It was actually late Spring last year when I caught that 5 pound largemouth. The water was still cold. I worked the jig very slowly. My biggest out of Big Marine this year was a 17 1/2 inch bass. The average size bass in Big Marine is still pretty small. But I think the DNR should stock smallmouth bass in the lake. At this point I’m guessing more people in the southern Minnesota fish for bass than walleye. It would be nice if the DNR did a better job of managing them.

Here’s that 5 lb bass I caught in Big Marine last year. Got it on a Z-Man rubber skirted jig with a plastic craw trailer.

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Steve Root wrote:

I used to fish Marine back when the only access was in the south-east corner. It was so shallow I’d have the whole car in the water before I could haul the boat off the trailer. That kept a lot of traffic off the lake and it was great. Lots of Bass, lots of big Bass and all Largemouth. But things always change and I haven’t been back up there in a long time.

My father told me that in the old days there was actually two lakes, Little Marine and Big Marine. “Little” was the north arm, and it seems to me there’s a shallow 4 foot deep across the mouth of that bay. In those days my Dad and my Uncle would rent a boat and frequently caught Smallmouth. But that was long ago.

SR

There’s a mid lake hump that divides the north and south sections of Big Marine. Fishing off that hump can produce largemouth bass. But there is definitely structure in the lake that would be suitable for smallmouth. And other area lakes have smallies.

My buddy and I were on the lake last Thursday. We each caught 8 bass. The biggest was 14 inches and most were in the 12 inch range. We didn’t fish real deep. Pulled some out of 12 FOW. I think the big ones are either deeper or in the lily pads.

Paddle tails on a swim bait jig head. Set the trolling motor at .8 mph. Cast out the paddle tail and let it hit the bottom. Then twitch it as you troll. Expect a very light tap and set the hook. Very similar to dragging Senkos for bass.

As stated staying overnight in the fisherman parking areas isn’t allowed. Will a sheriff bother you? Probably not. You can always drive away if they do. Or park in one of the business parking lots in town. In the Spring it’s harder to catch fish on spinners, spoons and plugs. Those baits work good in the Fall. I’d use stonefly nymphs, yarn flies, beads or spawn sacs. The water has been high and muddy this Spring. Hopefully it will be better by May 1st.

rswan wrote:

I’m headed to Erie for the first time ever. Be there 09 APR to 16 APR. Was wondering if anyone would be willing to share any info or tips for me. Also, If anyone was going during this period if they would be willing to share info while we are there. Lures, depth, areas. Any help would be appreciated.

How did you do? Hope you caught a bunch.

As has been said, a medium 7 foot rod with a fast tip. Just like you’d use for bass fishing. I drag Senkos on the bottom for bass. I use the exact same drag and twitch technique while dragging plastic swim baits on the bottom for walleye. Set the Minnkota at .8 mph for the right speed.

Yeah I took the plastic off the whistler jig once. The propeller blade slipped around and didn’t work. Won’t do that again…

Start shallow and work deep. They could be in that 6 to 8 FOW range waiting to move up. Go deeper if you have to. Jerkbaits , crankbaits and lipless cranks should work. Use lures with a tighter wobble for cold weather. Rip and pause is a good technique to use.

I haven’t noticed the Minnesota DNR doing much for largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing. Can’t complain about what’s been done for walleye other than what’s happened with Mille Lacs. As for bass a lot of states drop artificial structure or cribs which improves bass fishing. A share lunker program like Texas has for keeping big fish genetics in the gene pool and increasing the size of bass would be nice too. Just some suggestions.

I drove by the construction site a few weeks ago and there was activity. Don’t know if it was the construction crew or the railroad. I had heard it was supposed to be done by this Spring. I’ve checked the DNR website and haven’t found much information. What a surprise that the DNR page doesn’t have information on the project.

Tim Hurley wrote:

Yes you can get 3s and thats fun. One 4 in 3 trips of hard fishing? Maybe, 5 no.

I’ve pulled a couple 18 inch largemouth bass out of Big Marine including one last Fall. But yes there are a lot of bass in the 12 inch range. There are other area lakes where I’ve caught several 19 inch bass. The biggest bass I’ve ever caught was 21 1/2 inches. I caught that one in a different East Metro Lake.

Steve Root wrote:

It’s possible. Many years ago my Dad and Uncle would venture up there. At the time it was two separate lakes, Little Marine and Big Marine. Little Marine held Smallmouth.

Was the East Bay of Big Marine back then called Little Marine Lake?

And thanks for the history!

Yeah I noticed the DNR didn’t list them either. White Bear Lake has them I think Bald Eagle and maybe Forest Lake too.

The show that taught me how to bass fish when I was a kid in the 1960s. We had a cabin on a small lake chain. No one else in the family fished much but I would watch Virgil Ward on TV and then go out and use beetle spins and other lures to catch bass.

I think Northland Tackle bought Bagley. That’s why Northland has the Rumble Shad now. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Tell me the spots where you used to catch big bass and I’ll take my dive gear and check it out for you…

Awesome fish! My biggest largemouth bass in Minnesota were 21 and a 21 1/2 inch brutes. One in 1970 when I was 12 and the other in 2019. My biggest smallmouth was 21 inches in 1980. Still trying to land bigger bass. I caught three 19s last year and one this year so far.

Some great crankbaits are made by Bomber, Bandit and Norman. The Cotton Cordell Big O is still a classic too. Some are available through most online sellers and at Cabela’s, Bass Pro and Fleet Farm. For all the color options check out lurenet.com

DeMontreville is one of my favorite East Metro Lakes. I’ve fished it 3 times this year and have caught 7 bass over 15 inches with the largest at 19 inches. Two years ago I caught a 21 1/2 inch bass out of the lake. Last year I got a number of big bass including three 19 inch bass. I used to use crankbaits but now I mainly use Senkos. At least 90% of the time. You can pretty much forget fishing there on the weekends because the lot fills up fast and there are plenty of jet skis, wave runners, speedboats etc.

I only made it to the Brule once last Fall but I caught a nice fresh chrome Steelhead. I started fishing the historic river in September of 1978 when I was 20 years old. I’ve put my foot steps down on those centuries old river trails going on 43 years. I’ve gotten older along the way and the river has changed a few times since then due to blowouts after heavy rains. One thing I’ve noticed is the run seems to start later in the Fall now. Here’s my chromer from last October.

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