charlotte

[wmn luv me walleye fearme]

Does anyone ever fish the main part of the lake in the winter. I've fished that small bay by the boat launch 3 times in the past couple weeks, usually come up with some crappies but almost all of them are really small. Spoke to an old timer out there who said the rest of the lake is loaded with springs and thats why most people just fish the small bay? Looking to try a different spot on that lake to see if I can get away from all the high pressure points and maybe get into some bigger slabs
thanks

[eyes']

No one ever fishes out of the bay except for a few of the people that live on the lake. I have also heard about the springs but I don't know where they are exactly.

[wmn luv me walleye fearme]

Its amazing how much presuure that bay is getting for 5-8" crappies. Everyone i spoke to is all in the same boat. Maybe I'll try the main part next week (there is a pretty steep drop on the left side once you leave the bay) and hopefully reunite with the slabs

[Tonka Boy]

In my experience, the smaller bay has always held the biggest concentration of fish. I've tried the main lake numerous times, but I always find myslef going back to the bay (with the exception of summer time). In past years it wasn't uncommon to average 11-13" crappies. Now the traffic has increased and the average is more like 5-8". Maybe the main lake is the answer now???

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Tonka Boy

[wmn luv me walleye fearme]

Anyone been out there recently? and how did you do?

[ackotz]

Hey Fearme...
I used to go out onto the mainpart of the lake in years past...(haven't been out icefishing much this year), no one told me about springs! :0
I would mark tons of fish, but could never get them to bite...even back then. Wondered why they had lockjaw. I always ended up in the bay too. But it would frustrate me...to be in that bay, when there was all that lake to fish! I'm with you...time to venture out. The rewards will only get you a bunch of followers...maybe I'll see you out there this weekend? --AK

[This message has been edited by ackotz (edited 02-11-2003).]

[ackotz]

Yeah...I may have to run up to the "big pond" this weekend for one last hurrah...we'll see. It's been so tough up there though, and I haven't been able to get to the spots I'd like, so I may end up panfishing locally anyhow...I don't know what I'm gonna do!
Independence huh? Do you need a Park Pass to park your car there? Where do you access the lake?

[This message has been edited by ackotz (edited 02-12-2003).]

[wmn luv me walleye fearme]

Might be out there this sunday, but i'm probably leaning towards giving the eye's one more shot out on independence before the seasons closed. Should be out on charlotte a lot in march though. If you ever see someone in a fish trap and a cleveland browns ski hat stop on by and say hello
later

[ackotz]

Crappies at "Independenceville" huh?
Decided to go up to Mille Lacs after all...gonna meet up with some guys (from this forum) who have had some degree of luck up there...good luck to you too. --Andy

[This message has been edited by ackotz (edited 02-14-2003).]

[wmn luv me walleye fearme]

You need a pass to park there, but if you drive out on the lake you wouldn't need a pass. Plenty of ice so driving shouldn't be a problem at all. You would access it on route 19 I believe at the park (I think its baker Park reserve) If you strike out for walleyes head all the way to the other side of the lake in 40 feet (huge city. can't miss it ) and thats where people are catching crappies.
Good luck

[ackotz]

...ok.
..now...how's Charlotte been fishing? Anyone get out of the bay with any success?

[Outdoor]

Pretty Slow. Was out Sunday from 4-9 p.m, caught 5 small ones. They were coming through between 5 and 13-feet. A couple guys I talked to said the same. Once it got dark I didn't mark a thing and decided to move in shallow (8-Feet) I found them again but it was a tough bite and they were small.

[ackotz]

Hey Outdoor,

Did you fish in the bay or did you venture out? If you did venture out, where did you end up?

[Outdoor]

I just fished the bay. Thier wasn't alot of people out their on Sunday, but you could tell that area was hit pretty hard over the winter. I think a lot of guys just pulled their houses off for the winter. It was my first time out on the lake.

[ackotz]

10-4...yeah they pound that bay hard...that's why I want to about the ones who venture out of that bay, because that little bay has been "raped and pillaged"!