Tonka Report

[PostFrontal]

The lake is low. All our normal stomping grounds where you can catch them in 2-3 feet of water this time of year are about 6 inches deep right now. Didn't see a fish shallow. We fished from sunrise to 11:00 and between our boat on the west end and our buddies on the east we had 8 follows, 7 on plastics and all on the outside weedlines. No takers.

We'll be skipping it tonight, but will be back out in the morning.

[PostFrontal]

Finally got some takers this morning. 2 little guys to start the MN season, both 35ish, in the boat and 4 follows. The northerns were definitely active including a nice 6-8 pounder that hammered a glide bait.

Everything is outside weedlines. Different lures brought in the fish, but plastics and glide baits would be the go-to...

[Huntin&Fishin]

Nice reports! keep em coming!

[PostFrontal]

If you haven't switched to blades on the outside edges you're missing out..

[PostFrontal]

There is a pleasant surprise in the lake this year. Fields of Cabbage! Obviously there was always some in the lake but most of it got swallowed up by the milfoil. About 5 years ago we were starting to see small rows of cabbage along the milfoil. Every year it has gotten thicker and wider. You can find alot of it on the inside weedlines and once the fish move in shallow will be a good producer. We are now finding it in 12-14 feet of water next to the drop offs.

Positioning your boat in 16-17 feet of water and casting in has been our most consistent producers still. Thursday through Monday the fish were really on. We were consistently having 4 fish following up to the boat and getting 1-2 hooked. Thursday was THE day. We had 9 fish up to the boat in the evening. We haven't had a day like that in a while. The new moon coming up, warming water (we had 80 degrees last night), early moonset, plus the thunderstorms were like a perfect storm.

Couple fun things from that period were 1 rookie we brought out standing in the back of the boat, wiping sweat from his forehead with his lure hanging out of the water and a muskie coming out of the water and grabbing it. Almost pulled the rod out of his hand. Great first muskie story. My fishing partner demonstrating a figure eight to another rookie we took out and having a muskie come out of nowhere and take a shot at that lure.

We have seen the action slow quite a bit since Monday. Although we do know of a 50 that got caught Tuesday night. Had one miss a lure last night, and had 3 more that we saw (not follow) that were just hovering as the boat approached. Checked shallow and nothing in there still. The northerns are definitely biting.

[JRedig]

Positioning your boat in 16-17 feet of water and casting in has been our most consistent producers still. Thursday through Monday the fish were really on. We were consistently having 4 fish following up to the boat and getting 1-2 hooked. Thursday was THE day. We had 9 fish up to the boat in the evening. We haven't had a day like that in a while. The new moon coming up, warming water (we had 80 degrees last night), early moonset, plus the thunderstorms were like a perfect storm.

We have seen the action slow quite a bit since Monday. Although we do know of a 50 that got caught Tuesday night. Had one miss a lure last night, and had 3 more that we saw (not follow) that were just hovering as the boat approached. Checked shallow and nothing in there still. The northerns are definitely biting.

Man, that describes what i've been seeing to a "T" and not just on 'tonka. Really slowed down this week for sure.

[The Dogger]

Its amazing how reports can differ, I was out on Monday and seen 8 fish, but all but a couple were small. These fish were all lazy and didnt show much effort. Zero action for me between sundown and moonrise - DOUBLEUTF?!?! I was pulling my hair out.

Yesterday was alot better, seen 7 that were much more active, 2 tried to eat at the boat. Didnt see any small ones either. all were 40+. Ended up boating a 47" late.

[iceman16]

Thedogger where you at in brooklyn park. maybe some time we can hit the water some time. i have been fishing eagle with just a couple follows in the evenings. email if ya wanna.

iceman

[The Dogger]

PostFrontal- Not to be a stalker or anything - but where u on Tonka last night????? If so I have a question for u.

Iceman - N of 610 and Noble. I have released alota hatred on that lake, I perfer other places but the next time I'm going out there solo I will let u know.

[smeese]

My nephew was out all night last night and got skunked......seen a couple fish and that was it.

[PostFrontal]

Yep, was out there.

[lots of luck]

Nate, what's the good word? Saw you on the west side Saturday about noon or so. We were just north of you up by Jimmy Jam's old place.

As usual I have nothing to add other than moved one small lunge as the thunder and lightning started mid morning on blades off the deep edge.

Jason

[TrophyEyes]

Well all I can say is Wind. We managed to get 4 very slow follows. I had one come up from about 17 FOW that was probably mid 40's. I would say none of them really wanted to work too hard for a meal. Blades and spinner baits were what we were getting follows on.

[The Dogger]

Post Frontal -

Im going to assume that was u with the visor in the back of that all white boat with the Merc 250? - if so, what kind of boat is that? Holy H, that thing looked sick. I was the guy in the white ranger with red stripes, u waved when u passed by me once.

[PostFrontal]

Tough one this weekend to fish spots correctly. We were up to the whims of the rain, wind, waves, and lightning. Waves that were reminiscent of Mille Lacs (ok not quite that bad) and making runs to get under bridges and out of the storms made it interesting.

We divide up our trips on the water 3 ways. 1. To catch any fish. Sometimes you just want to catch a fish no matter what size. 2. To go after just the big ones. 3. Explore new spots.

This weekend we were exploring new spots. It helps when you do this that you have good visibility in the water which this weekend was the complete opposite. For example, the 40 I got all I saw was the tailfin flash by when I did a a hard L turn, and then again when he grabbed it on the 4th time around on the figure 8. Otherwise I wouldn't even have known he was there.

You definitely have to work for them right now, but the same pattern has been holding true for the fish we did see. Outside weedlines, plastics and blades. We have moved a number of large fish and have enough spots from exploring that when the next full moon, moonset, etc happens together we can make a day of it.

After looking at the the spots we have been moving the big ones, there is definitely a pattern. If you go through the posts you already know how we are fishing, but now you need to find "the spot on a spot." That's where they are. It's not rocket science, just watch wind direction for the last couple days, use your sonar to look for other things than depth, look for the right type of weeds, and what makes the area different from the rest of the edge.

If you want to catch some bass hit the channels.

Lastly, if things continue to happen the way they have every year my favorite type of fishing muskies is right around the corner...

[PostFrontal]

I remember seeing you guys up there Jason. It was during the moonrise/set, can't remember. We had pretty much went from one end of the lake to the other by then. Alot more of dodging storms than fishing...

TD that was us, and yes that was me, the good-looking one...lol It's called a FastCat. Tough to keep her under 40 out there, but we do it everytime Sheriff has been giving tickets to bass boats out there this last week.

Stop over and say hi guys.

[The Dogger]

Funny you should say that, I got picked up myself for speeding that very night. He just gave me a warning, I said I was sorry and he let me go. IT worked out good bc the timing set us up for a fish 10 min later. hahaha. That boat looks like a tank, how does it handle the rough stuff?

And just for chits and grins - what is ur favorite way to catch a ski out there?

[PC's]

post frontal, u must be rich, sellin your tonka soul, R

[PostFrontal]

ok...don't really know what that means. But anyway.

Topwater, TD.

Seeing minnows and baitfish starting to move shallow although the majority is still deep. Don't be afraid to be probing on top of the weeds and inside weedlines...

[PC's]

just a joke man, sorry.

[PostFrontal]

It's been a mixed bag lately on what they want out there. We've been throwing the kitchen sink at them and there hasn't been anything that has stood out as consistent. We've caught them on blades, glidebaits, topwater, and jerkbaits. They didn't want anything to do with plastics. But the good news was the ones that were active were takers not followers.

Like I mentioned in my last post, it is shaping up like it has every year. Lots of rain at the end of June and then it gets hot around the 4th. This is topwater time. We are now consistently getting more fish following and hitting topwater. So if you get cloudy weather, around a moonphase, sunset or sunrise start throwing them.

Here is a tip that I have always went with that I know works not only out here but have had luck on Leech, Vermillion, Mille Lacs, Chippewa Flowage, etc. When you are fishing in the morning from here on out, if there is smoke on the water throw topwater. My theory is it has something to do with the air tempature being cooler than the water tempature that makes muskies more comfortable coming up and being active on topwater. And you can tell that it has happened when there is that early morning fog out there. If not, I try to resist the urge with topwater and go with blades or something else.

[Andrew Erickson]

ive definatly noticed what your sayin with topwaters and smoke on the water. ive had real good luck with WTD baits

[Mid-Lake Rock]

Nate,

I saw you towing a pontoon on Saturday night. Were you able to hit the sunset bite?

[PostFrontal]

MLR-love the picture. I've seen that bumpersticker before. Means you were raised right

That was my fishing partner Johnny. He was using the boat for the other thing that Tonka is known for other than fishing over the weekend

I've been fishing with one of my other buddies in his boat doing some filming this year. Got a great one on film that he caught on topwater Thursday. Fun stuff.

Should be out tonight.

[PostFrontal]

Needless to say it has been a tough week of fishing during the day. What we have moved and caught have been on blades and jerkbaits. The feeding windows seem to be really short. For example, we caught 2 one day within 20 minutes of each other and 4 up to the boat within 40 minutes of each other on another day. Nothing the other 5 hours of fishing both days.

We didn't make it out at night last week, but talking with friends that made it out that is when they were biting. Solid reports of multiple fish and a couple 50's caught at night over the full moon.

Pray for a string of hot days which should turn them on.