Somedays I really like my job, this was one of those days...
This is an airboat built by the Fon du Lac tribe - that's a V8 engine wired up in the cage, an antique wooden propeller, and you'll note the dual exhaust coming off the engine. The sucker moves!
We were off cruising this lake figuring out how to restore populations of wild rice, which is important to the tribes (and the local wildlife, for that matter). They're rigged up another boat with a pair of vertical 6 foot blades that they're planning to use to cut through pickerel weed mats, which are invading the lake. I can't wait to see it.
Anyway, thought you all might enjoy this diversion - spring, just arriving to the north.
Interesting bird life, the ones on the left are a pair of sandhill cranes - flew right over the boat, but it takes too long for the darn camera to boot up. Remember when cameras didn't have to boot up?
On the right is a pair of eagles, with a huge nest in the top of that white pine. With binoculars you could see 3 eaglets in the nest. Mom and dad didn't like us around, we got out of there. They are large.
Beutiful pictures. Can see you Silver MDX in the background on first picture.
Where's the lake? How the fishing? Do you off-road your MDX to get to the lake?
Thanks Zig, the lake is called Perch Lake, and it's on the Fon du Lac Indian Reservation just off highway 210. THe great thing is that I didn't have good directions, but the lake is on the Navi, so I used it to get there! (Punch in Sawyer, MN and look about 4 mi to the west, it's the larger lake to the left- hell, c'mon up!)
The lake is pretty shallow - in the birch picture it probably wasn't more than six feet deep (hence the weed problem there). But the tribal folks driving the airboat said it was good for croppies, panfish and northern (funny, no mention of perch ). The MN fishing opener was today, I may have to check it out.
Don't know if it qualifies as off-road, but the road to the lake was pretty rough, a couple washouts, some downed trees, lots of potholes. Compared to what most MDXs see, I guess it qualifies, but nothing to get your heart rate up.
BTW, I went to school in Oxford - this was back in the late Jurassic, but we used to head to Cinci once in a while (Oxford was dry at the time - $5 pot fine though, go figure) - Cinci's a great town! I've still got an aunt there, visit once in a while.
Dug this post up from the past. Here, (in the south), crappie are also known as speckled perch. Perhaps some good ol' boys invaded and named the place? Anyway, it's a beautiful lake. How did the weed removal program work out?
Wow, you dug deep for that post! I saw the title in my inbox and thought “Man, what’s this post about”, took awhile before I realized I started it...
Of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes, I'd guess 300-400 of them are called Perch Lake, also dozens of Long Lakes and Round Lakes. We're a hearty folk, but not particularly creative. Up here they're yellow perch, which surprisingly the locals won't eat (they sometimes get parasites, a little breading and you'd never know it).
Anyway, it turned out to be an extraordinary year for wild rice, the crop was great. So good that the tribal folks didn't want us science types hacking around the lake, one of the curious things about working up here. But so far so good, think we're on to something.
Now you're down there in that big bass country - a fun fish to chase after. We have both small and largemouth up here, smallmouth put up a great fight.
Also a great old time fiddle tune from down your way "Nail that Catfish to the Tree".
). The MN fishing opener was today, I may have to check it out.
