Tonka sunnies

Not breaking news but sunnies are on deep weedlines 16-20′. Snake around on the edge with a 1/4-1/2oz slip sinker to a #6 hook, white was very effective yesterday, as is chartreuse many other days, thread on a small chunk of crawler and find the pods. Once ya find a pod, which is usually indicated by a double, anchor up and get the slip bobbers out, or in my case too lazy and just cast out your livebait rigs still and slowly reel in after contact with bottom. Can catch a limit pretty easily nowadays of nice sized sunfish.

Trolled some spinners around on BBs as well but nothing toothy came to boat, just alot more sunnies.

Great to hear a ‘tonka report on pannies especially this time of year-how was the boat traffic?
Thanks

Minimal , but to be expected for a Monday.

I’m going to be fishing with buddy on Tonka for a Bass fishing outing EARLY tomorrow morning. It’s been a few years since we moved out of the metro and the last time I fished Tonka. I’m 1/2 looking forward to it and 1/2 dreading it. I sure don’t miss all the busy landings and the crazy boat traffic. I hope my body remembers how to brace for a wake off of some of them Big old Tuna and wake board boats – If not I’m going to probably end up going for a swim !!!!

It’s really not that bad. Maybe I’m just used to city landings but of you go during main recreational hours yeah it’s gonna be a gong show, early you’ll be fine.

Big waves can be anywhere, river, Croix, Tonka, even smaller lakes around town. Just be vigilant and keep the knees bent.

We did cast for some bass on our way back to landing. Found some super shallow in the pads. Buddy got some on a black orange Johnson minnow looking thing with plastic trailer. I smoked em good with a white jig and skirt with twister tail on back.

Further proof I need to give up the walleye crap all the time, those were fun.

Deuces wrote:

Further proof I need to give up the walleye crap all the time, those were fun.

No truer words have ever been spoken on this forum…….

Deuces wrote:

Big waves can be anywhere, river, Croix, Tonka, even smaller lakes around town. Just be vigilant and keep the knees bent.

I would even argue it’s worse on some smaller lakes because there’s less places to find refuge and leas no wake zones. The worst part about Tonka by far is at the access. People are just plain stupid there.

I always laugh at all the hate thrown at tonka. Usually words uttered by someone who doesnt spend a lot of time out there.
There are busy landings yeah, there are also 11 main boat launches and quite a few other unlisted ones available to the public. Depending on which area of the lake you wanna fish shoot me a PM and ill point you to landing that should be relatively hassle free.

As far as the wakes sure you get some bigger boats but only on the weekends and the lake is plenty big. Easy enough to find your own place to get out of the crowds. Get on early and you’ll be fine.

Glad to hear you got on em beads. Ive been going out of town lately to fish but will probably stay local this weekend. I havent had a nice pan of sunfish in a while. Has my mouth watering

Beads-good to hear that your friend got some on a Johnson Silver Minnow, makes me want to dig out mine, used to throw them in certain situations and they do catch fish.

They even make those pork trailers for em anymore?

Probably one of my only negative memories fishing as a kid, fighting to get those off the hook after to put back in jar. If it dried out on ya, forget about it, just throw the lure away lol.

crappie55369 wrote:

I always laugh at all the hate thrown at tonka. Usually words uttered by someone who doesnt spend a lot of time out there.

I grew up about 15 mins from the east side of it and still fish it every year about 5-6 times (crappies in the spring, muskies in the summer/fall). The Grays Bay public access is seriously the nicest public public access I’ve ever seen. Its huge, has 3 ramps, 6 docks, tons of parking, a pressure washer to clean your boat, etc. I can remember when it was an old private marina with a dirt ramp many years ago. The DNR really turned it into something that the public can be proud of there.

I’m not hating on the lake. It has some decent fishing. The people at the access just flat out suck though. Its like they’re clueless as to how to unload and load a boat in an efficient manner. So much riff raff that just have no idea what they are doing. More so than on other metro lakes too.

If you go early enough their will either be nobody there are hardcore people who know how to launch. If you go in the afternoon, don’t go in the afternoon. BTW lake itself will be a little more sane early.
My 2 pennies.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crappie55369 wrote:</div>
I always laugh at all the hate thrown at tonka. Usually words uttered by someone who doesnt spend a lot of time out there.

I grew up about 15 mins from the east side of it and still fish it every year about 5-6 times (crappies in the spring, muskies in the summer/fall). The Grays Bay public access is seriously the nicest public public access I’ve ever seen. Its huge, has 3 ramps, 6 docks, tons of parking, a pressure washer to clean your boat, etc. I can remember when it was an old private marina with a dirt ramp many years ago. The DNR really turned it into something that the public can be proud of there.

I’m not hating on the lake. It has some decent fishing. The people at the access just flat out suck though. Its like they’re clueless as to how to unload and load a boat in an efficient manner. So much riff raff that just have no idea what they are doing. More so than on other metro lakes too.

I agree. Ive lived near the lake for 5 years and I think I’ve launched at greys bay once in that time. Very nice launch but a sh!t show.