Big fish time on Tonka – why go to Mille Lacs?

A fishing buddy and I boated a 27″, a 28″ and three 29″ walleyes last night and we each got broke off by bigger fish. All I am going to say is trolling cranks in shallow water – about 7 feet – can produce big time. Husky jerks are the go to lure once again. Bring a very big net and watch out for the occasional musky. I’ve been using 10lb braid but am thinking I need to move to heavier line! Last tip is let the lure ride back 100 to 120 feet – don’t tick bottom but get within a foot. And look for green weeds which in Tonka right now is coontail. Milfoil has laid flat and docks are out so there is a lot more available shallow shoreline to troll.

So when we going fishing???? Your killing me with these big fish! Thanks for sharing!!!!

Waterfowler:

You fishing or hunting this weekend? Ya wanna go to Tonka???

I’m thinking Saturday night. I’ll call you on the cell. I’ve got some honey do’s to get done Saturday morning, then some painting in the basement after that. I’ll be in touch!!

Sadly I am out of town on business next week and the wife has a long list of chores for tomorrow. Last night was it until Nov 15. Halsted’s channel area has put out some nice fish just be sure to hit the shorelines along Priest’s bay as well as channel mouth. Cast or troll #12 jerks glass perch, firetiger or the brown with gold belly (I wish it had perch striping as well – it would be the killer lure). The old red bridge now green is also worth a shot. If you want to jig live bait, red chubs or the biggest fatheads you can find are the way to go. Might even want to slip bobber 6″ suckers. It’s been a catch a couple and then wait another half hour or so kind of bite. The big girls are in small pods not schools and are moving around a lot. I’ve been trolling trying to keep on them but I think staying in one spot would work just as well. The fish are just cruising back and forth looking for a meal. I’m sure the eater size are also around but not my target. Somebody ought to try the inside edge on the big sand flat on the west of Boy Scout (Wawatosa) island. The eyes are there in the spring. I just haven’t got around to it yet.

Thanks for sharing the info. I hope to give it a try on Saturday night.

Stan,
That was great info!!!

Thanks for sharing.

Now Fowler, mark up your map, so we know where to go!!!!!!!!

Thanks again Stan!!!!!

Stanman – i was thinking about heading up to the pond tonight but I am intrigued by your report. i have thought about staying in town and driving less and putting in on tonka but i’m not as familiar with where i’ll find the fish as i am on mille lacs at this point in the year. would you ever give up “privi” information to a guy going out tonight as to where you were locating these mamas? Or anybody else out there know some good spots, as far as bays and channels that have produced?

The “other” website has lots of info on the east side of Tonka. Quick two cents Brackett’s point deep weed edge and Diamond reef are the main spots for the jig and minnow crowd. Stop and chat with the guy at Wayzata bait – he’s really informed on the east end of the lake and he’s usually got redtailed chubs which you want to use. West end of the lake channels into Maxwell’s and Halsted’s bays, channel from Cystal bay that goes by Lord Fletchers and the channel at the south end of Phelps bay are all good spots. The longer channels you can troll crank or minnow baits. Shorter channels you can eithe jig live bait or cast lures. Be there just before sundown 5:30ish and the bite will be sporadic – just wait it out. I hope to be able to post some photos of this weeks fish.

Stanman;
When are you going to bring the “Tonka” heard from “the other site” over here???

Much better staff here!!!

stanman, thanks for the info, i think my brother and i will be out there later on after the sun goes down deep in to the night. what is the “other” site by the way.

Gary, I agree but there are way more members on that site. Hopefully we can get some to move over! As for the other sites name not sure if it is legal to post that here. You will just have to Google for it – it pops up nicely

I know the site Stan. I use to post there once in a while. My name there is Big-G. I kept getting edited when I would reference resort websites to people looking for good places to go, or if I would disagree with any product that there “staff” liked or got paid to advertise. I understand an owner giving good word to his advertisers product line, but just because I don’t like all the advertisers product and said so, my post were fully deleted……..many times……….I felt like I was in communist Russia or what not…….

Because of his antics, I’m out of there. Too bad too, because there are a bunch of great folks there, posting some good fish info on the metro site………

Nice thing here too, is that people can PM each other.

Bring em over!!!!!!!!!

Last report for a week – a 23″ and 29″ hit the boat. Both fish just swallowed the lures – the lip was all that was showing! We missed 4 others which hit hard but didn’t hook up. All the strikes came after hitting rocks and bouncing off. Really need to be hugging the bottom. Also found out we needed to stay with 10lb test braid. After getting bit off 4 times over the week I switched up to heavier line but the fish won’t take it even if I was bouncing off the bottom. Minnow baits the way to go. Fish showing a strong preference for brown and gold/orange belly with perch striping. I fished a plain #12 husky jerk in that color – no hits. Took out the marker added stripes two passes later fish on. Thanks to James/Dustin for that trick