Jane or Turtle

[Maximum12]

Anyone been out on either of these lakes in the past few weeks? We're headed out early Saturday morning for bass, & are wondering if we should go with the reliable producer of 13" bass (Turtle) or try something new (Jane). Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks!

[OakdaleFMR]

I fish Jane at least once a week. Sounds like a few new FMrs are going to try it this weekend so the small lot might be full, but I would take Jane any day. New launch ramp this year, but they didn't dredge out the launch area so it is VERY shallow. I push out with an oar. There is a nice deep hole and a definite deeper weedline where I have been teaching myself and the kids to use various plastic presentations. Shallows are loaded, and I mean LOADED with weeds. Catch and release only lake so there is good size to the bass. Several 5 pounders this year. Good luck.

[Zaraspooks]

When I lived in Maplewood I would hit Jane every Saturday morning when I was in town. Not alot of pressure but some very nice bass. Both numbers and size. Seems I got bigger fish on the deep weed lines.

Now that I live in Lino Lakes, I hit Turtle every Satruday morning when I'm in town. Usually get there about 6AM and sometimes the lot is almost full. Seems like the same guys every week. Numbers are good but size is smaller. They are bigger than the 13" mentioned earlier. I got a 20.5" on the morning of July 4th. I'll be there in the morning with a Black Lund Pro-V 1775. If you go to Turtle, stop by to say Hi. Should be there from 6AM to 9AM.

[Maximum12]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like were going to take a spin on Jane tomorrow morning. We'll be in a 14' Crestliner with a 25HP Merc, on the water until around noon, stop by & say hi if you're about.

Spooks, the biggest I caught out of Turtle last year was 18" so I know they're in there. But it seems like most of the bass we catch are in the 13" range - I've heard rumors that there are bigger fish deep but I haven't cracked the over 10' code on this lake yet. We'll likely be out on Turtle sometime this season so I'll watch for your Lund if we're on the water.

[Zaraspooks]

Maximum -

Hit Turtle Saturday morning. Got out a little later than expected due to some late night festivities on Friday. Fished 7:30 to 10:00. The bite was a little tougher than in previous weeks. Still managed 11 bass with the largest being 17". The rest in the 13"-15" range. How did you do on Jane?

[Maximum12]

Zaraspooks, we had a good morning, caught a number of bass including a pair of 17" fish. We were off the water before noon when the no-wake rule expired - couldn't believe that people were trailering in the big boats to ski/tube on that little lake!

[HeIsLegend]

Anyone notice how skinny those bass are from Turtle? They seem to have enormous heads that seem to large for their bodies. Do guys think that having such a protected lake that the large amount of Bass have to struggle to find food with considerable amount of competition within their species? Maybe selective fishing would balance this out. I don't eat bass. Never have and never will but I people that do, and it could definately help out the problem. I'm no expert, but its just my opinion. I'm just willing to do a lot to improve these phenomenal local Bass lakes.

[MOBY RICHARD*]

"enormous heads...too small for their bodies"???

[HeIsLegend]

Hm, oh yah. Sorry.

[Black_Bay]

The pike look the same. I caught quite a few last week that were very skinny.

[vister]

My parents have a cabin on a lake in ottertail county that has a small northern slot. 22" and bigger must go back. They have had the cabin now for 10 years and we fish it all the time. The northerns though, are super small, skinny with big heads, and they are ferocious eaters. They'll hit anything, even your aqua-view camera. Well anyways, the dnr did a study out there to see how old the snakes were. 18" northen went for 16 years of age, and a 17 incher at 14. Apparently, years ago they stocked it with northern not knowing they had a different strain of snoots in their buckets. So, in 40 FOT or off of the dock, you'll find em, rain or shine. My brother, an Aquatic-biology major at BSU also came up with them ages.

[drdr]

Quote:

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The pike look the same. I caught quite a few last week that were very skinny.

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I was out with my son a few weeks ago on Turtle Lake. Didn't catch any bass, but we did catch a number of these 16-20" pike. I would guess the larger pike are deep this time of year, and the smaller ones are actively feeding in the shallows with the bass.

[lotsofish]

I've been on Turtle a couple times in the past month and it seems that once a bass reaches 15", it gets really skinny. Last night we were out there for about an hour and a half and caught 4 bass. A 16" and a 15" that were skinny and a 14.25" and an 11" that were average looking. Same thing happened last time I was out, when we caught some in the 11-13" range that looked normal and a few in the 15-17" range were skinny.

I don't know if it has to do with the catch and release regulations causing a lack of forage, but I can tell you that we brought home a half dozen gills for the frying pan and they all had plants and weeds in their stomaches. I don't know if this is right or not, but I always thought once a sunfish reaches a certain size, they would only eat weeds as a last resort when there is nothing else to eat.