Buffalo Lake Fishing Reports

[fishnhunter]

Any luck on Buffalo Lake at all. Out twice this year. Can't mark any fish. Did they kill the lake last season?

[jigginjim]

The crappies are there but may have enough other food so it's harder to get to bite.

[tsande00]

I haven't had any problems marking fish - no matter where I have dropped a line in it seems my flasher has been full of fish...getting them to bite is a bit trickier.

[Brad B]

I have been out there 3 times and have only seen perch hugging the bottom and even they have been tight lipped. buffalo is not like it was last year. I didn't realize it may be a cycle type of lake where some years are better than others. my other thought is that since things didn't freeze up in november like it did last year that this has thrown everything off. the area by the coourt house has maybe only 3 to 5 houses where as last year it was like a small town. out where all the houses are off the north access was good to me late last season(mid march). have been out in that area once and it was dead.

[Bogie04]

Oh yeah the crappies are out there!. I pulled in some very nice crappies out there a few nights ago. They aren't very aggressive but its better then nothing! Most action was between 5-8 pm

[fishersofmen]

Welcome to the forum Mike...........

[tsande00]

Oh yeah the crappies are out there!. I pulled in some very nice crappies out there a few nights ago. They aren't very aggressive but its better then nothing! Most action was between 5-8 pm

Funny how that works...I was out last weekend and caught the majority between 2:00pm and 5:00pm and then again the next morning.

[hcmpls1]

PLENTY of people on Buffalo. Someone must be catching something.

[jigginjim]

They could be catching a few bottled crappies. hic-up

[river rat316]

I like bottled crappies... Im catching one right now

[MrBig]

Was out yesterday from 3:30 - 6:30 and not much action. You could see them on the Vex, but few takers. Got a few small perch and 2 crappies in 20' of water. Anybody having better luck deeper?

[Mo Gator]

I've had the same luck as MrBig lately... 2 crappies a night = SLOW!

[jigginjim]

WE must be a bunch of hacks, the article in ODN claims Buffalo is rockin and rollin. great catches. Maybe with dynomite?

[tsande00]

One question: For you guys reporting you're not catching anything...are you stacked up next to other shacks? Or out by yourselves?

[Craig34]

Although I'm not getting out nearly as much this year compared to the last 3 (a new baby will do that I guess) I'm having a lot of trouble finding fish. I've hit a number of lakes in the area and if I do mark fish, they are TIGHT to the bottom and TIGHT lipped. Granted, I was out during the cold snap, but even some of my "go-to's" haven't yielded much. And I rarely/never fish near the crowd. There have been a lot of insects on some of the lakes I've hit lately too...that has to figure in. Going to hit some spots today/tmrw. Hope to see things have picked up.

[jigginjim]

It seems no matter where you go the fishing is very slow. Some guys may have a few good nites. But if you were to talk to several guys o the lake they all have the same answer. SLOW!

[Craig34]

Totally agree, Jim. Went out again last night and hit 2 different lakes and about 10 different spots. Vex lit up like a Xmas tree and yielded nothing. Camera showed LOTS of small perch scattered w/ some Crappies, but nothing of size. Seems to be par for the course so far this year.

[river rat316]

While I wouldn't classify the bite as hot, I have had some very good days on the ice. I think people need to get away from "what worked last year or last week" I have fished mostly lakes I have never ice fished this year and sort of had a clean slate as far as spots to try, so I have turned to maps and just trying to go out in spots that I pick, and locate fish. Often times its far away from where people have there perms or from the crowds. The popular lakes have more and more pressure on them but there is alot of lakes in the area that see little pressure but have good populations of fish in them. Even if your are set on staying on a lake like Buffalo get out and explore a little, get away from the crowds, search the lake map and find areas that hold fish away from the crowds. you will eventually be awarded for it

[river rat316]

Ohh and I might add, that most of the time I am going through my whole tackle arsenal looking for things to trigger the bites, my old stand buy of glow red, for the most part, has not produced for me so its forced me to keep trying different things to trigger strikes. I am not one to sit there and watch a bobber or a deadstick rod so %90 of my fish come while jigging. Keep switching things up and you will eventually trigger bites. If your on Crappies and can't get them to go, try lifting on them, way more than just the one or 2 feet, the other night I was in 30' of water and most fish were suspended around 20-22' I had to get them to come up to 10-12' before they would strike, eventually one would break away from the pack and just hammer my little 1/16oz forage spoon loaded with euro larvae.

[tsande00]

I was having a lot of success for the past 10 days or so. On Friday though when I arrived at my usual spot there were suddenly 10-15 houses where there used to be only 1.

Fishing sucked - I'm not sure if it was because of all the extra people and noise fishing it, or the warm front. Managed to pull out about 6 or 8 Saturday morning after not catching a thing from Friday evening.

Not sure if it was related, but I told my brother and dad, who told a couple of their friends who probably told their friends. Suddenly everybody is all around me. I guess you can't even let family know of a hot bite now, lol.

Either way I love fishing and had a great time, slow bite or not.

[river rat316]

Yeah I think its the houses, I went to a small lake last night that had very few houses on it the last time I was out, I drove out to my spot and there was like 15 houses there and a party going on at one of them. I couldn't find my lake map and don't really know the lake that well so I just ended up leaving after a couple small crappies. Next time I will have to make sure I have my lake map around!

[Bogie04]

The best luck that I've had on Buffalo so far this year is right out by the hole. Fished in 30'of water ( by myself I dont like setting up around too close to other people) and they were all suspended between 14-18' it was a slow bite but well worth it! Seemed to only take crappie minnows on glow lures.

[unotrouble2]

Anyone been out on Buffalo, awefully quite

[eyebjim]

lots of houses out there when I drove by last weekend. Not sure why?

[hcmpls1]

lots of houses out there when I drove by last weekend. Not sure why?

The Jaycess hosted their annual fishing contest on Saturday...

http://www.buffalochamber.org/news/2010/01/buffalo-jaycees-ice-fishing-contest/

[ratherbefishin]

I heard 1st prize was a 8oz crappie, got the dude a new power jiffy and friend of mines 4 year old boy won 100.00$ in the raffle. I checked my sucker at the end of the contest and the head was almost bitten off, dang i could of had something!

[jdfisherman]

Was out last week Wed and Fri - a few keeper crappies, but slow. Seems like a lot of houses moving around the lake looking for better fishing. I haven't talked to anyone doing real well out there.

[sticknstring]

It had been really slow for us this winter on Buffalo as well. Finally moved off the lake after the contest Sat in hopes of better fishing. Only mistake was not doing it sooner.

I guess a 15lb northern was caught at the contest but was disqualified for being taken outside the boundaries. That's what we heard anyways. I can't a believe a half-pound crappie won the thing.

[hcmpls1]

It had been really slow for us this winter on Buffalo as well. Finally moved off the lake after the contest Sat in hopes of better fishing. Only mistake was not doing it sooner.

I guess a 15lb northern was caught at the contest but was disqualified for being taken outside the boundaries. That's what we heard anyways. I can't a believe a half-pound crappie won the thing.

Yep... he was pi$$ed... Here's a picture of it.

[fishersofmen]

Wow, thats a nice pike.