Grindstone Lake Fishing Reports

[slipperybob]

I was just off the point at the public access. Kind of close to a little permanent ice shack there. I have fished the northeast side before in years past but never have any good luck there, so I stay away from that spot now. It seems like a hot hole judging by the groups that set up over there.

[slipperybob]

didnt know you can even catch smelt through the ice- dont know how to approach catching smelt?

what do you guys use? what depths?

I fish for them just like I would for crappies. You will find smelt anywhere from 5 ft below you down to 50+ feet. Small spoons tipped with some meat. Actually the first time I caught them was on plain small spoons and some feathered jigs. Just until last year did I learn about a little bit of meat.

[reinhard1]

thanks for the report. yes when possible many use the public access to get out on the ice. they normaly dont plow the access area and some years its tough to get out from there. but your close to deep water quickly there. the smelt hole in the north east bay is a good spot and i usualy fish at the 70 ft depth with fish suspended around 25 to 30 ft very consistantly. sounds like you found yourself a good smelt spot anyway. good luck.

[leech~~]

The public access is plowed I went out of it yesterday afternoon. I started the weekend up on Burntside caught 4 & lost 3. Let one nice 25" and one other one go. The slush was hellish! I almost lost it about 5 times, so since I was by myself I left on Sunday morning when it hit -20 below and stopped at Grindstone on the way down for a few hours where I caught a nice 18" in about 25' feet. Tried 100' 70' and then 25' right near dark. Ice was good and no slush! Will be there on the 29th!

[reinhard1]

i have been noticing the last two years that i have been getting so rainbows in that range also. how thick was the ice in general? will also be there on the 29th. good luck.

[MuntzAngling]

Yesterday we decided to take our chances with stray trout in 40 FOW on the NE hump and found out we are bad gamblers! I knew that already. We got some small perch, about 2 doz smelt, 3 crappie, and a mudpuppy salamander! Yuck, I thought it was an eelpout with legs at first. So that was an experience for me!

Next time out I will have to try deeper again for lakers.

[reinhard1]

are you talking about the humps on the northwest side or the hump [around 25ft] surounded by deep water north of the audubon point? i have had luck over the years on both but prefer the western humps. those humps are actualy boulders put there way back when by dump trucks. this was told to me by carl lovegren who caught the state record brown trout out of that lake [now in second place]. he passed away some years ago and was as old school fisherman and gave me a few pointers. good luck.

[Fireranger]

I headed out to Grindstone for the first time ever on Saturday. I have been reading up on this lake for months now in anticipation of this weekend. We went out by the barn and fished about 100 yds from shore in 17-19 fow and were using glow white and glow orange jigs. We caught 2 bows 4 ft below the surface (13,14") at around 1030. Then caught another two later in the day nearer the bottom. Caught one 21" Laker as well in the same spot. Waxies and micro crappie minnows. Very pleased with the day.

Went back on Sunday for the day and only caught 1 bow over 8 hours with 3 guys. Very slow. About half the people as Saturday. Either a pressure change or the trout may have become shine shy due to the influx of people. I'l be heading back there again this weekend.

[reinhard1]

sounds like a good day on sat. who knows what happened on sunday. did have a weather change. sounds to me reading the appreciated reports so far that the ice is thick enough to drive around to various spots. one thing is would suggest [and i know some do this] is to get away from the crowds. rainbows roam all day, so all the shorelines have rainbows. one thing also if you drive out from the barn, the shoreline in front of the barn and south of there is very shallow for at least 100 ft out and roughly 100 yds south. i seen a guy drill right into the gravel once and he had to borrow my drill to fish. same with from the end of the boat landing starting from shore out maby 50 ft. great spots on the edges however for trout. thats a nice laker for grindstone. there are big ones in there but what you got is more the average and a little smaller. great eating. the rainbows will also be out in the deep water but just under the ice in the top 10 ft. good luck and thanks for the report. i will be reporting soon myself and looking forward to the 29th to have some fun. good luck.

[KG243]

I think I will be out on Grindstone for the first time this year on Thrusday. Probably be out there early am for the streamers and then hit the lakers later on, still looking for my first lake trout!

[reinhard1]

i will be there this weekend. looking forward to it plus on the 29th and more. i hope you do well on thursday and get that first laker. one thing to remember as we talk about this lake. the state record brown came out of this lake at one time. i believe there is more than one more to be had and its been a mission of sorts of mine to get it. my brother had the state record king salmon at one time and we are competitive in fishing in general. sure you can get bigger browns in lake michigan, but as far as minnesota this is the place outside lake superior [wisconsin side] in my opinion. i have caught some up to 5 pounds over the years and i have seen a 10 pounder caught by a lady trolling a rappala fishing with her husband, and a 8 pounder caught by my brothers best friend drifting a shinner in 25 ft of water. so there are big trout in here but so far they are smarter than us. good luck.

[Fireranger]

I will hopefully be there again as well...might have the little ones with me and a buddy but we'll see if I can get out either one or both days.

[mille lacs muskie bum]

I have been doing very well this year. the trout are movin alot but if you can follow their patterns you can fill your limit. these fish are smart and finicky and they surprise me more and more every time i fish them. i really want to find some of these hefty browns i hear about. the lake trout are a blast to catch too but i got to work on findin the numbers of them as well. good luck to you guys and maybe i will see a few of you out there!

[reinhard1]

the browns are the hardest to figure out. i catch more by accident than on purpose. over the years and i'm talking 40 years, the browns that i have caught have been on live bait [the larger ones]. some have been early in the year may and june on shinners in around 10 ft of water going after pike. in winter again shinners in shallow water around 10 ft going after pike on tip ups. the one the lady got[in above post] was on a floating rappala trolling for rainbows. the one my brothers freind got was drifting in 40 ft of water, roughly 25 feet down on a plain 3/4 jig with a stinger and a shinner. the brown hit hard and he set the hook right away. so nothing fancy, i'm no expert, otherwise maby i would have the state record by now. personaly i feel the brown is the smartest of all trout or the most savy. hopefully there will be a few of us that post on this thread fishing on the 29th on the grind. it would be nice to meet some of you. good luck.

[mille lacs muskie bum]

is there some event on the 29th or what? im thinkin with all that pressure i might veer away from fishin it that day. and yea for the number of browns put in this lake its odd i rarely see one or pick one up. i can say i have only seen about 3 ever.

[leech~~]

I have never caught a Brown on Grindstone, so hopefully on the 29th you can show us how with your 40years of exp!

[reinhard1]

ok, sure, you betcha. i sent you a e-mail this morning as part of your lesson. good luck.

[mille lacs muskie bum]

rein do you mostly head to grind on the weekends then?

[reinhard1]

no, the 29th is a saturday and some of us just wanted to have a little get together, to meet each other and fish for the day. you are certainly welcome. the more the better. i like weekdays more because it's a little more quiet. i'm thinking monday right now for a whole day. good luck.

[mille lacs muskie bum]

yea i am free on tuesdays thursdays and sundays. between school and work its tough to plan stuff out! but yea good luck to all of you guys. im sure i will see ya out there sometime.

[reinhard1]

i can make those days in days to come. keep in touch here on this thread and we can meet one of those days you mentioned. the season is open till the end of march. by the end of march i usualy just walk out. i'll let you know tommorow if tuesday is a go. good luck.

[Murdock268]

I haven't caught anything but smelt out of the grind. I know most rainbows are in the top half of the water column, but what would be an average depth to start? 20-30? I fished for lakers the first 2 times I was there last year with no luck. Couldn't help but try to catch those smelt that filled my vex. Kinda fun to catch, they just dont pull like the lakers though.

[reinhard1]

actualy we have caught lakers [nothing big yet] while catching smelt, crappies also. hey i have sat for hours waiting for the next large school of smelt to come by. the rainbows in deep water would be in the top 10 feet of water just under the ice. you would have more action for rainbows if you stuck near the shoreline of the lake. i fish in 10ft or less in the shorelines. this also makes for great sight fishing. dont feel alone when you say you so far have caught no lakers. i have had many days with no luck also, although there are plenty in there. this lake is for people who like a challenge and have patience. good luck.

[mille lacs muskie bum]

went out and got into em once again. smoked 4 in a row between 8 and 9 then nothin. no one around me was seein fish at all. after about ten we went searchin. didnt find much til noon then caught five in an hour and a half and these fish were very nice sized. looks like i found a new honey hole!

[reinhard1]

i'm assuming they were all rainbows? i am thinking of going tuesday for the day. if you can make it i'll be out there. glad you had success. what is your guess at the ice thickness. thanks good luck.

[mille lacs muskie bum]

yea they were all bows but a better average size. the ice was probly a foot and a half to 20 inches. i'll be troutin tuesday for sure, buddies wanted to try a new lake up north somewhere but we'll see what happens.

[reinhard1]

thanks for the info on the ice and your report on the fish. always nice to try new water. i'll be on the grind so if you can make it fine if not some other time. always nice to hear of some good results, plus just being out there. good luck.

[Fireranger]

I'll be there on Sunday for the better part of the day either driving a little silver Suzuki Grand Vitara or a black Land Rover Discovery. Stop by for a chat if your on the ice.

[reinhard1]

i'll be on the grind on tues. cant make it sunday. i will also be there next sat. and the week after that up to the end of march. good luck.

[deep_fried]

i wanna go up to grindstone this week, what depth do i need for rainbows and what is catching them? also some laker info would be nice! thanks guys