suckers

[stu escher]

Hey Rob,

We are really looking forward to our Cap City outing coming up in a few weeks. Over a few cold ones last night the discussion turned to suckers and their availability. I know it may be a little early to anticipate Ray's stock but is this something we should be concerned with? Would it be a good idea to call Ray's a week, or so, ahead of our arrival to "place an order"....if he even does that? Paul and I will be up on Thurday morning. Hope we can have a few before you have to leave.

THanks,
Stu

[Mark Benson]

Stu:

Not sure when Rob will get to see this, so I figured I throw up my opinion for what its worth... In the spring, I have friends come up from your area looking for redtails and Ray usually is one of the local baitshops that I call to see what I might be able to get, so I would think that a call wouldn't hurt...

Mark

[Jim L]

I think the reason they had a shortage of suckers was due to high water last fall due to the rainfall over the summer. I would assume that that isn't a problem this year but who knows. mark I'm going to have to get your number so we can fish together one of these weekends. I didn't come up this weekend because I couldn't find anyone to come up. I'll be up next weekend with the family.

As far as turnover goes some of the shallower lakes have mixed already. If you think about it, if the coldest water in the depths is 60 degrees, when the surface temps dip below 60 that water will start to sink and displace the water at the lower levels. The algae blooms you see at the end of August and early September are a result of the nutrients from the bottom being mixed with the water in the upper column. Algae is a plant and when it gets "fertilized" it grows quickly, thus the blooms. I talked to several limnologists at Trout Lake this summer and they confirmed this. The larger deeper lakes have more water and cooler water at depth so it takes longer for them to mix. The lake continues to mix as the surface water cools until water reaches 39. Most people say 50 degrees is when the lake turns but it is dependent on the lake and many other factors.(wind, fetch, topography) When lakes reach this cooler temp. they will move to thedeeper areas of the lake. Rob has a great article in Musky Hunter this month on taking advantage of this phenomenon.

[Mark Benson]

Jim:

I had heard that one of the major sucker trappers had his license revoked as he caught doing something bad in ND. Don't know that for a fact, nor have I looked for suckers as I have pretty much turned into a casting masochist... As for turnover, I look at it like this, if I don't like what I see on the lake I am on, I head for another smaller or larger one or even head to shallower parts of the same body of water.

I wouldn't have been a very good partner this weekend as I am the king of corn for the Lion's at Beef-o-rama. I am hoping to get out a little bit tomorrow before I have to sneak over to Fibbers.

Mark

[Rob Manthei]

Stu,

Yeah, just call Ray...figure it out with him....get a short term loan to pay for the suckers...they aren't cheap this year

[Mr Musky]

Stu,

Yeah, just call Ray...figure it out with him....get a short term loan to pay for the suckers...they aren't cheap this year

Rob, how much are they charging? Ave? Man last year some places in Eagle River were charging $10a pop!!

[Jim L]

large ones were $8 2 weekends ago. 12"ers were $6