Lake Cenaiko Thread

[Zenit]

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Any recent reports over there? Are the fish starting to move a little shallower now that the water temps are starting to drop? I haven't been over there since June, but I'll probably make it over and give it a try soon.

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August and the first part of September were surprisingly good this year, in sharp contrast to last year. But the bite has tapered off considerably in the past few weeks. Still see quite a few on the surface early mornings. The last couple weeks of the season I usually abandon the slip bobber rig for the ultralight with a small Kastmaster or Panther Martin spinner, or the fly rod.

[sbro73]

Out there, yesterday (Oct.30) caught 3,could not believe it, you could see about 10-15 traveling around in a school, all really good sizes fish, this was about 11am. Was out today, only got 1, really windy! Remember tomorrow's the last day for the season until hard water !!! P.S. Anybody see the musky lately ?

[Zenit]

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Out there, yesterday (Oct.30) caught 3,could not believe it, you could see about 10-15 traveling around in a school, all really good sizes fish, this was about 11am. Was out today, only got 1, really windy! Remember tomorrow's the last day for the season until hard water !!! P.S. Anybody see the musky lately ?

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The musky allegedly was caught 2 months ago, and one of the regulars (a trout guy) was the one who caught it, and this time had the good sense not to toss it back in. Third time was definitely NOT the charm for Ol' Tiger it seems.

I would have got this information on sooner, but I have been waylaid with a throat infection for quite some time (not helped by getting up early and going to Cenaiko to fish. The lake was re-stocked on 10/18 with 900 yearling rainbows, again right by the fishing pier. And again, it took the stocked fish 2-3 days to get acclimated to their surroundings, but they eventually did turn on and the bite has been very good the last 10 days or so, mornings an hour after sunrise being the best, one can see big schools doing their meandering on the top on the east bank of the lake. Waxies and slip bobbers have again worked, but but small spoons and an ultralight have worked better, because while on the surface they have been staying more off the shore than last year - I have been primarily using an ultralight with the smallest gold or silver & blue Kastmaster I have in my vest, and both have worked great. I've tried the fly rod on a few occasions when the lake has been calm and they get within casting distance (I'm only using a short 4 weight, my Whitewater rod) and have caught a few on that as well. Bottom line is, they seem to be hungry and are biting on a variety. The yearlings they stocked this fall seem to be on average longer and fatter than last fall & spring, 14-16 inch fish have not been uncommon.

Sorry I didn't get this out earlier, before the last day of the season. Unlike last fall, there have been very few people fishing the lake, mostly just the regulars keeping a couple here & there for the smoker. Then again, considering how lousy the ice season was in 2007, maybe that is not such a bad thing that the word didn't get out like last year.

[Zenit]

BTW, for those of you that want to get out tomorrow, but live closer to Courthouse, I believe that lake was also stocked on 10/18.

[HeIsLegend]

Sweet post I can't wait fishing next to 203942309423 people this ice season.

[Zenit]

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Sweet post I can't wait fishing next to 203942309423 people this ice season.

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Sweet, maybe you'll go to Grindstone then instead, this season

Ice on Cenaiko looks good, was out there yesterday and was drilling holes in the S/SE corner of the lake. Unlike the last two years, we won't have to sweat it out re: ice conditions this year. Can't wait until the 12th, hope to meet some FMers out there again this year.

[monstermoose78]

Well I planning on being in the line waiting for the gates to open. I am thinking i will take my nephew who is 4 along depending on the weather.

[magic_minnow]

Sweet! Can't wait!

[sbro73]

Do the conservation officers hang out there on opening day to deter double dippers, or do you have to rely on the TIPS (Turn In Poachers 800-652-9093) line ?

[Zenit]

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Do the conservation officers hang out there on opening day to deter double dippers, or do you have to rely on the TIPS (Turn In Poachers 800-652-9093) line ?

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The COs are always out there opening weekend, checking licenses & stamps - two on the ice, usually 1 or 2 more watching from the road with binoculars.

[HeIsLegend]

I'm glad to hear the game warden are out there often. I wish they would do the same for open water. Pops or I rarely would ever see them open water fishing. I have witnessed alot of unpractical things on that lake, but calling tip it seems to get no where.

[Zenit]

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I'm glad to hear the game warden are out there often. I wish they would do the same for open water. Pops or I rarely would ever see them open water fishing. I have witnessed alot of unpractical things on that lake, but calling tip it seems to get no where.

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I wouldn't say they are out there often; opening weekend is a given, but IIRC I don't remember seeing them the rest of the last hard-water season. Open water season, they tend to be out there more often, but still infrequently - I saw them out there 3 times last year, not including opener.

I certainly wish they'd stop by more often, but I know they are doing what they can with large territories to police and limited staff. Given my druthers, I'd like to see them concentrate their efforts on open water weekends, where most of the reqs are either broken or ignored (not having a stamp, over-limit or freezer fishing, using live minnows, etc. ) Ice fishing season, other than the opener weekend, usually doesn't attract the miscreants (unintentional or otherwise) like the open water season does. The Anoka County Rangers are around all the time, but as I understand it they have zero enforcement authority, and must wait for someone from the DNR or the Anoka County Sheriff's Department to show up.

And the TIP line occasionally works...I called the TIP line early 2006 open water season when some goof was told by a Anoka County Parks employee that he couldn't use live crappie minnows and basically ignored him. Within 15 minutes the DNR was on-site and tagged the offender.

[FatBassman]

Is the opener only on Cenaiko....or does the courthouse pond have a hardwater opener this weekend also?

[michaelpettersen82]

Sean I'm really looking forward to tomorrow morning, I will see you at 5 bells.......I cant wait to get out there man im PUMPED.Just hope you have some of that patented russian vodka with ya.See you in the morning

[michaelpettersen82]

oh and FB, yes courthouse pond opens tomorrow as well, good luck to all.

[Zenit]

 Originally Posted By: michaelpettersen82

Sean I'm really looking forward to tomorrow morning, I will see you at 5 bells.......I cant wait to get out there man im PUMPED.

Sounds good, Mike. BTW, the breakfast bash at Keith's place is at 6 AM this year, not 5 AM. I'll try you on your cell phone if I don't see a reply to this.

[brenen]

what a great day to be out on the lake today , the usual busy crowd out there on cenaiko. just seeing how everyone did , i caught my limit between 7:15am and 7:45am with 4 rainbows and 1 brown rainbow...

[CapnJack]

That top fish is just another strain of rainbow, not a brown. Still a nice fish. Better than I did on Courthouse, 2 rainbows, 1 12 inches and 1 15 inches.

[mille lacs muskie bum]

That bigger one is a rainbow but it has probabaly been in there for atleast a year.

[_point_5]

Nice catch brenen! I was at Courthouse lake this a.m. and iced 1 Rainbow. My other buddy and his son 1 rainbow each for a total of 3 for four of us. Last year we were at Embers by about 8:15 with limits. I have a question, does the winter opener seem to be the best on opening morning for Cenaiko or is it ok after that too? I have heard that Courthouse lake is best right out of the gate on the opener, but fades rapidly. Thanks for any response from you or others!

[fishin magician]

Hit the big opener this morning. Caught a few early but shutdown after that. Lot's of people getting ticketed out there...... No fishing before sunrise......Check the Regs for Designated trout lakes......

[Matt Johnson]

Any other trout reports? I heard about people getting ticketed. Only one line for designated trout lakes I believe and a lot of people are getting hit for using two lines too...

Anyone catch any of the big browns or brooks out of Cenaiko? How about one of those elusive lakers?

[Dragon Fish ll]

thanks for that info mat because I was illegal for about one minute yesterday an no one around me was quite sure about one or two poles, courthouse was terrible compared to years past. or evan last Oct. limit every day with most returned to the water. that top fish in the pic above may be a Brook trout.

[Zenit]

That's a darker rainbow, not a brook trout. I met a few people on the ice that thought they had caught a brookie when in fact it was one of the recently stocked rainbows.

I didn't see anyone with a brook or a brown. The bite seemed decent for folks until 9AM, and then really slowed down, picking up again only at dusk.

The DNR used an old trick to catch the cheaters and/or just plain ignorant, instead of having 2 COs on the ice and a couple of trucks with binoculars, they dragged out a shelter early, set it up & started writing citations. LOTS of folks written up for fishing too early, couple for multiple lines, they busted one guy who had 9 rainbows & fishing early...they literally ran out of paper citations. They could have probably written a lot more....we started setting up the portables a little after 6:30, and there was one homemade shelter with 4 rainbows laying on the ice.

Some people did well and took home limits, but I wouldn't say a lot of people, not like past openers.

This morning there were only about 10 shelters on the ice, as opposed to the 100 or so yesterday. Most productive spots seemed to be just off of the fishing pier and on the break/drop-off on the north end of the lake.

[turn_in_poachers]

I was out on Cenaiko on saturday with the crowd. Caught my 5, but I sure had to work for them. Got there around 7am and caught 1 rainbow within 15 minutes. The next one came around 10am. Then it was quiet until 4pm. Around 4:30, it picked up. Caught 1 brookie, and then 2 rainbows within 5 minutes of each other.

Kind of hard to pattern these trout. Last year, we caught them anywhere from 4 feet to 16 feet. Its basically a waiting game. They just swim around the lake in circles. Hard to mark fish on a flasher. You would see nothing, then all of a sudden a solid red mark would appear out of nowhere. Thats how my fish were, and they would hit each time I marked one.

I was in 15 feet of water, fishing 6-7 feet down. A green Genz bug jig with a single waxie did it for me.