Lake Cenaiko Thread

[randyfaas]

I hit the Cenaiko opener and managed 2 of the silver rainbows and 1 of the dark ones with teardrop jigs fished 5' down over 13' of water.

The COs that I saw (on Sunday morning) were walking around with a bucket and auger and no uniforms on. Pretty sneaky (good work).

When I cleaned the 3 trout I caught, I noticed that the darker one was kinda leaking this milky white substance, so I guessed that it was dark because of some kind of spawning phase or something. Also his meat was white as opposed to the pink flesh of the normal silvery rainbows. The pink meat definately tasted much better than the white meat also.

From now on I am throwing all of those dark ones back!

[DEADhead]

the darker fish was a male, in prespawn phase. The sacs you handled were his gametes (testes), the milky substance was milt (sperm). The meat is noticeably lighter than that of the other fish, but I notice that it is wonderful smoked, the lighter meat absorbs more of the smoky flavor than the pink colored meat.

[Zenit]

Was out for a few hours in the afternoon today, caught an average size rainbow, 15 minutes after that, what I though for sure was a good sized sucker hammered my Genz Worm...imagine my surprise.

EDIT: Kind of funny, one of the "Damwalkers" people happened to be at the Visitor Center when I was getting the picture taken for the bragging board there...he told me to check YouTube after 7 PM, I thought he was pulling my leg, guess he wasn't

Too funny. Fish was actually just a shade under 16" when I got home and put the tape on it, all we had at the time was the ruler on my ice scoop. Regardless, was a fun fish to catch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9gLEeSo6Jw

[Zenit]

 Originally Posted By: DEADhead

the darker fish was a male, in prespawn phase. The sacs you handled were his gametes (testes), the milky substance was milt (sperm). The meat is noticeably lighter than that of the other fish, but I notice that it is wonderful smoked, the lighter meat absorbs more of the smoky flavor than the pink colored meat.

I was really surprised on Saturday, so many people who caught those darker males who were convinced they had caught a brook trout.

[wishiniwasfishin]

Saturday was the first time for me at Cenaiko and I had a blast!

I ended up with 4 fish, two 15 inchers and two 12 inchers. I caught them on a jigging spoon tipped with a waxie. If I didn't have my flasher going I would not have caught them since I didn't even feel a tap on my line. The flasher did no good for finding them since the only time I saw them on my flasher was when they had my bait.

I plan to go out there again soon, hopefully a little more prepared. Besides waxies, are there any other baits that might work? What about shrimps, nightcrawlers, or dead minnows or salmon eggs?

I used a pretty agressive jig with the spoon I was using, do they like alot of action normally or is it a twitch every little while?

[DEADhead]

nice brookie zenit!

[brenen]

very nice fish ... good video too.

[Zenit]

 Originally Posted By: wishiniwasfishin

Saturday was the first time for me at Cenaiko and I had a blast!

I ended up with 4 fish, two 15 inchers and two 12 inchers. I caught them on a jigging spoon tipped with a waxie. If I didn't have my flasher going I would not have caught them since I didn't even feel a tap on my line. The flasher did no good for finding them since the only time I saw them on my flasher was when they had my bait.

I plan to go out there again soon, hopefully a little more prepared. Besides waxies, are there any other baits that might work? What about shrimps, nightcrawlers, or dead minnows or salmon eggs?

I used a pretty agressive jig with the spoon I was using, do they like alot of action normally or is it a twitch every little while?

Glad you came out & had a good time!

Re: bait...I've tried eggs there during open water season and got absolutely nothing on them, haven't used them during ice fishing season. Small redworms, which seem to be better than waxies in late spring & summer when the water heats up & the fish are all on the bottom in 20+ feet of water, haven't really done much for me during the hard water season. I go out there with a tin of waxies and a small baggie of pinched off crappie minnow heads...when they don't respond to waxies on a Genz Bug or Genz Worm, I will try switching to tipping the Genz jigs with those & sometimes (like yesterday) that seems to work better. Small jigging spoons like what you were using worked good last winter too.

I agree with what Kao (turn_in_poachers) said in an earlier post, shallow seems to be in this year. Last year, it was not uncommon to find fish in 14-18 feet of water, but this year, anything over 8 feet of water seems too deep. But, who knows, there's always a few folks that set up in the 35+ foot hole just to the NE of the fishing pier, maybe one day someone will dredge up one of those legendary lakers that were put in the lake in 2001 IIRC, the aggregate weight of those 14 lakers allegedly put in the lake was 150+ pounds, so maybe there's a few monsters hanging around in the deep yet

[Zenit]

Here's a couple of pics from the opening weekend, taken from the east bank of the lake. These were taken around noon, I'd guess 50% of the portables that were there at 7 AM had already cleared out for the day.

[Zenit]

 Originally Posted By: DEADhead

nice brookie zenit!

Thanks That's the 2nd biggest brookie I've caught at the lake, the 18 incher I caught in August 2006 being the biggest. That one was more of a surprise, as the brook trout in the lake are seemingly impossible to catch during the open water season.

[randyfaas]

The second picture has my shelter in it. Is that where you were fishing?

Nice fish, BTW.

[Zenit]

 Originally Posted By: randyfaas

The second picture has my shelter in it. Is that where you were fishing?

No, we were on the SSE end of the lake. How'd you end up doing on opener? Just curious. Our party had mixed results, some did well, others didn't. I think we set up too deep, and of course it is tough to be terribly mobile on Opening Day.

[randyfaas]

I caught 3 'bows on Saturday in 13' of water. I probably saw over 15 on the camera, though. I tried everything in the tackle box, but it seemed like the fish were mostly "just looking".

I'm gonna hit it again this Saturday.

[Zenit]

 Originally Posted By: randyfaas

I caught 3 'bows on Saturday in 13' of water. I probably saw over 15 on the camera, though. I tried everything in the tackle box, but it seemed like the fish were mostly "just looking".

I'm gonna hit it again this Saturday.

Try setting up on the north end or over by the beaver dam in 6-8 feet of water, that's where most of the guys that were doing well on opener were set up. I guess some guys by the dock in 20 feet of water did well too, but most of the guys I've talked to said they've had better luck shallow this year.

What's your shack look like? I'm going to be out there tomorrow AM & Saturday as well, north end, in a FT Yukon. Maybe if I spot your shack, I'll wander by with come coffee, always fun to meet an FMer out there.

BTW, I posted this before a year or so ago, but I'll post it again, since the DNR for a long time had a map of a mining pit up north for Cenaiko, they took it off-line when they were notified of the error but have not replaced it with the correct map...I have .PDF and .TIFF versions of the lake map, anyone who wants a copy, just drop me an email & I'll be happy to send it to you.

[randyfaas]

I was watching those guys fish by the beaver lodge, but I didn't see them pulling anything up. They were using their flashers right on top of the lodge. I thought they must be looking for bass or something.

I also saw a couple of piles of fish in the deeper water by the fishing dock too, but I think I will start shallower (8') Saturday.

I'll be in a Eskimo QFIII (the big green cube) probably somewhere near the beaver lodge.

If you see me, stop by and say "HI".

Now that I know what you look like, I'll keep an eye out for ya.

[Zenit]

Sounds like a plan! I'm going to set up the same place I was drilling holes yesterday, probably only about 30 or so yards east of the beaver dam, so I'm sure I'll see you.

See ya on Saturday!

[brenen]

I was down there on opener , as well in a QFIII, on the south end of the lake in 28 fow, caught my limit in a half hour between 1 foot under the ice to 8 feet down... green glow Gatfinkee with two grubs ... as fast as I could graph them I would catch them ... went back on Sunday evening and got 1 13'' rainbow in the same place... going to Mille Lacs this weekend with the work crew,but will be back at Cenaiko next weekend. Hoping for the big Laker in the hole... I am getting my buddy to make me a sticker for the back of my ice shack, so if you see the quick flip III with the "The Fish Tank" logo on the back , stop by and say hello , always up to meet some FMers

[Zenit]

brenen, sounds good, hope to met up with you in the near future down at The Pond.

[turn_in_poachers]

So Sean found another secret spot on the lake? Im going to follow him next time.

[Zenit]

 Originally Posted By: turn_in_poachers

So Sean found another secret spot on the lake? Im going to follow him next time.

Kao, are you gonna be there Saturday? I'm going to go out early, even thought it might be a bit chilly, but I probably won't stay much past 10:30 or 11. I think Josh & Keith will be there, no sure about Joe or Mike.

Drop me an email or ring me on my cell phone tomorrow if you get a chance.

[turn_in_poachers]

 Originally Posted By: Zenit

 Originally Posted By: turn_in_poachers

So Sean found another secret spot on the lake? Im going to follow him next time.

Kao, are you gonna be there Saturday? I'm going to go out early, even thought it might be a bit chilly, but I probably won't stay much past 10:30 or 11. I think Josh & Keith will be there, no sure about Joe or Mike.

Drop me an email or ring me on my cell phone tomorrow if you get a chance.

I dont know yet. My brother wants to get out there, but I think Ive had my fun. I might convince him to go to another "secret" lake for some walleyes. Ill give you a call if I do.

[Zenit]

Cool, Kao, hopefully we'll see you there. Gonna be nippy out there tomorrow, but as long as the wind isn't too bad....Keith is coming out too, but both Joe & I have room for another guy in the Yukons, Josh is bringing his Pro, so he'll be OK.

I've got plenty of waxies, but didn't get over to the bait store to get some crappie minnows. I've only got a dozen in the bucket, I'll cut the heads off before I leave in the AM and bring a baggy of heads & a separate baggy of the bodies, hopefully I'll have enough to go around for everyone. The minnow heads have been working for me a lot better than the waxies so far this year.

Today arrived my replica of "The Green Hornet," I'll be fishing with that until it catches the 1st fish Some guy out of Michigan made one for his kid last year, got a lot of comments on his local lake, started making them and selling them on hsolist. Guy does nice work, well-made & inexpensive.

[DEADhead]

very interesting!

[Quickstrike]

that rod is too cool!

The green hornet has caught more fish than you've lied about Gustafson! I love it.

[michaelpettersen82]

f sean fishes with it til he catches a fish, he'll be using til' next year on trout opener....