CourtHouse Pond

[Mr Special]

Just wondering if any had any luck there?

Thanks

[MINNKOTA]

Have not made the journey to the Courthouse lake yet this year been too busy> I have had good luck their in the summer.

Minnkota

[DEADhead]

A few years ago when I worked at the Shakopee truck station, I used to go there after work and fish. Always did really well. The fish were a little on the small side (10-14"), but I did see a few bruisers out there swim by shore in the 24"+ range but never managed to catch them. Once in a while I would hook into a nice fish but would lose it before I could get a could look at it. could have been one of those hawgs.

Best luck on that lake was using powerbait turbo dough.

[Mr Special]

Thanks guys,

Do to limited time and gas prices I get down that way to often now.

[tweedlap]

I was down there last eve after work. I got two but they were only about 11". I used marshmallows and a piece of worm and tossed out a lindy type rig. I did see one of those bruiser Browns cruise by surface feeding.

They lake is full of cotton from the cottonwood trees so it keeps you busy trying to peel it off your line.

Has anyone been to Ceniako lately?

tweed

[Zenit]

Cenaiko was very productive up until about a week ago, the last couple of days have been real slow. I head up there 2-3 times a week, mostly right when the park opens but mix in a little evening stuff too. I've caught a few 20+ browns and seen many others taken as well, up until things slowed down; rainbows have been of decent size, mostly in the 12-16 range. Mainly seem to be biting on waxies, although crawlers, Turbo dough, and egg clusters have also caught fish for me there this year, mostly with a slip bobber and fished anywhere from 10-14 feet. Kastmasters, Super Dupers & Syclops spoons are the only hardware I use on the lake, and have all caught fish. I tried fly fishing the earlier part of the year, on the west end of the lake where good sized browns could be seen just cruising in a circle in 5-7 feet of water, but didn't have much success, and now that end of the lake is all weeds. Right now the only place to fish the lake is off the pier, and as one might imagine it gets pretty crowded there, especially in the evenings. There is another decent hole, directly opposite of the pier on the north side of the lake, which drops off to 30 feet pretty quickly, but I don't ever seem to catch much out there.

Might go down there tonight and get real deep with a slip sinker at the bottom of the hole and see if that's where they're hanging around.

Bottom line, right now if one is willing to put in some time on the lake, one can still drag a few fish out of there, but it has dropped off noticeably from a few weeks ago.

[tweedlap]

Zenit,

Thanks for the detailed and informative update. Nice fish.

Does the park open at 6:00am? Have you seen any of those beautiful brookies?

Thanks Again,

tweed

[Zenit]

Yep, the park opens regularly at 6 AM, and usually the guy in charge of opening the games opens themn up even earlier, around 5:30 or so.

Brookies - that is one thing I have never caught out of that lake, nor seen anyone else catch one. The DNR HSOforum says they've stocked 'em, but I've never seen one, and I go down there quite a bit. Kind of like the mythical 10-12 10+ pound lakers they supposedly stocked there a few years back - never seen one of them come out of the lake either. But, doesn't mean they're not there, just means I need to improve my fishing skills, perhaps

I'd be interested to hear how anyone that has gone to Cenaiko during ice fishing season has done. One thing I've never done, wonder how those folks do on the ice there.

[wooduck26]

I hooked a "Bruiser" on Courthouse a few years ago on a Rapala...........It was a monster! I had it to the net and then it broke me off....Im guessing 7-8 lbs Rainbow......Still makes me mad to this day.....

[tweedlap]

We managed to make it to Ceniako 3-4 times and did fairly well, this winter.

The guy fishing with me caught two Brookies there. One was beautiful 3# plus dandy. Its' markings were bright and perfect. He,also,had one about 14".This one was rather dull in color.

Ceniako is so big, compared to the Courthouse. I think we were just lucky to pick a good spot.

tweed