4th of July and More

This coming weekend already marks the 4th of July, summer is officially moving fast. The forecast for this week is very favorable with sun, mid-80's and light wind. The fishing is overall starting to settle into normal summer patterns, despite the unsettled atmosphere.

Many of the bass fisherman have reported the fish to be coming up a little shallower with some good numbers. Still the majority of the larger fish are coming off of the deeper cabbage beds. Pitching bass jigs and working Texas rigged worms are go to baits. Some of the recent hot spots have been Pillsbury reef and the mouth of Waconia bay.

The walleye guys have still been at it in the last week, and have been having decent luck. Spinners, jigs and lindy rigs are kicking out fish from 16-22' on Center, Kegs and North reef. With the busy weekend, fish are going to be turned off during the daytime hours, so really key in on the night bite for the best action.

Sunfish have wrapped up spawning for the most part and the larger ones are starting to relate to weedlines in 10 -18 feet. The best bet is slip bobber fishing or Lindy rigging at these depths with small crawlers or regular leeches.

The muskies continue to show themselves regularly with some 50" fish being caught. Many anglers are saying that the number of fish they are seeing is going up, the tricky part is getting them to eat. Double bladed bucktails, soft plastics, and also dive and rise jerkbaits have been moving and catching the most fish. Also do not overlook trolling crank baits for suspended fish next to deeper water. Anywhere you can find a good weed growth close to deep water there will be fish. Try Kegs, Center and Anderson's reef in 14-18' of water.

As all of you know the 4th of July tends to be the most busy time of the year which leads to the most hectic times at the boat ramps. Here is a quick video helping all of you to remember some important guidelines when launching the boat. Also if you do not have a slip or buoy please park on the street and limit one car per group for members. If you need any help feel free to ask someone in the shop for assistance! We will be open from 6:30 A.M. until an hour or more after the fireworks to assist at the boat ramp.

Thank you to all the individual contributers & local businesses joining us to help make the show a success , we really appreciate it!

Summer is here!

Today seems like the first day we are starting to get out of this up and down weather pattern and that should start to create some consistency in the fishing. The water temperature is currently around 74 degrees but with the warm weather it should easily reach the high-70's by the end of the week.

The walleye bite has been going strong with many people still having success on the jig and fathead combination. This time of year leeches and crawlers are always a sound bet with a spinner or Lindy rig. Mid-lake reefs are kicking out the most fish in depths of 16-22 feet. Some good areas to try are Keg's reef, Center reef and Anderson's reef. Many anglers are starting to report some good keeper size fish in the 16"-18" range along with some larger fish.

Panfish have been the most affected by the recent weather patterns which are taking place during their spawn. The fish are continuously moving on and off their beds, look for beds in under 5' of water and if they aren't on the beds look to some of the deeper weed beds for success. Wagners bay, the south shore, and the reeds on the north side have been kicking out the most sunfish. Crappies have moved out of the shallows for the most part, even though some can still be found lingering on their beds. The best bet is slip bobber fishing in 7-12 feet with a small jig and crappie minnow. Many people have been doing well on the southern shore of the lake.

Bass can still be found shallow in the reeds and along shore, but the majority of the fish are in the 2.5# range but there are still some big fish cruising the shallows. If you are in search of larger fish working the cabbage beds in 7-15' has been the go to method. A bass jig or a Texas rigged stick bait seem to be the best option. Center reef along with the shoreline weeds continue to be excellent locations.

Now to the mighty muskie. There have been a lot of people fishing in the past few weeks with great results. There are numerous reports of 50" fish that have been caught along with many smaller ones. Weed lines have been the main areas that anglers target in 10-15'. The baits of choice are bucktails, and soft plastic baits. Make sure before you go out to have the right equipment! A good net, a long pair of pliars and a strong side cutter is essential for muskie hunting! Also be sure to get the fish back into the water fast, with temperatures rising the fish will be having a harder time recovering!

In Towne Marina slip and buoy members - We will be holding a family fishing contest July 17th from 10:30-3:30. There will be prizes, food, and fun! Call (952) 442-2096 or stop in for more information

Fishing Report 6-14-10

The bass bite continues to be strong with most of the bigger fish coming off of the deeper weed edges. Try fishing North Reef, Cemetery Reef, Anderson's Reef, and the south shoreline break. A Texas rig with a plastic worm or a bass jig has been working the best in these locations. Try pitching your jig in the weed pockets and along the weed edges. Bass also remain shallow, but your going to find mainly smaller fish, with a few bigger ones mixed in. If your going to try shallow, work the inside weed edges, docks, and pencil reeds with spinnerbaits and plastic worms.

The panfish bite seems to be sporadic with the variance in weather. The sunnies have been moving in and out of the shallow water getting ready for the spawn.The water temperature has dropped around six degrees within the last week or so. The water temp is hovering around the 67 degree mark as of today. Try fishing with a slip bobber and a worm along the south shoreline, the north west side of the lake, and Reinkes Bay.

Walleye fishing has been decent, with fish coming off of Kegs Reef, North Reef, and Center Reef. Try the outer weed edges in and around 14-20ft depth of water. The key to catching walleyes is to be out during the lower light periods, sunrise and sunset. A jig and a fathead minnow seem to be working the best. Bobber fishing with a leech is also another good alternative.

Muskie anglers continue to be seeing fish. Anglers are reporting a better catch ratio compared to last week. Most of the fishing continues to be coming off of any of the reefs. Bucktails, bulldawgs, and even trolling crankbaits are working the best. The depth of water people are catching muskies at has been somewhat inconsistent. Fish are tucked in and around the weed edges on the reefs, but also suspended off of the reefs in 20-30ft of water.

Muskie Opener Edition

This past weekend was the start of the 2010 muskie-fishing season. For those of you that were on the water, you might remember the awesome sunrise that lit up the sky. Many of the muskie fishermen that have been out are seeing fish. From my reports and reports from others, some of the fish are being a bit lethargic, but on the occasion you might have an encounter with an aggressive one. It seems that bucktails and bulldawgs have been two of the top bait choices, but never rule out a topwater lure if the conditions are right. As far as where to go, to be honest with you there aren’t any “hot spots” right now. Some of the bass guys are seeing fish up shallow so don’t be afraid to try various depths. At the moment you can find fish shallow in 7 ft of water or less and also suspended in 20 ft of water. Stick to the basics and fish the weed points, turns in the weeds, drop offs, shoreline breaks, and you should see fish. If your not moving fish, switch things up and try different baits, techniques, and depths. When it comes to muskie fishing something as simple as your lure retrieve speed, and being out during the key time periods can make a big difference.

The walleyes have been biting! Last night (6/7/10) anglers were having success with a jig and a minnow. Concentrate around the 14-18ft depths of water. Areas like Kegs Reef, Center Reef, and North Reef have been some of the better spots. A slip bobber and a leech can also be an effective way of catching walleyes. Being out during the lower light periods, sunrise and sunset have been the best.

Bass anglers are having good success! The bass can be found in a variance of water depths. Fish are being reported in shallow water in and around the reeds and docks, but also off of the shoreline breaks and reefs, in and around the weeds. It seems that the bigger bass have been coming off of the reefs, in deeper water. Plastic worms and spinnerbaits have been working the best.

The sunfish are in the shallows and getting ready for spawning. Mixed sizes are being reported, so expect to weed through them. A simple slip bobber and worm are working the best. Try fishing the south shoreline, Reinkes Bay, and the northwest side of the lake.

See you at the lake!

Memorial Day & Bass Opener

Summer has unofficially kicked off with the Memorial Day weekend and it couldn't have been much nicer! It also marked the 2010 Bass opener and there were plenty of fish to go around. The water temps are hovering around the 75 degree mark which have pushed the bass off of their spawning beds for the year and left a lot of the 2.5 pound fish, and some larger ones still in the shallows. The majority of the anglers have reported success deep in the pencil grass and weed beds on the north side of the lake. The key baits seemed to be soft plastic stick baits and unweighted flukes. The bass have started to move into their summer patterns, weed lines and weed beds in 8-14 feet of water will become their main territories. Leeches, Crawlers, and suckers are a few live baits that will be productive in the summer months. Some places to try for deeper bass are Cemetery, Center, and Anderson's Reef.

The Walleyes are still biting with many reports of 16-20'' fish being caught. The best approaches have been a jig & Fathead combination along with a Slip bobber and a leech. Harm's Point, Kegs and Cemetery Reefs have been productive in 8-22 feet of water. Just rem

ember that during the daylight hours many of the fish move deeper, while in low light conditions they will move shallower onto the flats to feed.

The Sunfish bite has really picked up in the last few days while they are on their spawning beds. Wax worms, crawlers, and pan fish leeches are all working on the pan fish. The key is to locate a group of beds, which can be found all over the lake, in depths less than 10 ft. Some spots to try are behind the weed beds on the north side of the lake, on the south side of the island along with Wagner's Bay. This is the time to get out on the lake with the younger ones, as the fishing is fast and easy!

This next weekend (6/5) is the start of Muskie fishing and it is shaping up to be excellent. With the warm water temperatures being higher than normal the fish should be snapping. We now carry a small selection of Musky Mayhem Tackle including Double Cowgirls and Double Showgirls. Stop in the shop and we will be happy to put you in the right area to get onto some big muskies! Handling these fish is a crucial part and here are some pointers to remember

Muskie Handling Tips

-Practice CPR (catch/photo/Release)!

-Having the right Equipment

-Make sure you have a good set of pliers, a large enough net or cradle, a jaw spreaders and most importantly a good set of hook cutters

-Releasing the Fish

-Try to have the fish back in the water as fast as possible

-The hook removal process should be done in the water in minimal time

-Grab the fish right in front of the tail and push and pull it forward and backwards in a slow motion (make sure not to pull the fish backwards to fast as it can end up doing more harm than good)

-Have Fun!