Bay Lake

[Mr. Papermouth]

Anyone on this site hear or know of any action on this lake? I am on the lake every year in the summer buy dont know of any action in the winter. Thinkin bout the hole on the south end, but am open to any suggestions

[CNCMike]

Amazing lake for Walleye and Crapie through the ice. But ya gotta know where to look. I was out there 2 nights ago and limited on Crappie in under an hour. Smallest was 15.24oz and largest was 1 lb 13 oz. Went out again last night, exact same spot. Spent 2 hours got 2 crappie. Both were 3/4 lb. Bay can be amazing, but it depends on location and timing.

[Mr. Papermouth]

Hey I appreciate the input, I think my son and I are going to explore Bay for a day and a half just to admire the lake in its winter state. lots of potential fishing spots and I have heard old stories of Giant Crappies! Is the ice generally safe throughout the Lake? Is Hunters a option for lake access on the south end? Otherwise comin from North there are a few channels to go thru and I just wondered if any were "known" bad areas. Thanks for any input!

[CNCMike]

There really are some monster crappie in there! I don't know for sure about the access for sure. I do know that there are a number of cars and trucks out there, though I don't know for certain where they are coming from. We use my buddies snowmobile to get out. So far the ice is really good. Avg about 11-14" everywhere I have been. I haven't heard of any bad spots at all. Good luck out there. I will be out again tonight just off of County 14. If you see an old Frabill Ranger XLT out there after 5pm, stop and say hi.

[garm1050]

CNCMike,

I'm coming up to Bay in a couple of weeks with a friend who has a cabin on the lake. Any further updates on lake conditions, fishing or otherwise would be appreciated. Thanks and continued good fishing. I'm looking forward to some good fishing on this beautiful lake.

[CNCMike]

Went out again last night. Finally figured out where everyone was driving on from. So I drove out. Only caught a couple but sure am glad I drove. My gas ran out for the heater 45 minutes after I arrived. Story of my life!

I will be fishing Bay quite a bit here, so I will keep you posted.

[EJ]

A word of caution. There may be a foot of ice out there, but the top 5-6" is refrozen slush ice. I have been watching the ice here for several weeks and would be very careful if driving a vehicle out.

EJ

[Roosterslayer05]

Monster crappies ehh?? Iv caught hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of crappies in this lake and have yet too get a monster, biggest has been 13.5 inches. I fish it in the spring and summer exsclusively but havent had much luck in the winter. Do the crappies suspend over holes that you can catch during the day?? Or do you have to find a good break/point to hit em in the evning?? I dont want spots just guidlines. If its an evning bite, how deep of water?? I might even be up for a trade mike, a good winter spot for a good summer spot. I got the summer spot, and iv never seen another boat fish it for crappies.

[CNCMike]

It is always an evening/night bite. This time of year I find them "consistently" between 6 and 8pm. Then they shut down until about 10:30 or so and go well until near midnight.

I have never caught them during the day or in the morning on Bay.

I fish about 18 - 22 FOW right on the weed edge about 30 feet from a hump. Which is great as there are almost always walleye there as well. Most nights we will get 2-3 walleye during the crappie bite. So I dead stick 1 ft from bottom for them and jig at about 12-15 ft for the crappie. BTW, Blue Glow jigs and Fatheads seem to be the best bet for both. Last week I pulled a 15.75" crappie out and my fishin buddy nailed a 17". In the past 3 seasons we have seen a number of 15-17" fish on the ice. Personal best on Bay was 2lb 14oz. All from the same spot.

[garm1050]

Quote:

---

Went out again last night. Finally figured out where everyone was driving on from. So I drove out. Only caught a couple but sure am glad I drove. My gas ran out for the heater 45 minutes after I arrived. Story of my life!

I will be fishing Bay quite a bit here, so I will keep you posted.

---

Heard from my friend that people are only driving out from Rutgers and White Hawk. Have you heard of any other locations? Are these plowed roads or snowmobile roads? We normally go out of Hanson's but nothing happening there from what I've heard. It looks like we'll have to explore other parts of the lake this year. Any further tips are appreciated. We'll find fish I'm sure, somewhere or just watch football games!

[CNCMike]

Rutgers is where I went out of. Road was not as much plowed as it was created by snowmobiles, wheelers and the like dragging houses out. Really pretty good considering. I heard White Hawk, but haven't been around that way to confirm.

[CNCMike]

Fishing is still good out on Bay. Will be out there again Saturday. Would be tomorrow night, but I found a sweet honey hole for Walleye on another lake, so I want to get out there instead.

Good luck out there guys.

And to the guy who asked if I used to work for KOMO Machine on this topic...Your post seems to have vanished but yes, I did work for them as a service tech.

[garm1050]

CNCMike,

My last note was lost, but I saw on another site that you picked up an AV Showdown, how is it working for you? With a little colder weather this weekend I'll be anxious to hear how the bite is and lake conditions for travel. We're coming up next week and looking forward to checking out the Rutgers and White Hawk side of the lake. Keep us up to date on your fishing exploits. Thanks and Good Luck!

Armo

[CNCMike]

I love the ShowDown. Haven't had a problem with it yet.

I used it outside in 7 degree temps with no problem. The zoom feature is kick butt! I am very impressed with it.

I'll post back tomorrow evening as to how I do on Bay

[garm1050]

CNC Mike,

Sunday night now, football over until next Sunday, how's the fishing on Bay. I had my owner/scout out this weekend and I think we've got our spot picked out for later in the week. I hope the fish are still biting. I'll be looking for you somewhere out of Rutgers with your Frabil and tank sitting outside. Looks like a bit of a cold snap coming in, I'm hoping it doesn't ruin the fishing next weekend. Heard there is 16 inches of ice on the lake too, which is good. Thanks for keeping me informed of what's going on up there. It's always nice to get a little bit of info before heading up.

[CNCMike]

They are still biting. But they are going a bit deeper now. I was in 18-22 FOW before and having solid action. Now I am fishing in 25-30 for the same fish.

I always work one line for the crappies and keep one about a foot off bottom for the Eyes as well. Usually get 1-2 per trip mixed in with the crappies.

I don't know that the cold will be too much of a detriment since it was below zero last night and will stay cold through this week and next. My guess would be that the fish will stabilize with the weather some. Maybe today-wed/thur will be tough, but I figure by the weekend they will be hittin well again.

I pulled a nice limit over the weekend in about 2 hours, stuck it out for another hour and got a 4lb walleye as well.

[garm1050]

CNCMike,

Any new reports. Coming up tomorrow to start a few days of fishing. How's the ice thickness, you're driving out I presume.

Maybe we'll run in to you later this week. Going a little deeper than originally planned, thanks for the input. Going to be cold!

[CNCMike]

Nothing new to report really. Had a buddy out there last night who managed a limit of crappie. Said he was in 26 FOW. Spent 3 hours out there. Fish would come in about every 20 minutes or so, and every time he marked one, he jigged lightly, let it sit and whammo, caught one. Up about 3-6 feet from bottom as a general rule.

We are driving out. Plenty of ice off of Rutgers and Hawk on Bay. Still don't know about the regular public access.

Watch a little higher in the water column too. My experience is that throughout the evening you will come across quite a few fish cruising at about 12'. Seems that the bigger ones we get are in that area.

Depending on how my days go at work this week I might make it out there tomorrow or Thursday evening.

Good luck, and bundle up. We were at -18 this morning.

[Roosterslayer05]

Went out last week, got 1 crappie at about 5pm 20 fow, Nice break and solid weedline, suprised to only get that one. I dident even really mark fish after that crappie. I drove out of hawk, be careful there is a huge area of slush right in the middle of the lake to the left of hawk. I drove a little ways out from the access and popped a hole, 13 inches of ice but the top 3-4 was frozen slush so I got a little worried and went out of hawk.

[Micahmo80]

-CNCMike- I live in Crosby and fished Bay for my first time last weekend off a midlake hump in 24 FOW. I had minor success after figuring out how finicky the fish were. Only marked what I assume was one walleye off the bottom. Caught six crappies between 10 and 13" and lost another. It was a long time between fish though. My best fishing was after 8pm. Any suggestions? I'd like to try it again this week or weekend, but time is tough to come by. Any info would be greatly appreciated by myself and my daughter, "The Crappie Slayer". If I can, I'll post a pic of her with her 13" from lasy weekend.

[CNCMike]

That is how it is a-lot of times out there. 1-2 fish every 20-30 minutes. My suggestions are either find a hole about 24-35 ft deep this time of year and watch for suspended crappie about 6-10 feet off bottom or find a flat about 18-24 ft and wait em out. The second option is much slower and takes longer to get fish but seems to yield bigger fish out there for me.

There tends to be 2 distinct bites out there, at least in the spot I fish. The first is between 6 and 8pm and the second is between 10 and midnight. Though that fluctuates with the barometer and winds.

Medium fatheads or rosie reds on a blue glow jig seems to be the most consistent tactic I have found on Bay.

They are odd biters out there. I run a really small ice buster bobber that barely keeps above water since the crappie tend to take the bait and rise really slowly with it. That way I can notice the bobber lifting at all. Once it rises up and falls on its side, I set the hook. I trim my bobber to no longer than 2" long btw.

Even this time of year I will target 18 fow and look for any clump of weeds I can find as well. Near the area I fish there are a couple 1-2' clumps on the flats in 18' that I can regularly pull crappie from. I will literally set one hole directly over the weed clump and target crappie and the other of to the deeper side for eyes. Seems to work more often than not.

[Micahmo80]

Mike, thanks alot for all the info. Finding good advice on crappie fishing is almost impossible, no on e wants to reveal their secrets! But, can you blame them? Thanks again and maybe I'll see you out there. I'm in a dodge ram with a black "Winnie" house. "The Dock Doc" on the side. Good luck!

[CNCMike]

No problem. I don't mind giving up some tips and secrets at all. I just won't ever give em all up!

Good luck out there. I think I might make it out there this weekend.

[ozzie]

cncmike I didn't put 2 and 2 together as I was reading this post last week but as I fish up there often just not on Bay....I soon realized the spot where you access is about a block from my friends grandmas place and we have talked about going to Bay.....I think I might hit the area on Saturday night....if you see a gold chevy with black topper and an X2 next to it stop by I probably will go around the rutgers "access" spot....

[CNCMike]

cool. Good luck out there. I too will probably be out there Saturday. I am in a black Trailblazer with a Frabill XLTwin.

[garm1050]

CNCMike,

Things have been pretty slow here on Bay and the weather has definetly changed. We moved off our original spot where no one was catching much. Found a new spot and caught a few this evening. Again, just an hour and a half and then it's over. We're hoping to get a few more fish Sat. and Sun. but who knows with this deep freeze. A lot of what you've passed along has been helpful. Thanks and good luck this weekend.

Armo

[CNCMike]

Glad to hear you managed a few anyway.

I have been figuring the weather would put a damper on the bite a little.

thanks for the update and i might see you out there tonight and/or tomorrow night.

Stay warm and good luck

[ozzie]

I made it to Bay on Sat night set up and fishing by 8:00pm and had 2 in the bucket by 8:30 12" and 11" marked them every 20 minutes or so but only a few were aggressive and ended up with 5 for a meal with the biggest at 12 3/4" and stayed until 12:30.... last fish caught at 12:15 but nothing from 9:30 12:15...nice chunky craps! i think I will try to make it out again next weekend...Good Luck!

[outdoorav]

sound like a night bit. can you catch any thing during the day.

[CNCMike]

The occasional sunfish and Northerns. I have never caught a crappie or walleye during the daytime.

I have picked up a few nice pike in the daytime.