tonka bays

[Creek Kid]

gonna hit Tonka for a day next week just wondering what bays are producing. Plan on setting up from late morning to early afternoon for panfish and hoping to head somewhere for an evening walleye/crappie bite. I've only ever been on Grays & Crystal. Don't need specifics just don't wanna chase something that isn't there. Probably will be on a 4 wheeler.

[fishin4fun85]

had good luck on seton bay last week with the pannies

[blackdog1101]

Lots of pannies in Black Lake, and easy access too.

[masoct3]

Do you ever find any keepers in Black Lake? I was there last week and there are many small pan fish.

[jigginjim]

How small were the panfish? Many people think of 6 nich sunfih as sma while some would consider those great eaters.

I saw a guy and his wife keeping what looked to be 4 1/2 to 5inch sunfish in a pile. When I asked how he cleans those fish? He claims to use a bucket descaler, a few minute in the bucket with a drill operating scaler, it remves 95% of scales. He goes back touch-up a few that may have some scales on them. Gut them and remove fins rise, and get ready for fry pan, and start eating.

[masoct3]

Interesting. I have heard of those bucket descalers.

[fishin4fun85]

I eat those small sunnies too.....I take the time to filet em out though....makes it easy to freeze and cook up in the future....and when you have a fish fry people don't look at them weird between my wife and I we kept 22 sunnies and one crappie of Seton bay....probably caught somewhere in the 70 range to keep those 22....was a good day

[Tator2k]

I was out on Black Lake last weekend. You figure you found gold for the way the porty's and then bigger houses stack up out there really quick.

[blackdog1101]

Pretty much anywhere on Lake Minnetonka, at least in my experience, 8" sunfish are few and far between. Yes, they're out there, but if you want to keep sunfish for dinner you're likely going to keep 6 - 7 inchers. Personally, I'm fine with that. Same with 8 - 9 inch crappies, they eat just fine. Yes, there are rouge 13 - 14 inch crappies out there, but in my experience they're a once or twice a season catch.

Again, this is my experience. If someone else is regularly catching bigger pannies on Minnetonka, more power to them.

[fishin4fun85]

if someone else is catching bigger ones they need to tell me where

[Creek Kid]

Thanx for the info. No one trying for walleyes or crappies? Do most of you guys set up for the day in one spot or are you running to different parts of the lake? By different parts I mean going to another bay or across the lake - not moving 75yds from 12ft to 22ft.

[fishin4fun85]

im usually posting up and trying to make one spot produce....the other day drove from harrisons to wayzata and all that did me was a couple bait sized perch....the lakemaster chip helps tremendously with trying to find any sort of structure to set up on or fish along