Red Cedar Lake Fishing Reports

[Big Jeff]

Going to be out on Stouts island in two weeks and still don't know anything about where they hide in the winter. I did have some good luck in the late fall thanks to some of you, much thank. But I was looking at the mape and trying to decide where to go and I am at a little bit of a lose nothing screams out look at me. Please let me know if you can help, I can give my email if you like to be quite about things.

[picksbigwagon]

the one thing we didn't try was the weedline. Try the humps north of Stouts Island too, especially at sundown or sunup......

[eskay]

I don't really do much ice fishing, but the guys that pretty much are out there alot are saying it's REAL slow. A few perch deep (30 fow), and that's about it. The fish are getting harder and harder to find. It's also that time of year (late season) when the fishing gets tough.

Sorry to give you bad news, but if I hear that the fishing is picking up, I'll let you know.

[kjgmh]

You may want to try fishing some of the other area lakes. Hemlock, Chetac or Rice Lake are good bets for finding gils and crappies. Red Cedar can be tough, if you want to fish it I would try 30' or so, look for mud bottom to find the perch.

[bottomdweller]

kj, we never did hook up and fish yet. Have you been finding the eyes. Been to Long a few times. Its been hit and miss so far but starting to get a feel for the lake.

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

are you talking about the long in burnett county??? I always snowmobile on that lake but have never fished it, the one i'm talking about is the one that is right next to to des mooise???not sure on the spelling of that

Ryan

[bottomdweller]

This long is just north of rice lake.

[Big Jeff]

Thanks for the advice I am thinking of trying the westside of stouts, I know it is muck off the end of the island there, but most of that lake has rock or gravel bottom. Also I am thinking of using some buckshots and probally fat heads or chubs. What about tip ups for the perch, do I want to leave it right on the bottom or a couple of feet up? Are there any crappies in there? I was looking at the map and I see the Pigion River comes in from the east is there any muck coming in there or does the moving water bring them in? I did read that the water is clear in the witer so I am thinking of metalic colors with some shine and may be some perch colored rapalas. The perach I found there in the fall where nice size would be fun to find them again through the ice. I am also going to try and find the humps to the north/ north east of the island they always look promising but I have had a hell of a time getting anything off of them. Good luck on the ice and let me know if you have any other tips

[Big Jeff]

please help

[picksbigwagon]

One week until 3 days of R and R on Red Cedar. Last year was a blast, with no lack of fish, but we really didn't venture too far from the county campground. This year we will hit the southern parts of the lake (still have the maps Cooter ) and will investigate balsam lake as well. Any updates from there (either lakes) so far this spring? I have orange jigs and rigs, along with orange hooks for night time and slip bobbers.

Anyone know where I can get firewood in Barron county since you can't bring out of county firewood into the campground? Preferably something between rice lake and the campground. I just don't like paying 10 bucks for an armful of wood at the campground. If you're on the lake, keep an eye out for a faded grey late 80's crestliner with 3 guys, a 40 evi and a 9.9 kicker on the back. swing by and say howdy....

thanks in advance on the firewood help.......

[Cooter]

Tom - I have a few recent reports from Cedar country. A bud who only fished gills tied into a bunch last week - he thought things were just getting started so with the cooler weather they might be in shallow for ya. The other report actually hasn't arrived yet although a freind, who introduced me to the lake and has fished it a lot, was up there this past weekend for eyes and smallies. I'll get that report for ya soon.

Firewood? I'm not sure.

Got a supply of orange hooks ready?

Regardless of the reports, the lake is always good for walleyes and smallies in June as long as the weather coopertates.

[picksbigwagon]

I am heading to Walmart tonight, they had a bunch of orange hooks with an orange glow in the dark soft beads in the package.

no one knows where to get fire wood, the county won't return emails, the campground care takers don't know where to get any either. I will stop at the gas station in Rice Lake saturday morning and ask someone there........

Having the gps map will be a bonus this year too.

[walleye74]

Good luck on Cedar!! I fished it a couple times around opener, and the walleye actions was pretty slow. We caught a lot of short fish, but that is a good thing for the future of the lake. Don't have any new news for you, but good luck!! Tell that goofy looking brother of yours I said hello! Don't forget a few Tequila sunrise ringworms!

[picksbigwagon]

I can do that Chad....In fact, he is going to be in Des Moines at the world pork expo tues-sat, so he won't get there until late saturday night. Missing a whole day of fishing to keep the pigs of the world ventilated.....Tequila sunrise ringworms (check)

[Cooter]

Tom, the gas station/bait shop in Mikana sells firewood - probably bend you over for it but they have some. Also a good bet would be to check Rainbow in Rice Lake.

Just got that second report, they were getting nice gills and had the kids along so that was the main target. They also fished late last night and got a few small eyes.

[picksbigwagon]

I am still hoping for a sign along the road that has fire wood for sale........Well, I know that if we troll long enough along the weed edges we will catch northerns, I like eating them too.....Thanks Scott...

[Cooter]

Yet another option - the lake(s) have several weedy bays with lily pads and there are some nice largemouth in them. Texas rigged worms and topwaters, especially moss bosses , will take them.

For sure find those secret spots on the south end of the lake and give them at least the last hour before dark one night - and remember thunderstorms/cold fronts shut them down there, so don't give up on a spot that doesn't produce if you fish it post front.

[picksbigwagon]

judging by the weather, it looks the front will come through tomorrow through friday, so we should be right in there post front. Heck I don't care truthfully, as long as my dad catches fish, I am fine. I know trolling cranks in 10-15 feet will produce northerns and slip bobbers on the humps at night will produce eyes and smallies, the rest of the day is spent relaxing and having a point or 3, if my goofy looking brother remembers to bring it.

Scott we will have to try and hook up sometime later this summer, I was talking to a buddy of mine tonight and he is charged up to hit red cedar too.

[Cooter]

Well guys, I bet Tom is chompin at the bit to get home and post a report! I'm going out on a limb and predicting they did well on walleyes Sat and Sun nights - that is if he listened to anything I told him!!

[walleye74]

He sure is slow with the report!!

[picksbigwagon]

Man, I just walked in the door, yes fishing was great, and I will post pictues when I get them from my dad. we caught a ton of 12-14 inch walleyes, 2 of the biggest bluegills I have ever caught, chunky rock bass, and some real pig smallies. Like I said, I will write up a report when I get pictures.

Chad, Todd said to call you something that I know the word filter will scrub out. He said it was your friendly way to say hello to him........

[picksbigwagon]

Okay, here is the recap from 3 full days of fishing on Red Cedar Lake in WI.

Weather: absolutely opposite of last year. Saturday was windy and warm, Sunday and Monday got hot on the water, but was cool in the shade. Couldn't have asked for a better weekend weather wise.

Saturday: Met my dad for breakfast at the Birchwood Cafe around 7:30. Went to the campground and set up camp for the duration. Hit the water around 9:30. The campground supervisor said that 31 boats put in for the bass tourney that day. We proceeded to some spots that were familiar and some not familiar and no matter where we stopped, we were catching 12-14" walleyes. Headed in at 3:00 for the bass tourney weigh in, 24.03 # for 8 fish won it, 4.5 pound largemouth took largest fish. 2 teams entered a "naught" for their official entry.

That evening we went out to the humps and I caught this 17", 3 pound beauty anchored up on a slip bobber with my new Limit Creek "Smoothie" rod.

No keep walleyes from this first day of fishing, but I figure I caught 25 walleyes saturday night in that spot in about 4 hours of fishing. My dad caught about a dozen, but he fishes once a year and he missed a number of strikes on the lighted bobber. I caught the biggest bluegill I have ever seen that night. It had a bigger beer gut than I do.

Sunday: My "goofy lookin'" brother arrived late the night before and was ready for some fishing. We hit some old favorites and some new spots as well. Today's fishing wasn't as hot and heavy as the day before but it was a good day none the less. I did catch one 16" walleye. We caught walleyes, smallies, snot rockets and bluegills (big ones that are still out there)

Monday: Same old Same old, good thing we brought a lot of orange jigs and orange hooks, and a pound and a half of jumbo leeches too. We take 3 walleyes total over the 15" limit, one was 17" caught at about 1:30 in the afternoon is 13 feet of water (Chad you might recognize this spot) Species caught:walleyes, smallies and snot rockets.

I also pulled in a 15" and 16" smallie as well this day

Definately helps to have a gps and mark any rockpiles of humps you come across as you are trolling.

Equipment: Two major equipment pieces were tested with this trip. The first was my All charge on board battery charger that I run off the alternator on my truck. The batteries were at half charge when I left the cities, they fully charged on the way to the lake and I never had to pull the boat out and recharge them. That is three days of trolling into the wind, trolling and drift socking (I might have coined a new term there), and general use of a 24v trolling motor.

The second piece of equipment that was extensively tested was my new Limit Creek "smoothie" 6'9" ML rod. I fished it with 8/3 Fireline crystal. My other rod while trolling was a St. Croix SCV 7' Medium blank that my buddy built for me. All I can say is that I LOVE MY SMOOTHIE ROD!!!!! My medium st. croix has now been dropped back to it's original purpose, lindy rigs and trolling cranks.

I would say we caught about 100 walleyes over 3 days of fishing in my boat, 4 were over 15". If these dinks grow in the next year or two, that lake will be busy.

P.S. Notice the gnarly tan lines I picked up this spring being outside teaching, guess I better get the boys on the boat this summer and work on matching my upper arms to my lower arms.

[Cooter]

Well done!! Glad to hear you had a good time. I was in the woods Sat night after the wind finally died down and I thought to myself, "Bet Picks is catchin fish right now on the Cedar." BTW - how much time did you spend on those humps on the south part? Did you find more than two of them?

[picksbigwagon]

we spent a few hours on the humps down there, but didn't have a lot of success, both during the day and during magic time. I did find a nice little pile of rocks on the west shore, off of a point by Stout's island. We'll be back there next year, with talk heading towards an afternoon of golfing (I don't golf). If I can get my buddy out of the BWCA, we will head over there for a day of fishing this summer, maybe more.

I feel confident now that I can get out on that lake and actually catch fish on purpose.

[wdgold]

Does anyone have any info on this lake I will be going up there in August and have never fished it before. What areas of the lake should I concentrate on and what should I fish for?

Thanks