Tonka walleyes

Decent last night – 3 walleyes thru the hole lost 2 more on the way up and plain missed a few more. 15 to 17 inch size. Was in the Smithtown Bay area in 18 to 20ft on a break from 7 to 30ft. Gravel and rock bottom. Just a plain hook and a minnow deadsticked was the ticket. All the action occured between 5 and 6pm.

Keep up the reports Stanman. I need to get over to your favorite body of water. Your reports are deceiving, because you make fishing that big boy sound easy!

I have been fishing the west end of Tonka for six years. Probably on the water somewhere between 150 and 180 days a year – easy for me because I live on it. That said I am just beginning to get the hang of walleyes. I also have some fishing buddies who are willing to experiment and try different tactics. It hasn’t come easy be we are getting there. I am a huge believer than the big Tonka walleyes are very weed related and don’t school up like they do further north. There are so many perch in this lake the walleyes don’t need to form a school to forage. CHeck out last Sunday’s Lindner’s Inside edge – he lays it out perfectly how to fish Tonka for walleye. I do think the smaller walleyes school up in deeper water to avoid predators (a lot of big muskies in the shallow weeds!!) and to forage more effectively but once they get to 18″ or so they act differently. My goal is to get the information out to everyone. You’ll rarely get a limit of walleyes but it’s fairly easy to get into fish over 25″. This all started when a DNR guy told me Tonka has more big walleyes than anyone would believe. Before then I was just concentrating on muskies. Went out walleye fishing with my son one night shortly after the DNR discussion and caught a 31″ 11 and change pound walleye. Game on. Still need to figure out where the walleyes go in late Jan and Feb. I’m trying to talk DeZurik into spending a few days exploring Tonka to get even more ideas and locations out there. Walleyes were not even a target for me until about 3 years ago so I am still learning. Let’s get more people involved – very few places that you can drive to in 25 minutes and have a really good shot at 6 to 10lb walleyes. Pool 2 is one and Minnetonka is another. We are lucky.

Update – last two nights I was fishing a very steep break from 8ft to 40ft. Edge of a big weed flat. Have caught some nice fish in this location years past but not so far this year. Setup in 20ft running out to 30ft. No bites and nothing came through on the finder. Going to try a midlake hump to see if the eyes have moved out there.

Thanks for keeping us posted on Tonka Stan.

Let us know how you do!!!

Hi Stan,
How are the ice conditions? Are you driving a truck to your spots or using a sled or 4 wheeler….or doin it the old fashioned way and hoofin it.
I live in Plymouth and have been doing some evening ice fishing and was thinking about hitting Tonka next week one night after work to see if I can find a walleye or 2.
JB

Ice was 20″ thick – I’m driving my SUV all over the place as is everyone else. I’ve turned the vehicle into a portable although jigging out the window makes hook setting a little tricky I’ve been either deadsticking a rod or using tipups depending on the temps. With so little snow the lake is wide open. If you are fishing Brown’s there is a big pressure ridge you need to drive around. Saw one guy drive his truck through a channel last night – not recommended but he had no problems.

No kidding, through a channel. I bet that made your pucker string get tighter. What an idiot.

stupid question……….is there much current in those channels???

Yes there is, some more than others. I would not drive through a channel with my vehicle. I get nervous on the sled, let alone a truck. Wowser!!

It wasn’t the Narrows at least. I get a little freaked going around Howard’s Point. At least he was going 50mph!

Thanks for the info Stan. I was just curious…I have an Ford 1 ton supercab so I am a little leary about driving out unless there is A LOT of ice…call me pusscakes(that’s for you Chappy) but getting my truck fished out of a lake isn’t real high on my list of things to do in my life time.
Kooty….you free to go next week???? I’d go this weekend but I am leaving for LOW in the morning.

You going to be out at all next week Stan???

Yes, I should be able to sneak in a night of fishing. Maybe we could get Stan to join us for some west end crappies/eye action??

If you guys make a party of it, let me know. I’m open next weekend too!

Ahhh….. when the cat’s away…..

I can probably get out Sat afternoon/evening – no way on Sunday. I’ll be fishing tonite around Goose Island for crappies. Hoping to be down in Smithtown/Island area Friday and Sat looking for those walleyes. They have to be somewhere. The guys fishing around Hardscrabble and Cooks Bay aren’t getting anything. I’ve noticed some shacks in Old Channel Bay and around Locke point – anyone know if they are chasing walleyes?? Couple of nice humps out there but I’ve never been inclined to fish them.

I was up on LOW over the weekend. Fishin was a little slow for our group but we had a fun time.
I might try to get out to Tonka one night this week.
JB

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I was up on LOW over the weekend. Fishin was a little slow for our group but we had a fun time.
I might try to get out to Tonka one night this week.
JB

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Yeah the high and that wind sure turned things off up there.

I think I’ll hit tonka thursday.