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<p>The bugs in central Minnesota are HORRIBLE right now. All the rain and heat must have generated a population explosion. I was wondering if anyone knew of spots in the Midwest, esp. near Minnesota, that were "light on the bugs." I'd be willing to drive a few hours to get away from these swarms of vampires. Even OFF and other security measures are proving to be nearly useless. I have to fish, but I need to keep my blood too!</p>
No mosquitos by us right now.
We only had a bit of hail a few days agao. before that the last rain to fall on our part of the state was the first weekend in may. I have never in my life seen our state so dry. Literally we had gone 2 months without a drop of rain.
We had storms last week that ripped trees from the ground all over because the soil had no weight to counter the tree due to it being dry. Its been hot, every day last week was over 100 with heat index over 120 on several days.
The bugs all died.
That said the rivers are almost dried up and we are having the worst fishkills in recorded history.
but if you like bowfin and gar we got you covered.
I was on a small river on Saturday...usually I don't fish until dark, but I was really hoping to put my friend on his first brook trout (had one come off earlier). What a bad decision! In about 5 minutes, I could count over 13 bites on my legs...one flew up my shorts (we were wet wading) and came awfully close to some sensitive parts...
I've never seen mosquitoes so bad...but then again, I usually dunk myself in OFF if I knew I was in mosquito territories...
hitch a ride out into Superior - should be bug free out there...
unfortunately our streak of cold wind ended a couple weeks ago and the shore is clogged with biting flies and mosquitos (and it is fricken hot out there, but I'm a wuss about hot weather).
Josh the sucks! hard to imagine with all the flooding I've seen here and in the MSP area in the past month.
Was outside a lot the last few days on the shore (and water) of a lake in SE WI and got bitten by lots of flies but no mosquitoes. Never even seen biting flies there, but usually get swarmed by mosquitoes.
Did see some monster bowfin there this morning (one was right below my paddling hand and then swam lazily under the canoe and into the lily pads before I could get my fly rod and try to entice him), along with tons of dead pike, bluegills and minnows. Water is very low, but my canoe draws very little and I can still get anywhere I want to go.
Redhorse ID cheatsheets, gars, suckers: moxostoma.com
2020: 10 days fishing 11 species 0 lifers. 2019: 34/45/13 2018: 39/40/5
Yes Gunnar they flies have been bad. I would rather have mosquitos I think.
Our fish kills are mainly effecting Pike right now. Perch as well.
Our water temps at the surface are about 90-95 Its insane. Puckaway lake had a massive die off. I know several who live on the lake and they showed me pictures of 50 gallon drums filled with dead pike from thier property.
All the backwaters on the wolf river are the same way right now with massive die offs in partridge crop lake and Poygan. I have seen probably a dozen or so dead pike in Winnebago this last week.
We have cooler temps until thursday then back up in the upper 90s to low 100s for the following week. At least they are saying a chance of rain this time.
I saw half a dozen dead pike in a small area at the shallow end of the lake this morning. Dozens--many dozens--of dead bluegills.
Will bowfin or gar eat floating dead bluegills? I know people use live or cut bluegills as bait for them, but I don't know if they take the ones that are heating up in the sun and floating.
Redhorse ID cheatsheets, gars, suckers: moxostoma.com
2020: 10 days fishing 11 species 0 lifers. 2019: 34/45/13 2018: 39/40/5
Yuck. I guess I'd rather have live fish and bugs than dead fish and few bugs. I've fished with flies before, and can agree that they can be worse than mosquitoes. At least mosquitoes hate the sun, flies bite all day long. As long as northern and central MN get tons of rain, which keeps on happening, the Mississippi will probably stay pretty high. It hasn't gone done much, if at all, the past few weeks.
I'll trade you your skeeters for my ticks. We had no winter this year so the deer ticks are having a big year. I can deal with skeeters, noseeums, horseflies, even giant greenhead flies at the beach but ticks are dangerous bugs.
We've had no rain at all since June 25. Weather has been just overall crazy the last few years.
Eli
Let there be fire!
Let there be fire!