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Tonka Walts


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Don't be discouraged...put in your time.

These posts reflect my experience exactly. Not rocket surgery on Tonka, just put the time in. I fish Wayzata Bay a lot. I'm not especially successful out there, but I'm averaging a little over one keeper per trip (and about one stitch--see my other post "Auger Ouch" in Ice Fishing.) I have found that the walleyes are spread all over the good structures, though it's usually deep to shallow as the evening goes on. They roam around and are well fed, so choosing a good spot where fish will pass is important. If you are on a transit area you get one quick run as the fish pass by; if you are on a feeding area you'll usually get hit fairly steady from dusk to dusk-plus-90 minutes or so. When I find spots that turn one or two fish in that quick window, I usually remember them but also move in to the nearest edge feature or just in to the magic number on Tonka which is 18 feet. It takes courage to catch a fish in a hole in 25 feet then immediately abandon that hole for one that's much shallower, but that's the only way I've ever caught more than a couple of fish in an evening bite.

I used to jig aggressively in one hole and fish a deadstick nearby (light float, minimal split shot, red hook, though I like Cal's glow bead when the ice is covered in snow). By mid December I stop jigging when I'm alone and fish two deadstick rigs. If I'm with other guys I like to make sure that at least one person is jigging aggressively with a flashy, glowy, large, aggressive spoon, but after first ice on Tonka too many good fish come in and then reject the jig, and I'm sure that the deadstick--with light line, too--has the highest hit ratio. I make the other guy jig and I keep big fresh frisky fatheads eight inches off the bottom. I don't use tipups at all--too many takes that come to nothing. My favorite rig is something else entirely--I call it the hanger rig. I got it at the ice show about four years ago. It's a metal rack shaped like a hangman game, with a split ring to hold the rod. Attach S-hook to rod at balance point. I use a little casting style reel with the drag backed way off so that a light take pulls the rod tip down, then takes line. The wind gives it some motion, and fish rarely drop it, and you can see a very subtle take from pretty far away. I catch a lot of crappies on that rig, and have caught half of my walleyes this season so far on it. This weekend up north I was forty feet away and I saw a little twitch, nothing more, and I was there by the time the fish took off--better than a tipup and you can fight the fish on the rod and easy to set up.

Here's my Wayzata Bay waypoints (Can't name the software, but boy is it terrific) As you can see, there are lots of good spots--so much that it's no secret.

Ice9swaypoints.jpg

Ice

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Quote:

(Can't name the software, but boy is it terrific)


Ice-9, thanks for the tonka info. The software is Lakemaster's Contour Pro. Good stuff. LB

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yeah, I knew that...just avoiding a product mention and accompanying moderation handslap. Or are we allowed to do product placements here? I can never remember. One worry of course is that on one of those days when you can't fish but really want to you sit there at the computer and put in every spot you want to fish...result is a chart that's choked with waypoints and too many is almost as bad as not enough.

ice

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Ice, no problem with the map software. Everyone one of the mods has it and uses it. Nav chips are better on some lakes and Lakemaster is better on others. Ford/Chevy. You can always mention products that work for you sponsored or not. Just don't post links to non-sponsor web sites.

Spot on description on how to attack eyes on Tonka. The same type of areas produce on the west side as well. I have had better luck with hook sets using small circle hooks with tipups for walleyes. It allows me to fish two depths - typically dead stick is shallower, tip up deeper. Theory there is tipup gets them as they move shallow and then the deadstick is in position. I also try to find the hard/soft bottom transition. 18ft depth with that kind of transition is the spot on spot for me.

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Deep to shallow is the trick. I set the house up in about 18fow and will fish outside in 25-30fow until dark. I will also have a tip up ready in both depths so that when the deep water bite is done i will pick up the deep tip up and put down the shallow water tip up. I use a shinner on the tip ups and in the house I will use a medium size buckshot (red or green glow)with a dropper line tipped with a full fathead minnow or just the head. Works for me!

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Was out tonight on tonka in 18-ftow not a darn thing.

There's always tomorrow.

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Whew - my spot wasn't marked on there cool.gif

So do the perch hide in the weeds(milfoil) at night and the eyes follow? Makes sense, but just talking out my arse

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Ice - 9,

Generous info - enough to get someone started in the right direction! cool.gif

I ice fished Tonka on Friday afternoons when I had a job that let me out at Noon every week. I haven't been back much in the last three/four years but miss it always. Except today I'm going to North Arm to try and relocate a long lost school of crappies.

You guys echoed everything I learned about the eyes out there. There were a couple more ideas I had been exploring about them though. One is don't be afraid to go shallower. One of my best spots was an inside weedline at 8 FOW. There were a couple rocks in there too. I've taken most of my eyes in the spring on inside weedlines as well while fishing for bass.

The other idea that is only somewhat proven is, the adult walleyes actually inhabit the weedbeds - not the deep rocks/sand. I've taken many on cranks/spinners on dropoffs over the foil. Also the times I've explored the deep weedless structure with a camera, I've only seen the little guys.

It fits with my experience and with what I've read from you guys. Could be totally wrong though too.

There's alot of lake out there and lots of things happen. grin.gif

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Ice,

Wow... substance induced or what? A marked map. I know you are a giver but in this case a bit to much. Perhaps you could remove it.

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Quote:

Ice,

Wow... substance induced or what? A marked map. I know you are a giver but in this case a bit to much. Perhaps you could remove it.


It's OK if you remove the map...I just saved the picture of the map.

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How is the walleye bite on Tonka lately? This is the first year ice fishing it walleyes on Tonka. Have caught a few, but the last 3 times out haven't produced; g ranted, I haven't tried alot of different spots though. I have heard the eyes on Tonka shut down starting about this time of year through the remainder of the season. Just wondering if I should keep trying for eyes or move on to crappies.

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If I remember correctly I caught them up until near the end of the season last year in 25-30 fow. I can't comment on how the bite is this year but I'll probably be out there on Sunday. I always say I'll switch over to crappies around the beginning of Feb. but I can never bring myself to do it...walleyes are just too much fun even if you aren't catching any.

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I'm planning on giving it a shot tomorrow afternoon. Thinking of trying some deeper water around Diamond Reef and then maybe coming back to a shoreline break towards eve.

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Your headed in the right direction.Was out two nights ago in 24 FOW on Tonka took 3 eyes ranging from 14-18 inches all on small jigs with fatheads. I think downsizing is the key!

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Talkin' Tonka Blues is the song of the day for me.

We decided to venture out of the Wayzata Beach area around 2:30. I really had a hard time deciding where to go today. My favorite spots dot the shoreline break but I chose a "fishy" looking location off the mid-lake bar based on bait shop reports. Depth was 23', ice 13 ". It seems if the perch are around in good numbers, the walleyes will soon follow. Well, the only perch of the day showed up around 4:45 but that was it. Had to get going around 6:PM for a birthday party. No walleyes caught.

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Seeker, I am going to try tomorrow night, what is the depth that I should look for on those shoreline breaks? Thanks for the info.

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I will be going out tomorrow too to a spot that has produced for me in the past. I'm thinking they're starting to move deeper...

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Moved the shack yesterday to deeper water. Was out on 18' prior to that which was working well for 2-3 fish/night up until this past week, where we got skunked.

We moved out to the edge of a breakline in 28', and got 1 17" walleye and no other biters last night. Was using small gamakatsu red hooks and fatheads.

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Went out Saturday Morning with two buddies. We got set-up and had a line in the water at 7am. Went to the spot on 18 FOW where we have been catching 1-3 waldos a day. All we caught were a couple of small crappies and sunnies. No big fish to speak of from 7 am til about 1pm. I have come to the conclusion that you have to go deeper on Tonka now to catch walleyes. Just my opinion, but after what I have experienced, and what people are writing...it makes sense!

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Was out last night from 3-7 pm. setup in 27 fow, caught a 9 and a 13 inch walleye, both released.

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I think Coach has the right depth....I am thinking between 25-30 FOW. Right now I have an active spot on Medicine...which is very close to my house. Once I explore that spot for a week I will be back on Tonka looking for the Waldos in deeper water.

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 Originally Posted By: Coach
Seeker, I am going to try tomorrow night, what is the depth that I should look for on those shoreline breaks? Thanks for the info.

Sorry for not replying sooner, I spilled a beverage on my keyboard Sat. night and ruined it. Just bought another one today. Anyway, I was still thinking of that 18-22 ft. range. I went out again on Sun. for the eve. bite in 18ft. Caught 3 dinkus 'eyes. A couple 9 inchers in the portable and a 11" on a tipup. First one hit at 4:20, last one at 5:30. But I agree with some of the others that the better bet is probably deeper.

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Can someone point me in the right direction for some eyes around Tonka other than wayzata-bay. Was having some luck there but seemed to tapper off now.

thanks

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I cant seem to catch a walleye on the weekend out there. Lots of people driving seems to slow my spot down. During the week I have been getting some really nice fish in 18 fow. No lights on in the house, just candles, no holes drilled after 5:00. The bite is light right now most of my fish havent even taken the bobber past the end of the hole

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Went out last night in ~25FOW, had a flurry of activity and very light bites at 4:30 but couldn't hook-up. I am certain they were tiny perch. I didn't down size to find out. Around 5 or so, had a fish come in on the vex and follow my jigging spoon around but didn't bite, however, he went over and took my fat head on the set line for a ride. Dandy 12-13" walter that went back down the hole for next time. That was it.

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Made it out tonight for the first time this year on Tonka targeting Walleyes, not exactly the best timing, but oh well...

All-in-all it was an okay trip. Got set-up in Wayzata Bay in 26', pretty much away from everyone, close to one perm. shack but no-one was in there. Got a few lookers from 3:45-5:00 on the jigging stick, probably small perch. Got one nice bite about 5:15, the result was a nice 17" eater walleye that was released. The fish was caught on the dead-stick, rigged with a plain red hook and a fathead. It was actually my only bite of the nite, so the hook-up % was really good! Left the lake about 6:30, might try and get out really early in the a.m. tomorrow...That got the juices flowing for sure!!!

Anyone do well fishing in the morning, is there a similar morning bite in Tonka like the evening bite? Also, obviously I am happy with the results tonight catching a nice fish, and on the first trip of the year...But is this typical for Tonka, only 1 bite during prime time? Is it that time of year that the fish spread out on the lake and you can only catch straglers?

Also, thanks to everyone that posts information on here. It makes it a little easier to get a start on where/how/when/what time to catch fish to those who don't get out often!

Thanks

Phil

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Ive never tried the pre light bite but Im sure its just as good or bad as what the night bite is. Although my buddies in thier permies have been avearing about 1 fish per night and thats at about 11pm. Pretty slow considering thier out there for three days at a time but they are also only in the 20 foot range and there spots have stunk all year.

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