Winona ice

[hector00]

I have been catching lots of sunnies on jigs out there but has anyone been doing much luck with any spoons if so what have you been using?

[jamessingkeo]

no its not next to the hospital, dont know how to e-mail you it say it didnt work try it agian. lol gime me you e mail i do that.

[FishingJunky]

no its not next to the hospital, dont know how to e-mail you it say it didnt work try it agian. lol gime me you e mail i do that.

my email is [email protected]

[FishingJunky]

I have tried every spoon known to man and have not caught a thing. I tried gil pills, genzbugs, doodle bugs, genz worms, and plain hook. Starting to think i am jinx this year.

[FishingJunky]

Went out to Winona again today. Had 7 people in 4 shacks and fished all over the place. 2 little sunnies was all we caught from 3-8. no one else was having much luck from what they were saying. Very Very slow year in Winona.

[hector00]

Were you fishing on the lake or the backwaters? We were on the lake last week and had no problem catching fish.

[FishingJunky]

We were on the lake. I heard last weekend was good for a few people out there. They must have turned off or something now though. We would mark fish but could not get them to bite. Hopefully we get some consistent weather for a couple of days to turn them back on.

[jamessingkeo]

stay away from the noises then you catch fish terry lol, i sent you a message hope that well help you out. that my second best spot. go around 4:20 pm at 13 feet used small jigs like tear drop brite color helps. well let me know if you get any action

[FishingJunky]

James we might try it again on Monday. Might go to Byllesby instead though depending on how my brother does there today. We found fish out there but could not get them to bite. They were very finicky. There was a lot of people out there though and the weather front might have turned them off too.

[hector00]

Had another good day on the lake again today. We caught about 40 sunnies.

[FishingJunky]

Hector did you fish by the ice community out there? I found the crappies out there but still no walleyes..What FOW did you find the eyes in? Also, what did you catch the eyes with? I have tried waxies, spikes, crappie minnow and fatheads.

The crappies are hitting on tiny frosty spoon with the tiniest crappie minnow you can find. if the minnow if remotely big they will come up to it and leave. We found them in 22 fow and they were coming in suspended at about 18 fow. Sunnies were coming in at 10 fow and would only hit waxies on a pink ratso.

[hector00]

Sunnies have been hitting on pretty much everything you throw at them. I went out to the community today in 32 fow and

[JIvers]

I've been following this thread, and others on Lake Winona, for some time now. It sounds like the fishing there has improved a lot since the dredging.

I lived in Winona from 1994-2000. When I lived there no self-respecting fisherperson would hit Lake Winona, winter or summer, save for bass fishermen.

Lake Winona back then was known for tiny bluegill, small crappie, and the occasional walleye, Northern, or catfish. And, the largemouth guys said Lake Winona was decent.

Anyone out there who fished Lake Winona before 2000 and today?

[FishingJunky]

I have been fishing out there since i was a kid 20 years ago. Back then you could catch hundreds of crappie a day but they were tiny little things. Then in about 1995 or so the fishing out there just plain sucked. It was pointless unless you were after bass. Fishing has been a lot better after the dredging and they have been stocking it with walleye for the last 7 years. I have seen 16" crappie come out through the ice and the average sized crappie is about 10 inches out there. the gills are still on the small side but you can catch some decent ones. I have never had much luck with walleye out there but i usually fish for crappie.

Hector, the ice community out there are all lined up right on the edge of a break. Most of them are in 30 fow. If you stay back about 30-40 yards you can find 15-25 fow. I like to fish away from people and commotion so i set up a good distance from the ice community in the shallower water.

[jamessingkeo]

i talk to a guy that went out to byllesby and caught two little eyes. well hope you catch a big one. mite go to lake city.

[hector00]

Wha kind of jigs are you using for the crappies? We have had are best luck on orange colored lures especially the glow colors. Pink has been working well two we have been catching alot of our walleys on pink colored lures with waxies!!

The community out there just kills me because I have been out there twice now this year andhave yetto mark a fish I must be doing something wrong. I see there was a big group of guys on the west lake Sunday they must have found some fish out there in the deep hole. I know last year I caugt some big fish on th little lake

[FishingJunky]

The crappies are hitting on little frosty spoons(light blue and white) with a small red trouble hook tipped with a tiny crappy minnow hooked in the dorsal fin.

We marked fish like crazy by the ice community in 30 fow but could not get them to bite. Most were suspended in 10 fow and were mainly sunnies. The crappies were a bit deeper but nothing really wanted to bite until after 4pm. We have the best luck from 4-7pm out there. I think weekends are tough out there because of all the traffic. I have seen fish in 20+ fow spook away when a car drives past. Thats why i try to avoid the ice community on weekends but we did catch some nice crappies there. 14" was the biggest and 10 inch average. We put them back so i know there are still a few nice ones out there

The little lake can be ok for fishing but usually only during first ice. There is a very small hole were the fish hang out(most of that lake is 10 feet deep) if there are over there and once more than 2 shacks get out there they seem to turn off and you can go 8 hours without marking a fish on the "hot spot"..

If you are chasing crappies you might want to check out french lake. I have a couple of spots marked that are usually pretty good crappie producers. The best spot is in 55 fow out there and fish about 30 feet down.

[hector00]

Have you been out fishing much other places in the winona area? French lake is up in Fairbult right. Last year on the small lake I did pretty well for crappies but I have never fished over the deep hole there. I just got a map of the lakes and actually know where some of the spots are on the lake to try out now.

[Fishman11]

was out there yesterday, and missed a few crappies. Was catching them until some guy started drilling holes with auger clsoe by, scared them away i guess. So FishJunky, what exactly is a frosty spoon?

[JIvers]

Welcome to HSO, Fishman11.

[Fishman11]

Thnx, eyehunter. Like the forums so far and hope they keep up with the great tips!

[FishingJunky]

you can find frostee spoons at fleet farm or any place that sells tackle really.

[FishingJunky]

Have you been out fishing much other places in the winona area? French lake is up in Fairbult right. Last year on the small lake I did pretty well for crappies but I have never fished over the deep hole there. I just got a map of the lakes and actually know where some of the spots are on the lake to try out now.

If it is the DNR map it is really old (from 1975 i think) and not even close as far as drops and depths. It has been dredged a couple of times and drained once since then. The map of the smaller lake is fairly accurate though since nothing has been done with that one.

[FishingJunky]

Have you been out fishing much other places in the winona area? French lake is up in Fairbult right. Last year on the small lake I did pretty well for crappies but I have never fished over the deep hole there. I just got a map of the lakes and actually know where some of the spots are on the lake to try out now.

I fish all over the winona area in the summer but stick to lake winona and airport lake in the winter. airport lake is known for northerns and sunnies. you can catch a lot of both out there. I have not been on the backwaters yet but will post as soon as i venture out. And yes french lake in in the faribault area, rice county I think.

[FishingJunky]

spent about 12 hours on lake Winona today. Tried by the hospital, the smaller lake, the ice community, etc.. Pretty much everywhere. Total of 5 fish all together. not a very good day out there.

[hector00]

was there alot of peole out there at all?

[Andy Loos1431189100]

I was out there last night and there was not that many people out at all. I think people are realizing that the fishing has not been that good.

[FishingJunky]

yeah, there wasn't that many people out there and a of the perms pulled their shacks from the "community" spot.

[FishingJunky]

yeah, there wasn't that many people out there and a of the perms pulled their shacks from the "community" spot.

[JIvers]

yeah, there wasn't that many people out there and a of the perms pulled their shacks from the "community" spot.

There were still a fair amount of perms and vehicles out on the east lake this noon. Some on the west lake, too.

If you had told me ten (or even five) years ago I would see a winter day where there would be more vehicles, portables, and perms on Lake Winona than on the Airport Lake (and there were far more on Lake Winona today), I'd have said you were nuts.