|
|
Posts: 40
| I agree Herb, there are some slobs in Tonka. I don't think they are hanging out in your average community spot that gets pounded everyday. They are out in open water suspended. I would guess these fish are the recycled ones that live on points or edges, these are special fish that avoid pressure...... I will post a pic of it in a few weeks!!! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 51
Location: chisago city,mn. | If I was a betting man and I'AM.The odds are even money on HAMMERNICK on MILLE LACS! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | I think all the lakes mentioned contain Muskies that are at or near their maximum size potential. I also believe that the best chance for any one fisherman is going to be on which of those lakes they know best. If you know Mille Lacs best, then that is where your best chance will be. If you know Minnetonka best, then that is where your best chance will be. Same for the big V, Bemidji, Leech, Cass, etc, etc. And the better you know your favorite lake, the better your chances.
I expect a lot of big fish will be caught in MN this year. And it might be a guess which is the largest fish. Do you judge by length, computed weight (girth and length) or how they look in a picture? Lets face it, a big Muskie caught by a cute kid looks a lot better than one caught by one of us, uhh, older guys. And then look how much better the ladies look with a fish than some of us and it seems that some of us have little chance. 
Just look at my daughters fish from last year. I don't have a chance.
Edited by Herb_b 5/26/2011 12:38 PM
Attachments
----------------
 pict_45.jpg (42KB - 103 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 15
| I'm so glad that you all responded, and it seems there are several places out there where that 60 incher could come from. I'm going up to Bemidji at the end of July, and can't wait to do some chubby chasin'! There are some big girls swimming around there, and it will be a blast fishing for them. This definitely beats bass fishing! |
|
| |
|
| It will be a surprise lake in deep water. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 86
Location: north metro, MN | one of the small lakes up north that very few people fish. and very few people hear about when a fish does get cought |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1237
Location: South Portsmouth, KY | it will be a 60 incher caught by me in the bemidji area the first week of july!! hey i can dream cant i!!! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | I agree with Ben.......There are some serious monsters in the lakes that this whole sport got its start..
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 53
Location: Mn | Many of the Lakes in nortern mn have had incredible cisco, tullibee, and whitefish reproduction cycles the last few years. That means fat fish in shallow digesting and eating deep or should I say over deep water not always down deep. Bemidji is a nice sleeper, I could go on but then that might lower my chances. Mark
Edited by scavenger 5/30/2011 8:22 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 198
| scavenger - 5/30/2011 8:20 PM
Many of the Lakes in nortern mn have had incredible cisco, tullibee, and whitefish reproduction cycles the last few years. That means fat fish in shallow digesting and eating deep or should I say over deep water not always down deep. Bemidji is a nice sleeper, I could go on but then that might lower my chances. Mark
That also means the fish don't have to look hard and long for a good quality meal which can mean a tough bite. Some of these cisco lakes were pretty brutal last year and may be again this year. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 53
Location: Mn | I believe most of the muskies we catch are reaction strikes. So doing something faster or different amongst forage can cause these strikes maybe they just don't like anything harrassing their food. So try to make your baits stand out in a school of forage. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | All I know for sure is I won't be the guy catching the biggest fish this year. Maybe in my dreams, but not so much in reality. I'm just hoping my kids don't outfish me. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | I'd love to have any of my 7 Kids out fish me..... What a blast that will be !
Come on Guys..... Tonka .....Is a really good body of "Muskie Water".... BUT...... a larger fish lives in Leach, Winny, The Pond,and Big V.
Tonka will never see "The Biggest Fish" ever.
Get over it man. |
|
| |
|
| G-rome, Holy Breeder Batman!!! What, did you start when you were 13?!? How do you have any time to fish let alone any $. I think your family reunion could fill every cabin at Spring Bay! Just get that crew on the water like a search party and you'll find the biggest muskie in the state in no time! |
|
| |
|
| Not saying the biggest will come from here but another sleeper might be Waconia. Lots of 53, 54 even 55 inchers out of there in the last two or 3 years so it could get a mid to high 50 fish and they are really healthy from what I've seen so in the fall a big fat girl could show up forsure. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | H2O,
Have you actually ever fished Minnetonka? You sound like one of the people advertising the Big V. Just because one lake has big fish doesn't mean another doesn't.
I would never say never on any lake. There have been plenty of years when Minnetonka produced larger fish than any other lake in the state. Keep in mind that the "advertising" is often encouraged by resorts looking to improve their business. There are no resorts on Minnetonka and many people who fish there don't talk so much. Not even the guides like to talk so much there. Keep in mind that Minnetonka has been stocked since the early 70s - long before many other lakes.
I would agree that people fishing only community spots on Minnetonka will most likely never see a really big fish. Big fish on Tonka are hard to find because they are rarely where one normally looks for Muskies. There is a lot of water and structure for them to roam and the big fish are usually deep and often in open water.
My experience is that there are very large fish on many lakes in MN right now. Some have a higher size structure than others, but many have at least a few real monsters. I would not rule out any lake that has Muskies stocked since the mid-80s. Any one of those lakes could produce an upper 50 inch and possibly a 60 inch Muskie. And any one could produce the largest fish this year or next year.
If I was a betting man, I would list the following lakes as strong candidates for the largest fish:
- Big V
- Mille Lacs
- Bemidji
- Cass
- Minnetonka
- Leech
- Big Detroit
- West Battle
- Alexander
- Waconia
There are other lakes as well that have big fish. Those are just my best bets.
Good luck. |
|
| |
|
| Mille Lacs has my bet. Plantan would be my wildcard pic. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 313
Location: Bemidji, Lake Vermilion | I fish Bemidji, Plantan, Cass all quite a bit and have for some years now. Don't think Bemidji or Plantan can get the length of fish from Mille Lacs or Vermilion. Fish to 56-57 inches yeah. But not over that. Cass - who knows, they can get long there but usually don't carry the weight that well when they do.
Vermilion or Mille Lacs - someone will hit a "certified" and likely well publicized 60in fish anytime now. I'm certain they likely have already, minus the publicity. They are also more likely to still carry the weight in those lakes. Vermilion has had bumper crops of all kinds of forage without any significant die off for years now. I've trolled with bands of tightly packed cisco's 10-15ft thick that literally run for miles long and probably close to 1/2 mile wide, easy. There are monsters out there that are putting on size/growing like most of us could never imagine. |
|
| |
|
| JW - 6/6/2011 10:09 PM
Plantan would be my wildcard pic.
I think most everyone knows that "Leech" gets credit for many of the super fish caught on Plantan. That's perfectly fine because that lake doesnt need any more pressure, its tiny.
In all reality many lakes can put out an upper 50 inch fish, but few of them will have the weight like they do on Mille Lacs and Vermillion.
Boy, did Detroit have a coming out party last year. That could be the sleeper here.
The biggest musky I have ever seen was on Bemidji. It was an incredible fish. It was back in my earlier fishing days and it literally scared the crap out of me. I honestly didnt want that thing in the boat with me in fear of what it might do to me because I was sure it had eaten small children. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | come on guys we all know the overall big girl for 2011 will come outta my neck of the woods :D. the St. Lawrence |
|
| |
|
| JakeStCroixSkis - 6/7/2011 9:12 AM
come on guys we all know the overall big girl for 2011 will come outta my neck of the woods :D. the St. Lawrence
Since when did the St Lawrence become part of MN? I must have missed that on Fox News. |
|
| |
|
| Ossiwannamakee |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | Captain - 6/7/2011 10:16 AM
JakeStCroixSkis - 6/7/2011 9:12 AM
come on guys we all know the overall big girl for 2011 will come outta my neck of the woods :D. the St. Lawrence
Since when did the St Lawrence become part of MN? I must have missed that on Fox News.
thus me saying the OVERALL big girl for 2011...not the biggest in minnesota. Thanks though, grab a t-shirt on your way out "captain"..... |
|
| |
|
| JakeStCroixSkis - 6/7/2011 9:45 AM
Captain - 6/7/2011 10:16 AM
JakeStCroixSkis - 6/7/2011 9:12 AM
come on guys we all know the overall big girl for 2011 will come outta my neck of the woods :D. the St. Lawrence
Since when did the St Lawrence become part of MN? I must have missed that on Fox News.
thus me saying the OVERALL big girl for 2011...not the biggest in minnesota. Thanks though, grab a t-shirt on your way out "captain".....
Why dont you start a post for where the "overall" big fish will come from then so you can chime in? I dont like t-shirts. I prefer tank tops. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 315
| Anyone that fishes very often in this state definitely knows that the biggest fish of the year will be coming out of Eagle lake in Henn County. Reports statistically show that based on the angle of the sun and time of Aurora Borialis that there was a giant crop of 4 inch bluegills in 06 which has resulted in gigantic muskies!! There you go...scientifically proven! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | Captain - 6/7/2011 11:57 AM
JakeStCroixSkis - 6/7/2011 9:45 AM
Captain - 6/7/2011 10:16 AM
JakeStCroixSkis - 6/7/2011 9:12 AM
come on guys we all know the overall big girl for 2011 will come outta my neck of the woods :D. the St. Lawrence
Since when did the St Lawrence become part of MN? I must have missed that on Fox News.
thus me saying the OVERALL big girl for 2011...not the biggest in minnesota. Thanks though, grab a t-shirt on your way out "captain".....
Why dont you start a post for where the "overall" big fish will come from then so you can chime in? I dont like t-shirts. I prefer tank tops.
ohh your one of those goes that everyone snickers at cause they think they look jacked in a tank top hahaha. Also, i dont particularly need your permission to chime in.. do you even have a username or? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | I wouldn't mock Eagle Lake. Back in the early to mid 90s, it had as large of Muskies as any lake in the state. I know of three different 54 inch Muskies that were kept out there in those years. One 54 incher is on the wall at the baitshop on Bass Lake Road not far from there. I also helped a guy release a very fat 55 inch Muskie there in 1998. There were very few Muskies of that size being caught anywhere in MN during those years and it is quite possible Eagle did produce the largest fish in MN for several of those years.
Unfortunately for Eagle, the times have changed. Fishing pressure has gone up drastically on Eagle along with many inexperienced fishermen who keep Muskies or kill them from poor handling. Combine that with a decreased forage base and other lakes now having more mature Muskie fisheries and yes, it is extremely unlikely that Eagle would ever produce the largest MN Muskie again. Actually, it is unlikely that Eagle could produce another mid-50 inch fish with the current conditions.
I fish Eagle maybe once or twice a year now just for old times sake. But the fishery is nothing like it once was. Kind of sad really.
But then one never knows what swims in any lake. |
|
| |
|
| JakeStCroixSkis - 6/7/2011 12:53 PM
Captain - 6/7/2011 11:57 AM
JakeStCroixSkis - 6/7/2011 9:45 AM
Captain - 6/7/2011 10:16 AM
JakeStCroixSkis - 6/7/2011 9:12 AM
come on guys we all know the overall big girl for 2011 will come outta my neck of the woods :D. the St. Lawrence
Since when did the St Lawrence become part of MN? I must have missed that on Fox News.
thus me saying the OVERALL big girl for 2011...not the biggest in minnesota. Thanks though, grab a t-shirt on your way out "captain".....
Why dont you start a post for where the "overall" big fish will come from then so you can chime in? I dont like t-shirts. I prefer tank tops.
ohh your one of those goes that everyone snickers at cause they think they look jacked in a tank top hahaha. Also, i dont particularly need your permission to chime in.. do you even have a username or?
Well, you were posting in the largest MN fish section about fish from out of that area so perhaps you needed a geography lesson. Actually I do have a username, but I cant remember my password and when I sent my retrieve password request (or reset) I never received an email with instructions so I dont know what email I even used. It was several years ago I set it up so who knows what I did. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Herb,
I mean no disrespect but ,,Your WAY to in love with Tonka.....
Reread the post's from B.olson, bturg, and uptown....... These guys know Tonka extremely well and like Ben said,.. Tonka doesn't have the ecosystem to grow super tankers like the Northern Lakes do....
Yes Herb I've fished Tonka, since I live about 25 miles away,.....but...... I hate fishing Tonka because of some of the Rude, inexperienced muskie fishermen and the other 80,000 boats and jet skiers that are on that water.
I don't work for any resort but every chance I get I bypass Tonka and spend about 400hrs a yr. fishing where the 60 inchers do live...... I agree that Tonka has some big fish, but the Biggest Mn. Musky in 2011 will not come from Tonka jmho......
Good Luck to you Herb, keep that fire burning in that little girl of yours.
Jerome
Herb_b - 6/6/2011 4:00 PM
H2O,
Have you actually ever fished Minnetonka? You sound like one of the people advertising the Big V. Just because one lake has big fish doesn't mean another doesn't.
I would never say never on any lake. There have been plenty of years when Minnetonka produced larger fish than any other lake in the state. Keep in mind that the "advertising" is often encouraged by resorts looking to improve their business. There are no resorts on Minnetonka and many people who fish there don't talk so much. Not even the guides like to talk so much there. Keep in mind that Minnetonka has been stocked since the early 70s - long before many other lakes.
I would agree that people fishing only community spots on Minnetonka will most likely never see a really big fish. Big fish on Tonka are hard to find because they are rarely where one normally looks for Muskies. There is a lot of water and structure for them to roam and the big fish are usually deep and often in open water.
My experience is that there are very large fish on many lakes in MN right now. Some have a higher size structure than others, but many have at least a few real monsters. I would not rule out any lake that has Muskies stocked since the mid-80s. Any one of those lakes could produce an upper 50 inch and possibly a 60 inch Muskie. And any one could produce the largest fish this year or next year.
If I was a betting man, I would list the following lakes as strong candidates for the largest fish:
- Big V
- Mille Lacs
- Bemidji
- Cass
- Minnetonka
- Leech
- Big Detroit
- West Battle
- Alexander
- Waconia
There are other lakes as well that have big fish. Those are just my best bets.
Good luck. |
|
| |
|
Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | The forage base in Mille Lacs will help pump out a 60" fish in the next year or 2. |
|
| |
