Minnesota Fishing Reports - 2018

[punch]

Nice tiger! I gotta ask which lake because there's only a small handful where the Tigers are doing well. Lake Elmo? Clear? 

[starkeer]

6 hours ago, punch said:

Nice tiger! I gotta ask which lake because there's only a small handful where the Tigers are doing well. Lake Elmo? Clear? 

Maybe there would be more if they didn't keep trying to literally bite off more than they can chew like this musky I found belly up this morning haha

[gim]

On ‎9‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 11:30 AM, punch said:

Nice tiger! I gotta ask which lake because there's only a small handful where the Tigers are doing well. Lake Elmo? Clear? 

I fish four lakes with stocked tiger muskies regularly: Weaver, Elmo, Gervais, and Johanna.  The thing is with those tigers, they are more likely to hit a smaller lure intended for bass than they will with a normal sized muskie lure.  Just make sure you put a leader on.

[Dubtee]

Got out Saturday morning, west side metro lake.  Had water 68-70, slight breeze picked up as the sun came up.  I ended up kind of junking around for the day.  Not a numbers day at all, but the bass I did catch were quality.  I noticed right away that the pads are starting to recede, like very noticeably in a week.  Started off near the pad line with heavy grass near a deep water hole, and stuck a 4 on a popper as my first fish - I thought it was going to be the day of all days.  Caught another 2lb on the popper then moved on to a main like point as I wanted to throw the whopper plopper.  Got to the point, long one, 4-6 FOW with submerged grass - had several swipes at the plopper, but none would eat it.  I had the 110 size on and thought about downsizing to the 90, but didn't want to waste time.  Started throwing a red craw colored red eye shad, ripping off the grass and caught a couple shorts and several slimers, but nothing notable.  Moved to another underwater ridge, 5-6 fow submerged grass and caught a skinny 3.5 on a jig.  Threw a chatter a lot in this area and nothing.  Lastly, moved to a 5' grass flat where I normally catch them good on a jig.  With the wind picking up and blowing directly on this area, I traded the red red eye shad for a blue colored one and first cast caught a nearly 5 pounder.  Next cast caught a big ol pike and I thought I had something going.  Had another real good quality bass come unbuttoned, but I felt like I was on to something then.  Then I had to go, so I couldn't really finish out the pattern, but it did seem that the fall bite is coming on quick.  I bet the weather coming in next week really gets them chomping.

 

One thing to note.  I definitely got caught up by KVD a while ago when he says to switch out your stock trebles for the short shank EWGs.  It seems like once I started, every fish literally has a face full of hooks - like so many in them I feel bad sometimes.  I didn't switch them out on the blue red eye shad I was throwing as it was new and I got lazy.  Not saying the one I had come off was because of that, but you never know.  I do know the lures I have switched them out on are a pain to get out of the fish.  Just thought I'd throw that out there for anyone having trouble losing fish with trebles.

[SmallBlockMuscle]

Another small west metro outing Saturday AM. Top water and spinner baits were non existent but I caught 8 bass from 8" to 19" on a Spro Lil Jon. Good advice to get one from this site. They were all in 6-12 fow. Also caught 12 pike (which I hate catching) and had something hit it so hard it pulled my rod out of my hand. Might have been a muskie as I saw a monster swimming in the shallows soon after. The pads and weeds have significantly shrunk towards shore in just a few days. 

[FryDog62]

Ok BR-MN fraternity bros - need your help -

 

Been traveling too much, but taking out an old neighborhood friend fishing, and I’m the “guide” tomorrow.  She doesn’t get out much around the metro to fish very often and I want to put her on some fish.  Bass are moving daily right now.  We’re going out daybreak until Noon, what do we cover tomorrow in the West metro:

 

•Topwater before the wind comes up

•Jigs around deep, green weeds

•Chatterbaits on deep weed edges

•Crankbaits (at depth?) everywhere and everywhere until we find them

•Drop shot deeper structure

•Can of worms off the dock

•Other

 

Thx guys, pressures on me, but will be a good time...

 

[punch]

I think you nailed it @FryDog62.. but if all else fails just toss some wackySenkos around the grass and docks. 

[FryDog62]

10 minutes ago, punch said:

I think you nailed it @FryDog62.. but if all else fails just toss some wackySenkos around the grass and docks. 

Are they still that shallow?  Thx

[Dubtee]

Fry, this may be too late but with the breeze this morning, I'd focus on the movers - chatters, lipless, spinnerbaits even.  If some chop, I like a buzzbait if there is shade or a little cloud cover.

 

 

Guys, I am thinking about taking the family west to camp in a couple weeks.  Has anyone fished Green Lake lately and could chime in on how the lake was?  I have never fished out that way and looking for a lake or two to focus on while we're there.  Thanks in advance for any input.

[punch]

11 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Are they still that shallow?  Thx

They are! I found some dock fish over the weekend. 

[FryDog62]

Oooh, got humbled today... the two of us used the various techniques I listed above for 5 hours which yielded 2 fish that were 9-10 inches long.  

 

All this on a 150 acre lake that a week and a half ago produced 20+ fish averaging 18 inches and largest over 20. 

 

We tried everything... How things change quickly this time of year..

 

Looking at the bright side - at least the two fish I caught would have been state records in one US state.  

 

https://craigmedred.news/2018/09/04/new-ak-record/

 

[ThatOneBigKid]

Going out after work here in a few minutes. Looking a bit windy out there. Could be fun....

[JackKlassen]

6 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Oooh, got humbled today... the two of us used the various techniques I listed above for 5 hours which yielded 2 fish that were 9-10 inches long.  

 

All this on a 150 acre lake that a week and a half ago produced 20+ fish averaging 18 inches and largest over 20. 

 

We tried everything... How things change quickly this time of year..

 

Looking at the bright side - at least the two fish I caught would have been state records in one US state.  

 

https://craigmedred.news/2018/09/04/new-ak-record/

 

That article is hilarious lol. I think they are overreacting tho about bass spreading. Its so dang cold up there I doubt that fish could breed or get over a pound or two, if they survive at all. I bet someone thought it would be funny to dump a couple in that lake and see what happens?

[ThatOneBigKid]

21 hours ago, ThatOneBigKid said:

Going out after work here in a few minutes. Looking a bit windy out there. Could be fun....

Managed 8 fish last night, the biggest being 3.45lbs. All the fish came on a DT20 cranked over points with gravel on top. Top of the points were in approx. 14-16 FOW. Hot colors were Ike's Mule and Ike's Rasta. Fish didn't want anything with rattles, just silent. Also threw a Berkley Dredger, Spro DD Little John and a 8XD. No bites on any of those. 

[punch]

21 minutes ago, ThatOneBigKid said:

Managed 8 fish last night, the biggest being 3.45lbs. All the fish came on a DT20 cranked over points with gravel on top. Top of the points were in approx. 14-16 FOW. Hot colors were Ike's Mule and Ike's Rasta. Fish didn't want anything with rattles, just silent. Also threw a Berkley Dredger, Spro DD Little John and a 8XD. No bites on any of those. 

I was out last Saturday & Sunday up in Alex chain. The topwater bite on Saturday was AMAZING on lake carlos. The popper was on-fire. It was so much fun. The afternoon I was mostly getting bit on a green pumpkin jackhammer chatterbait, but the bite wasn't as good as the morning. I was getting NOTHING on my usual finnesse setups.. like the Ned & dropshot. 

 

Sunday the morning topwater bite sucked. I got like one? The rest of the afternoon the chatterbait was pretty consistant in grass flats around 5-8' FOW. Same green pumpkin jackhammer. 

 

I guess I'll have the chatterbait tied on the rest of the season this year.. it's always good in the fall and they seem to be wanting it now. 

[sully420]

@punch thanks for that report great info and I've always wanted to fish lake Carlos. I also had some luck with a chatterbait and think I will try to see if it out performs a spinnerbait. I think it will, the vibration seems to pull bass out of the grass better than flash. @ThatOneBigKid I've been running the pattern you described for about 4 weeks now and its been awesome. I went out this evening and started on hard points 14-16' and got a 5 and lost a 4. I was thinking that this pattern was slowing down because the amount of bites was slowing down but I never thought of make the adjustment to a crankbait with no rattles. That seems like a big oversight on my part. Bass seem to be  shallow, deep and mid depth ranges now. I think the trick is figuring out if they want to chase or nibble. Bigger baits are better for me either way.

Tight lines!!!

[ThatOneBigKid]

@sully420 cool to hear that they are going on the same deal on another lake too. Two weeks ago the same pattern was working for me but the Spro DD Little John was the hot crank. That one has a very deep tone rattle to it as if there is a lead ball in it instead of steel. I started with the Spro the other night and switched to the DT20 (which I killed them on last year) when I hadn't gotten any bites. Thing is, you know those fish are there, just have to find the "winner" for that night to get them to fire up. 

[rascalP]

Got out the last couple days on some local lakes. I figured with the wind, it would be power fishing.  Started out the first day on a bar where I knew there would be fish, thinking KVD squarebill. Nothing. Threw some t-rig plastic same area. Nothing. Went to the bank and started pitching brush and other cover. Went 100 yds. Nothing. Then 3 nice ones in 10 yds.  A couple of docks came up and they each gave up one, so it looks like tight and shallow.   I decide to try a windy shore and get back to winding. I tried swimming a jig first, then a spinnerbait. I had to dig deep for the spinnerbait cause its been quite a while since I used one, but the wind just screamed for it. Nope on either. After striking out on deeper weeds again, went REAL tight to brush and got a couple more.  I was surprised they were not chasing.

 

  Next day a buddy joined me and we started right away on a stretch of docks and got some nice fish.  Then we moved to some offshore stuff. Nope.  Went to pitching pads and grinded out a few more with a whole lot of pitches. Nothing on froggy.  I finally got a spinnerbait fish at dusk on a weedy flat.

 

    ThatOneBigKid, it's interesting to see you had a deep bite going the same day. Now I wish I would have tried a deep crank when we tried a real deep point for about 20 minutes.

   

[ThatOneBigKid]

13 hours ago, rascalP said:

Got out the last couple days on some local lakes. I figured with the wind, it would be power fishing.  Started out the first day on a bar where I knew there would be fish, thinking KVD squarebill. Nothing. Threw some t-rig plastic same area. Nothing. Went to the bank and started pitching brush and other cover. Went 100 yds. Nothing. Then 3 nice ones in 10 yds.  A couple of docks came up and they each gave up one, so it looks like tight and shallow.   I decide to try a windy shore and get back to winding. I tried swimming a jig first, then a spinnerbait. I had to dig deep for the spinnerbait cause its been quite a while since I used one, but the wind just screamed for it. Nope on either. After striking out on deeper weeds again, went REAL tight to brush and got a couple more.  I was surprised they were not chasing.

 

  Next day a buddy joined me and we started right away on a stretch of docks and got some nice fish.  Then we moved to some offshore stuff. Nope.  Went to pitching pads and grinded out a few more with a whole lot of pitches. Nothing on froggy.  I finally got a spinnerbait fish at dusk on a weedy flat.

 

    ThatOneBigKid, it's interesting to see you had a deep bite going the same day. Now I wish I would have tried a deep crank when we tried a real deep point for about 20 minutes.

   

Good report rascalP. Nice to hear they were shallow and tight to cover. Going to a lake tomorrow that fits that bill to a T. Lots of shallow flooded timber.

[JackKlassen]

Anyone been on Mille Lacs recently? Thinking about heading up tmrw

[ThatOneBigKid]

Some decent deels to be had on ebay right now if anyone needs a fishing reel. 20% off Code: JUMPINTOFALL

 

Snagged a Revo ALX 6.4:1 for $104 shipped (249.99 MSRP). Code doesn't work on everything, but there are a few good deals. 

 

I know I saw a Curado 70XG 8:1 reel for $135 shipped on there too. 

[gim]

I got my biggest largie of the season yesterday morning.  Got it on a Berkley power worm.  I only had the dog with me and she doesn't have opposable thumbs...so no photo holding it.  But I did measure it and weigh it.  21 inches, 5.46 pounds.

[rascalP]

10 hours ago, ThatOneBigKid said:

Good report rascalP. Nice to hear they were shallow and tight to cover. Going to a lake tomorrow that fits that bill to a T. Lots of shallow flooded timber.

Hope it goes well for you. Maybe you can get out Sunday as well !

[punch]

On 9/14/2018 at 12:53 PM, JackKlassen said:

Anyone been on Mille Lacs recently? Thinking about heading up tmrw

I was out there on Friday, did you end up going? We went out of Cove bay and hit some of the reefs in the south west end and even made a run up to Indian Point. We caught some smallies but no biggins. They seemed to be on the dropshot & ned rig but they wanted NOTHING to do with the swimbait.

 

 

[ThatOneBigKid]

On 9/14/2018 at 10:24 PM, rascalP said:

Hope it goes well for you. Maybe you can get out Sunday as well !

Had a great day on Saturday. My Uncle and I got out at sunrise and fished until about 2pm. Must have caught around 50 fish total. Biggest was a hair over 3lbs. Lost a mid 4lber and another three at the boat, and had another 3 wrap me around a limb and get off. Was not my day for putting the big ones in the boat. All fish came on either a Blk/Blue Swim Jig, Blk/Blue chatterbait, or a 1/4oz TX rig in the lay downs. 

 

I was using a Rage Menace on the Swim Jig and this seemed to be key. My uncle was using the exact same jig, but with a boot tail trailer and I was catching 2 or 3 to each one he was. 

 

The 1/4oz TX Rig was key for fishing the laydowns. My uncle was throwing 3/8 with the same bait I was and i was getting bite at a 4:1 rate he was. I think the 1/4oz gave it a slower more natural fall. Almost all bites were there on the fall of the initial pitch in. 

 

Hope everyone else had a productive fishing weekend. 

 

Looks like the weather is really going to turn after today so it should really start cooling the water down. Bring on the feasting giants.