Tonka

[Pherris]

I have not had much luck on Tonka yet this year only been out a couple of times wondering what patterns the bass are on. I have fished both shallow and deeper weed lines but no real luck any advice?

[This message has been edited by Pherris (edited 06-16-2004).]

[Mr Special]

I only got out bass fishing the lake twice so far, but if you stick to the outside weedline you should be in business. What I do is follow the weedline with stick baits or texas rigs and at dusk and dawn throw topwater into the shore.

Good luck

[Daze Off]

We caught some 15 - 17" inch fish in shallow dirty water using carolina rigs and spinnerbaits slow-rolled - mostly around milfoil/pad combinations. Also had some nice strikes on 4" senko in clear water reeds. Am told to run jerkbaits over weedbeds in 8-10 ft. range too.

Daze Off

[catchin'whopper]

Would it be safe to say that weedline fishing in most minnetonka bays is in the 18-20 foot range? I am making a generalization on this just to get an idea of how i need to target these largies better. Thanks for any of your help.
-Catchin' Whopper

[anchor man]

Whopper,

Yes, 18-20 will keep you on the weedline. Of course, you'll find some bare spots that'll get you in shallower, but that's the exception. I only fish Wayzata and Browns, not too sure about the west end..

[cupper]

Hey guys!

Just giving my 2 cents about the west end of tonka. I am new to the lake and focusing my efforts mostly to the islands in the eastern part of the upper west lake (crane, etc...). I agree with anchor man that 18-20 feet will put you on the weed line. That is where I have had most of my success. I was out with the girlfriend the other night trolling cranks for pike and walleye and she caught a small bucket-mouth in about 19 ft.

[catchin'whopper]

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. i ahve only really hit North Arm and Maxwell and the related bays and it seems like those are so weed choked with plenty of recreational boats on smaller bodies of water. I will have to start getting out a little farther to the bigger waters. Thanks, will let you know when i get out there.

_Catchin'

[Mr Special]

On Maxwell I notice the weedline to be a little shallower. It was in the 9'-12' range and again at dusk and dawn topwater in to shallows.

Good luck

[markkstanley]

Easiest way to catch bass right now on the west end of Tonka is to throw husky jerks on inside edge mornings and evenings or just twitch them over the flats. Hit the west shoreline and weedlines across of Howard's Point from the bridge on south. Can also drop shot/jig the weed edge there as there is a lot of hard bottom in the area. Have had some success doing the same thing around Spring Park Bay and the northwest end of Crane island. Probably will catch 2 northerns for every bass so to avoid biteoffs use 14/17lb fluorocarbon as a leader. It's a lot tougher than mono.

[EBass]

Bill and I were on the west end on Monday. It was tough fishing. I caught 9 in 7 hours. No real pattern except topwater in the pads towards dusk. I was lucky enough to find a 19" bass though. It does look like their starting to get into that feed bag mode as most of the fishes bellies are starting to get a little tubby again. I hope the post spawn blues are over.

I'm going out again tomorrow with Bill and we'll see what happens. It's supposed to be cloudy in the AM. Woo Hoo! No surn burn and cruzing bass.