Minnetonka

[randallt]

Was on Minnetonka this morning from 6 til 11. Caught a couple of nice bass on a top-raider but nada for muskies. Still trying to learn the lake. I fished the West side from Minnetonka regional to Howards point. Fished mostly outside weeds; casting from 20' or so on top of the weeds and working out with top water and spinners/bucktails. Saw one large fish, but couldn't get a positive ID as to a Northern or Muskie.

Any other reports? Anybody been seeing or getting any and want to give me an idea of structure, depth and presentation? Any info would be much appreciated. As I said I am new to MN, Muskie fishing and Minnetonka.

[ElCasaGrande]

I rarely fish Tonka in the summer (hate the boat traffic) but, whenever I'm on the lake, I come out of Gray's Bay.

I never fail to work both sides of the channel coming out of Gray and seem to raise a fish out of this area, especially right along Hwy. 101, just about every time out.

Besides that, I haven't figured out much about the lake because I stay off of it until Sept./Oct.

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"Remember, we're all in this together." -- Red Green

[markkstanley]

You were doing the right thing for Tonka. Muskies have been a little slow but should be getting hot soon. If you can find some cabbage weeds mixed in with the milfoil you are in a prime area. Muskies can be found all over on the milfoil flats so don't be afraid to hit some spots that don't look too fishy. I look for big flats close to steep dropoffs. They seem to hold the bigger fish.

[buzzsaw]

I was out on saturday and saw a smaller Muskie (34' approx) sitting in four feet of water right next to fifty sunny beds in the sand, it didn't seem too bothered by us being there. I have seen Muskies in this area three of the last four times I've been to this spot on the very east side.

[cupper]

I just started fishing this lake alot about 2 years ago and I fish 95% of the time for muskies. I am by no means an expert, but I am getting to the point where I know some good spots and have my "milk run" when I go out. Good info from guys like markstanley, calvanist, tonka boy, and buzzsaw have really helped me out. Don't be shy about posting questions on here, but you'll get better responses if you go do your homework first and ask speciffic/detailed questions afterwards.

To date I have caught two muskies on Minnetonka - 1 on the east side and one on the west side. The area you fished is a good one and your method of fishing it (setting up in 20 fow and casting in) was good. Like markstanley said, try to find steep drop-offs near weeds and look for transitions. By transitions I mean weeds to rock, rock to sand, weeds to sand, deep to shallow water, milfoil to cabbage, milfoil to coontail... etc. Like markstanley said, if you can find decent cabbage in the milfoil, you have found yourself a good spot. Lastly, don't get discouraged if you find a spot that looks fishy and doesn't produce... at some point it will produce for you if you fish it correctly.

If you ever want someone to shoot the bull with while you are tossing some muskie lures, shoot me an e-mail. I will be gone next week, but after that I should be ready to go.

Good luck and keep throwing!

One last hint: my best muskie/big pike action has come from w/in 1/4 mile of the minnetonka regional access on the west end.

-cupper

[randallt]

Thanks guys for the info. I am far from giving up, but this helps with the confidence.

Cupper - shoot me an e-mail when you get back in town. I can get out during the week quite a bit and am usually flying solo. Fished solo this weekend three times also. My fishing buddies don't want to get up at 4 am for some reason and they know less about muskies than I do.

My e-mail is [email protected] If anyone else wants to go give me a lesson it would be much appreciated. I live in Victoria and usually put in at Spring Park (Minnetonka Regional doesn't open early enough) put I can pull my boat anywhere.

[Woody B]

Hey guys, I have been fishing tonka all summer long and I try and get out two to three times a week. Tonka has slowed down a bit. The water temp is around 77-78 and the fish seem to be more active in the evening between 7-10pm. I like to use dark colored bucktails to locate and then switch to a bulldog if I get a follow. Working the baits slow has produced the most action as of late. The milfoil isn't coming up like it did in years past so stay mobile. the fish have seen a lot of baits so try spots that don't get hit as hard or at all (even if its not a "text book" spot).

Good Luck,

[dsludge]

Last year was slow for me - zero muskies boated, two hooked and lost.

I got my first of this year on popular Ferguson's Point, 39 incher hooked on a "one-hitter" big bass lure. It was in 6 feet of water next to the boat and the fish hit on the fourth figure eight, very exiting to watch!

It seems to me that there may be less muskie pressure on Tonka this year than in past years?

dsludge

[CanoeCruiser]

I had a couple of follows early this morning near Big Island-

one mid 30's followed in a bass spinner bait, and a slightly larger one followed in a Suick I had rigged as a throw back...

Unfortunately, they did the usual follow-stare-fade, and disappeared...

CC

[buzzsaw]

I took a picture while I was on Tonka today of a gigantic muskie!! The sad part is that he had been dead for weeks I'm guessing... I'm not sure if Rick or the moderators would want me to post it, but I took a picture of it floating and it is huge... if someone says I can post it, I will.

[markkstanley]

Had the biggest muskie of my life on for 5 seconds Sat TWICE. I was just testing some panfish lures and was reeling in a nice sunnie when the brute swam over and just inhaled it and I mean inhaled. The sunny disappeared sideways in the mouth no head or tail showing. I tightened up the line and it snapped as the musky swam away. Half hour later it happened again. The musky is 58" long give or take an inch. I know because all this happened off my dock and I was able to use my rod to measure the fish as it just sat there dockside after swallowing the second sunnie. Talk about frustration. The musky of my dreams is living under my dock and I can't get it to hit any legal lures. I threw every lure I own at it Sunday but it just didn't care. I don't want to soak a sucker in its face but it sure is tempting even if it isn't exactly sporting.

[buzzsaw]

Soak the sucker Mark!! Just do it.... you can do it!! You'll win a pink lure for sure. I'll e-mail you the pic of the giant Muskie I saw floating over by Spray Island.

[38poundbeauty]

Hey can you send me the pic of the dead monster as well?? My email address will be in my profile.

Thanks!

[ocf]

me two [email protected]

[mtreno]

i say post it - my understanding of the rule is they do not want to see harvested fish or hunting game with blood. this fish is not something that was killed by you just something you came across while on the water - i may be taking the rules the wrong way but i think it would be ok to post - my 2 cents - or email me - matt treno at hot mail (Contact Us Please)

[Quackaddict9]

buzz send it to wangberg9 at hotmail (Contact Us Please). thanks

[buzzsaw]

I'll go with that theory mtreno and upload them.

I was fishing alone so I couldn't hold up the fish and get a full body shot (especially since I have an 80-400mm lens and I have to be like 7 ft away from any subject just to get it to focus) the boat next to me was curious if it was a pike or 'ski and kept trying to turn it over by casting by it, I decided to save them the agony and pick up the fish... man was it stinky! It got proped pretty bad while it was flaoting around on the water so the guts were streaming out and there was mold on the chin/gill area. It's hard for you guys to judge the size as there is nothing in the picture to compare it to, but let me tell you it was all of 48 and probably larger... largest Muskie I've ever seen.... unfortunately it was turtle food.

[cjac]

Mark,

I'll see ya in front of the house tonight!!

Did it have the girth to go along with the length? This brings up a question I've had: what are the better baits for mimicking bluegills? I've got the bluegill Super Shad, couple swim baits, etc. but am wondering what is the best bluegill looking lure.

I'm trying to think of what may trigger her into going......maybe an oversized plastic? Almost like a supersized fluke? Don't let it go too long, she will grow on you and become like a pet! A lady I used to work with had a place on Mille Lacs and she was always telling me about one that called her dock home. She used to to try to shoo the fishing boats away!

[mtreno]

foul hook a manta with the front hooks around the leader. take your longest pole - work a darty wide circle with the bait and it should dart way off to the side when you pump the bait (hook the bait so it darts outside versus inside the circle) fool that big girl into thinking you got another nice gill. had that work before off a dock in WI when all she wanted was the perch we were catching. course that was one of those cheesehead skis......

[markkstanley]

I tried bulldawgs and some Storm swim baits. Tried the jig with sideways swim bait Stange is nuts about. I even tried some of those sunfish Storm plastics but I think they were too small. Need something in the 7 to 8" size bluegill shape. Tonight the tactic is to take the boat out go fish for 30 minutes elsewhere and then come back with the whole tackle box. Got three rods all ready to go and it will be rapid fire casting. At least I don't have too worry about hooking the dock or the lift.

[38poundbeauty]

Try Musky Innovation's Realfish. They have a perch, walleye, sucker, and bullhead. Those things looks more real than any lure I've ever seen.

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[markkstanley]

Well my new little friend did not want to come out and play last night. Even tried to entice it by catching some sunnies and reeling them in slowly. Bite seemed to be slow but with the forecast for the rest of the week it should pick up.

[38poundbeauty]

Are you seeing this fish often and it's just not reacting to the lures? Or had you only seen it on Sunday and hope it's still there?

[markkstanley]

Been around for a few weeks now according to my sons. Usually have a big resident musky hanging around the dock until the water temp gets into the low 80s but this one is new and off the scale in size. Worst case I'm going to try to get it to pose for an in water photo. But with the forecast of almost 100 degree weather it will probably be headed for deeper water soon.

[buzzsaw]

Hey Mark, I kinda know where you live.... and I love fishing for Muskies! I'll stay away from your pet MONSTER!