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Tonka muskies - a noticeable lack thereof


markkstanley

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Is anyone having any success?? I have pounded my usual spots and even some new areas with nothing to show for it. Topwaters, jerks, bucktails casting or trolling shallow or deep doesn't matter. No fish. I have a theory the vastly changed weedline in the west end of Tonka has something to do with messing up my spots but the fish couldn't have gone far. I have a feeling I am not alone in this. So if you are having some success share the depth and the presentation and maybe a very generic description of location - ie point midlake hump. I am so fed up that I am fishing the Mississippi and chasing crappies for a few days. But I will back after the muskies.

Final topic anyone up for a musky get together in late October say the 21st or 28th? Chime in if you are and I'll get it rolling.

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The minneapolis lake guys have just started to get a few muskies within the last week. Muskies were pretty scarce most of the summer. It sounds like its becoming consistent.

I hope your spots turn on as the city lakes are starting... better late than never. Its still early.

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Mark - I have been out a handful of times the last three weeks and I have only had two lazy follows. One was a 42/43 and the other was 38/40. One on a flat at dark, another mid-afternoon on a drop off.

I've fished spots that are no secrets and others that probably don't get hit hard, but other than a 27" that I boated last weekend it's been very frustrating.

A lot of brown weeds are showing up now and another guy showed me a nice spot on the west side that I know you have fished and he said the weeds were all messed up. First time in a dozen that he had not seen a fish on this particular spot.

Add in plenty of sunfish and maybe there isn't a big need to chase lures. What's weird is that while we have caught a few bass we have only caught one small northern.

I think I'll have to switch some things up this weekend. Would love to hear from people having more success....

Come dusk should I now be trolling cranks for eyes?

DB

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Mark,

Can you get out monday or thursday of next week? I'd like to show you a couple muskie spots on the east end that have produced for me in the past. Then we can go chase crappies or walleyes after sundown.

Muskie get-together sounds good to me....

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Casey, headed up to Mille Lacs Monday night and Thursday is no go. How about Friday or the following Monday ?

I have already started fall crankin for walleyes but nothing much to report yet. West end of Lake turned over last week so it all should be picking up very soon. Turnover usually occurs at 60 degree temps and we had some windy days which helped. Water clarity has picked up quite bit in the last couple of days. FISH ON!

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I've made it out the last few weekends with minimal success. Three follows and one on that never made it to the boat is the tally so far. Three out of the four were interested in spinnerbaits with colorado blades. The other followed a bucktail in. I've managed to boat a 36" pike out of it all with quite a few in the mid twenties, but that's about it. Someone I know that was prefishing the bass pro am for last weekend boated three muskies. The largest was 48". I'm going to go off of his info this weekend and see how it turns out. Good luck to you all.

Versus

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I spent about 8 hours running around the west end on wednesday without even a pike to show for my efforts. The water seemed a bit cloudy for tonka but not that bad. What happened to the weeds??? I had heard the foil was very different this year but holy cow. I don't start fishing tonka till the fall so this was my first experience this year.

Sorry I can't help you out Mark, but I will let you know how the future trips go.

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I got your pike right here grin.gif This beast was from Friday off a little Ernie in 20 fow. Turn over gets me again.

[image]fish003bs8.jpg[/image]

good luck and good fishing

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I had one bite off a lure (we were trolling for other stuff at the time), no interest in the baits we were casting, and then landed a 38" while trolling shallow on a F18 Perch Rapala. An interesting day on Tonka; 2 good size small mouth bass, one decent eating size pike (24"), and a 38" muskie.

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We were out all day today. Finally got 2 follows towards the late afternoon - the last was a very nice fish - at least 45 or more that followed a firetiger spinner bait to the baot - but just kind of sniffed it before swimming off. We were trolling around a small island that has alot of black/white buoys surrounding it - not too far from the small access by the main drag where the boat patrol is located.

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Mark,

A week from monday would be the best for me. I'll check in with you at the end of next week.

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I've had a hard time this year also. I did get a fat 40" and a lazy follow on Thursday evening. the 40" was caught on a topwater.

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I fished Minnetonka last Sat (Sept 30) for the first time, I'm a FIB that was up visiting for the weekend. Caught a 30" musky, 3 low 20's northern, and ~ 2lb bass in the morning....and a 45" fat musky at 2pm in the afternoon, on a jointed rapala in shallow water (2-3 feet). I've tried to attach a picture of the musky, but I can't figure it out.....

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In my attempt to catch a walleye last Friday night, I heard 3 very large muskies in the shallow water, how did I know they were large? The sounded like 40 lb boulders entering the water, not a slap, but a boom. So if you would care to show me how to catch those suckers, I would gladly show you where!

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I've heard the loud "ker-plunk!" many times when fishing fall 'eyes and then caught the critter in my spotlight.

If you heard the sound on the west end of Tonka near shore, it might have been a beaver.

dsludge

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