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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Treats,
I've been throwing CJs some of course and those have been my best baits this year. I've tried lots of other stuff all over the lake in shallows, deep edges, and open water areas that have produced many times before and just a lot of nothing the past two times out. I'm graphing a lot of big fish in open water, but those could just as well be carp too. Even have tried trolling open water over schools of baitfish to no avail. For the first time in the years I have fished that lake, I have absolutely no clue what those fish are doing. Maybe I could figure the fish out if I could get out there a lot more. Maybe.
I'm hoping it all gets better in the next few weeks as the water temps go down. Sure can't get any tougher.
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Posts: 275
| Herb,
We have the same problem and same confusion. For me it has been
a great year for gardening and catching bass. We fished this weekend
in Park Rapids. Surface temperature was 71 and ten feet down it was 62.
We caught Larrys, Sallys, and the Wallys were slamming crankbaits. This weekend
we will be back to Tonka and the struggle. We have one old gal that used to
visit us and check us out in one of the bays, but she has not shown herself this year. She
was too big and too beautiful, so I hope she is OK.
Tom
Edited by MuskyFlyGuy 8/21/2005 7:48 PM
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| Somebody let the fish know that this cool down is supposed to get them going again! I hit Calhoun Saturday from 5:30a.m. until 11:00a.m. and saw one muskie surface and had exactly zero follows. I talked to one other guy who also had zero follows and saw one nice muskie surface. The small number of boats out on such a gorgeous morning should have clued me into the struggle that ensued.
I can't wait for turnover!! |
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Posts: 113
Location: Shoreview, MN | Finally got the monkey off my back this year - 41" on WB Thurs PM - bucktail. Fish were moving pretty good right before the moon rose. Was just lucky enough to be out at the right time.
One thing I've noticed is that spots seem to come and go from year to year. Last year I caught all my fish on different spots than the year before. Two years ago I had a couple spots on WB where I almost always at least saw a fish - but I haven't seen a single fish one those spots for the past year and a half, and, the spots where I caught fish last year I had never seen a fish on before. This year my usual go-to spots have not produced either. The fish I got the other night was in an area that I would have normally passed by. It's difficult to drop my usual milk run of spots but covering all the water has helped me - almost like I have to learn the lake new every year. |
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Posts: 3
| Herb etal Not much luck for me on Tonka either. Cannot get a pattern going. Spots that always produced at least a follow are the dead sea. Had one nice fish come unbuttoned after a decent couple of runs but that was it this week. I was speedtrolling my favorite CJ right on the weed edge maybe 7ft of water. The pike bite seems to be picking up so maybe the muskies will get going soon. |
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Posts: 207
Location: Mpls, MN | Went out t the last few nights one to let my sister and brother-in law play with a bait caster but also to toss a few new lures. Leaving for Vermilion tomorrow for a few days and figured I want to play with the Hawg Wobbler. Never had one but #*^@ that thing moves water. Noisy as crap too!! Anyway my sister was tossing it and something blew up on it. Don't think it was anything huge, prolly a small tiger. And that was the mag one, brother-in law was tossing the normal one. Now if I can get her to caught a muskie this weekend, it would be really nreat. Other then that nothing else in the inner city for me, very little eye candy now too since it has cooled off...so depressing!
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Posts: 275
| The water temps on Tonka are cooling down. Surface temps were in the
71-72 range. No muskies to report, but lots of northerns were
hitting hard. I wonder if these bluebird skies will hold up until
November.
Tom |
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Posts: 480
| hi, I fished forest lake after watching the fantasic lightning display sept 4th for 2 hours. I caught 1 30"er in lake one, no pike, no follows anywhere. The weeds on the deep edges look great, the muskie boats out I saw seem to be trolling. Most of my lures are now clean and ready to go for the next time out. capt bigfish |
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Posts: 275
| Fished Tonka this morning. Surface temperatures were in the 71-72 range. One casual
follow. Talked to another boat that also had one follow. Nice morning with some wind
and lots of clouds, thought we would have raised more.Considering the size of their brains,
they sure are smart.
tom |
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Posts: 113
Location: Shoreview, MN | Only been out a couple times recently but fish seem to be on the move. Last weekend I only moved fish along the deep weed edges with Triple D's and Depthraiders. Caught a 38" and saw couple larger fish but they were kind of lazy. This past Sat fish were moved up shallow in the re-emerging coontail. Topwaters (Depthraiders early and then Jackpots later in the AM) were the only thing that moved fish and they seemed pretty interested but just didn't eat. Two big fish came in hard on the TR but turned away at the boat. One smaller fish tried to blast (but missed) a Jackpot and then a had another big girl up behind a Jackpot that did everything but eat it. Fall topwater time is here!
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Been out a few times lately and my CJs are getting hammered big time. Seems all the metro lakes are starting to get better.
Don't tell Treats though.  |
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Posts: 275
| Fished Bone Lake in Polk County yesterday. The surface
temperature was 64 at 8 a.m. at the launch. It got up to
about 70 at noon in the lake. Caught a 36" out of the shallow
weeds. Had one other small follow. There was alot of bloom on
the water.
Does anyone have any info on Inde?
1. How bad is the bloom?
2. Anyone seeing or catching anything?
Tom |
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Posts: 207
Location: Mpls, MN | Fished French from 7am till about 4. Saw one, hooked none. Weather got a bit crappy and the southern shoreline has a nice algae bloom, wonderful green pea soup. Talked to some other folks that were leaving at the same time, saw 2 and caught a pike. Oh yah we got some lunch at Hoyt's on the NE corner I believe and they had some nice photos of ski's. Other then that..musky suck! Water temp was 74 I believe. We did the bars, what little we could find of weeds and trolled for a few hours. Zip zero nada. Okay maybe I just suck!
Edited by mm12463 9/17/2005 7:08 PM
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Posts: 275
| We had one follow today on tonka on a spinnerbait. Water temp about 70. Northerns were active
and hitting hard. There was a substantial bloom on top and in the water.
Capt. bigfish,
How did you do on Calhoun this morning?
tom
Edited by MuskyFlyGuy 9/18/2005 2:35 PM
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Posts: 207
Location: Mpls, MN | Hit a local tiger lake today. Sunny, blue bird sky, zero wind, glass like water. Perfect tiger day if you ask me. But no luck tossing small bucktails and bass spinners. Water's green too.
Played with a TR Twitcher too just to see how it worked, very cool. Other then that was a nice day. Will try again tomorrow. |
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Posts: 480
| muskyflyguy,
I blanked, my brother boated 2 nice pike and a wisconcin ski (sub 40"). We saw our fair share of small fish but nothing to get excited about until things cool down a bit more. I'm looking for low 60's temps and most lakes should be jumping. PM me your lake temps and I'll do the same. capt bigfish |
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Posts: 275
| Fished Tonka today. Surface temperatures got to about 68 degrees.
Great day for fishing! Even with a bass tourney going on there was lots of
room to fish. Thought the muskies would come in droves, but reality says several
follows and we got to watch one sunning herself when the sun came out. What was hitting
was northerns, lots and lots of them. They were smacking the tar out of buzzbaits. My wifes
biggest northern was 31" and mine was 35". Hers hit the buzz at the boat and mine hit a
small crank. We saw two other boats catch and release muskies. Maybe tomorrow will be the day.
Fall fishing is great!
Tom |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | Fished Tonka on saturday and got a 42 and 48. Lots of baitfish in shallow. Water was 68 and took one in shallow slowly snapping a weagle and the other on a double cowgirl in about 6 feet of water in the weeds.
jeff |
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Posts: 275
| Tonka this morning - water temps ranged from 60-64. The dominant hatch was speedboats.
Twice drifting a shoreline this morning people jumped in front less than 200 feet. I try to
do 200 yards. I sure liked the clouds and rain of last weekend better. No follows and just several
bass amd northerns. We'll fish different bays tomorrow.
Tom |
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Posts: 3
| My boat got a 54" brute on Minnetonka Sat AM. Jerkbaiting over the weed flats. Only fish we saw but it will do. |
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Posts: 275
| Tonka on Saturday had surface temp of 59 at the launch and in the 60-61 range out in the
main lake. Had a hit and a follow, but am generally clueless right now about a pattern.
I was thinking about going out today, but maybe cleaning up the garden for winter is a better
use of my time.
p.s. - we could use more metro posts.
Tom
Edited by MuskyFlyGuy 10/9/2005 10:19 AM
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| Went out on Sunday morning. Had a couple follows early. Partner lost a mid 30" and boated a 34" on the last cast. Beautiful day on the water. All in all, saw around 6 fish, lost 1, caught 1. Everything was in less than 10ft of water. The two we had on were in 4ft. |
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Posts: 454
| Got out on my favorite metro lake tonight! Fish were really moving! I boated a fat 46" incher in the rain at 5:30p.m and my boat partner had one equally as big or bigger take his seducer boatside only to shake free seconds later. About a half an hour later I had an upper forties fish come at my suick boatside only to miss! We also two other follows from smaller fish. All in all not too bad for a quick three hour night on the water!  |
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Posts: 454
| Got out on my favorite metro lake tonight! Fish were really moving! I boated a fat 46" incher in the rain at 5:30p.m and my boat partner had one equally as big or bigger take his seducer boatside only to shake free seconds later. About a half an hour later I had an upper forties fish come at my suick boatside only to miss! We also two other follows from smaller fish. All in all not too bad for a quick three hour night on the water! |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | Fished tonka yeserday and raised some nice fish all on walk the dog type topwaters. Water was 59, got a 40" on a weagle. Muskies were all over blowing tiny sunfish out of the water literally over shallow milfoil. |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Went up to Rush Lake (MN) yesterday. Water temps were 55 in the morning and got up to 56 in the afternoon. The lake was turning over big time. The Metro lakes will be turning over very soon if they haven't started to already.
Fall fishing is upon us. Trolling season is coming up real soon. |
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Posts: 275
| Tonka today had surface temps around 57 degrees. I am anxious
to hear the results of the tournament as all we could catch
were northerns.
Tom |
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Posts: 207
Location: Mpls, MN | Was on Indy Saturday. Partner was pretty sure lake was turning over already. Water was 57. Saw one but only from a distance. Joe casted a weagle and must have the scared the crap outta the fish when it hit water because the only thing we saw was a explosion of water as the fish took off crying the sky was falling. Was pretty funny. Trolled for a bit too. Nothing. The north end...holy cow crap. That part of the lake REALLY stunk like a public toilet. The local guys won the tourny. Troy and Josh. WTG!
Edited by mm12463 10/16/2005 8:15 PM
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| Im planning on hitting tonka this wedensday but have never fished this late. Where and what do you guys think would work well this time of year? Thanks
Muskieboy |
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| tonka was 55 on saturday,,got a 40 on a jake,,,seems like the east end is still turning over anybody seem to think this too???? |
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