Anyone know how thick the ice on East and West Lake of Winona is? I might head out there tomorrow morning before classes with my pick since I’m auger-less right now.

A lot of success has been coming out of the Zumbro when the high waters were flowing. My buddies and I use Shrimp (unprocessed and untreated from HyVee) $6 bucks a pound. I like that best because they carry and have that uric seafood like stench to them. I didn’t want to use liver because it would disappear (in fast waters) and get eaten easily by sheep heads and ect.

On the Zumbro dead Fathead Minnows work well too. Typically I catch fish there late around 9PM.

When fishing the Mississippi, again with shrimp, I have really, really good success around 3-6 AM. The bite is non stop. Some times it gets a little bit hard to manage two pole, just a little. Don’t go far from shore as from experience I have noticed them to come close to land during those hours. (: -Night Fishing

Hope my tips help.

The Faribault area has few descent lakes for Walleyes if you got a boat. But the Mississippi Rive is always an options. Lake City side of Lake Pepin, along the breaks and Red Wing Pool 4 are nice places as well. If your looking for a quick drive from Rochester then the Zumbro River is an option (though not the best) and a small spot called Mac’s Park Place right below the dam is quick drive and is a descent spot to shore fish for some wallies as well.
Hope this helps.

When do you plan on going?

Honestly.. as far as you want untill you see open water..
Let me know how you do out there.

Welll guys I had descent day. I used a size 10 glow gill pill and caught some big sunnies and descent cats. Lots of dog fish and northerns were swimming near as well. I was looking for more of a variety. A lil disapointed that big perches werent bitting but it is what it is. This weekend Im planning to go out again. Any suggestions to get some walleys, saugers, slabs of crappies… getting annonoyed of catching sunnies…?

In that part of the Zumbro I have had some success using sucker minnows to catch Northerns. I rig them on a bobber and throw near drops and turns in the river where it is deeper and also near fallen timber, they seem to stay in thoes structure and shady area as well. Good Luck.