Minong area fishing!!!

[JJB]

Any one fish the Minong,Solon springs,Gordon area.Just checking we have a place on the Minong flowage and will drop some reports.We do great for the first month
on eyes and have started seeing a lot more size to the muskies.There is some great fishing up there hoping we can get some reports on this area.I will be up the first week or two after opener and will report what I find.

[JAR JAR]

We usually fish opener on the Minong Flowage and done well in the past for walleyes but the past few years they have been running pretty small. Use a jig and minnow combo on one rod and drag a floater and a crawler on another that seemed to be the trick in the past. Plan on losing some jigs because of all the stumps and rocks in there. I would start by the small Island and troll or drift to the west between the other islands.

Good Luck

Jar Jar

[JJB]

Good luck out there this year.Say hi if ya see me I will be in a gray lund and always have my yellow lab with.
We spend most of opener in shallow water near where the river comes into the lake.Been small out there to though.Have also done real good to the southeast just a bit from where you go between the big island and the sand island to the sawdust pile.Usually always find some someplace.Rig about the same way but have had a lot more luck some years using a twister tail on your jig with a lighter head.Good luck

[outdoor ran]

The Minong Flowage has muskies in it?

[crownironman]

It's good to here there are some people that fish this lake.

JJB;

I had some good luck early last winter by the sawdust pile for walleye, then things really fell off.

I won't be going up to the cabin (west side of the flowage by the resorts) until after mothers day. I was hoping to hit opener.

The question for you is, how do you get up into the area where the river comes in. Do you stay to the north side of the island that is on the west side of stup bay? Every time I go up in there is hit a bunch of stumps, then I get frustrated and leave for a different spot.

Also, have you ever had luck with any crappies? I have only caught one crappie in the 10 years we have had a cabin on the lake. I think my father-in-law has had a few more but he has never cashed in on them.

[JJB]

Theres some big muskie in the lake but not all year.I thing most them nice skis come from the river.Got one 44 in last year.
Crownironman there is a couple ways we do it.We took a ton of pics when they dropped the dam.There is two different channels that run through them stumps.Its hard to explain but if you get in there in late summer when them weeds are thick and there is no wind its really easy to see.You have to come into the channel on the south side of that island(theres two islands Im talking south of the big one)and come up the east shore of that island about 50-60yards out and at one point you can turn towards the little island and through a pack of weeds that borders the main channel.Thats where you might find a stump.Once you are past that its a clear channel about 30-60ft wide and 6-12 ft deep one spot even gets to 14 ft witch is deep for that bay.Olny way to learn it is to see it agian and agian untill you learn them stumps and where to stay.

[JJB]

Sorry,on them crappies they are there.Now in the spring they are easy to catch too.I know a couple locals spots and would get shot if I gave them up.Just work the shoreline areas where there is a hole or a steep bank(to 8-10ft)or in brush on them shore lines.Bobber and crappie minnow works fine or any other way you like may work to.Never will kill em but can usually get a good meals worth.Cought 2 last year that were 13 inches on my walleye rigs(go figure)
most we find are 8-10in.

[crownironman]

Thanks JJB, sorry I took so long to get back to you, I got so busy at work I just forgot to check back.

I'll have to give it another try. I will also have to give the crappie another stab. Have you ever caught any perch? I caught one through the ice on the west side of what I think they call picnic island (the big island north of the sawdust pile. The perch I caugh looked like a foot ball and it was almost as big, I never seen them in there before. I did got one smaller one off the dock.

I going up there on the weekend of the 22nd to put the boat in. I can't believe opener came and went and I didn't even get the pontoon in the water yet, how sad.

[JJB]

I was up for opener weekend and last weekend
and did ok.Most the fish were small 10-13 inches(use to it).I did end up with 17 legal fish between the two weekends so all and all not too bad.Most were caught on 1/8 ounce jig with a fat head in the main channel by our bay.Ended up with two crappies and too many northerns with them.
One night off the dock I did catch 3 legal size eyes.Lighted bobber and a fathead.I was actually thinking crappies but hey!didnt break my heart.
Olny time I ever catch them jumbos are through the ice.Olny caught one in the summer of a rattln rap and all them in the winter we get off tipups and a walleye sucker.Always get them on accident but they are there.The kids catch them small ones
alot off the dock too.

Good luck when you go up.If you need any help let me know.

[crownironman]

Had some good luck with the eyes, ended up with 12 legals between the thee of us over two days (we ate three the first day and took home nine). I had one jumbo perch and a crappie and a half dozen snakes. Bad weather, good fishing. We fished the east shore by the resorts.

[JJB]

Good to hear! Sounded like pretty ugly weather.My dad was up saturday but didnt get a line wet.I ended up down on the Croix and did allright.

[crownironman]

I did it, I made it through stump bay and up to Smith Bridge, thanks JJB. I also had another good weekend of fishing. I was up there last weekend (12-13), saturday was the better fishing day. We found a lure on our beach and my son and I went out and he trolled with it. That lure was on fire!!! He hooked into many walleyes, a few of which were legal. Then the rain started to really come down so we stopped and bobber fished under the pontoon canopy and tied into a bundh of huge gills, and I mean these things were huge. The were full of spawn so we let them all go. It started to lightning se we headed back to the cabin. After the rain stopped we tossed out some fat heads off the dock and my son caught and landed a 12 lb pike, the bigggest Ive seen in the flowage (I took a picture of it), and we caught and released a bunch of walleye, smallmouths, and one very big crappie. I have never had fishing like that off the dock. The next day when it was nice and sunny we could not buy a fish off the dock. I might have to go to the cabin on bad weather weekends and stay home on the sunny ones.

[Ryba51]

Hello, to all on the Minong Area fishing board, I just found this HSOforum, And I'm glad I did, I finally found a place to talk about my favorite place to fish in the world - The Minong Flowage. I've been able to get up there about 20 times since I was a kid and it is my family's favorite place. I get up there one week a year and think about it the other 51 weeks. We'll be up there last week of July. I got a few questions:
Did someone say muskies in the Flowage?

Is "Chocalate Drop Island" the higher sandy island what you refer to as "Sawdust Pile?"

Does anyone take a small boat Under T and fish Cranberry lake?

Has anybody noticed the good smallmouth fishery that has developed over the years?

You're talking about catching some big perch- we/ve never got anything much larger than 9".

[disco]

first three miles below the dam at gordon are top notch smallie water-- some walleyes as well if ya fish the deeper, slower stuff.... smaller fish for the most part, be we C&Red a few 2 lb.+ smallies and some very nice walleyes.....

a couple sets of small rapids, so be careful if yer canoeing.... maybe portage em if ya aren't sure of your river-paddlin skills.....

[JJB]

Ryba51,
To bad you cant make it up more often.The sawdust pile is right out from the public boat launch.The pile sets low no more than 8 ft over water level and is mostly just small brush and grass growing over the top.If you look from the sand island towards the boat launch the pile will block your view to the launch.

We go over to cranberry a couple times a year.There are some monster bass back there.Its pretty much a river once you get back there.Lots of lillys and shallow water with a 4-8 foot channel cut through it.Worth a trip if you have never been back there.You can get arial photos off terraserver if you want to give you an idea of the area.

I usually catch a few smallies each time up but havnt caught one yet this year.But like your saying the smallies are there and most of them are 16 inches or better.Havnt seen one over 20 yet but had two last year that were close.And almost forgot but the muskie action is getting better every year.Our biggest last year was 44 inches but had a few 30-36 inches and real healthy.It might be a few year before it gets noticed but theres some big ones in there.

[JJB]

Ill be in canada now till next wends and if plans go as they should Ill be up on the flowage the 25-27 going for a big ski.I will send a post when I get back.

[Ryba51]

JJB,

Thanks for the reply, Now I know what the the sawdust pile is, I've seen it- just didn't know it had a name. Ironically my son and I were planning our fishing there and he suggested working between there and the kid's camp for northern. He did some exploratory fishing back thereonce. I thank you for the words about muskies in the Flowage, that would explain some of the " I don't know what it was, but it had to have been big" we've occasionally had.

The dam always looks interesting, a few years back during low water we got out to the turbine house and caught some nice bluegills, any tips for fishing between the dam and the bridge? thanks Ryba 51

[crownironman]

The smallies in the flowage have been great the last few years. About this time of the year I really start to get them with some regularity. I like to use half of a crawler under a bobber set for about 8-10'. I have also had some luck getting them on the surface.

[JJB]

Was up last week for a couple of days.Hate to say it but olny spent one afternoon fishing(we had a lot of work to do)and after canada my hands were beat up pretty bad.I olny fished our bay and man there were a ton of weeds out there.But did get a few smallies on topwaters(always a blast).

Ryba51
If you want a big pike that the place to go.I gave up one year because if anyone else is down there you dont have a chance at a big one.But if you can get down there by yourself and be QUIET!! you have a chance.I use olny live bait down there (suckers,chubs,or shiners).I have had some luck catching chubs and shiners about 8 inches or so in the Namekagon and for suckers I either catch em but its hard to get the right size or you can get the decoy suckers (about 12-14 inches)but you have to order ahead or be at the bait shop when the supplier showes up.Normal price is 1.50 a sucker.You can just go with normal northern suckers,just get a lot more snakes.

I usually cross the rocks by the spillwall and sit in the center.I can be good anywhere north of the bridge but the lower the water the closer they get to the dam.Use a big bobber or you can just hook the minnow in the head and set it on the bottom.Usually I olny set them on the bottom if Im fishing away from the rocks on the sand.Did you catch the panfish in the pool under the spillwall or in the deepwater under the turbines?

Crownironman I didnt see you other post about the northern.Sounds like a good time.And just like you seen, we have had some of our best fishing off our dock as well.Good luck out there next time your up!

[Ryba51]

JJB,
Thanks for the reply, We went out to the dam when the turbines were running and fished right in the turbine wash up against the steel piling bar wall. litterally ran out of bait on panfish. Also got some of those big redhorse suckers which seem to be everywhere on that flowage. ( I wonder if they are the forage for pike?) Other than small bullheads and sunfish we never took any thing in the spillway pool. We'll be up there from 7/24 to 7/30 we will definately try some suckers at the dam. Who in Minong has the best bait?

[JJB]

I usually go to the corner store for suckers when fishing the dam.Its olny a couple of miles away so they have no chance to die on ya.I always get my fatheads or any other bait from the shop in town because you get a better deal.The corner store charges fatheads by the doz.So for one scoop at sportsmans in town you get about 40 minnows for a couple bucks and at the corner store it cost about 6-7 bucks for 40 minnow.Its a rip so I try and buy from sportsmans in town when I can.

[can it be luck?]

Ryba, you said it. The northern lights were awesome that night! I was on my way to L Michigan to go salmon fishing and I almost went off the road numerous times stareing up at the sky! Awesome!

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http://groups.msn.com/canitbeluck

[Ryba51]

We got back from the flowage this past Saturday. We were up there from 7/24 to 7/30. Fishing was good the first few days then tapered off after the rain. Panfish were good on those cubbie-mites tipped with a waxie. Leeches and crawlers rigs took some walleye, but very few 15"inchers. I would think all those 14" walleye from previous years would have grown a couple inches? Northern Pike took lures and are always fun, weird thing though, the few we kept had only crawfish in them -I noticed this in previous years also. Although I know pike will eat anything, I didn't think they feed so heavily on crawfish. It was good to see more Loons and otters than before. JJB, I didn't get down to fish the dam,will try it next year. On the 24th saw an awesome display of the northern lights. In all a great trip

[Ryba51]

How has August been Fisshing on the Flowage? Does the fishing improve going into the fall? Can anybody give me an approximate date when the Minong Flowage starts to freeze up? Thanks

[JJB]

Fishing will pick up a bit in the fall. Not as good as the spring bite but the size is usually better.I usually run bigger baits like spinner baits on the weed lines or beatle spins with a 3-4 inch tail tipped with a fathead for eyes.

Last year we were on the ice the second weekend of November.The neibor said people were out the 1st weekend but there was olny 3 inches when I was there.Every year lately has been different by a couple of weeks but by the 1st of December or so there is enough ice to walk on.Allway be cautious out on the flowage though there are many places I wouldnt even take a wheeler when we have a foot of ice so watch out..