Lake Cenaiko Thread

[Black_Bay]

Quote:

---

Yep, I was there....actually a few of us volunteered to walk it over to the river, or to call the DNR and get permission to just keep it. I talked to 2 COs later, they both said that ANY fish that is not a trout should not be going back into the lake, at any time. what I usually do during open water season is keep a basket for the panfish/bass/crappies that one invariably catches on Cenaiko, and at the end of the day, put them in the river...not many carp in Cenaiko, but plenty of suckers, of course they end up as raccoon food.

To answer your question, the last time that I know that the lake was stocked was on 12 October...I have some pics, I'll try to post them. Rainbows, all yearlings. According to the DNR guys, the DNR did NOT plan on stocking the lake again before the hard water season, but I'm not sure how accurate that information is.

---

Who ever told you not to put fish back into the lake was very mistaken. If it was 2 DNR conservation officers they need to reread the laws. It's not against the law to release fish back into Cenaiko. However, it is against the law to stock a body of water without a permit. That includes moving fish from Cenaiko to the river in a bucket. It's also considered wanton waste to dump fish for the raccons.

You're right, the lake did NOT get stocked again after the 12th.

[Zenit]

Sorry dude, but you are VERY wrong. In a managed pond, nothing should go back into the lake other than the fish that the pond that is being managed for. That means NOTHING other than trout go back into the lake, be they bass, crappies, sunnies, the muskie, etc. By your interpretation...what to do about that muskie if he is once again caught on Opening Day? Can't return him to the lake, can't put him in the river. What are you supposed to do with it? Talk about "wanton waste of fish"...Good Lord.

I think I'll trust the 2 DNR COs more than your interpretation of the rules. The DNR COs told me, no problem releasing the panfish/bass in the river...the whole point is to get the fish that aren't trout OUT of the lake...there was no wanton waste of fish other than the rough fish. And if you have a problem with that, well, then, fine, show up at Cenaiko Saturday, I'll be happy to give you any suckers that I catch.

Please, next time, talk to the DNR before you post something on this forum that is entirely inaccurate.

[Black_Bay]

Quote:

---

Sorry dude, but you are VERY wrong. In a managed pond, nothing should go back into the lake other than the fish that the pond that is being managed for. That means NOTHING other than trout go back into the lake, be they bass, crappies, sunnies, the muskie, etc. By your interpretation...what to do about that muskie if he is once again caught on Opening Day? Can't return him to the lake, can't put him in the river. What are you supposed to do with it? Talk about "wanton waste of fish"...Good Lord.

I think I'll trust the 2 DNR COs more than your interpretation of the rules. The DNR COs told me, no problem releasing the panfish/bass in the river...the whole point is to get the fish that aren't trout OUT of the lake...there was no wanton waste of fish other than the rough fish. And if you have a problem with that, well, then, fine, show up at Cenaiko Saturday, I'll be happy to give you any suckers that I catch.

Please, next time, talk to the DNR before you post something on this forum that is entirely inaccurate.

---

Zenit with all due respect you and the two C.O.'s are wrong. I haven't misinterpreted anything. Here are the restrictions on designated trout lakes and streams From CHAPTER 6264 DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DESIGNATED WATERS :

6264.0050 RESTRICTIONS ON DESIGNATED TROUT LAKES AND STREAMS.

Subpart 1. Restrictions on designated trout lakes. The lakes described in this part are inhabited by trout other than lake trout. In order to protect and foster the propagation of trout, the following restrictions on fishing in these lakes apply:

A. taking of fish is prohibited, except during the open season;

B. not more than one line may be used for angling at any time, including when angling through the ice;

C. taking of minnows is prohibited, except under special permit issued by the commissioner; and

D. possession or use of minnows as bait, except live leeches and processed minnows in a dried, frozen, or pickled condition, is prohibited.

Nothing in the rules states anything about not releasing fish back into a designated stream trout lake, which is what Lake Cenaiko is. You can read the entire chapter here if you don't believe me. http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/arule/6264/ or you can call East Metro Fisheries at 651-772-7961 or email [email protected] and the guy in the orange hat in your photo will gladly talk to you. Let him know also the names of the 2 C.O.'s.

As far as what to do with that muskie...let it go back in if it's not over 40". If it is, feel free to take it home and eat it.

Concerning the panfish. Not only is it illegal to stock a bucket of live fish with out a permit, it's also illegal to transport infested water in anyway from infested waters. Lake Cenaiko is infested with Eurasian Water Milfoil. The portion of the Mississippi River above the St. Anthony Falls is not infested with milfoil.

I would like to get out ice fishing but I have plans for Saturday. Anyway I'm not interested in trout fishing or taking any suckers home. Thank you for the invitation though.

BTW as far as your last sentence...well call the number or send an email to the gentleman.

Have a great day sir.

[Zenit]

The CO's in question that I talked to...one was the Hmong/Laotian CO (he's assigned East Metro, but he stopped at Cenaiko to check people 2 times this year), the other was the younger CO whose name I forget. That is where I got my information. Both told me that no fish that are not trout should be released back into the lake if caught. The Hmong/Laotian CO was the guy that told me and a couple others that if that muskie is caught again, regardless of size & regardless of season, to call the DNR & to not release it back into the lake. When it was caught last Opening Day, it was not 40 inches, looked to me like about a 20 pound fish.

I will call the DNR this afternoon and get further clarification on this. If their COs gave me (and another person who peeks in here on this thread, one of the Cenaiko regulars) bad info, then I apologize for passing it along here. I usually assume the COs know what they are talking about, and in my experience they usually do, but perhaps either I & a few others misunderstood what they were saying or perhaps they were trying to pass on some "field expediency." In either case, looking at the regs a 2nd time, it appears that "by the book," you are correct...but...I know what I heard, from 2 COs, it is hard for me to believe that both of them could be wrong.

[Dragon Fish ll]

Zenit the thing they dont realize is how the thing got in there in the first place. Its plain as day to me that some Jokers thought it would be funny if they put this big muskie they caught in the Mississippi over in the little trout pond a couple hundred feet over. Ha Ha quess there not trout fisherman. But then again it could have got sucked up a rain cloud then rained back down into the lake. or tangled up a ducks feet then came lose when the duck landed in the pond. Il stick with caught in river then illegaly transported to cenaiko. Nice Fish, Wrong waters. Im going to the other lake for winter opener. but see you in the spring at cenaiko. Good Luck

[Zenit]

Too bad you won't make it out to Cenaiko, DF2. Let me know if you're planning on heading out that way during the rest of the hard water season...otherwise, I'll see you in May

Good Luck to all the FMers out there tomorrow, hope to maybe meet a few of you.

[skunkt]

ill be out dark and early, stop by and say hello.

im in a blue viking portable.

good luck yall.

[tjhunter]

I iced my five - all 'bows. I was off the ice by 815 because of a prior commitment. The biggest was 14" or so. I can't wait for dinner tonight. I have some pics if anyone is interested in posting them. One guy sounded like he landed a nice one - he said 3 pounds or so. I also had a very large fish swim by my hole as I was reeling in one of my fish - could've been the 'ski that's roaming around out there, but I didn't get a good look. Maybe it was just a big carp!!!!

Any other reports?

[monstermoose78]

Well I got my five as well plus one crappie, One nice 17 inch brookie and the rest bows around 14 inches.

[Moses2531]

What was the hot color and bait for everyone? My father and I got six between us and we worked hard and long for them... Just wondering if we were doing something wrong?? We were jiggin in about 14 feet with orange jigs and waxies on.. All were rainbows about 13-14 inches long... Lots of fun!!

[Zenit]

Hope everybody had fun this weekend, I sure did. Decent fishing action and it was a lot of fun socializing with friends I hadn't seen since last October.

Lots of shelters on the lake on Saturday morning, of course, but even though the line at the gate started forming at 3:30 AM, 62 vehicles in line when they opened the gates, there were not nearly as many as last year. Sunday morning there was about a quarter of the shelters on the ice as the previous day. Even Saturday morning, there was many good places to fish for late arrivals.

I pretty much stayed in one area all weekend, the SE corner of the lake by the old fishing pier, in 15'-17' of water...moved once for about an hour to the beaver dam near the NW corner Sunday afternoon, but didn't find much there, so went back. Morning bite was active both days, seemed to slow off considerably by around 10:30 AM, but picked up again around a half hour before sunset.

I used only one lure all weekend...green Lindy Techni-Glow Genz Bugs with two waxies. Worked all weekend....my first time using them, usually use Gitzits there, but these worked really well. Never touched a Gitzit, Swedish Pimple, the Euro larvae, Gulp/Powerbait stuff all weekend.

Kept two on Saturday & three on Sunday for the pan, all rainbows, made for a great dinner with friends on Sunday night. Most were in the 14"-15" range, a few bigger....but I missed the biggest fish I saw all weekend, Sunday morning at about 9:30...nice rainbow, guessing 20+, had him all the way up the hole, flipped over & ran and spit the hook. I saw one of the guys next to me take about a 20 inch rainbow Saturday morning, the fish I saw disappearing down the hole was at least that big.

Saw a few folks take some brookies, but very few, and the ones I saw were small. I didn't see anyone land a brown. But, of course, I pretty much spent the whole weekend in one corner of the lake. Curious if any of you that camped out by the dock saw any one take any browns there, that's where they seem to congregate in the spring/early summer, in deeper water.

Heard some other reports from other people seeing really big fish pass right under their holes, FWIW.

All in all- great opener, lot of fun.

[magic_minnow]

Hey all! Well it was good to see & meet a few of you. Im fairly new to Cenaiko...never fished it during ice season...so this was my first Cenaiko Ice outing...didnt do too bad....between me and my bro landed 4 rainbows and 1 brookie....but we were out there for 8 hours! Caught most of mine in about 5 foot of water....dead sticking with a teardrop jighead and a waxie. My jig was right beneath the ice. All in all a great Opener. Just feeling that trout on your line is exhilerating! Also got out today (MLK) and landed only 2 rainbows and surprisingly another brookie. Was out by the dock area.

[sbro73]

Anybody out there ice fishing for muskies over the weekend? I didn`t hear of any encounters the past few days, with all the hooks that were dangling !!! Is Cenaiko fished out yet?

[tweedlap]

This thread is pretty quiet. Zenit or anyone else been getting out? I plan on hitting the Courthouse early am on Friday. It has been pretty slow, here, on the South side.

tweed

[Zenit]

Quote:

---

This thread is pretty quiet. Zenit or anyone else been getting out? I plan on hitting the Courthouse early am on Friday. It has been pretty slow, here, on the South side.

tweed

---

I only got out once this week, Tuesday morning, not much action but I wasn't there for very long. Planning on getting out there today around 3 PM for a few hours and probably tomorrow morning as well.

Talked to a few others that have been out there this week, most reports are the fish are still kind of sticking to that morning/evening bite, but in shallower water (8 feet or less) than we were finding them on opener.

[tweedlap]

I fished for 2 hours on the Courthouse, on Friday, and didn't manage a fish. Saw four on the Vex but they have wised up considerably. Fished in 9'. Saw two at 71/2' and two about 5'.

tweed

[magic_minnow]

OK! Well...its coming up quick ey fellas! I can't wait till opener! Any opening comments? Just wanted to revive the Cenaiko Thread.

[Zenit]

Quote:

---

OK! Well...its coming up quick ey fellas! I can't wait till opener! Any opening comments? Just wanted to revive the Cenaiko Thread.

---

I talked to the Fisheries East Metro Office last week, lake should be stocked sometime in the next few days. I'll call again early next week & try to get some numbers. 2006 stocking numbers were much lower than in recent years, probably because of the rather poor lake level last year. I've been down there a few times recently, lake looks in good shape.

LOTS of folks fishing the lake illegally the few times I have been down there...the usual excuses, "had no idea," "didn't see the signs," etc. I and another guy who frequents the pond both called the Ham Lake CO, I got a message from him the next day, apparently he & another metro CO plan to check the lake more often in the the days leading up to the opener.

[Zenit]

Quote:

---

I and another guy who frequents the pond both called the Ham Lake CO, I got a message from him the next day, apparently he & another metro CO plan to check the lake more often in the the days leading up to the opener.

---

Follow up to this - just talked to said individual, he mentioned a CO was down there Sunday night and wrote three citations.

[magic_minnow]

Wow...how can they NOT see the signs? Haven't been out to Coon Rapids lately...i'm usually out at the dam fishing for crappies this time, but I've been fishing the mighty Croix this spring for whities. Good job with the CO call.

[turn_in_poachers]

I will be out in full force come opener. Ill fish it for the first two days. Then, Ill wait for the REAL opener. Its on like Donkey Kong!!!!

[Zenit]

Called East Metro Fisheries today, still no stocking data available yet. Hopefully next week.

[KJC]

I've been seeing signs for a kids fishing clinic at lake Cenaiko on May 5th.

There is information on the Anoka County Parks HSOforum.

[Zenit]

Yes, they've been doing that a few years now. The kids really don't get to fish, they learn about tying knots, safety, etc., the Anoka County Sheriff Water Patrol comes out there with their big boat & puts the fear of God into the kiddies about life vests, etc. They throw a couple of hula hoops out on the water and the kids get some practice casting bobbers (no hooks or bait) into the hula hoops, but that is about it. I was out there with the dog Saturday, checking it out, usually it is well attended, participation was way down this year though, at least I thought. Because of the wind, the water was really choppy, so I couldn't see any trout swimming in the shallows on the north end or by the dock (which one can when the water is calm, in addition to occasionally seeing some pretty good acrobatic displays.) Friend of mine however saw 2 browns swimming close to the surface off of the dock...said they were good sized, which they ought to be, as I recall I don't think the DNR has stocked any browns in Cenaiko in the last 3 years.

[Zenit]

Quote:

---

Called East Metro Fisheries today, still no stocking data available yet. Hopefully next week.

---

According to East Metro, 1500 rainbows are being transported from Lanesboro to the lake tomorrow. The gal wasn't sure if they would be yearlings or adults, so I'm sure that they will all be yearlings. No word on any brook or brown trout being added to the lake at this time, doesn't sound like there are any immediate plans to do this, like last year.