Lake Minnewaska Fishing Reports - Ice Conditions

[LandDr]

Most people had really good reports thru the weekend...if they weren't catching a lot, they were at least seeing a lot of them on the camera. Getting them to bite was the next challenge. We have been recommending people to go with a small presentation...small hooks and small bait. You are almost trying to get the panfish to eat a "snack" versus a meal. There is still a lot of forage in the lake with the daphnia so the fish are still eating well. The freshwater shrimp seemed to work well and many were reporting the crappies bit better on the shrimp.

Pike were just as active...again, many of those had full bellies as well. One guy said his pike looked like a football with what appeared to be sunfish in him.

Walleyes are still consistent with most getting 2 to 4 in the morning or evening. I worked all weekend but got out after the great Vikes victory...as soon as I got the camera down I started seeing walleyes. I seen 8 or 10 walleyes before I finally pulled the camera up and put a line down that hole as well. I missed about 5 or 6 and two nice fish got off at the hole (I think they hit the bottom of the ice)...one felt like 15 or 16 and the other felt like 18 or 19. I did manage two 15s, a 16 and a 19 and I was still marking fish when I left but I had to get the kids home because it was a school night. It was VERY hard to leave however.

(Haus...you shouldn't have went home!!!)

Looks like mild weather thru most of the week.

Fish On!

[walleyewindsey]

K

Heading down this afternoon to do some fishin in hoss's house. U know anywere a person can pick up some bait?(jk) U gonna be able to make it out this evening?

[lakers11]

Speared for 12 hours again on Waska and only saw 2 hammerhandles 200 perch and one dogfish... Seems like everyone is seeing pike on camera, so I'm assuming the pike are in deeper water...

[terrible_fisherman]

I speared on Friday out there and saw about 9-10 pike throughout the day in about 11 feet of water. I also saw 5-6 walleye swim through but couldn't get them to bite anything. Did catch one eye around 21 after dark but that was it. Moved my house to a different lake for Saturday and saw way less. I guess I should have stayed on Waska but that is fishing for you.

[LandDr]

Windsey! You gonna come down and try to earn that "walleye" name?

Trey has wrestling tonight so I am going to "possibly" go out sometime after school with the boys and then to wrestling...and then maybe back again for the evening.

Would be good to fish with you for awhile if I can. I think Haus had a good time!

Fish On!

[thedanimalkmk]

Kyle-

Would you on here posting reports and bragging about the fishing if it were not for your bait shop in town?? I don't think you would so wetline you are not the only one that smells something fishy here.

Dan

[LandDr]

The store is a hobby and it just breaks even each year. If you think it is such big money...everything can be for sale. The bait shop is definately not my income...I own two other businesses that are my primary income and allow me to have the fun I do at the bait shop. It is also great that I can use my Aquatics degree in such an environment.

I love to fish...that is the bottom line. In high school I was the one that would put the orders together with all my friends to order stuff from Bass Pro Shops. I love to get people fishing and help them learn...especially kids. Growing up, I fished every day! I want kids to have those same great opportunities.

Bragging? I just posted what I personally caught yesterday. What is wrong with that? I have not had a chance to get out fishing for several days and I for one was pretty excited about my catch. I also had my two boys with me...Chase 3 and Treyton 7. I am not sure which one of us were more excited and Treyton even got to set the hook on a couple of them and help pull them up.

It is unfortunate that you take issue with my efforts. I guess the people that know me and have gotten to know me understand where I am coming from. If you have not taken the time to talk with me or get to know me, I would really appreciate if you would not pass judgement on me just as I won't with anyone else. Fair enough?

Now let's get back to fishing!

Fish On!

[efishsport]

Landrr, I just want to say thanks for all of the fishing reports. I'm sure others appreciate them as well.

[Hossienda]

Landdr,

I certainly did have a good time yesterday. Jack had a great time in the house catching fish. Seemed like every time we read his fishing book and got to the ice fishing page, we got a bite. I wish I could have stayed, but after supper, he finally got in to bed after 8:30, pretty late for an almost 4yr old. I don't know about Winsy though. That guy doesn't know how to catch fish in my house...

Will be back down on Tuesday and maybe get to stay a little later.

-Hossienda

[lakers11]

Landdr you're doing a great job for the forum!! Don't listen to a few of the other complaining.

Terrible_ fisherman... Any suggestions on where I might go to see a few pike... I tried by bottle bay with no success and I moved my house further south and saw those two small ones... I'm headed to Miltona this weekend.

[terrible_fisherman]

I was out at the tip of the sand bar in front of the high school. Lots of numbers but not a lot of size. They also hit tip ups and rattle reels quite a bit. I think you could probably get shallower then I was and see just as many. It seemed like the pike were just cruising the edge of that bar.

[LandDr]

Has anyone tried spearing to the south of the DNR landing towards Lakeside? That was traditionally always a popular spot. Also, just out from the DNR wall there is an opening between the weed lines that held a lot of pike during the summer and fall. I know a lot of pike also cruise the Old Road Grade and that comes up to 4 or 5 fow water depending on the year...just off the grade I would think would be good.

It is really amazing how many more people are spearing again these days...and younger people. I thought it was a dieing sport but it seems to really be making a come back. Bob Halvorson from New London stops in occassionally and also comments on how many young people are getting into spearing. I think Bob was a past president or something of the spearing association.

If you get anything over 15 lbs., I would love to see it if you can stop by.

Terrible fisherman...did you head down to that lake to the south I think you said you were going to? Did you see anything else besides pike there?

Fish On!

[PerchJrkr]

The reason the crappies are gone from Waska has nothing to do with cycles its purely OVER FISHING!!!!!!!! I could care less about the sunfish or crappies in Waska, im a walleye guy. BUT the reason the crappies are all gone is people that line up in the bullrushes and pull those big black devils right off their beds. Im not even gonna mention where, even though im sure everyone knows. But what the DNR needs to do if they have any interest in preserving the crappies in that lake is put up signs prohibiting fishing in these spawning areas. I dont know what Dean Beck is trying to do with Waska because its pretty clear that its not crappies or walleyes. Look at the stocking info from 09. 50,001 fingerlings. The lake association put 50,000 in the lake so that means the DNR did 1.. ONE!!!!

[terrible_fisherman]

I did hit that lake. Just saw northerns and panfish. The water was a little cloudy and way more people then I expected for a private lake. Probably 15 houses out there with most being portables.

[LandDr]

Just my guess but I think the stocking rate posted on the DNR web site is just their stocking numbers and does not include any private stocking. That would result in 100,001 total between the two organizations.

I wonder who counted that "one" extra fish?

It is great that Waska has an association that can match the stocking rate the DNR contributes...that's a lot of walleyes!

Fish On!

[LandDr]

Forgot to mention, I do have membership forms at the store. I also have the "stickers" that allow you to use the Lake Association access onto the lake on the west side of Priest's Point...even if you don't use the access, good to just support their efforts. Stop by and get a membership if that works into your budget.

Fish On!

[LandDr]

Terrible fisherman...hummm...I wonder what they are all fishing. I trolled around and around on that lake a few times this summer and never caught what I was looking for. Did get a HUGE pike...my son thought he snagged a log since it wasn't moving and we were pretty close to shore. So he handed it over to me and I started pulling on it really hard. I finally got it to lift up and just thought I would see a big branch come up...until a big tail flipped out of the water!! I quickly handed the rod back to my son (then 6 yrs old) and told him he had a HUGE northern on. It was a blast watching him fight that thing for several minutes until I finally netted it.

We released it so it is still out there. As you can see...it was almost as big as he was!

Fish On!

[terrible_fisherman]

Nice fish. Neat that your son got to fight it.

[crappieking54]

Quite an experience for the guy!! Hopefully my little guy gets to do that soon!!!

[crappieking54]

What do guys normally catch in the 32 ft hole on Waska? i was there on Sunday morning and missed two nice strikes but must have screwed up the hook set.. bummer

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Landrr, I just want to say thanks for all of the fishing reports. I'm sure others appreciate them as well.

RIGHT ON WITH THIS POST, AND YES FISH ON!!!

[LandDr]

It was a great experience. He thinks he is quite the fisherman...but he backs it up by catching bigger fish!

The 32 ft. is actually about 28 or 29 now...but what "I" catch there are sheephead and bass. What other people catch there are the walleyes...or at least they try for them.

I think most of the houses out there are on the edges of the hole, rather than in the hole itself, and also along the slope going up to school point.

To me it is always a mystery out there. Maybe some day I will go out there, but for now I will stay closer to shore. I am further out this year than I have ever been...and that is still not that far out.

Fish On!

[wannaeye]

Stopped in to see Landdr today, picked up some bait and got some good info on were to start. Thanks for the tips, and keep up the great posts.

My 2 boys and I worked bottle bay today, from 14-20 feet. Most fish were from 20', but they were small. Larger fish just wouldn't bite. Tried evrything from shrimp, larve, worms and minnows.

It was still a great day to be out, warm and very little wind.

[whitetail_freak]

i was out there saturday and didnt have any problems finding crappies.. you just have to work for them a little more. you cant just set a big house in the middle of crappie town and expect abundant big crappies. doesnt work that way! take some time and drill a few holes, it'll pay off!

[crappieking54]

knowing my luck it was probably sheephead! Cannot seem to get on a good bite on this lake in the winter... maybe the boat is a fish magnet?

[LandDr]

Whitetail...that is good to know. So you did find some crappies in crappie town? Depth? My father is getting frustrated that he can not find crappies and sunnies, and he doesn't want to pull the fish house all the way over to Bottle Bay. Any help would be appreciated if you stop by. I have been pretty focused on walleyes so I have not been much help to him other than giving him some spots to check...but he is impatient, very impatient.

Wannaeye...just amazing how deep those panfish are this year. Thanks for the comments.

I got out for a couple of hours last night before and after wsrestling practice. Dad missed what he said was a nice walleye earlier. Marked a few fish coming in but not as many as the previous night. Really started marking more fish coming in around 9 pm but I had to get the boys back for bed. I did manage two walleyes out just before I left...15 and 15.5. Boy they are fat. One of the walleyes that I cleaned yesterday had around 10 or 15 very little sunfish in the stomach. Others had shiners in them. I have gone to using the medium to small shiners to try to be more around the size of what they are eating.

Crappie King...not that you can't get some eyes in the hole, but I would recommend trying the 20 ft. lines in School Bar 1 and 2 or even making the hike over to Swenson Point to give that a try.

Fish On!

[terrible_fisherman]

The guys fishing the slopes around the hole were mainly catching slimers and smallmounth bass with a walleye or two mixed in. Couple guys said they couldn't keep bass off of the line and were frustrated by it.

I had never ice fished that far out on the lake before either. I grew up in that area and fished that lake a lot when I was younger. It used to heave up pretty bad out their and the ice was kinda scarey. Not sure if that still happens anymore or not.

[crappieking54]

the ice out in the deep hole was looking good with no issues except for a couple of inches of frozen slush...

[josh_c]

thanks for the post landdr, you're doing the right thing

I've been wanting to go there for the last two years now and every one of your post intreges me more. i fish leech alot because i like that lake too, but ussually stay there for a weekend.

do you rent sleeper houses? I've looked online and can't find a hotel closer then Alex....is that the case?

I'm hitting the Gull Lake tourney on saterday but am thinking about coming there sunday for the day. will you be open and also is the bite good all day

thanks for the help

[LandDr]

Josh...thanks for the post. I think I can count on one hand the lakes that I have fished. I just don't jump around much. I really went out two years ago and made a trip all the way to Vermillion with my oldest son and the neighbor kid...what a great trip! The slot was tight but we got into some great 16 inch walleyes and my son got a 36 inch pike.

To your questions...yes, Scottwood (Glenwood)/Cedar Inn (Starbuck)/several in Alexandria, yes.

Sunfish and crappies bite all day but may pick up more at certain times of the day. There are a lot of nice fish down there from what people have seen on cameras...just have to work them to get them to bite. Go small to get them to take a "snack" rather than a "meal" and also try to work a pattern to p*ss them off into a bite.

Two small walleyes last night but lost one that felt over 20 inches and had another one snap the line that felt even bigger. Would have been nice to see those two and then release. That's fish'in!

Fish On!