Take A Kid Fishing Weekend

This last week brought out Summer's true colors..."red hot"! The lake has been busy with recreational traffic during the nice weekends but the fisherman haven't been slacking either! To start last weekend right, the In Towne hosted & provided live bait & jig rods for the Waconia Lion's Take a Kid Fishing Day. The children showed up bright and early, were treated to breakfast and sent out on the water with their guides. Around 40 children were in attendance, making the marina a happening place. They had a blast out fishing (and catching). When they were done the kids had lunch, & all were handed prizes & could take home their filleted Sunfish. It was a success to say the least. To see more about the event-check out the following site : Trophyencounters.com/Travs-fishing-update. Thanks Lions, volunteers & fellow donors that make this event possible for Waconia area kids, each year!

The fishing has been pretty good, with Bass and Sunfish the best producing species, lately.

The Bass have been excellent on the deeper weed edges. Find a weed edge on any reef or shoreline and you are sure to get into some Bass. The go-to tactic is fishing plastic worms with a bullet weight or a bass jig. Key in on areas from 10-16 feet, right in or on the edges of the weeds.

Judging by the success of the Take a Kid Fishing outing the Sunfishing has been great. You might need to sort, but they're worth the wait. Kegs reef was the top producer on top of the reef in 9-15 feet of water. You can either fish with a slip bobber or even toss out a flu-flu with a wax worm right over the side if the boat. Center reef in the same depth will work too. Remember to move if action is slow- predators in your area, may be affecting the bite.

Walleyes have been slower, but people are still finding some fish deep. The best approach is to use a LindyRig with a crawler or a large leech. The more productive areas are the south side of Kegs' Reef in 20ft or more of water and Red's reef in similar depths. The time to be on the water for Walleye, is under the cover of darkness.

We're joining other area Muskie anglers to urge each other to put down their muskie rods for a while longer while water temps are in the 80's. Extreme heat is especially rough on Muskies. They have a difficult time recovering from the fight in "hot" water conditions. It shouldn't be too long before the water temps return to the 70's.

This is a good time to get caught up on other multi-species angling. Catch & release anglers can save a few $$'s this year in license fees. The DNR now offers an annual Individual Conservation Fishing License for only $12 if you choose to release all your catch. Those out for a meal- don't forget to keep your bait in a cooler right now, and add fish as you catch them to an ice chest. They will be nice & firm when you get home to clean them-& safer and more delicious to eat!!

Any way you want to enjoy the lake- swimming, skiing, cruising or fishing- we hope to see you at the In Towne. Our business is making your trip here, a pleasure! Happy Summer Boating!

The Dog Days of Summer...

Our July 17th "free" Slip & Buoy Customer Appreciation Day was lots of fun! Customers enjoyed breakfast treats, fished for gift certificates, and drew for $100's of dollars worth in free prizes, while sharing our provided lunch! Thanks for joining us in the heat! Our customers are the best!

While we're thanking people-we shout out another BIG Thank You to our excellent Staff! Their efforts help our family provide professional, knowledgeable service every day! Thanks guys! You are a big part of our success!

Another important event taking place here this Sat., July 24th, is the Lions Take-A-Kid-Fishing Event. Boys & girls ages six to fifteen, will participate. We have hosted this event at our marina for decades, sponsored & run by our local Waconia Lions. Their volunteers provide boats, take the kids out, clean their catch & serve free morning snacks & lunch in our screen house. We're happy to send along live bait & rigged jig rods for each child to use & keep. The event kicks off at 7:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. About 35 young people have signed up [entry deadline Ended, last week]. Parents-remember to ask where to park here when you drop your child in the morning, & pick them up by Noon, later that day. For more information this year-or to inquire about NEXT years event, please call 952-442-1040.

Don't forget...the Carver County Fair coming up August 11-15th. For more information visit www.carvercountyfair.com.

As mentioned earlier, the weather was down right "blazing" last week. The highs seem to be hovering around the upper 80's to lower 90's every day; & the water temp's aren't far behind! We've been seeing upper 70's to lower 80's for lake surface temps. Keep in mind, our bait tank water is around 49 degrees. Plan on having an insulated cooler or bait bucket to keep bait alive-put ice in minnow water & keep leeches and worms & your catch, if keeping fish, in coolers.

For anyone who was around Saturday evening, you probably saw the crazy weather in and around the metro area. Here's a photo of Lake Waconia that evening-happily the storm stayed North of us!

Now finally....the fishing report!

The Bass bite within the past week has been very good. Fish are being caught in shallow as well as deep water. If your game plan is shallow, try working the inside weed edges 8ft and less, or try spinnerbaits, pitching jigs, and texas-rigged worms in and around the docks. Bass can also be found near reefs in 12-20ft of water. Try jigs and texas-rigged worms.

Panfish have been somewhat inconsistent lately. The larger fish will be near the reefs in deeper water, following summer patterns - near weed pockets and weed edges in around 10-17 ft of water.

Walleye fishing has been alright during the lower light periods. Make sure you're out in early morning or around sunset in evening hours. Try Kegs, Center, & North Reefs in 16-22ft of water. A jig and fathead work well within the weed pockets. Lindy rigs or slip-bobbers with leeches are another alternative.

The Musky bite has been inconsistent. Bucktails, "Bulldawg" style or any topwater lure, seem to be moving most fish. Try the reefs and shoreline breaks in 12-20ft of water. Keep in mind that the water temp is very warm. If you do hook into one- keep an eye on it after release. Muskies take awhile to revive with warmer water temps. Be careful not to keep ANY fish you want to release out of the water very long/if at all.

Don't forget our "Rental Promotion" going on NOW. You can save 10% on Tues. or Thurs. off our regular Pontoon OR Boat Rental price, NOW-Aug. 19th. This offer is ONLY good if you reserve boats in advance & bring a printed copy of our internet Coupon found on our web-site promotions page: @ www.intownemarina.com

Hope to hear from you! Happy Boating & Fishing!

Settling In

The fishing has finally started to settle into its normal summer patterns, and fish are becoming more predictable. The water temperatures are in the upper 70s and the low 80s. The trend with most species is to start looking deeper.

For all of the boaters out and about, there is not a better time to be on the water, low winds, and high temps make for a great trip. If anyone is looking to rent a boat and motor or pontoon, we have a special that runs on Tuesday's and Thursday's for 10% off of a rental. Check the promotions page for more information.

The bass have been biting very well shallow and deep water. Many of the larger fish are coming off of the deeper cabbage and weed beds. Some of the better areas are Reinke's bay, Anderson's reef and Cemetary reef. Anglers are utilizing Texas rigged worms and bass jigs to hook up with monster bass. If you prefer to stay in the shallows, top water and spinner baits are producing on the north side of the lake in the pencil grass and reeds.

The larger sunfish are becoming a little more difficult to find as they are in the 16' range and starting to scatter across the weeds. The best bet is using a slip bobber with either a panfish leech or a wax worm. Also people are finding fish in the 5 to 6' cabbage beds in Reinke's bay and the southern shoreline.

Walleyes are being caught mostly during the cover of darkness and low light periods. The tactics that seem to work the best are rigging or slip bobber fishing in the 17-22' range off of weed lines. The best baits seem to be crawlers and leeches. Some more popular spots are Keg's reef, and Anderson's reef.

The water temps are in the 80s which put muskies at high risk for exhaustion. Fishing has slowed down but people are still raising a few fish here and there. Taking a break for a couple of weeks would be a great idea for the fish's sake. If you do feel the need to scratch to the itch try to target cooler nights and mornings. A rule of thumb is if the water temp is over 80 degrees, put down the stick and try to target other species.

Fishing Report 7-8-10

We have now entered the week after Independence Day and it seems that the fish are now in their mid-summer patterns. Bass can be found along weed lines in 12-16 feet of water and guys are also reporting nicer bass off the deeper cabbage beds. The bay and Cemetery Reef seem to be producing some bigger fish for those chasing Bucketmouths. Most guys are throwing the usual jigs or worms, but don’t look past the simple and very productive spinnerbait.

Most of the walleye action is going to be in a little deeper water. Guys are finding fish in 18+ feet of water around the reefs. Kegs, North, and Andersons are a few areas to check out. It is typically a low light bite, especially on hot, sunny days. A jig and a minnow or a Lindy Rig and a leech have been producing the majority of the fish.

The panfish are still going to be out in a little deeper water. A lot of the fish are being caught in the weeds and right on the weed lines in 10-16 feet of water. Most people are having success with wax worms, crawlers, and small leeches, but don’t overlook artificial bait. We have heard a lot of good reports from guys using Gulp Alive 1” fish fry.

The muskie action has been heating up the last week. Guys have reported seeing quite a few more fish and they are even landing a few more. Try fishing the south shore, Reinkes, and the reefs in 12-18 feet of water. Guys are using bucktails, dawgs, and jerkbaits. People are also reporting a few fish trolling the deeper water around the reefs with crainkbaits.

With surface water temps now hovering around 80-83 degrees you have to be even more careful while handling the mighty muskie. Having the proper release tools is the most important part in muskie fishing. A large net, large needle nose pliers, heavy duty hook cutters and jaw spreaders are an absolute necessity if you are targeting these fish. Have everything ready to go in your boat so you can get the fish back swimming in the least amount of time possible. Unhook the fish while it is still swimming in the net and have your camera ready to go. The only time the fish should leave the water is to snap a few quick photos. When you release the fish hang on to the tail as long as necessary to make certain it is really ready to go.