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Thursday
Sep032009

Smallmouth Heaven

DateThursday, September 3, 2009 at 11:38AM

Highway 28 running out of MinnesotaI have a lot of favorite lakes outside of Minnesota.  Bear Paw iup n Northern Ontario. Erie out East. Nelson over in North Dakota. Kasba up in the NW Territories.  Now, I add South Dakota's Roy Lake to my list.  Roy Lake has, in just a couple of fishing seasons, become one of my favorite fishing holes;  Not because it's the most popular or best known, but because it fishes like few lakes I visit.  Oh, and there's never anyone around when I fish it.   As you head west out of Minnesota and into South Dakota on Highway 28 you can't help but notice the tower up on the bluff.  Fishing buddy Brandon Murphy and I had to stop and The Nicollet Towerclimb the Nicollet Tower's ten stories to check out the three-state view.  We could certainly see where we were coming from and where we were headed.  About fifteen miles West to Lake City.  We pulled into Roy Lake Resort at Roy Lake State Park right about 5 p.m., just in time to catch the evening bite.  Owner Jan Thames was there to greet us. So, Launching the Triton Allurewe drop the Due North Outdoors Triton Allure in and we fish topwater baits on the glass-calm lake and the smallmouth bass, almost instantly, go Topwater Baitscrazy.  I mean we catch a pile of fish on a bunch of my favorite topwater baits, including Zara Spooks, Skitter Walks and Lucky Craft Sammy knock-offs (I can't afford the real thing!).   I even tied up this little Penfold's Shiraz Poppercritter after a buddy popped a bottle of red wine for dinner with our steaks.  On our second day, wind kicked up and we encountered some downright tough weather. Weather hits us! A cold front moved in and we delt with squall front after squall front.  Heavy wind pounded us all day and ever hour or two, we'd have to contend with a quick Shelter under a giant Cottowoodstorm blowing through.  Weather got so tough we had to ditch the boat behind a protective point and under a giant Cottonwood tree to dodge heavy, heavy rain.  The view after After the stormwas sure something to see! The weather put a damper on our topwater fishing, butBrandon with another big smallie we were still able to find fish using jigs and cranks.  Our second evening on the lake, Jan ordered us off before dinner time and over to the steak fry at Prairie Skies.  I have never experienced anything like it.  The recipie is Pitchfork Steakssimple enough;  A big vat of hot oil, a couple of full-sized pitch forks and a bunch of sirloin steaks.  Dip for a minute or two and The covered wagon kitchendinner served.  The Glacial Lakes region of South Dakota is a widely untapped resource and the fishing Bill and Cy with a rainy day smallmouthis absolutely top-notch.  Just don't be surprised if you have the lake to yourself. Trust me on that one...

 

  

AuthorBill Sherck | Comment10 Comments | Reference2 References |

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    Smallmouth Heaven - Bill Sherck's Blog - Due North Outdoors
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    Smallmouth Heaven - Bill Sherck's Blog - Due North Outdoors

Reader Comments (10)

Sounds like a fun trip, I like the popper!

Erie is one of my favorites, of course, but they have had some bad luck this summer on Erie for walleye. Guides have been switching to searching for perch when no walleyes come out to play!

We had a pretty good day last month on Lake Erie even if the walleye were not nibbling. We caught a few, and some nice perch.....any day out on the water is a success in my book though...
Funny--that day we were the only boat in sight -had the lake to ourselves as well!

Well happy fishing, by the way, did you find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow by chance?????????

Later.........

September 4, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterBean

Hi,
Hurrah! More evocative, beautiful photos.
Thank you very much indeed for another thoughtful and well-written post.

accessoires pda

October 1, 2009 | Unregistered Commenteraccessoires pda

Its nice post. I like this post very much. I like fishing i want to go for a tour of Glacial Lakes. Its a cool place. Like photos specially third from the top.

October 1, 2009 | Unregistered Commentersante

HI Bill:

Just wanted to let you know how great I thought your film was of Roy Lake. I hope in another year, we can do something else again.

Jan

September 10, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterJan Thames

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