Petenwell 2/27

Going to hit the Pete Saturday 2/27 with my brother and son. We’ve never been on the lake before, thinking of going out off the lure. I’d like to take my truck out but a little concerned with the talk of dropping water levels… anything to watch out for? Obviously stay away from heaves, but the main body should be ok, just the shoreline would drop… I’ve got 4×4 1 ton deisel that weighs about 8000lbs…

As far as fishing, we’ve got the lakemaster chip so I planned on just finding a chunk of river channel away from others and set up. Doesn’t really matter what we catch but hoping to find some crappies. Anybody having any luck fishing for ‘pies lately? Figure we’d each put out a couple tipups and jig with the third line. Do you fish over the river channel ,on the flat above, or try to find the actual dropoff? Am I better off heading north or south from the lure? Any help really appreciated, messenger is always on….

The Lure is a good spot and the last time I was up there there were trucks out but your truck is a lot of weight. Fish the channel edges and the deeper holes as well. Sometimes the holes are 30 feet and the fish will be that deep but do not for get about the shallower water , set some deep and some shallow. Good luck .

From Jeff

On the Pete when they drop the water how much does the flow pick up in the Channel? I just know from fishing the Mississippi pools, when the flow picks up it eats at the ice from underneath. It all looks good from the top until you drop a wheel

I just ask because a 4×4 1 ton diesel is heavier than my ½ Chev. and myself, I wouldn’t feel comfortable driving out. With that said, I have no idea what the ice conditions are and how much water they drop.

Wouldn’t mind knowing because Castle Rock is not that far for me

The one thing I have learned on Castle Rock fishing with Blue Fleck, take a tin of red spikes and have fun with the White Bass

Thanks for the pointers, especially about the spikes, thats what I’m looking for. Any real productive lures? Figured we’d try jigging raps and pimples. What colors should a guy make sure he has? Does anyone use whole minnows to jig with or just heads? As far as minnows, just fatheads or is it worth it to get some shiners? Anywhere to get emerald shiners, all I can find are golden. How about your go to jigs? Usually all I use is a white/pink ratso or firetiger diamond jig, do I need to go to glo jigs for the stained water. Sorry for all the ?’s just trying to get everything figured out before we hit the lake.

Castle Rock Report

This report comes from Castle Rock and it’s the best info I or Blue Fleck can offer. The Pete being just North fishes a lot the same, there is just a lot more to cover on the Pete.

There is a lot of good info in this forum to read from the reports provided, with that and a map it just takes some drillin’ holes

Thanks again Brett, really appreciate it. Gonna hit it hard Saturday, think there will be four of us so we should be able to cover some water. Looks like the weather will be ok so it’ll be a good time anyway..
We’ll be out off the lure somewhere in a blue 4 door F350 with a big black lab running around, stop and say hi if anyone is in the area… Will have brats and burgers going and maybe even a beer or two in the afternoon……

Lindy rattlin flyer spoons work for me. Minnow heads only(fatheads or rosie reds).Look for deep water with shallow close by and look for suspended fish I also run a deadstick(minnow on a plain hook under a bobber) I jig in the deep water (30 ft) and set tip-ups in the shallows(15-20)Sorry I didnt see this post sooner. I will be out on Saturday also If you stumble on to some structure on the bottom or find a tree you are in the chips if the stubborn little buggers will bite

Where ya going out there gut? I plan on hitting it tomorrow as well.

Probably off the rustic launch just passed the county park

Taking my Dad my BIL and a couple from Texas that have never been icefishing so it should be interesting

Blue F150 with indepth outdoors decals in the topper windows if you wander by stop and say hi

Are you talking wilderness county park? Not really sure how to get to the rustic launch either.

I think its the 20th street launch just past that county park

We take county z then turn left at the bait shop and then whatever county park is after that Sorry dont pay much attention to names

I could give you GPS coordinates

So you take a left at the bait shop that is by the little town of monroe center? If you see a black ranger driving in circles that will be me. I’ll look for your truck.

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So you take a left at the bait shop that is by the little town of monroe center? If you see a black ranger driving in circles that will be me. I’ll look for your truck.

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Yep Town of Monroe We should be fishing shortly after 7

I think it would be a lot shorter to access the lake at tenth st on the west side and drive straight accross the lake. Anyway, good luck out there tomorrow. Hopefully i’ll be able to meet up with ya and see how they are biting.

Made it out Sat about 8am, went in off the lure about a mile or so. Set up in about 21fow, found channel edge, up to about 7fow. Put out tipups and a tip down and three of us jigged. Managed only a 14″ walleye and a 15″ white bass. Fished there till noonish with only a few fish marked and one hit-n-miss flag. Packed up and moved down a couple miles towards the wilderness. We fished on a hump in 24 to 31fow. Managed two cats jigging, one about 25″ and the other just short of 20″. Also had two flags, both misses and the auto fisherman released but nothing there either. Packed it up about 5:30p. Was slow for most everyone else out there too, didn’t see many flags being chased. Still was a good day, did some grilling and caught a few fish. I will have to try it again next year before they start the drawdown.