Waconia Fishing Reports

[InTowneGuy]

Hey everybody, just dropping by to let you know what I've been hearing on Lake Waconia.

Thanks to the warmup, we are seeing fish again. The extreme cold snap seemed to shut the fish off for a few days.

I got a chance to spend the night on the lake on Wed. 1/7. All night I had walleye action, but was unable to hole one big enough to keep (16 in.) I caught at least 12, and missed several others. Most of the action was on fatheads, but again, they were small. I was fishing in about 12 ft water, right off the weed edge as it gets deeper, and away from vehicle traffic.

From what I'm hearing, most of the keepers have been on shiners. If you want the best chance for walleyes, get away from the crowds. Again, don't be surprised to catch a lot of 8 to 12 inchers, before you get a keeper.

I also had a chance earlier in the evening to fish crappies in Waconia bay. Had some decent action for only 2 hours of fishing (I fished from 6 to 8 pm. Wish I'd been out by 4 pm). I was mostly catching them on Larva on #8 sunfisher hooks. They weren't biting my #6 moon glows w/ crappie minnows that night. Some nights its just the opposite. Expect keeper crappies between 6-8 oz., with an occasional 3/4 or 1 pounder.

[fishtank]

Thanks townguy! I'm heading out your way on Saturday. We are planning on putting our permanant out there for the remainder of the season. That's some helpful info. We are looking just SW of the island. It's people like you that can make everybody's experience a better one.

[Paul Waldowski]

Just wanted to Welcome In-Towne to the forums.

Now we will start getting some in-depth and accurate fishing info for Waconia

Keep the great info coming!!!!

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Paul
[email protected]
Marcum
Otter Outdoors

[rattlem'up]

where abouts are you fishing on the lake? My buddy and i have a house out there by the second town. Aprox. 10-15 ft. deep. Caught one nice 20 incher but nothing else. Is there any other place that seems to be hot on the lake?
thanks

[bendaryesterday]

Its good to see in town joind us I have friends who have houses all around the lake besides the fluke on monday it is hard to find eyes that are keepers my budy on cematary reef caught 3 keepers on monday from midnight until 3 am
I call it a fluke but who knows. we have been doing different things to try to catch bigger fish I have to agree with in town Shinners mid to big ones keeps little fish off the line. Still with all the little ones in the lake theres got to be a honey hole with the hogs haging out!!! IM still tring not going to give up untill feb 28. let you know about a week or two after I find it.

GOODLUCK TO ALL

SHOULD HAVE BEEN DAR YESTERDAY

[Chaska Fisherman]

I have been working the east side of the island and have played around with depth quite a bit. I have been getting around 4 -5 eyes every night but they are all about 6 to 8 inches Long...Little Cigars. I am goign to be moving the house soon to try for some other species. Welcome Intowne to the forum as well . You guys are the best place around for truth and helpful hints.
Fish On !!1

Lane

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Chaska Fisherman
[email protected]
Fish on !!!

[rattlem'up]

hey what about the north reef thats straight north of the island? Is there anything biting there as far a crappies and northerns? I fished there last year and caught my limit of crappies a lot.

[Moose-Hunter]

North seems to be more of a late ice spot from what I have seen. Good for crappies, but not really much more. Had only two flags there all of last year for pike. One hammer handle, the other was about a 3 footer and went back for it's efforts.

I've always heard Pillsbury was the spot for eyes...

Dan

[doser]

I saw the fire too. I was outside my house when it looked like a small bon fire and I looked 15 minutes later and it was shooting over the trees. Anyone know what it was? Lot's of idiot's on the ice that night spinning around leaving garbage...driving two feet from other houses. As soon as their is safe ice to drive all the riff raff makes it's way out. Fri. night was the worst I've seen it in awhile.

[danny berg]

Took Friday Afternoon off work to move my house, moved to 18-20' of water, Friday night was slow, caught a total of 8 Walleye, the biggest being 13". Caught 2 small crappie also, fished from 4:30 untill 10:00.
Sat went to the ice fishing contest in Alexandria, got skunked there, fished in 29'of water. Got back home around 7:30 and went to the fishhouse around 9 PM. dropped a couple of shiners on the rattle reels, turned on the Game and fell asleep. Woke up at 1:30 and pulled one line out and jigged a few different lures, Caught one 13" and one 10" waleye, Went back to sleep around 4:00. caught a small walleye on the rattle reel around 6:30.

PS:
To the idiot who thought it was cool to take a dump on my snow pack Go F yourself.......

[Catfish]

I feel your pain on someone taking a dump against your house. They did the same thing to me on Waconia last year. Splattered all over the siding. Some people are pigs. I was on Parly this year and our house was broken into 01-07-04. Minor damage and only small items stollen because we leave nothing inside to speak of. I have tryed leaving the house open and then they use it for an outhouse. Now I take the house home every night. It is too bad people can't behave. Good luck.

[Smallmouth]

Did anyone see the fire Friday night on the north end of the lake? We were in Wageners and heard the "POP"! I hope everyone got out of that house OK. Also, I hope this was not the taxidermists place????

ps...fishing has been great lately, getting our limit of Craps w/in an hour or 2.

[fishtank]

Sorry to hear that DB --- If people need to take a dump, there is porta john's up at the bait shop - it would make everybody's experience a better one.
I was out this afternoon for a few hours. I had a lot of action, but no walley's - only a few perch and sunny's. I'm looking for the right depths for tip-ups. The house is near Pillsbury and Center Reef, so I don't want to wander too far (I like the warmth of the house). I've had no luck on Shiners. Anybody have any other luck?

[Chucker218]

Was out last night crappie action as good after sunset 9" to 10" size. Sunnies were biting on crappie minnows after dark between 6 to 7 (odd). Had tip up's out but no takers, they were there could see eyes at 13 ft but just sitting Set up off of harms 13 to 15 ft.

[TMan]

I was out last night as well. Lots of 9-10 inchers. Couldn't keep 2 rods in the water. I'm north of the Island a ways... Anyone getting any consistent larger Crappies? I hear of the few 12+", but I don't hear of multiples. Just wondering what the year classes are doing....

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http://www.phelpstackle.com

[Guest]

Just wondering if people are driving out yet?

[Guest]

Are people driving on the lake yet?

[snagged]

Yeah, there are alot of cars driving around on the lake.

[parttimer]

Lots of vehicles on the lake. Saw a couple of 3/4 and 1 ton pick-ups. People are driving from In Towne out to the north side of the island. Watch for sticks and tree branches, those are unsafe spots, saw some on the north side of the island tonight.

Good Luck!!

[JiggingSpoon]

Yeah make sure to steer clear of the marked spots, most are marked with sticks and flagging tape. Those are springs, about a week ago some were still open, but the average size of the hole was about 2 feet in diameter. but the good news is that there is about 15-17 inches of good ice only 2-3 feet away from these spots. the only problem with hitting one of these spots is that you might wreck your allignment our maybe wreck your axle(and give you a heart attack), but i don't believe that anyone could drop a truck down these holes with the thick ice around it, but remember ice is never safe, and you never know, but i have walked right up to these holes and there is very good ice right up to them. just warning those who don't know.
JS

[danny berg]

New camera is suppose to be delivered today, can't wait to try it out tonight. Maybe I will see the monster Eye's that are watching me catch the smaller Eyes,

[JiggingSpoon]

wow, can you guys believe all the houses that popped up on waconia over the weekend. I haven't seen houses out there like that in over 5 years. Pilsbury looks like it did 10 years ago, there has to be 200 houses out there, it is crazy.
JS

[fishtank]

There were a lot of houses out there, but that's what makes a metro lake fun. It's nice to be in Minnesota where you can walk on water and greet your neighbor with a beer offering.
The only downfall I see out there is the amount of garbage all over the lake. It's a little difficult to catch the idiots who leave cans and garbage behind. But let's all try to make a conscience effort to keep the hard water clean - even if the trash isn't yours. Happy Fishing!
-Tank

[danny berg]

Friday night was pretty slow, had our fair share of dink walleyes on the hook, and a few crappies as well. Saturday night was real slow, probably less than half of Friday nights bite. Had a good talk with the Sheriff Dept as they were doing their rounds, invited them in to warm up, too bad I didn't have any coffee going, they looked like they needed some.
As soon as we get some snow, I will move to a new location and hopefully will have better reports.

[scalescratcher]

Was out Saturday night in the portable and fighting the wind and cold was not fun. I thought for sure it was going to fracture the frame on the Clam and it certainly came close. After finally icing 2 eyes (1@19 &1 @22) in the last 2 outings, this past weekend was back to "dinktown". Ended up with a dozen crappies of which I kept 7 for dindin and 12-15 eyes that all ran 14" or less. Still in 12' on the weed edge. Had the ususal traffic driving by even though I'm nowhere near anyone and there's plenty of room to go way around. Saw too much garbage but unfortunately with the wind it was moving far too fast for me to catch up to it. The south east shore must be rael colorful by now! Too bad.

[fishtank]

Was out again yesterday afternoon around Pillsbury. Nothing but a couple sunnies from 4:30 until 6 or so. After that, non stop crappie action until it shut down around 9:30.
The bite is light. If you plan on using a bobber, it better be a sensative one. We we were just looking for the slightest movement from our rod tips.
Need any info on the Walleye action. I've tried anywhere from 17' to 20' but no action. I had a hard Walleye tap around 5' which I saw on the Vex, but couldn't get it in.

[doser]

Any size to the crappie? I've beeen catching them, but all 8-9 inchers. I don't keep them unless they are about 10 inches.

[fishtank]

Most of them were in the 8" and 9" but a couple of them in 10's and 1 close to 11".
It's just fun, especially when they're biting.
Saturday a friend of mine hooked into one that had to be close to 12.
Tank

[InTowneGuy]

fishtank you are exactly right. The bite has been good, but some nights you have to finesse them. If you aren't noticing your bobber going down and you are using crappie minnows, switch to a spring bobber, downsize the hook and go with a larva or wax worm for crappies.

Also, the pike have been active the last few days. More than one guy has told me their sunfish or crappie have been attacked as they are bringing them up to the hole. The bait of choice has been suckers.

[minnowdangler71]

hey intowne, do you guys rent houses overnite?? do you have any on a good walleye spot?? let me know