Where Are The Minnesotans?

[bass1980]

I have recently just started serious bass fishing. Meaning focusing on bass and not just fishing for whatever that bites. Have only been to Tonka a few handful of times. My thoughts along with many that I know is Tonka is a lake that changes daily if not hourly. You can prefish and find the pattern then on tournament day nothing. The best guys are the ones that can adjust. Marking spots can only go so far. Each bay is so different from the next. Some bays are clear water and some are stained so its a challenge and improvising is key. However when on the right pattern the lake is impressive. Winning bags usually have to be 28+ lbs with 8 fish limit. To me Tonka is the best because even with it being so pressured it always produce for top guys. Guy like me well, it's a roller coaster lol.

[bass1980]

What I am mostly interested in is getting tips and info on MN bass fishing. Many things I read on trying to study bass fishing relates more to southern lakes and reservoirs. Our northern natural lakes are a bit different. Since were in the season already I'll shoot a question. I failed miserably last year with late fall fishing. I've seen videos on people fishing until November and getting giants. I couldn't much action at all. Was wondering what to look for late in the season were vegetation is mostly dead and bass are not as active with the cold water. I'm guessing it'll be spring when I finally get a response lol.

[shimmy]

What I am mostly interested in is getting tips and info on MN bass fishing. Many things I read on trying to study bass fishing relates more to southern lakes and reservoirs. Our northern natural lakes are a bit different. Since were in the season already I'll shoot a question. I failed miserably last year with late fall fishing. I've seen videos on people fishing until November and getting giants. I couldn't much action at all. Was wondering what to look for late in the season were vegetation is mostly dead and bass are not as active with the cold water. I'm guessing it'll be spring when I finally get a response lol.

 

In Minnesota, you are in a very special fishery where the jig is THE lure at all times. There have only been a handful of times in the summer time where i have seen it outfished by a worm or fast action plastic for the big fish. The jig is very easy to use out there. In the fall, i would definitely tie that puppy on and make it the priority. If they don't bite the jig, consider a lipless crankbait and rip it off the existing grass. If there is literally no vegetation like you are hinting towards, dig a crankbait out there. And of course as the water is getting colder out there, the jerkbait (hard or soft like a fluke) will work. But if you want the giant, the jig is just the smartest way to go. If you watch any MN bass fishing videos online, people will use the jig with more success there than other states. The jig will catch you nice fish anywhere, but in MN, i think it is even better. There are just so many lakes out there that if you are frustrated with Tonka, fish elsewhere, get a guide on Tonka (my brother in law did that and loved it and learned a lot), or spend more time studying the contours and structure of Tonka and just put your time on the water. Fish the jig jig jig jig jig jig jig jig. Like those infomercials saying the same word over and over again. jig jig jig jig jig jig jig jig. 

[Nibbles]

Recently moved to Minneapolis for work (Uptown, specifically).

 

Any BassResource people around the Twin Cities?

[Lewi]

Minnesotan here!  Sorry to say the boat has been put away for the season which is a real drag since i just got at the end of June! 

 

Vinny, I do believe that I was out on Crystal in Burnsville while you were there in July/Aug this year and if I remember right you were running the ridge from the island toward the boat launch.

 

Still only get to most of the lakes from let's say 494 and south but would like to start exploring more.

[DirtyDeuceGoose]

I feel like I've caught most of my fish from Tonka on a crank bait. The lake really is huge and what works in one bay may not work in the next is exactly right. Caught a few on frogs and a few on spinnerbaits but jigs definitely do seem to reign supreme. Which is totally different than the other little lake that I fish where you'll limit out in an hour throwing a plastic worm. I love how diverse Minnesota waters are and how much they make you think to find what's productive.

[Vinny Chase]

I feel like I've caught most of my fish from Tonka on a crank bait. The lake really is huge and what works in one bay may not work in the next is exactly right. Caught a few on frogs and a few on spinnerbaits but jigs definitely do seem to reign supreme. Which is totally different than the other little lake that I fish where you'll limit out in an hour throwing a plastic worm. I love how diverse Minnesota waters are and how much they make you think to find what's productive.

 

VERY intimidating lake, but if you have good electronics and put the time in to learn what works and what doesn't, it can be the best lake in the Metro. There is a reason why the chose Tonka for the classic! 

[Vinny Chase]

Minnesotan here!  Sorry to say the boat has been put away for the season which is a real drag since i just got at the end of June! 

 

Vinny, I do believe that I was out on Crystal in Burnsville while you were there in July/Aug this year and if I remember right you were running the ridge from the island toward the boat launch.

 

Still only get to most of the lakes from let's say 494 and south but would like to start exploring more.

 

Welcome Lewi!

Yeah, that was probably me as I fished that lake 4 days a week this summer haha. If I were to give a new angler advice, it would be to just fish Crystal for a full year to try and adapt/find patters that will catch them....Man that lake is frustrating some times! 

Don't give in yet! I am sure we will have a few nice days left to get after 'em. 

[Lewi]

Welcome Lewi!

Yeah, that was probably me as I fished that lake 4 days a week this summer haha. If I were to give a new angler advice, it would be to just fish Crystal for a full year to try and adapt/find patters that will catch them....Man that lake is frustrating some times! 

Don't give in yet! I am sure we will have a few nice days left to get after 'em. 

Yes, that lake can be very frustrating and is what makes me keep going back.  I always get odd looks from people when I say I was fishing Crystal as they think there is nothing in there,  Heck, I accidentally pulled a 36in. Tiger Muskie from it on a DT16 in one of my bass spots!  

 

Probably see ya there in the spring,

 

-Lewi 

[OperationEagle]

Yes, that lake can be very frustrating and is what makes me keep going back.  I always get odd looks from people when I say I was fishing Crystal as they think there is nothing in there,  Heck, I accidentally pulled a 36in. Tiger Muskie from it on a DT16 in one of my bass spots!  

 

Probably see ya there in the spring,

 

-Lewi 

I find Crystal's cousin (Orchard Lake) to be frustrating as well.  One day I slay 'em the next I am skunked....actually its more like for every day I slay them, I seemed to get skunked 7 days.

[mjseverson24]

Hey everybody my name is Mitch, I am from st. cloud, i am currently a student at scsu. I just started fishing bass tournaments two years ago, I fish many of the more popular bass waters within an hour and a half of st. cloud including tonka, clearwater, green, minnewaska, alexandria chain, mille lacs, the cold spring chain, osakis, sauk, leech, and a lot of other non typical tournament waters.  I have been on the site for a while, just thought I would finally introduce myself and say hello. 

 

Mitch

[Lewi]

I find Crystal's cousin (Orchard Lake) to be frustrating as well.  One day I slay 'em the next I am skunked....actually its more like for every day I slay them, I seemed to get skunked 7 days.

I really hear you here.  Sadly, I never got to Orchard last year but that is one lake that will shine one day and then completely shut off even around the sunken island where it is usually hot!

[Vinny Chase]

Hey everybody my name is Mitch, I am from st. cloud, i am currently a student at scsu. I just started fishing bass tournaments two years ago, I fish many of the more popular bass waters within an hour and a half of st. cloud including tonka, clearwater, green, minnewaska, alexandria chain, mille lacs, the cold spring chain, osakis, sauk, leech, and a lot of other non typical tournament waters.  I have been on the site for a while, just thought I would finally introduce myself and say hello. 

 

Mitch

 

Welcome Mitch! Does St. Cloud have a club team in the FLW college series? 

 

[OperationEagle]

I might as well introduce myself as well. Name is Mel and I mostly fish the south Metro.  Just completed my first full season out of a kayak and can't seem to get enough.

 

Been a lurker for a while and decided to jump in a few weeks ago on this site.  Lots of good stuff on here so thanks guys!

 

Anyone heading out this weekend for one last hoorah?  If it gets close to 50 will the fish be active?  Just don't want to head out and get skunked.

[mjseverson24]

Welcome Mitch! Does St. Cloud have a club team in the FLW college series? 

 

 

we do have a scsu bass club, and i think they do fish some of the events in the flw college series. i would like to be a part of the club, but I am an electrical engineering and nuclear physics major so taking time off to go fishing during school really is not an option for me. 

 

Mitch

[DirtyDeuceGoose]

Anybody flip/pitch much? I usually find myself making pinpoint casts to holes between pads rather than really pitching or flipping.

[OperationEagle]

I missed my window this morning.  Looks like I am completely done for 2013.  No ice fishing for me.

[Lewi]

Anyone here ever have an interest hooking up somewhere sometime for a beer and just talk fishing all that comes with it?  I can't get to GA for a meet so thought this may work.

 

-Lewi

[Paulasaurus]

Awesome, a MN corner!

 

Been fishing bass since I was a kid off and on and have really gotten into it the last season and a half after getting a boat. I live in Rogers and usually fish lakes in the northwest burbs. 

 

Anybody flip/pitch much? I usually find myself making pinpoint casts to holes between pads rather than really pitching or flipping.

I usually cast but have started to pitch and flip a lot more, depending on how close my target is of course. I notice the less disturbance I can make on entry the less fish I spook. Or at least cast well beyond my target. 

[bass1980]

I love pitching. It's the reason I went to all lefty reels. Pitch, cast, fight, play with fish all with my strong hand never having to switch hands. I'm so glad I did.

[bass1980]

Trying to revive this thread with fishing technique talks. I find that a lot of tips you read online seems more suited for southern lakes and reservoirs and doesn't always reflect our northern natural lakes with tons of vegetations.

First off drop shot. I'm still learning this technique and want to be better at it during those long hot summer days. 6-8lb line, drop shot hook, and spinning reel is the preferred choice but I find myself rigging it to weedless hooks and 20lb braids. With all that vegetation I just don't feel confident with a typical setup. So hard to find structures and no vegetation in mn lakes. Am I thinking wrong?

Also do you guys drop shot docks? I started to do that, basically slowing down big time at docks to really bait them. Been working for me, but I don't know it it's because of drop shoting or they would have taken it with anything I threw because there was a hungry fish. Thoughts?

[USAFBassAnglerClark]

I love to throw a dropshotted Roboworm to dock pilings. I primarily only use it around docks when fish are hanging around the edges of the dock and not underneath. 

 

 

One of my favorite ways to fish on the lakes I fish when I am on vacation up in Detroit Lakes is to throw a 1/16oz Flick Shake head on a Jackall 5.8 Flick Shake worm on deep weededges. All I do is just cast it out and let if fall. I don't even move my rod for maybe 10-20 seconds. I lift up on the rod and then all of the sudden my line starts to swim the other way. Simple as that I can't even remember how many fish that has caught for me. Another technique that I have had a lot of success on up there is fishing a drop shot with a 3.5" LFT Live Magic Shad on it. I do it a little differently than other people do. I cast it out to the weededge and as soon as it hits the water I close the bail and let it swing back towards me. Most of my bites come before it even hits the bottom. 

[mjseverson24]

drop shot is one of my go to baits, If I had to pick one technique to use it would be this. I think the biggest fish in most clear water systems are deep, and often times the drop shot is the most efficient way to present the bait to these fish(jig works too). also the thing I really like about the DS is the ability to keep the bait in the strike-zone for a really long time. I do fish it quite a bit around docks, but I actually use a medium power 7' baitcasting set up with 12 lb floro for this as you may want more power and control to get the fish up and away from the dock. I also love the flick shake presentation, there are specific times when they would only bite a FS, not a lot of 4+ lb fish on the flick shake but a lot in the 2.5 - 4 lb range. is it spring yet... you can use the dropshot in any type of cover you may just have to change the way you hook the bait and the power or action of the set up you are using. 

 

Mitch

[bass1980]

When you drop shot what's your setup and at what depths for deep clear water lakes? Also are there much vegetation and will 6lb test break?

[mjseverson24]

When you drop shot what's your setup and at what depths for deep clear water lakes? Also are there much vegetation and will 6lb test break?

I have three rods designated for drop shots, a 7'ML/F st. croix triumph spinning with pflueger president 10 lb power pro with 20 ft of 8 lb invisx, the second is a 7' M/F st. croix mojo spinning with a president and 15 lb power pro and 15 ft of 12 lb invisx, the third is a 7' M/Fst.croix triumph casting with an abu pro max spooled with 12 lb abrasx. I typically target the outside weed edge(most of the time 12-20 ft), some days it is best to cast up the break and work it back down, but others casting deep and bringing it up the break works. I would not suggest using a line as light as 6 lb because pike really like drop shot baits and you will have to constantly retie. 

 

Mitch