Albert Lea-Austin-Faribault-Mankato-Northfield-Waseca, Fishing Reports

[griffdus]

nice crappies been hitting on tetonka by swimming beach

[Matt C]

Did ya get a water temp out there?

[griffdus]

69.4 early morning surface temp

[Matt C]

Nice! Thank you. Almost time for me to go back to Tetonka. I like it in the lower 50's on that lake.

[zepman]

My buddy smoked the crappies out there the other day...pitching jigs to points.

[Scott M]

If anybody reads these, there is a heck of a jumbo perch bite going at Geneva. Mind the duck hunters this weekend and into the rest of the waterfowl season. Small jigs are working well.

[Jaspernuts]

hmmm... Mom is down this weekend and perch is her favorite. Maybe I will take here there. If this is a slu, which is sounds like it is, will I be able to get my fishawk in there? Or bring the duckboat to fish out of?

[Matt C]

I'd bring your duck boat.

[Scott M]

You can get a full size boat in at the access on the southeast side...ask for permission from the landowner down there, I believe he has a sign that says "Walden South" or something, a reference to Thoreau. He's a nice guy and would likely say yes if you ask. The public access on the north end is tougher, you'd need a duck boat there.

[Comit 2]

I went out this AM and fished from 7:30 to 10:00 AM. We boated 12 Walleyes the biggest was just under 22". All fish came from 4-7 fow and ALL were near the shade of trees! Water temp was 58 degrees (prime Walleye temps right now).

Look it's Muddog!

[Matt C]

very nice!

[thore]

Had the chance to hit the river the past couple of days walleyes were going on the current breaks in 10 to 12 feet of water. Thumper and hair jigs were the ticket fat heads over creek chubs, this will change when the big girls start showing up. The full moon over the next week will be very interesting especially if we get the weather change. We just need the water to cool off a touch more so those white bass start to spawn out

[Matt C]

Finally got a chance to get out for a few hours in the Faribault area.

Water temps still in the lower 60's to Upper 50's.

Marked tons of fish in 10 to 18 FOW water. Looked like schools of crappies. However, that's not what I was looking for.

Trolling #4 to #6 Salmo's, I finally napped a fat 16"er.

On more pass, buddy got a LM.

A good way to spend 2 hours on the water.

[mnvikes32]

Looks like Circle Lake!

[TruthWalleyes]

It's time to be out at sunset or later pitching plastics and cranks on shorlines!

mnvikes32, Welcome to HSO.

[swa]

I was thinking it looked like the south shore of Mazaska.

[mnvikes32]

Better not take any guesses on the lake....somebody gets mad about it. If I want to guess a lake, I will guess the lake and be right.

[Matt C]

Both wrong on the lake However, both the lakes mentioned would be killer options right now! If I didn't have to go to work in an hour, I'd be on Circle Lake trolling.

[TruthWalleyes]

We like to see photos of fish, it adds to the post! When i get on a hot bite, i like to share with others how the fish are being caught. Giving them information that they can apply while in their boat and on any local body of water much like others have taught me how to become a better fisherman by sharing their current tactics and presentations.

I haven't fish the SC area for over a month, but the reports I'm hearing are to fish shallow at sunset or later, with stick baits and plastics...Find some of the good weed beds and your in for a treat!

[KTapper]

This year of fishing has been a great one! Haven't gotten out as much but have definitely done well when I have. The key for me is fishing the river instead. I have only been out 3 times on the local lakes this year. The way I see it is I'll only fish the lakes in the spring winter and fall.

[Comit 2]

How big do the Bowfin grow in the river .

I see the river as a fall spot. The big girls will start to move soon.

[Matt C]

Well I'm back from over a year absence. This year of fishing has been a great one! Haven't gotten out as much but have definitely done well when I have. The key for me is fishing the river instead. I have only been out 3 times on the local lakes this year. The way I see it is I'll only fish the lakes in the spring winter and fall.

Glad to have ya back KSnap!

[bigsam]

Don't overlook deeper water with a jig-n-minnow for some 'eyes. If you can find 'em, you can catch 'em!

[harvey lee]

I decided to hit the lake this am for some panfish action and boy did I find it.

Hit a smaller lake in search of some crappie action and maybe a few nice gills.

I worked numerous areas that typically serve me well this time of year with next to no success.

Then, I moved out to the basin of the main lake in 12-14fow and worked the weed pockets that were in the area about a ft plus tall. I had not planed on anchoring so I worked the area with my trolling motor.

For bait, a JB Lures Ju Ju tipped with a spike.

Anytime one was in the area of the deeper weeds, one could not keep the crappie off the hoook. I also tried some plastics but that presentation was not neas as effective.

After probably 75 crappie, I decided to try and locate some nice gills and it must have been my day as that also went very well.

Using the same bait, I worked the edge of the basin and the breakline and drilled some beautiful gills from 8.5 inches to near 9.5.

The eye action was slow right away this am but I did manage to pick up 2 eyes about 16-17 inches.

My neighbors will be overjoyed as they will have some great eating fish when I get them cleaned.

The key for the crappie was without a doubt the weeds. The gills were not in the weeds but not located just to far away.

Maybe tonight I may hit the river for some eye action.

Cool on the lake this am but the bite was far from cool.

[GlassEyeangler]

i'm glad you posted this. i was on a lake last week only 13ft deep at best and experienced the same thing. it took me a long time to dial in on them, but found them just where you did...in the basins. the only problem was size, but who cares, it was fun! the funny thing is i never caught a crappie on this lake until a year ago, and now they are showing up. kinda strange! i was using jigs tipped with fatheads and every now and then i'd throw a shiner on. the shiner outperformed the fathead, but rationed them as they are expensive and really bought them to target the walleyes. i found a few of them too, but boy do the crappies love shiners!

i posted in another thread how i was having troubles targeting the slabs during the daylight hours. granted i was on a different lake, but curious if you found the slabs in the basins as well?

[Matt C]

Nice report Tom! Thank you!!!

[harvey lee]

I was out on another lake yesterday afternoon and had the same results.

Got a hot tip on a wild river eye bite so now it's off to the river this am.

This fall fishing is fantastic.

[wtp]

River fish produced real well for me and my wife yesterday. 9 eyes and 2 northerns. White jig head and minnow. Throwing it out and leaving it lay did nothing. Toss it up river and jig it back was the ticket. The one eye was 19 1/2"s and the one northern was 24". The morning was nothing. Didn't start biting until noon and found them laying in the sun. [Note from Admin: Please read forum {photo} policy before posting again]

[GlassEyeangler]

Sweet...now that's a nice stringer of fish right there!

Congrats!

[smnduck]

The rivers are on fire right now!