South Center Fishing Reports

[kaine]

we just got back from south center. they sure did make the landing look pretty but it is actually worse than it was before.

[JBMasterAngler]

How so?

[kaine]

i have an 18 ft bass boat and when we launched there a week ago we had really no problems but now it is actually shallower than it was before. i can still launch but barely and getting close enough to the dock to pick up your partner is almost impossible when before i could pull right up to it.

[JBMasterAngler]

How was the fishing? Is the clarity really only a couple inches?

[kaine]

ya its thick maybe 6 inches and thats pushing it. we did have fun though pretty steady action and nothing under 2 pounds all day.

[JBMasterAngler]

Sounds good, I'm gonna brave the heat and possible thunder storms tomorrow and give it the ol' college try. I bought alot of stuff at cabela's and fleet farm recently, and I'm dying to try it out.

[JBMasterAngler]

Well I made it out there today (monday). Left the house and it was 82 degrees and sunny, got on the hwy and headed north, temp dropped 20 degrees and it started raining. Pulled into the parking lot and the rain stopped, temp jumped right back up to about 86. You guys were right about the water level and color Anyway, fishing wasn't so great. Caught 8 tiny bass, the only 2 nices ones got away. Also 2 sunnies and a crappie...The big surprise of the day was when I caught 2 tiny walleyes and a bullhead flipping my bait along the docks. Is that really common to catch 'eyes that shallow in mid day? Every fish came on a white twister tail, they wouldn't touch the spinnerbaits, slash baits, or buzzbaits.

[NCLaker]

For Pike, I've had best luck using larger Lipless crankbaits (Red eye shad or Rattling raps) on these lakes.

As for walleye off docks, I've most often seen them shallow in the fall. Not typically in the middle of summer ... then again the weather we have been having kinda makes it feel like fall

[sicheneder]

so you were the one boat that i saw at the access yesterday. i must not be able to loaunch my boat correctly because the boat wouldn't float of on either slab lots of muck. had to go over to green. i have a 20 foot ranger.

[JBMasterAngler]

I had zero problems with my 14 footer...couple of the guys launching their speed boats was amusing though.

[NCLaker]

It is amazes me that they redid the launch and it is still not usable for anything but very small boats. I think it is time to call Frankie in to take care of in right ... LOL

[JBMasterAngler]

Just out of curiousity, what did they do? Because nothing looked new. Obviously wasn't dredged either.

[sicheneder]

they definetely poured new concrete ramps at the s.center access. looked pretty nice to me it is a blend of the concrete blocks and concrete filling them in.

[kaine]

i talked to the dnr guys and they dredged it and put 30ft of new slabs on both sides and put all new gravel down, they just didnt dredge far enough out. once the water level isnt 5ft low it will be a nice landing but we are going to need alot of snow this winter.

[Deitz Dittrich]

The problem is, the lake is just too shallow now. And they really cant dredge it any more as its still only about 1.5feet deep out 30 yards from shore. They did fix the landing, and when the water comes back up it will be better, however, like Kaine said, they made it worse currently. I could launch my boat before, now not so much without HUGE effort.

[NCLaker]

If the water does not come up, It'll be interesting this fall to see how all the lake home owners manage to get their boats out of the water on SC. Anyone with their own personal lake access might be able to make a few bucks.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I cant think of anyone who has an access at their house. I was down at the landing today just as a pontoon was trying to put in. I looked at the guy and as respectfully as I could said. "Your not getting that in here. I suggest Chisago or the little Green access..".. He stated that it was a brand new pontoon, and was just taking delivery, he didnt own the trailer, just the boat and lived on the lake.. Itold them the only way was to back up quickly and as the trailer was at its deepest to slam on the breaks.. I yelled to slam at the deepest and the boat moved about 2 feet. We then had 4 people push with everything we had to get the boat partway off till it hit the shallow blow hole behind the boat.. we were then stuck again. It wasnt safe but we then had 3 people in the water hold the boat as the driver pulled the truck/trailer out from underneath as we held the boat.

We got her launched, but it was work!

[kaine]

I'm glad you were there and not me, doesn't sound fun.

[NCLaker]

I cant think of anyone who has an access at their house...

When I was shopping for a lake place on SC I could swear I looked at one with a paved driveway all the way to the lake. It is on the middle bay on the west side of the lake (north side of the bay on Norelius Ln). The developer tore the house down few years ago, and built a new two story - not sure if he left the driveway.

Also, does the road on Sunset point go all the way to the water, can't remember.

I wonder if they could use the area people drive on to SC during hardwater season next to My Burger restaurant.

Nice job on helping with the pontoon by the way ... that must have been painful for the owner to see that type of hard launching on his brand new pontoon.

[RossT]

Did friday's rain help raise the lake levels? How bad is the channel between N/S?

[kaine]

we are going to need alot more rain than we got friday it may have went up a fraction of an inch but i doubt it. last time i heard about the channel there was only 13 inches of water

some people can go through some cant. on the south center side about 8 feet from the bridge there is a giant concrete slab that goes all the way across the channel.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Ross, I saw a pontoon go through the other day, but I know for a fact that I can not.. Kaine is right about the channel. I was the one to measure it about 2 weeks ago at 13".. could be shallower now even.

My rain gauge said we got 3/10th of an inch.. I doubt it helped if any.

[LwnmwnMan2]

We were out tonight on South Center for 24 minutes. Needless to say it was not a fun and enjoyable Sunday evening.

Anyways, if you're going to use the launch south of Dairy Queen, use the ramp on the right as you're looking at them from the parking lot.

The one on the left, the power loaders have already pushed all the muck up so it's about 1' deep at the end of the dock. You've got a nice hole to start to back the trailer in, and then just when you've got decent momentum going and are going to hit the brakes, thump, you back into the muck wall and your trailer comes back out of the water.

You then pull ahead and launch the boat in the first hole that was backed into, in order to get away from the dock and out into the lake, you're going to have to push with paddles or walk the boat out, you're going to drag.

The good ramp don't veer too far one way left or right, the muck is getting pushed up on the edges and you're going to drap there too, we used that one loading the boat.

Anyways, needless to say, we're not heading back out to South Center anytime soon.

We did find the crappies in the usual hole and would constantly have 3-4 on at a time, but all in the 7-9" range, just small enough to not want to keep any.

The trip lasted 24 mintues because the 7 year old was whining about wanting to go swimming, the wife is PMSing and the 4 year old just wasn't in the fishing mood.

I'm sure many here know what I'm talking about.

[Neighbor_guy]

Sounds like a blast.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Lawnie.. it had nothing to do with the powerloaders this time. ITs been that way since they "Fixed it". I watched the first person launch after the DnR left and had that same problem.

[TR21]

Frankies had their tourney there this weekend, I wonder how they handled the problem or did they just fish North and Green?

[sicheneder]

if drawn for the centers we had a choice to launch on either one and switch half way thru the day. so, they still launched on south center and it looked like more boats were on s.center as usual.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Mr. D -

I remember your post earlier but saw there were more trailers there on Sunday than the last time we were out.

We launched on the left one, but all had to get out of the boat and I dragged it over to the other side.

Walking through all the muck (1' deep) a guy could definately feel where the rock and muck has been built back up.

I agree that you're right about being bad to begin with, but as we were loading up to leave, two boats were power loading right behind me.

I'm not at all against power loadibg, just in this situation it's created more of an issue, IMO.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Ok, I can agree with that.. I think the biggest problem is that there is no where for that dirt/muck to go. Its still only about 2 feet deep 60 yards past the landing. We need MORE rain.

[leech~~]

Lwn, Two (poorWordUsage)in one title, you must have been [PoorWordUsage]!