First open water fish...

[Badgermilk27]

I guess this goes out to all of those with rivers and streams around...when do the finny fishies start running.  I am talking about anything that can be caught, from suckers to trout, to cats and such...and where...?

[Skipper]

You can catch Carp below dams on the Mississippi pretty much all year. It has to be pretty cold to shut the water down. Warm water discharges from mills can be dynamite, even for catfish. A few friends of mine used to fish below the Sartell paper mill, they did very well in the spring.

The suckers should be starting their pilgrimage in the second or third week of April. The peak is usually a week on either side of May first. The best thing to do is just keep checking the river at county road bridges. On a sunny day, you should have no problem seeing them. Creeks and rivers fed by larger lakes are usually the best. I fish suckers in the Rum River, it is fed from Mille Lacs. It is a great thing to do with kids. Suckers are so dumb, they will drag your rod down the bank before they drop the bait. Some of the Red Horse suckers can grow pretty large, kids get a huge charge dragging one in with a Zebco 202.

[Badgermilk27]

Thanks Skipper...I am trying to start my open water season a little early, and this should help greatly!!