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Posts: 6
| Anyone been having any luck on Tonka? I've only been out a few times, but it has been a tough go so far. |
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Posts: 400
Location: Metro | Tonka is tough don't waste your time. |
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Posts: 62
Location: Minnetonka MN | As the previous poster suggested, Tonka is tough.
Define "luck" on Tonka first. Choose any of the following:
1. I saw one?
2. One followed and did the "Tonka Shuffle" at boat side?
3. I went back to a spot and another one followed?
4. I got a strike and missed it?
5. A guy bass fishing with a jig caught a 45" 100 yards from me and asked me to take a a photo?
6. The 40' pleasure cruisers DID NOT drive right through my casting zone between me and the weed line?
7. I caught a skinny 37"?
My son and I are still learning Tonka, so I'm no authority. If you really want to get good out there, hire a guide -- they will save you hundreds of hours. Gregg Schroeder, Ben Olson and Dan Altman are all great guys to spend time in a boat with and they put big fish in the net every year on Tonka. |
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Posts: 6
| Right, luck is relative.
A good outing to me is catching a fish. I have a lot of experience on Tonka and have historically done well (which again, means catching fish).
This year has just been plain bad. I've been out a couple times without even a follow. |
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Posts: 86
Location: Plymouth, MN | Ok - I feel better that it hasn't been just me and my partner who have had it so tough on Tonka. We definitely can relate to "The 40' pleasure cruisers DID NOT drive right through my casting zone between me and the weed line?"!!! Can't wait to get on LOTW in another week. |
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Posts: 558
| jpbad996 - 7/7/2016 9:25 PM
Ok - I feel better that it hasn't been just me and my partner who have had it so tough on Tonka. We definitely can relate to "The 40' pleasure cruisers DID NOT drive right through my casting zone between me and the weed line?"!!! Can't wait to get on LOTW in another week.
Lotw makes you not want to fish the metro. Lol. |
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Posts: 548
Location: MN | You guys know everything but the Queen Mary is out there after 11 am.
That's my queue to get off the lake. lol |
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Posts: 323
Location: Elk River, MN | Once the regatta rolls out you know it's time to leave |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Tonka has been getting tougher all right and I think a lot of it has to do with the zebras and the much clearer water. It seems that the fish have been moving deeper and deeper the past couple of years as the water so clear. The weeds used to grow to about 18 feet deep and now they grow to 25 feet or more, depending on the bay. Places I used to find fish simply don't hold them any more. When I have been able to pattern them the past few years, it seems they are almost always deep and it seems to take larger lures run much deeper than it used to. My best places used to be in 2 to 8ft close to deep water in the 20 to 30 ft range . Now I'm finding them in deep weeds in 15 to 25 feet near 30 to 50 ft of water. My best baits used to be spinner baits in the 1 to 2 oz range. Now I'm throwing spinner baits in the 3 to 6 oz range and weighted plastics in the 4 to 10 oz range.
My suggestion is to think deeper and use larger, deeper running baits. Good luck. |
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Posts: 99
| Good to hear I am not the only one struggling out there.
Have only boated one fish and have seen maybe 6 others. Haven't had any luck going back on fish and even seeing them again.
The one fish I did boat was right in the middle of a high traffic area. You get used to the traffic after a while lol. |
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Posts: 227
Location: Maple Grove | Anyone have recent water temps? |
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Posts: 104
| I had 78 on Saturday evening. Got a 39.5 half hour before sunset that day too. Didn't see anything else. |
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Posts: 162
Location: Metro, MN | I'm gonna be honest I've been quite dialed in out there this year. Between me, my girlfriend, and another friend of mine, we have boated 9 fish in the last several days out there, including a 50, 52, and my gf's mammoth 54". Im also setting records for losing fish. I can't keep half of them on the hooks... |
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Posts: 859
Location: MN | MuskyKarma - 7/12/2016 3:05 PM
I'm gonna be honest I've been quite dialed in out there this year. Between me, my girlfriend, and another friend of mine, we have boated 9 fish in the last several days out there, including a 50, 52, and my gf's mammoth 54". Im also setting records for losing fish. I can't keep half of them on the hooks...
Casting or Trolling? |
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Posts: 104
| MuskyKarma - 7/12/2016 3:05 PM
I'm gonna be honest I've been quite dialed in out there this year. Between me, my girlfriend, and another friend of mine, we have boated 9 fish in the last several days out there, including a 50, 52, and my gf's mammoth 54". Im also setting records for losing fish. I can't keep half of them on the hooks...
Good to know they're still willing to go if you find them. I haven't been doing great this year, so I'm trying new spots and depths until I find something that works. Just gotta keep at 'em. |
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Posts: 162
Location: Metro, MN | NathanH - 7/12/2016 4:26 PM
MuskyKarma - 7/12/2016 3:05 PM
I'm gonna be honest I've been quite dialed in out there this year. Between me, my girlfriend, and another friend of mine, we have boated 9 fish in the last several days out there, including a 50, 52, and my gf's mammoth 54". Im also setting records for losing fish. I can't keep half of them on the hooks...
Casting or Trolling?
A combination of both. Also got a 46.5 on a bucktail last night. 5 open water trolling, 3 bucktail, 2 rubber fish |
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Posts: 200
Location: Twin Cities | MuskyKarma - 7/13/2016 10:16 AM
NathanH - 7/12/2016 4:26 PM
MuskyKarma - 7/12/2016 3:05 PM
I'm gonna be honest I've been quite dialed in out there this year. Between me, my girlfriend, and another friend of mine, we have boated 9 fish in the last several days out there, including a 50, 52, and my gf's mammoth 54". Im also setting records for losing fish. I can't keep half of them on the hooks...
Casting or Trolling?
A combination of both. Also got a 46.5 on a bucktail last night. 5 open water trolling, 3 bucktail, 2 rubber fish
Great info, thanks |
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Posts: 104
| Anybody been out recently? I'm planning about a 12 hour day out there tomorrow. Will try some jerks, rubber, bucktails and probably topwater throughout the day, but just curious if they've been favoring anything over the other recently. I'll be checking out some shallow water locations for the first time in a while too. |
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Posts: 3163
| Tonka and the west metro have never been the same since Rod Ramsell left,,best friend the metro muskie fisherman ever had. |
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Posts: 57
| Anyone have the current water temps on tonka? |
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Posts: 99
| Around 58 on Sunday. Too warm lol |
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Posts: 57
| Have any action? I'm headed home from school for a weekend, heading out Saturday |
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Posts: 50
| Last 2 days have raised 5 fish but couldn't get any in the boat. |
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Posts: 99
| Only saw one on Sunday. Gave a half hearted look and that was it. |
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Posts: 57
| With water temps still being in the high 50's are you guys still in shallow? |
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Posts: 50
| My fish came from a variety of spots being shallow and the deepest out to 20+ feet. It's all lethal right now. |
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Posts: 57
| Thanks for the input. Does anyone think the parts of the lake will turn over by Saturday ? |
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Posts: 104
| Has Tonka turned over yet? Going to hit it Saturday for the first time in a few weeks. |
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Posts: 719
| re: turnover
I was of the opinion that parts of the lake have been in turnover the past few days. Of course different parts turn on a different schedule out there. |
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Posts: 400
Location: Metro | I think parts have. I had some action on suckers but no biters. I was dragging in 52-54 degree water. Had two up. First one was just following and looking at the sucker. The second one chased and nearly ate the sucker but then saw the boat and did a 180 and gave me the fin. |
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