Cedar - New Prague

[leibeck]

Was out there a few times this summer and the fish all seemed very small. I have fished this lake for many years and never had this problem. Is it me or is someone finding the same thing?

[the old new guy]

Yes and no. It is you and it is not you. Last summer we caught enough lil babies to feed all the homeless in minnesota. But around late afternoon/dusk we also hooked into a couple of them der hybrid muskies. And being from the area, I've also heard the stories about the monster walter's that have come out, this year even.

It's all on what you're fishing for.

[montana49er]

I have fished the lake about 6 times this winter and cought a ton of small pannies and that was about it. I have heard of a couiple nice eyes that have been taken aswell, but i havent found the spot.

[Tommytanker]

I just moved to New Prague and I want to put my perm out on Cedar. Im wondering if anyone is driving out yet and how thick the ice is?

TT

[picksbigwagon]

after this week, no one should be driving out there, walking maybe but not driving. Be careful they do have an aeration system on that lake. Contact the New Prague sportsmans club, they put it in and would be a great help to ya

[Tommytanker]

I normally don't drive on a lake unless I see a few bigger trucks out there. Waconia had some big trucks on it lately and that's where my perm is now. I always check with the marina and follow thier advice.

how many inches of ice does cedar have, does anyone know? I went by Odowds today and a crew king cab was out on it.

Thanks,

TT

[montana49er]

i would not drive out there. Most of the ice is frozen slush, but i have seen some atv's pull some good size houses around out there. Good luck.

[buckpredator]

It is strange what has happened to this lake. Two yrs. ago my brother had his house on this lake and we would go out at night and pull a few 'eyes out on most nights. Many times we would catch a nice litter of perch, not jumbos or anything like that, but they were respectable. Last year however was a different story, only took a couple wallyeyes and the perch quality and quantity seemed to diminish. I was also catching tons of tiny crappies. This year, other than a couple of reports of nice walleyes all I've heard was how small the crappies and sunnies are.

[buckpredator]

It is strange what has happened to this lake. Two yrs. ago my brother had his house on this lake and we would go out at night and pull a few 'eyes out on most nights. Many times we would catch a nice litter of perch, not jumbos or anything like that, but they were respectable. Last year however was a different story, only took a couple wallyeyes and the perch quality and quantity seemed to diminish. I was also catching tons of tiny crappies. This year, other than a couple of reports of nice walleyes all I've heard was how small the crappies and sunnies are.

[dougger222]

Cedar Lake has gone downhill in the past couple years. Three winters ago you could catch nice sunnies through the ice and an occasional eye in the evening.

Fished Cedar very hard going back to 2000-2002 and found early ice best for eye's and in the middle of the night with no lights on. The lake is very shallow and the fish spook easy. Many limits of eater eyes and perch over the past few years with a 7 lb, 8.5 lb, and a 9 lb eye. Have also iced three tigers around 5 lbs. Can't count how many times I've snapped off in the middle of the night.

Last winter early I took out the permanent house and atv and fished three different spots in three nights in row and caught 2 small crappies and a bullhead and took the house off the lake. Moved it to Prior and caught 30 eyes in the first three nights!

Just got off White Bear Lake tonight and couldn't belive what was caught between three guys. 14, 26, 26.5, and a 27 inch walleye!!! All from 8-9PM.

[LuckyNorm07]

dougger222- what part of white bear are you fishing not asking for a spot..Been out there alot this year and have done good on crappies but, not a whole lot of eyes. More little guys and a 19"....Just wondering which part of the lake your on??

[dougger222]

North end.

Another 3 pounder last night and a miss and that was it for 5 guys. No crappies, no sunnies, small perch and northerns. I think the night with all the big fish was some sort of a fluke and doubt it will be seen again this winter. We had a storm comming in and the big eye's were feeding.

I'd give more details to the spot were in but I don't want holes all around the shanty. All I'll tell you is were on a ton of structure. My brother and I spent half an hour with the vexilar before we dropped the house down.

Can you tell me what side of the lake your getting the crappies in? What are the average sizes? In all reality I'd rather eat 10-11 crappies than clean a 6-8 eye. Moved to the area this Fall and don't know much about the area lakes. Grew up in Scott/Rice county and fished a lot of lakes in that area.

[LuckyNorm07]

Im going out from the ramsey beach..fishing around 22-24 feet of water..ive got a few hog(14")crappies out there all of them have came after sunset..I grew up in northfield and fished that area pretty good know it like the back of my hand..

[mtreno]

huh - 22 feet - lots of structure. you guys have to many adult sodas or what. niether of these things are on the cedar lake i know of......

[LuckyNorm07]

mtreno- if you read above we are talking about white bear lake..

[mtreno]

i know - just dont like when people get off track cause then i see people are talking about cedar (cause that is the subject) but really off about something totaly different. its like a hour drive from cedar to white bear - you guys are way off.....

[dougger222]

I'd post on the white bear lake thread but don't want guys breathing down my throat.

Fished Cedar Lake thousands and thousands of hours over the past 15 years, deepest you will find in a high water year is 14 feet, to the South West side of the point. Coincidentally all the large eye's I've caught ice fishing came up the ice in that area. Spent a month 4 years ago every night on the rock pile on the South West side near Cedar Lake Farms and only picked up one 3 lb eye at sunset. Lot's of sunnies and crappies down there. The year of the winter kill lot's of 10+ lb eye's were found on the South end though.

BTW, sorry to get you so worked up I for one will no longer mention any lake other than the Scott County Cedar Lake in this thread.

[dougger222]

Mtreno, you must be the hi-jack thread police? I see you've added zero post's to this thread except the two post's on this page which have nothing to do with Cedar Lake.

[mtreno]

have not been out on cedar this year. have done well ther in the past. no big eyes but lots of nice eater sized ones. crappies were huge there a few years back. other than that i dont have much more to say about cedar -

did they open it up to spearing this year than????

****hi-jack thread policeman signing off/ 10-4****

[Zelmsdawg]

Yep, they opened it up to spearing last year actually which ticks me off because i'm a musky fisherman and i know half the spearers on that lake will have one to many. Not that its that easy to tell the difference anyway...slight sore spot, but yeah they're spearing.

Zelms Dawg

[dougger222]

Open to spearing? Wow that blows my mind!

[dougger222]

I recall seeing people wanting to spear all those huge carp in Cedar! The DNR said get rid of the northern pike, muskies! The lake is a very fertile lake.

[mtreno]

i was told the dnr was unhappy with the muskies in there and was not going to stock anymore tigers and were thinking about opening it up to spearing.... that was a few years ago and i guess thats what they did. those tigers dont spawn anyway so if they did quit stocking the lake it was over shortly anyway....

[the old new guy]

Was out on cedar last/sunday night. Almost didnt get to fish but with luck and the generousity of others, we were able to drill a couple of holes... Guess when you drill a thousand holes up in the brainerd/baxter area you tend to use all the gas up in the auger. Oh btw fellow fisherdude out on cedar thanks for the gas. But anyhow caught a multitude of small 5-6 inch crappies and sunnies oh and one walter. well a baby walter. We had to be in the perfect location with all these lil babies running around. about 8 fow, everywhere around us was about 10 so i figured we were on some sort of a hump. After about an hour or so of playing with the lil ones i noticed something swimming around about 5 feet down. reeled up to its level and WHAM!!!! nice lil 38 in muskie well it could've be 40 or even 42. Who cares it smells like crap and i wouldnt eat it if you paid me. Slimy lil hybrid. Gotta respect the fight it gave me... But thanks to the curfew the wives/girlfriends gave us we didnt hit peak feeding time, "Be home by desperate housewives". why does a guy even bother? Oh well there's always tomorrow.

[mnfisherman41]

congrats on your success on cedar i have done well on this lake the past two years but went there on saturday and couldnt buy a bite also surprised to see so few houses out there. Everywhere i fished all i saw was weeds with no varying depth couldnt find anything different could this be why i did so terrible?

[Tommytanker]

I was wondering how thick the ice is on Cedar? Anyone know how people are getting out on the lake? I was just wondering because I wanted to put the perm out for a few days and see how the bite was. any info would be great

Thanks,

TT