Recent young of the year fish surveys have revealed that the natural reproduction of (food base) forage fish was phenomenal at Clear Lake this year,” said Grummer.

“The lake definitely has food, and the survival and growth rates of these advanced fingerlings should be incredible.

“Under excellent conditions, walleyes can attain the legal 14-inch minimum length limit within four growing seasons. I think these fish will make it in three.”

Other Iowa lakes to receive Rathbun fingerlings this fall are Black Hawk Lake, Lake Icaria, Storm Lake, West Okoboji, Big Creek, Lake Manawa and Lake Sugema. Although original requests called for 200,000 advanced fingerlings, stockings were cut by more than 40,000 walleyes due to budget cuts, said Esser.

Lowell Washburn is with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has confirmed the presence of mercury above consumption advisory levels in tissue samples from largemouth bass collected from Red Haw Lake in Lucas County, Upper Centerville Reservoir in Appanoose County, and Grade Lake in Clarke County.

Individuals should consume no more than one meal per week of largemouth bass caught from these three lakes.

Every year Iowa DNR biologists collect samples of fish for laboratory analysis to determine the wholesomeness of fish for human consumption. Edible portions of these fish are analyzed by a certified lab and results are compared to consumption advisory levels as identified by the DNR and Iowa Department of Public Health in the state’s consumption advisory protocol. The risk-based protocol went into effect in 2006 and is based on US EPA and FDA guidance. This protocol is the basis for issuing consumption advisories for Iowa waters.

This brings the total number of advisories in Iowa to 14. All of Iowa’s consumption advisories recommend that individuals should consume no more than one meal per week of the fish species of concern.

Previous advisories issued for Iowa lakes include Cedar Lake in Cedar Rapids for common carp and channel catfish, and Cedar Bend Lake for common carp in Linn County for PCBs. Advisories due to mercury have previously been issued for largemouth bass at Lake Geode in Henry County, Morman Trail Lake in Adair County, Nine Eagles Lake in Decatur County, and North Banner and South Banner lakes near Indianola,.

Other advisories in Iowa rivers have previously been issued for mercury include the Cedar River from Floyd County north to the Minnesota border for smallmouth bass, walleye and northern pike; the Upper Iowa River from the lower dam in eastern Winneshiek County upstream 24 miles for any species of fish; and the Volga River, including the Little Volga and the North Branch Volga River from the town of Volga upstream in Clayton County for smallmouth bass.

Mississippi River Pool 12, which is the area between Lock and Dam 11 in Dubuque and Lock and Dam 12 at Bellevue in Jackson County, has a consumption advisory for walleye, sauger, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass and northern pike.

The DNR has information on these contaminants and consumption advisories on its Fish and Fishing webpage at www.iowadnr.gov/fish/index.html then click on Fish Consumption Advisories in the navigation bar on the left.

Fish are still part of a healthy diet. To achieve the most health benefits – which also include proper growth and brain development in children – the Iowa Department of Public Health recommends that Iowans of all ages should eat fish at least twice per week. This includes fish you buy or catch yourself. For information on the benefits of eating fish or what types of fish are safe to eat, visit the Iowa Department of Public Health’s webpage at http://www.idph.state.ia.us/eh/common/pdf/env/fish_health_issues.pdf.

I went out today and caught this Walleye. It was one of the bigger ones I’ve caught this year. There are several ponds back near “the Y.” The best way to get back here is to park on Beaver Ave in Johnston just over the bridge from Des Moines and walk along the levy. The trail right now was fairly overgrown near the street, but once I got in it wasn’t too bad.  I always have a fair amount of luck bouncing a worm on the bottom here. Sometimes I pull in a few little wipers too. There was another guy here today or I would’ve probably tried a little harder for them. He was bitching about last time he was here the guys before him left quite a bit of garbage.  So I thought I’d remind you to quit shitting where you live. Especially if the place you are fishing is about 3/4 a mile from the nearest road. No one is going to come up here and clean up your shit. Its just going to be sitting there next time you come fishing there. Littering is the kind of bush league stuff that ensures farm pond owners will be kicking you off their land. So please try to leave with whatever you bring fishing, its just common courtesy. I’m not going to rant anymore, but the guy had a point.