Grindstone Lake Fishing Reports

[leech~~]

Good report. Very nice fish!! Join us on 2/8/14 for the day long Grindstone Getaway. Potluck at noon on the ice near the red barn.

Mnfisher, I wish I could. Grandsons 1st B-day party on Sat the 8th? I let Rine, know already.

[leech~~]

Thanks for the advice Muntz! I'll stop by when I get time. I'll be in an Eskimo 1 man. I'm getting excited. Do most people release big trout like your dandy laker? I'd like to hopefully keep a couple but I'm not sure what most do since it is kinda a limited resource.

Other then letting someone else get a crack at it I don't think the Trout in Grindstone are reproducers? But, I would send that size back for someone else to get a chance. But, that's just me.

[H0LE HOPPER]

Anyone care to share what the ice conditions were like and snow depth is?

[Stringerless!]

My son is on the ice now. Has no service but his buddy does. They caught one rainbow that was 12" so far . Saw 4 others. Said lots of ppl out there.

[Jari Razskazoff]

We started in the 12inches of slush under 8 inches of snow on the South end on opener morning, but only got perch. Then we went out to about 70-80 feet, and then this thing hit my pink spoon and fathead like a freight train at about 1:30pm. Besides a bunch of smelt mid column, this was the only fish we got.

[MuntzAngling]

That sure was a chunker Jari, not to mention it was your personal best!

[lispeej]

Nice one Jari!

[kaine]

We were out today and caught nothing but smelt. The south end of the lake looks horrible with slush. The north end is much cleaner, probably 2 inches of frozen slush with maybe another 6 inches of snow. Out from the red barn we had about 18 inches of ice over 47 fow. The smelt hole only had 12 inches of ice over 90 fow. A lot of people driving on the north end but I think I'll stick with the atv for awhile yet since the ice is so inconsistent.

[rwk]

Is anyone going out this week? I have off work till Wednesday and would like to try the lake out but have no clue on where to go. Let me know if you would be willing to meet up and point me in a few directions.

I will be driving from the cities so it would be nice to have some Info since it is a long drive.

[DonBo]

and would like to try the lake out but have no clue on where to go.

Sorry, don't expect anyone to take you to their secret spots, but there's 139 pages of great info here already. I'm sure you can gleen some pretty good info from there.

[Roscoe010]

Nice fish Jari!

Is there a bait shop nearby?

[blainards]

Fished on the south end on opener. Got one bow about 7 am. The the drill fest went on about 20 feet away from me. Moved to 65 feet for awhile to get away from crowd. Had a big looker then a bunch of smelt. Moved back shallow before dark and got 3 more bows. Ended up with 4 nice fish though.

[MuntzAngling]

From the metro, you can stop at Gander Mountain in Forest Lake or Fish Lake Bait in Harris on the way up there most easily. Otherwise Petry's Bait in Finlayson isn't too far from the Grind.

[JBMasterAngler]

You might be able to get euros or waxes at the holiday in Hinckley, but I wouldn't chance it. Fish Lake bait is a great place, and it's right on the off ramp from the hwy.

[rough_rider]

For those asking about ice and snow report: was out this past weekend. Ice was 16" where I was (I was northwest-ish). Came in through the "Red Barn" access, it was manageable with in an 4WD vehicle with high clearance to drive over the high snow bank.

Fishing: smelt bite was moderate, they shutted off or at least slowed down considerable around 11PM.

[rough_rider]

do I have this correct: is the public access just down the road from the "red barn" access? Is it any better in terms of less snow? The red barn is a steep slope plus anymore snow and it's going to be uglier getting in/out. How's the pubic access? Thanks.

[Dippylodokus]

We caught 6 rainbows between my cousin and I on Tuesday. All between 10 and 13 inches. We were in shallow water and when they'd come by they would almost surely hit your line although it was a liter bite so you had to time it perfectly. It was bitter cold but well worth it. Some nice ones to stink up the pan!

[Dippylodokus]

Also, does anybody have any tips on how to tip up fish this lake? We were trying shiners but only had one flag.

[tripod5119]

Good to see you! i met you last year on the grind, we ened up with half a bucket of smelt and 2 lakers, was nice to talk with you , very informative, i plan on going back this year, pm me id like to fish with you or pick your brain on some other ideas i have, till then

[DLD24]

I cut a couple trout up tonight and there were like red balls in one of their stomachs, they were like a doughy texture when I squeezed them...Anybody know what this is??

[DonBo]

Someone fishing near you maybe chumming with some kind of dough bait?

[leech~~]

I cut a couple trout up tonight and there were like red balls in one of their stomachs, they were like a doughy texture when I squeezed them...Anybody know what this is??

Berkley Gulp Trout Dough I'm thinking.

[monstermoose78]

or the berkley eggs

[DLD24]

Ya I just looked up the Berkley eggs and I'm 99% sure that's what it was...Looks like I may have to pick some of them up next time I go

[Foreverfish1]

Had a nice first day ever ice fishing on Grindstone today.

Got to the lake at around 1pm and started drilling out from the public access looking for the smelt. I marked a few in 70ft but found a larger school in 90 ft and set up there. Ended up catching and keeping 16 smelt (which tasted great fried, by the way) by about 4pm on a tiny hook with red euro larva. Probably missed 100 bites though, I think they were hitting my sinker. I also alternated jigging an airplane jig with a sucker for lakers all over the water column but didn't mark anything that looked like a trout. In addition, I had a dead stick down from time to time with a fat head at various depths that saw no action.

I then decided I'd had enough of the smelt and went in shallow to try for some evening rainbows. Sat in 6 ft of water from 4:15 to 5:30 without seeing a fish down the hole or on the vex. I was alone and was sure to be quiet to not spook them but they just weren't there.

I accessed the lake at the Red Barn and my Saturn Vue handled the incline with ease. There was approximately 2-4 inches of snow on top of the ice and no slush which made it very easy to travel. There were people all over with vehicles when I got there and every hole I drilled had a solid 16-18 inches of ice, which was nice to see.

I wonder if those rainbows bite better in the morning or if I was in the wrong spot? Oh well, only one way to find out.

[Dippylodokus]

My cousin and I have caught a total of 7 rainbows this year.

[rwk]

Never tried the lake in the winter. Will I be able to park my diesel on the lake along the shore at the red barn access or should I park at the public access and ride the sleds out form their.

[irishwalleye]

Had a nice first day ever ice fishing on Grindstone today.

Got to the lake at around 1pm and started drilling out from the public access looking for the smelt. I marked a few in 70ft but found a larger school in 90 ft and set up there. Ended up catching and keeping 16 smelt (which tasted great fried, by the way) by about 4pm on a tiny hook with red euro larva. Probably missed 100 bites though, I think they were hitting my sinker. I also alternated jigging an airplane jig with a sucker for lakers all over the water column but didn't mark anything that looked like a trout. In addition, I had a dead stick down from time to time with a fat head at various depths that saw no action.

I then decided I'd had enough of the smelt and went in shallow to try for some evening rainbows. Sat in 6 ft of water from 4:15 to 5:30 without seeing a fish down the hole or on the vex. I was alone and was sure to be quiet to not spook them but they just weren't there.

I accessed the lake at the Red Barn and my Saturn Vue handled the incline with ease. There was approximately 2-4 inches of snow on top of the ice and no slush which made it very easy to travel. There were people all over with vehicles when I got there and every hole I drilled had a solid 16-18 inches of ice, which was nice to see.

I wonder if those rainbows bite better in the morning or if I was in the wrong spot? Oh well, only one way to find out.

Very nice report. We need more posts like this. Well done sir.

[rwk]

Tried the lake Sunday 1-2-14. Ice was 16 and snow was deep in spots. The ice sure did not like my heavy truck it was cracking loud. Got one lake trout 27" in 56ft of water and it was around 16ft in a ball of smelt. Lots of people fishing next to shore which we were guessing for rainbows. The smelt seemed to be all over the place and super hard to hook.

I got a crappie in 50ft at the bottom which was weird

Total was one laker and one rainbow in 56ft suspended Magic lure was forage minnow with a shiner minnow

[leech~~]

I thought that I had heard that some of the guys that got together last year are doing a GTG again this Sat the 8th on the Grind. I can't go because it's my Grandsons 1st B-day but thought that I would pass this along. Look for a white truck with some guys around it just out from the Red Barn and a lot of steam coming out of a Brat pot. Have fun if you go.