Maple Lake bass tournament

[CCGinMN]

I was out on Maple this past Sat 7/21 and noticed a bass tournament out there. Anyone know how they did? At one time or another, I saw a boat on pretty much every bass spot that I know (there aren't any secrets anymore).

I was prefishing for my multi-species league which is tonight. I have plenty of bass spots so my goal was to find a northern pattern. I feel comfortable that we should limit out on Northerns in 1/2 hour or so, leaving the rest of the night for bass fishing. In the two hours we were out there, we landed over 20 pike. If you want to introduce a kid to fishing, take them to Maple, tie on a Walleye Diver in orange, let 120' of 10 lb. line out, try to stay in 15' of water and hold on tight. It didn't matter where we went (on the South, larger portion of the lake). Biggest was only 25" but it was a blast. We couldn't make it much further than 200 yards without a 20"er hammering us. Fun change of pace.

FYI - If anyone wants Northers for pickling, meet me at the access tonight at 9pm and I will have two limits for you. I'm in the 16' lund with a 25 hp merc.

[Juan Grande]

Sounds like fun, thanks for the tip!

[CCGinMN]

No problem. I would never spill my guts about fishing patterns/spots for walleyes, rarely for bass, but I really don't care about northerns. That lake needs to thin down the herd!!

[Juan Grande]

I fished Maple once in the spring and it seemed like a cool lake to fish. Lots of steep drop offs and stucture.

[Craigums]

No problem. I would never spill my guts about fishing patterns/spots for walleyes, rarely for bass, but I really don't care about northerns. That lake needs to thin down the herd!!

Do they still recommend keeping the northerns from that lake? we had a bass tourney out there last year and I remember seeing signs on people docks from the lake association asking people to keep the small northerns

[CCGinMN]

Yes, they still want you to keep the small northerns. I had one guy yell at me from the end of his dock "Make sure you kill that thing!!" I let it go. They weren't biting very well last night as we only caught about a dozen. It seems like after three days of hot stable weather (last Sat.) we were catching them at a rate of 15+ per hour, ranging from 19" - 25". After the storms rolled through (last night), we were catching about half as many that were only 16" - 18". That lake gets hit pretty hard -there was at least two leagues on it last night and a tournament on it the weekend before. Still fun to be out.

[TB Basser]

The Tournament wss the Chris Schneider Memorial Tournament. It raises scholarship money for the Maple Lake High School. Chris was a alum who pasted a few years back in an auto accident and his folks put it on every

year. Took roughly 20 for 1st. 17 for 2nd and 15 for third. 6 fish Limit.

Great tournaments and great folks.