metro area lakes

anybody know were the hot lake is in the metro
i have a buddy that has never really fished before and i would like to get him into some panfish dont really know where to take him any suggestions

marion, orchard, prior is were i have been going latly but nothing much last weekend we got a couple northerns out of orchard and redneck JR got him into some sunnies but i would like to show him a little more if you know what i mean

thanks for any info

I work with a guy that cancelled his trip to Winni just so he could get in on a hot bite of 11″ crappies on Lake Sarah in W. Hennepin Cty………It must be good because he’s been blabbing for a long time on how he couldn’t wait to go to Winni! It sounded so good that I considered for a second of coming out of ice-fishing retirement. Anyhow, 17′ is the supposed depth….go pay him a visit!!! Good Luck!

Sarah has been good all winter. The big plus is it has been a midday bite. Phelps Bay area of Minnetonka has had a good crappie bite around sunset to 9pm. Lots of action with an occasional 10″. And Waconia has been productive.

If you are looking for action and NOT size…….Then go to Marion for sunnies………

MetroMuskie and I went out to Marion last Sunday. The pike were turned off, but we got into a pod of about 250 sunnies that I got sick of catching…….It was silly simple, but good training for a jigger!!!! Maybe 6 fish total were keepers out of the 50 to 100 we caught. That included 4 sunnies, 2 perch, and I guess a crappie too…….So that would make 7 keepers………But I wouldn’t eat anything out of Marion……..Too many of those parasites (black spots) on the fish…….

We were straight out from the public access about 200 yards……Just keep drilling holes and dropping a camera until you find fish. Once you do, they keep coming in stronger and stronger…….

The panfish are ALWAYS biting on Prior (somewhere). I was in Candy cove and caught fish in the channel 15 to 19 fow and in the deeper part of the bay (35 fow). There the gills were stacked from 10 feet down all the way down to 25 feet. It didn’t seem to matter where I went, there was fish.
With the recent cold snap, you’ll see more driving on the metro lakes. I couldn’t believe all the trucks driving on Prior last Sunday. As always, be safe.

The crappies are picking up on the Croix someplace around Bayport. I really dont have any details. Alot of guys are driving out there but I dont think I will this season.

I heard from the DNR that the black spots(parasites) are just in the scales and as long as you get all the scales off they will be fine. We ate some out of there and we are still fine so I think that they were right.

I beleive ya………..But that is ok…….I will pass on eating them just due to cosmetics!

ya marion has been good to me an redneck JR this year we got quite a few 6 LB bass and some northers and we have stayed on the school of crappies i would tell you were to go but there never in the same spot just go along shore by the boat launch untill you find them

try waconia, was out last night for 2 hours 530-730 and 2 of us limited out. 11′ of water, jigging waxies, on glow tear drops.