Spring/Upper Prior

[Cline]

My confidence is SHOT! Are people catching anything? I have tried all hours of the day and night. Shallow and out to 27 feet.

[LOWinEYEin]

Overheard at the baitshop by prior that eyes & crappie are being caught by what looked to be the south side of an island on Tue south side of prior. But he could have been giving a general typical area just to tell te guys "something ". From what I saw was the east bays were pretty packed with people..

[arrow]

I'm on lower prior and the fishing all around us has slowed quite a bit from the early season. I have some retired neighbors that fish every day and they report the same thing. Best bite is around sunset plus or minus an hour in about 18' to 21' of water for both crappies and sunfish. Best bait has been Eurolarvae. Usually the fishing really picks up again in March after the permanents are pulled and pressure drops off.

Heard reports and saw pic of one northern speared around 9 lbs and a second reported at 42". I have personally seen a 14 lb out of Prior again speared. I'm amazed a fish gets to that size in a heavily fished metro lake.

[crix]

id be more impressed if it was caught on a hook and line but like most said the fishing has sucked the only thing I caught was my hub frozen to the lake after banking with auger snow

[dougger222]

A couple winters ago my brother landed a 18lb pike on a tip up on Prior. A lot of water for a pike to grow big in the lake. When he lived in Prior Lake he used to catch quite a few pike ranging from 5-20 pounds open water fishing.

Few years ago did really well with the 14in eyes but last 4-5 years it's been tough to get a limit.

Still nice panfish if you can find them...