Brnnoser6983 Posted May 11, 2015 Posted May 11, 2015 Okay so I did a search and I couldn't find a post on this, but with the season taking off here in Minnesota I thought I would start this post. So if you hit the lakes please try to give a detailed report of what is going on. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to give away their lucky spot, but lets help the local anglers out. Quote
Brnnoser6983 Posted May 11, 2015 Author Posted May 11, 2015 Clear Lake (In Forest Lake) Date: Saturday 5/9 Morning to mid afternoon Temp 40 - 60 Â So it was clear with a slight breeze from the north ish. Topwater baits were hot. Bass looked to have move off the beds in the shallow and where mainily in the 6+ foot range. Walleye on cClear Lake where around 12+ ft range and the bite was hot. Many anglers reporting good cathces on the north side of the lake with nothing but a jig and tube. Northern bit was also good. Â I personaly used a SK Red Eye Shad in Pearl moded with the back hook removed and a willow added. and pulled in multipul northern. Quote
punch Posted May 11, 2015 Posted May 11, 2015 I'll play..  Lake George in St Francis https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lake+George,+Oak+Grove,+MN/@45.3556464,-93.3378756,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x52b310faf4c9dedf:0xf476f65b91b72448 Mid afternoon until sundown Water Temp - around 63 degrees  This lake has above average pike fishing (by sheer numbers, not size) and i'd just say just average bass fishing. We found fish in the 8-14 feet weed lines straight out from the public beach. Rapala DT4 & DT6's caught both bass and pike. DT4 was the hot ticket all afternoon, but I did catch some fish on a KVD red eye lipless. I've always done well on this lake with crankbaits because of the looooooong stretches of lake with no depth changes or structure. This lake is round and really flat with very little points or structure. I've had the most success by tossing spoons/cranks along weed edges. Quote
dsidle61 Posted May 13, 2015 Posted May 13, 2015 Great thread, I hope it takes off, its dissapointing to see the lack of minnesota guys on here. I went to Lake Ann (carver county) for the opener. Didnt get out until about 3pm so i arrived at probably the worst time of day. Cant really tell you what they were after but I can check off what wasnt working! Finally pulled in one northern on a redeye spoon. Probably wont be back out til Saturday but im going to go hard with cranks 10/15 feet. Quote
bass1980 Posted May 13, 2015 Posted May 13, 2015 I tried to revive the other MN thread but didn't get much interest. I'm not sure if it's just a lack of interest or the feel to not let secretes out which I find silly was we don't all fish the same lakes on the same tournament. Anyways I'll be out on Waconia this weekend so I'll do a report On Monday. Quote
baileyjs Posted May 13, 2015 Posted May 13, 2015 I too really hope this takes off! I don't get out nearly as often as I'd like since it's the brother-in-law who has the boat, (unless I get the canoe out) but I think we're going to go out this weekend. My guess is we'll go either to Waconia, Minnewashta or Minnetonka. Has anyone tried O'dowd in Shakopee? I've heard good things about it as well.  Are the bass up into the shallows yet or are they still hanging out on dropoffs? Quote
DirtyDeuceGoose Posted May 13, 2015 Posted May 13, 2015 I haven't been fishing back home now for some time but Zumbra Lake is a honey! It can be tricky getting a boat in as the ramp can get prety shallow and washed out but if you can get in you can catch some good fish. I caught a tagged largemouth of there the last time I was there that went between 3 and 4 pounds. Located in Carver County off of HWY 7. Quote
DirtyDeuceGoose Posted May 13, 2015 Posted May 13, 2015 Come to think of it Zumbra is where my avatar picture was taken. I was out with my usual partner and one of my buddies was in town. Had to show him how it's done, Minnesota style! Quote
OperationEagle Posted May 14, 2015 Posted May 14, 2015 I too really hope this takes off! I don't get out nearly as often as I'd like since it's the brother-in-law who has the boat, (unless I get the canoe out) but I think we're going to go out this weekend. My guess is we'll go either to Waconia, Minnewashta or Minnetonka. Has anyone tried O'dowd in Shakopee? I've heard good things about it as well.  Are the bass up into the shallows yet or are they still hanging out on dropoffs? Yes, I have fished O'Dowd a couple of times last season. Limited parking unless you have a trailer...but even with that only a few (but more) spots. I had limited catches during my trips but don't see why it wouldn't be a productive fishery. Quite a bit of shoreline as there are a few islands. Don't know the lake topo well enough to give you hot spot tips. Quote
shimmy Posted May 14, 2015 Posted May 14, 2015 Heading out to Ottertail county in 6 days. Will spend 6 days of fishing and will give a report. Very excited. Should hopefully get into a few giants. Quote
jjness Posted May 14, 2015 Posted May 14, 2015 Silver Lake in downtown Virginia is full of small Largemouth. I pulled 4 out with a football jig and rage craw, just walking up and down the shore and crawling it along the rocks. Lots more were coming out with a small jig and shiner under a slip bobber (can catch crappie this way at the same time). Quote
punch Posted May 14, 2015 Posted May 14, 2015 I hit my local lake Tuesday night at dusk for a few hours. Pulled this guy out of a weed edge in around 7 feet of water with a texas rigged rage tail cut-r worm.  \  Once the sun started to set I hit a bay with the calmest water and tossed a chrome zara spook and caught 3-4 more fish on topwater. Nothing big. Not bad for 2.5 hours of fishing after work. Quote
Jim Hill Posted May 15, 2015 Posted May 15, 2015 Silver Lake in downtown Virginia is full of small Largemouth. I pulled 4 out with a football jig and rage craw, just walking up and down the shore and crawling it along the rocks. Lots more were coming out with a small jig and shiner under a slip bobber (can catch crappie this way at the same time). I fished this lake a LOT last year, I normally used senkos but there are so many big bass for such a small lake you could catch em on most anything. Â I have yet to catch a crappie or northern there tho. Â But for big largemouth in the area, from shore, that lake almost can't be beat! Quote
Bowhunter4life Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 Bald Eagle Lake is heating up!! Spinner & Tubes 6-12 feet just off weeds. Â Quote
dsidle61 Posted May 17, 2015 Posted May 17, 2015 Went to Christmas (excelsior) this evening looking for some rainbows. Didn't find em but ran into a coulple bass super super shallow w a frog. Saw a few good size pitching docks but no takers. Quote
baileyjs Posted May 18, 2015 Posted May 18, 2015 stopped by the minnewashta public dock on friday night for a bit to learn how to "walk the dog" and pulled in a small 2 1/2 lbr. with a spook. Then on Sunday went out on Steiger for an hour or so....water temps were about 62 but the lake was full of snot weed and got skunked! We had never been on Steiger before but it's supposed to be pretty good. One guy in a yak said he pulled out a 6lbr last year. Quote
bass1980 Posted May 18, 2015 Posted May 18, 2015 Lake Waconia report. I fished it this Saturday and it was a tough bite. 13 mph winds didn't help either as you can see many boats hiding behind the island blocked from the wind. Don't even waste your time shallow on that lake. No fish or cover yet. At 5-10 got a lot of small 1 lb fish on crankS and spinner baits. Red or orange was the color. At drop offs 10+ feet caught three 2.5lb bass. Buddy caught a 4lb 3 oz bass on same structures and depths. Trig and drop shot was working. It'll be interesting how the pattern will change these next 2 weeks. Quote
Jessico09 Posted May 18, 2015 Posted May 18, 2015 Ely Lake, by Eveleth, as usual, is loaded with 15" largemouth. Just stupid numbers of fish. Quote
dsidle61 Posted May 19, 2015 Posted May 19, 2015 stopped by the minnewashta public dock on friday night for a bit to learn how to "walk the dog" and pulled in a small 2 1/2 lbr. with a spook. Then on Sunday went out on Steiger for an hour or so....water temps were about 62 but the lake was full of snot weed and got skunked! We had never been on Steiger before but it's supposed to be pretty good. One guy in a yak said he pulled out a 6lbr last year. Havent fished minnewashta, lots of traffic for the muskie in summer. I really like Steiger, ive only gone in summer but have done really well. Can be hard to fish bc of weeds submerged about a foot under water for what seems like 40-50 yards off shore the whole way around. I had my luck with frogs. Pulled in three 4+ out of there one evening all topwater frogs. Quote
Brnnoser6983 Posted May 20, 2015 Author Posted May 20, 2015 Otter lake (white bear) Tuesday 19th Wind 5 - 10 Temp 40° Almost too cold. Matter of fact I am sick now because of yesterday's trip, but fishing is worth it. Many smaller northerns in the 5 - 8ft range with the monsters still hiding 20 feet down. Spoons, lipless and spinners where hot. Nothing monster to speak of, but did catch a lot. Colors where all over whites, gold and tiger colors caught them. So no patterns. Quote
Brnnoser6983 Posted May 20, 2015 Author Posted May 20, 2015 Hey nothing says on this thread you have to give away your spot. Just share what's hot on the water. Many of you know it's sometime just as much what you throw as where you through. Two years ago me and my brother in law where pulling in 5+ bass like crazy when people next to us could catch one if their life depended on it. So if you hit a lake let us know if it was a bust or not. I have a couple lakes coming up next weekend. Than in June I am going up north to outing Minnesota and will give a report for up there. Quote
BDAWGIN Posted May 20, 2015 Posted May 20, 2015 Been out on Pool 2, Minnetonka, Orchard (Lakeville), Marion (Lakeville) in the last couple weeks and the fish are scattered! All fish were caught on the junk pattern! Nothing consistent, couple here couple there type of deal, in a wide variety of presentations. No Biggies, just a bunch of 2.5lber's and under RAT's... Hopefully the weather will stabilize and help us out a little!  Chasing Smallies in Hayward WI Tomorrow-Monday!!! Quote
Brnnoser6983 Posted May 20, 2015 Author Posted May 20, 2015 Been out on Pool 2, Minnetonka, Orchard (Lakeville), Marion (Lakeville) in the last couple weeks and the fish are scattered! All fish were caught on the junk pattern! Nothing consistent, couple here couple there type of deal, in a wide variety of presentations. No Biggies, just a bunch of 2.5lber's and under RAT's... Hopefully the weather will stabilize and help us out a little! Chasing Smallies in Hayward WI Tomorrow-Monday!!! At least can fish. Quote
baileyjs Posted May 20, 2015 Posted May 20, 2015 anyone familiar with where I could drop in a canoe on the missisippi backwaters around mpls looking for bass? I've never taken it on the river and am a little hesitant..... Quote
BDAWGIN Posted May 20, 2015 Posted May 20, 2015 I don't know of if there is much Backwater opportunities in the MPLS/St Paul area as I have never fished north of the Ford Dam.  I do know that Pool 2 has decent backwaters down in the Hastings/cottage grove area.  Mooers, Spring, and Grey Cloud Island area... I think you can even shore launch around the Grey Cloud Bridge or there is a carry down ramp on south side of Spring that is to small for anything but a Jon boat kayak or canoe!  Hopefully this helps! Quote
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