Tetonka afternoons

Last evening I fished Tetonka with Hawger and his family and had a fabulous time! Arrived about 4pm and we sort of headed directly out to a flat out in front of his place. We tried to find something lurking in the weeds at around 10 feet and weren’t able to come up with much. Seems like the eyes weren’t chasing much and no one else was interested.

We picked up and headed to a nice rocky point that rises from around 24 feet to 3 at the shallowest part and put down an anchor again. That spot was much better. Seems like everyone had congregated there. Most of the walleyes we picked up were sitting just off the edge of the bar in around 11 feet of water, but a lot would have looked good in an aquarium. Got a couple of northerns that were hanging around and obviously hungry.

Hawger picked up a little cigar and about a minute after he tossed it back we noticed the water start to boil up. We saw a fin, more bubbling, another set of fins and then nothing. Kind of reminded me of Jaws. I have a feeling that the little walleye is now either musky food or is maybe helping a nice northern get bigger. Pretty cool, though.

After getting a few little eyes on the point (oh, try really light jigs and a worm, minnow or leech and just let it sink to the bottom or keep it floating just over the weeds), we went in to dinner. I gotta say, Dave and his family put out quite a spread. Food enough and well done and excellent company! My thanks to the whole gang for a great time. Dave, you cook good. I’d take you home, but my lady would get jealous.

Back out a bit later and we found a few more fish on a 7 foot flat, but they certainly weren’t biting fast and furious. Very little comes from active lures right now, even though with the water clarity, you’d think that the fish would be more interested. Nearly everything we caught, right up to total dark, was on a light jig and a leech or crawler. And all we did was hang them over the side of the boat.

Dave’s youngest, James, is quite the fisherman. I think he did better than either of us last evening. I’m thinking of looking him up and having him teach me his technique next time.

Thanks Hawger and the rest of your crew! As always, it’s a pleasant way to spend an evening.

Mike

Mudlnthru,
The fishing did not improve as the next day came and went. I did pick up several nice “one package of bacon” northerns throwing spinner-baits and Mepps Weed Master (weedless spinners) over the weeds in the “public access” bay. And some nice too bass in the process. I took several of these fish right where the D&R hatchery dumps into the lake. They were in real tight to the shore on the inside of the weedline!
Thanks for the kind words, it is fun to fish with the kids.
Tetonka is very clear for this time of the year…. the fishing should continue to be fair there. Problem is that with the 4th getting here, loads of boats cutting through the shallows… cuts the weeds and puts lots of floating crap on the surface to deal with.
That makes for tough night fishing. I am looking to the full moon to make for better night fishing also… Real important on Tetonka (to have light on full moons) and fish over the weeds tops… That is a good time for shallow cranks. It can be hot.
Hawger