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Bryant Lake


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I've never been to Bryant, but heard good thigs about it for Northern, Bass, & Muskie when the time comes...
Where the heck is it???
Is it the lake that's near Hwy. 169 , just north of 55?
HELP...

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Bryant is off Shady Oak road in the Minnetonka/Hopkins area.

It's been beat up since they open up the Regional park. Jet skies, Water Skiers.....

I caught a 24" bass out of there 5 years ago, but it's changed since those days. It's just too small to handle the Park pressure & homes that are dumping fertilizer on their lawns.

We go there every spring because it's 1/2 mile from home to get the Motor cleared out and then go to Tonka.

This lake was one of those gems that just got destroyed.

Jo


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Destroyed!! You must be trying to keep people off of your honey hole because there is nothing wrong with Bryant. I tore up some four & five pound bass out there last year along with a big tiger muskie. And how is it possible for a nice park to ruin a lake?

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No Clayburn, not protecting anything.

Have you been then during the Summer? They spray the Milfoil which caused considerable muck from decaying weeds and the visability is approx 6 inches. Down on the North end, the muck and mud is over a foot deep.

We used to watch huge Bass on beds but that area has also been destroyed by the weed spraying. What used to be sand/gravel is layers of decaying weeds.

Jo


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I fish Bryant a few times a year and very outing has been a blast wit 4-5 lb bass and some 35-40 inch Tigers. Some success with smaller crappie.

Lake is way too busy in the summers with the jet skiers, etc....Don't know about the "Destroying", but all lakes are subject to spraying. The fishery will survive!

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I'm not a fan of weed spraying either. It should be unlawful for homeowners to kill off milfoil for their enjoyment. On the other hand I love dirty water lakes!!!

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Bryant's OK in my book, for bass. After the water warms, it's not worth fighting the pleasure boaters. I was afraid of getting capsized out there in June in my 12' Alumacraft. In a larger boat it wouldn't be so bad, but yeah, there are some nice-sized bass in there.

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My buddy lives on the lake and we pound it year after year. It is always very good early on. The bass at times can be out of control. We have had many days catching numerous amounts in the 4-6 lb range.
I have only taken 4 muskies out of there. We lost one last year that was around 18 lbs. The carp shooting is also fantastic.
But dont waste your time in the summer. The weeds just get to be to much and so it the traffic.

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Yes Goose, 24" but we had just gotten our first boat and didn't have a scale in it.

2 years ago, a co-worker caught a 7 3/4 lb out of there.

This may age me, but I caught my first bass on this lake when I was 6 years old, 37 years ago. Need I say more about knowing this lake and a few others in the area?

Jo

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I'll second (second-hand) the size of the bass in Bryant. I was supposed to go on an outing two years ago that I had to bow out of, & my buddy caught the biggest bass he'd ever caught. I saw a picture & the thing was 22" & over six pounds. So there are some monsters in there.

Hmmm. Now I'm thinking I may have to pay the lake a visit after bass opener. smile.gif

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I fish Bryant several times per season and I will agree a bit with the lake having changed a bit. You will still catch pigs out there and plenty of them, but the days of catching 15+ bass per outing are less than they used to be. Once the water warms and turns green, it gets tough. Alot of skiers and jet skis make it tough too. That's the only lake I know of that when I show up at 5:30 am, there almost is always a skier out there. Probably the same few people.

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trailblazer

i didnt keep the muskies i just meant i caught them.
sorry for the confusion

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  • 4 weeks later...

What's the crappie fishing like in Bryant? I'm looking for a SW metro lake to fish tomorrow and want to avoid the zoo on Tonka.

Thanks for any input.

DB

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Doon, the Crappie are small but plentyful. If you're taking a wee one, they'll have a blast.

Jo

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fished it twice with flags this winter with a bud. Had one flag go on a dead smelt that I had to bend in half to get down the 8" hole. Whatever it was hit the smelt from below and totally shredded the belly but let go after 45 seconds. It felt huge but never got a look.

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Doonbuggy: the crappie fish is real good, but the fish run small. The biggest I have caught was 9inches. Great for young kids if your using a boat. Watch locator and fish the schools in the lake. Byrant has been sprayed by the home owners Look to northwest corner.

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Here is my own public flogging. After all the good words about the amount of crappies in Bryant I caught everything but out there late yesterday afternoon.

Caught a couple dozen sunnies, all small, a halfdozen small bass, and a few relatively large perch by metro standards.

To be fair though I fished the quieter areas of the lake as the wind was wippin' up so evidently I was not in the right spots.

As for the spraying and weed debate, far too much of the shallow water looked barren and sickly.

DB

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

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