lake tetonka walleye

[hawkeye43]

I wonder if the DNR would have more meetings this time around??

[SandPoint]

"A lot of people are under the impression that if it was recognized as a Musky lake they couldn't spear Northern Pike (or have to remain sober and not spear Muskies). I wonder who would spread that kind of misinformation around???????????

I can do this until I get kicked off this site again!"

[Yooperguy]

Because all spear fisherman are drunks?? Here's to hoping you get kicked off again!!! This is why alot of spear guys will not work with the muskie guys!!

So that's why they won't work with us, drunkerds Why should they do meetings a second time, anyone you guys appointed didn't give you any of the info provided and that was too bad too. Yes the spearing ban was lifted off of French and the "muskie guys" didn't do anything to stop it on that lake. You know if both sides could work together (spearers & muskie) things for both sides could be alot better. But it's hard when the Spearers walk away from the table at the esox workshops. There has not been a single instance that stocking muskies have hurt a fishery in MN and noone wants spearing bans. If you want to know what really hurts the walleye programs on lake it's hammerhandle pike. There's info out there that points to over 7 pike per net lift you are basicly feeding walleyes to the pike.

[SandPoint]

I agree small pike will feast on walleye fingerlings and both walleye and muskie stocking should be re-considered in these types of lakes with NO natural reproduction. By the way, in Michigan isn't it leagal to spear muskie's in certain lakes? I find it funny that only state boundaries make the difference between right and wrong.

[Willy]

The thing is, the people of this area don't want the skis.

Whether it be the spear huckers or just regular fisherman. PS Not all spearers are drunks. Us guys in fishhouses like beer too! Haha.

It is all city folks and out of towners that are for the stocking. Muskies Inc or whatnot. I guess I could give a darn if some pushy Musky folks get another playground built for them.

Like I have said in the past on this. Muskies won't hurt the lake, I am not worried about the fish. I just don't like having a whole nother wad of people pressuring the lake. Call it selfish or whatever, but sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone.

As to the original poster, Tetonka has a tendency to give up lots of small ones. All I will say is to keep looking as they are out there, but smaller fish are definitely in the majority.

[smeese]

I would rather be able to spear on muskie lakes myself. Nothing like a big one rolling through to say "hi" til later in the summer. No follows on Tetonka for opener, but got a couple eyes in the morning in about 18 feet of water around a hump I like to fish in the winter. Cheers to someday Musky fishermen and spear fishermen getting along someday... however doing both sometimes I argue with myself.

[smeese]

PS thanks to the mods for not locking us out!

[FilledLimits]

I know in the winter I've gone out there a couple of times in the deeper water and threw out tip ups and I've caught some niceish ones out of there, but I don't have any pics.. I've actually never tried it in the summer so I'm not much help that way..

[TruthWalleyes]

Wouldn't bother me if they stocked it. Only downside IMO is a busier landing. Thing about musky fishermen that i like is they are (Mostly) CPR fishermen. Not likely these guys are going to ruin the fishery, the skii's could only make hte fishery better IMO.

I don't spear, but i sure would be disappointed if i liked to spear on tetonka and with the stocking of muskies i would no longer be able to.

Definitely small walters in there this year. Buddy and I got ~20 last friday, none over 14" if i remember...Big enough to wiggle a treble hook into my buddies thumb though That was my enjoyment for the day.

[smeese]

The two I got were 17" and 21" but I only caught the two. The were both released. I did not catch any dinks. Where were you fishing? Be fun to catch a bunch with my kids.

[Yooperguy]

I agree small pike will feast on walleye fingerlings and both walleye and muskie stocking should be re-considered in these types of lakes with NO natural reproduction. By the way, in Michigan isn't it leagal to spear muskie's in certain lakes? I find it funny that only state boundaries make the difference between right and wrong.

Well to be correct it's really a whole state(Wisconsin) and while we are compairing states why don't you ever use Iowa or Wisconsin or ever Canada in your pro spearing arguements? You guys do know that there are many lakes in Michigan that also have spearing bans on them probably more than MN. Also the muskie fishing and IMO most fishing in Michigan is not as good as you have it here.

[Yooperguy]

The thing is, the people of this area don't want the skis.

Whether it be the spear huckers or just regular fisherman. PS Not all spearers are drunks. Us guys in fishhouses like beer too! Haha.

It is all city folks and out of towners that are for the stocking. Muskies Inc or whatnot. I guess I could give a darn if some pushy Musky folks get another playground built for them.

Like I have said in the past on this. Muskies won't hurt the lake, I am not worried about the fish. I just don't like having a whole nother wad of people pressuring the lake. Call it selfish or whatever, but sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone.

As to the original poster, Tetonka has a tendency to give up lots of small ones. All I will say is to keep looking as they are out there, but smaller fish are definitely in the majority.

Really? Your going to go with that huh?

[BehindtheHead]

i caught 2 walleyes on tetonka tonight. since thats what this thread is about. there was only 2 or 3 parking spots left in town when i launched at about 7 pm on a thursday night. although most of the " boat and trailer" spots were taken up by cars. now add some musky fisherman and i would have had to drive another 3 miles to the other access.

stocking muskies in tetonka will not close spearing on the lake. there is a law against it i belive. not sure exactly how it is written though. the extra boat traffic will be spread out over gorman, saber, tetonka, sakata, and cannon lakes though. as fish can swim freely between the first 4 and into the fifth with high water at in the spring, and finally over a large dam in moristown to get to cannon. so a fue extra boats per lake wont be that bad.

of corse all the drunk spear fisherman will probably spear all the muskys before they are fishable size anyways. haha were not outlaws. suppose i saw a guy fishing for muskies drinking a beer does that make musky fisherman drunks?

folks from town, business owners, and lake shore owners alike dont want muskies in tetonka. for what ever reasons they may have. i dont much care there reasons.

the walleyes will come back around in tetonka. remember 2001 i think it was when some magazine or something declaired tetonka the best walleye fishing in southern mn? been down hill since then and can only get better with time.

[TruthWalleyes]

The two I got were 17" and 21" but I only caught the two. The were both released. I did not catch any dinks. Where were you fishing? Be fun to catch a bunch with my kids.

From weedlines to main basin...all dinks. We fished a bunch of weedlines 11'-20', after deciding that we were not going to catch a bigger fish near the weeds, we moved deeper, and deeper, until there was no deeper to go. Caught fish everywhere; just no size.

I'm sure they're in there, hiding in the weeds i suppose, or roaming the main basin.

[james_walleye]

All the extra traffic on the lake.....but the business owners dont want muskys in the lake? Seems to me they would welcome the extra traffic in town. Real curious how muskys in Tetonka results in anything bad for business when it seems everyones biggest fear is more people on the lake.

[BehindtheHead]

they seem to think a musky fisherman will leave home with his boat and truck full of fuel, pack a lunch and beverages, fish all day, load up and go home. im not sure how it would work. bait shop owners dont think they would benifit much other than a fue musky lures to the local guys.

[james_walleye]

As opposed to the walleye anglers who come to town who certainly must buy their fuel, pop, and lunches in Waterville??? How is it that its assumed the musky anglers will spend all their $ before they get to Waterville lol?

[Yooperguy]

BehindtheHead, don't worry I know alot of muskie guys and we too have the same % that are drunks. I was out at the DNR landing and only 3 trailers out there last night. I also think that the chances of them getting to all the lakes are slim as the best water in the whole system is Tetonka not that with all the rough fish in the Cannon river system it would hurt anything IMO. I come from Lonsdale and I often will stop in at Gilligans with my boaif I'm fishing a long day. If I was fishing muskies that were stocked I always fish full 10 to 12 hour days and get hungery. Aslo the resorts will benifit as most muskie guys start getting serious in about Aug. until Dec.1 most guys are done fishing except the hard core walleye guys. If Bait shops in the Area would start getting thier decoy suckers in Oct the muskie guys would buy them, do you have any idea how hard it is to get big suckers in Southern MN out of spearing season?

We got one Walleye last night @25" and let her go.

[Thulie]

I don't mean to get in the way of a friendly crossfire on the musky issue since I don't care either way, but when I was out on Monday the DNR boat stopped me for a creel survey and they asked my opinion on stocking muskies on Tetonka. So apparently the DNR is still contemplating it.

[Matt C]

Thank you all for keeping the discussion civil.

Positive debate is good!

[pikerliker]

I agree a civil debate is good. The funny thing to me is how a forum that started out with some guys walleye fishing report turned into a muskie stocking debate...

[smeese]

After the creel survey is done they will stock em up. They are just playing out the steps in a process to avoid argument when it finally happens. When it does, I will be sure to park out in the street so I don't take up any space in the parking lot

[Fishin_Jacks7]

It's cool that the DNR is still considering Muskies in Tetonka. Tetonka is a very unique lake for southern MN and a great lake to truly unleash the musky experience to southern MN with its water clarity.

[thore]

water clarity huh never knew it had any in the summer

[hawkeye43]

Come see the water clarity in 3 weeks with all the weed that pulled out with the wind today. It will be green.

[luckycrank]

Certainly there are better choices as far as water clarity .

Madison was on the table at one point, why did it get shut down ? Its water is better than Tetonka IMO.

And since they dont Eat walleyes.

It will still be the number 1 walleye destintion in southern Mn. And later the number 1 muskie lake.

Then we dont have to where about fish migration being ans issue.

THEY CAN KEEP EM ALL

And just think, since they don't eat walleyes, sunfish , crappies or pike but only carp and sheephead ...there is nothing to lose . fishing can only get better!

It would only a benefit to the area community. maybe then they could keep a bait shop open for more than 6 months Im sure Madison lake residents will be on board. for that proposal

[luckycrank]

maybe the dnr should go door to door to french lake residents and ask for there take on muskies. stocking

[james_walleye]

.....because the residents know all? All I hear from residents around French is that they eat the crappies. " The past year or 2 the muskys have really taken a toll on the crappies" I hear when the crappie fishing slacks off. But miraculously somehow 2 years later the muskys must have stopped eating the crappies and then the fishing is great. Funny how that works. Couldnt have been that the crappie population in French cycles like every other lake in southern Minnesota. I hear it when I go to the family cabin on Vermilion. Between the muskys, rusty crawfish, and cormorants, those walleyes dont stand a chance. Cant catch a walleye out there. Lol. Meanwhile my family has been hammering them. Thats the reality, if people cant catch fish, its some outside force. There has to be an excuse. Cant be that they arent looking in the right places ever. The best musky lakes in this state are almost all, to almost no ecxeption, also the best walleye lakes. Do they eat walleyes or crappies? Certainly. Enough to ceash these fisheries? No chance. Maybe when you ask the residents of French about the myskys you should also ask every one oi f them how many crappies they keep out of French in a year. I guarantee I know the answer to which group causes more harm to the crappie population.

[luckycrank]

I do agree , french lake gets hammered by crappie fisherman the main reason I dont fish it . My family owned land there in the 90's and I used to fish ski's alot. almost exclusively, I would almost gaurantee I could beat the bank with a shallow crank bait , or spinner or such , and catch a bunch, IMO theres no such thing as "MANAGED" when muskies are concerned

french lake used to be one of the best bass fisheries ever but yet not many people keep them. what happened to em.? lake associations, shore line devolopment and other human interferance , muskies perhaps???? only a guess but I have my opinion ... hence why I am opposed to muskie stocking.

[james_walleye]

Well, I can reference Vermilion on it reguarding bass. Thats all peiole on the west end can talk about is how good the bass fishing has got to be. Obviously, not the same situation, but I would think if a bass tasted good on french, it would on vermilion to. You can also reference many other too musky lakes and see that not only has their bass fishing not gone backwards, its actallt gotten better recently.

And to be clear again. Im not exactly for the stocking, I just don't think anything would be hurt. I dont and will not fish tetonka much either way, I just think it's an interesting topic.