Coon Lake update

[Mistermojo]

* Not sure where this should have gone, so if it should go in a different regional forum, feel free to move it....

Fished Coon Lake today from about 1pm to 5:30, was definitely a mixed bag.  Fished mainly in about 10' casting in toward 5-6'.  Small jigs with live bait we caught 3 bass, 2 were pretty nice.  A few northerns, few small crappies, couple of perch, and half a dozen sunnies.  Nice day to be on the water.  Anoka County park landing off of Lexington needs a longer dock and a second dock added, it was very busy and very shallow.  The landing on the north side seemed much deeper and had a couple of docks.  Watercraft inspectors at both landings.

Water temp was about 65*

 

- Mojo

 

[mrklean]

Great report

[papadarv]

Target Walleye - got Crappie. Last night Thursday forecast overcast skies, rain about 1pm, pressure dropped below 30, great day for Coon lake. Planned to do change of light but buddy dental appt. delayed our start until 9am. Pulled lindy with minnow and leach, got 2 small Bluegill on edge of 7' weed line starting at the flag pole. Moved out to 18' started marking large bait fish aggregations with larger fish below at the bottom at 15 to 17' mixed with a few smaller ones. Thinking walleye, I used my turquoise Jigging Rap with a minnow head on the treble lead hook. Started catching crappie at a rate of one every 2 or 3 min. mostly smaller but some at 8". Every time we passed over the many bait fish aggregations, crappie bite would repeat. Never did connect a walleye but they usually are change of light fish in Coon. Almost every one took the minnow heat on the treble. Moved to deeper water 25+' and found all marked fish suspended at 15 to 16'. All fish were caught in 17' - 19' water. Kept a meal of 8 inchers rest went back. The 1pm rain came early at noon ending the outing. The photos are my new Vexilar / Navionics SonarPhone - Boating setup. 7" monitor for contour map tracking, iPad for Sonar. Second photo is iPad Sonar split screen with smaller bate fish aggregation and a few at bottom. A step up from my old wide 100.

Also enjoyed the family of 4 loons right next to the boat where mama was teaching her two siblings the art of diving for fish.

[papadarv]

Out on Coon yesterday 9 AM to 3 PM. Pressure at 29.42 storms in evening forecast. With pressure dropping (28.60 by end of day) thought it should be a good day. Got 1 - 8" gill, 1-scroney 10" Northern and one nice bass that straightened the small jig hook at boat. Not what one might call a banner day.

Water temp. 55.4 in 20 FOW, 57.6 in 3 to 4 FOW and 59.1 in the large 5 FOW west basin.

Tried everything in tackle box. Translucent green Mr. Twister crappie size with live minnow only thing that worked in 3 to 4 FOW. Marked lots in shallow waters, nothing out deep. Extremely light bite all day. Also got my first sun burn of the year.

Local fire department provided entertainment with a controlled lake shore house burn.

 

Re-build iPad & Tablet sonar and GPS WiFi display holders.

 

[mrklean]

Great report Papadarv, couldn't ask for a better day fishing and some live entertainment

[metro fisherman]

Papadarv, your reports have motivated me to clean my carb! That wasnt the old "cook house" was it? 

[BartmanMN]

Papa, that SonarPhone on the ipad looks pretty sweet.

 

 

[papadarv]

12 hours ago, metro fisherman said:

Papadarv, your reports have motivated me to clean my carb! That wasnt the old "cook house" was it? 

I believe it was a small cabin which is being replaces with a year round home. Survey stakes showed up about 2 weeks ago. Have not driven by there is the past 2 weeks.

7 hours ago, BartmanMN said:

Papa, that SonarPhone on the ipad looks pretty sweet.

 

 

Yes, its quite cool. Also links with the Navonics Boating app for smart phones. Gives split screen of GPS and Sonar. You need GPS device such as smart phone or Tablet for the Boating app. I use a 7" tablet, much easier to read than the Samsung 5s phone.  When you turn on Data Log, it creates a new contour map. Because I use both the iPad and Tablet, I seldom split the screen.

Going to try Green in Chisago tomorrow.

Here are screen captures from last summer of bait fish with a few Northern at the bottom and Crappies above.

 

 

Edited May 21, 2016 by papadarv

[papadarv]

Fished Coon 1PM to about 4:30, 10-15 mph wind, crazy number of boats - Jet Skies tubing, screaming across water, Wave Surfing both access 25+ rigs parked on Lexington and Viking. Fishing quiet water in arms and bays too warm due to bight sun and no breeze. Target Crappie and Gills and dragged a few leaches in the event a walleye was hungry. Remembering last season, large bait balls in deeper water so move to deeper water traffic area with large boat waves, nice breeze found fish at bottom nothing suspended except bait balls which were much smaller and more frequent this trip. Caught small Gills and Crappie under each of the many bait balls in 14 to 20 FOW. Minnows for crappie, leach for gills on lindy floater red hook. Plastics not effective nor was the green fluorescent hook. Water temp at 80.6. All caught were returned to grow up Son and I had great day.

Small typical Crappie

 

Smaller Gill

 

Waves caused odd fish and bottom images. Pick just past a Bait Ball.

Edited July 25, 2016 by papadarv