? about Pine lake on the Flowage

I went into pine lake over the weekend to try a new place to go and to get away from the boaters and skiers on the main lake. I was just wonder if many people try fishing in there, it looks great back there, i was mainly fishing for panfish, and caught probably 10 gills but most were small and i caught a 13″ smallie, does anyone every catch any ‘eyes back there? Any info would be great

I usually fish Pine Lake for some good early ice action on big gills and crappies. Typically you will have to move around to find them and do some sorting but it can be a fun place to kick off the hard water season.

Brett,
Where do you get on Pine lake for the early ice fishing?

I park at the wayside right by the bridge and walk in on a snowmobile trail. It is a decent walk to where the permanent shacks are located but I have caught panfish throughout the entire lake so I don’t think it is necessary to walk that far.

Those shacks are on the opposite end of the lake from the bridge right? Where are they taking those shacks in from and where are those ATV’s getting on or is there another bridge or road back there you are talking about?

You are correct – the shacks are on the other end of the lake. I believe most of the shacks are put out there by the locals that live on the lake. There used to be a small public landing on the north end but I am not sure if that exists anymore?

What’s up,
I have fished pine a number of times during the summer. No luck, just small pike and a few short smallies. I have seen a number of large fish surfacing around the rock shoal(early morning and late evening) I have fished for bass, ski’s, and eye’s in here, all methods that I could think of for presentation with not much luck. I personally do not think that this lake has enough of a seperate ecosystem to hold really large fish (based on my personal experience) Hope this post finds you, even though it is 2 years late.

Hi Bob. I usually get on Holcombe for opening weekend, and a couple other
weekends each summer. I volunteer for Fishing Has No Boundaries there each
August. One year I caught two 36″ pike in one day, and another year I got into
a bunch of 10 to 12 inch crappie. I just started using the trolling tactic
last year and got some small walleyes. Usually, about when I start catching
fish, the boat traffic drives me away. One Friday before opening weekend I
found a bunch of big, shallow bluegills in Pine Lake and got some big ones on the flyrod.
I usually get some smallies near the blue bridge (east of Paradise Shores) and
even some catfish on a lindy rig. I don’t have any sure-fire consistent pattern though. It’s always different.
I’ve learned where some cribs are, but I don’t find fish on them – probably
because of boat traffic. Each time out, I’ll work a different area and get to know the lake piece by piece. On opening weekend this year, I’m going to spend more time in the north east part where the river comes in and see how that goes… I’ll have a COOL new Lund boat to try out!
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John

John,
great to read your post. Congrats on the new boat! Sorry I didn’t get back on sooner and reply. I have fished Pine a number of times, never for gills or crappies though. I know there has got to be some big pike in there, it’s great that you got 2 36 inchers that must have been fun. For a little lake it is one of the fishiest lookin places I’ve seen. I have also had some good luck around the blue bridge for smallies and crappies. I’ve done really well on big channels up by where the flambeau and chip flow in above the highway D bridge, two summers ago I got a 18lb 4oz channel, and every summer we get them between 10 and 14. Just look for deep holes in the river channel, I always use 1/2 to 1 oz. sinker ahead of a swivel with about a 2 foot leader, a big circle hook and fresh cut bait for the big ones. Let me know how you do on opener.
Bob

Hi Bob
I’ve caught all my catfish by accident while fishing walleye. The cats really seem to like Gulp! baits. What do you use for cut bait? Just get big minnows
and cut slashes into them? What size circle hook is appropriate?

On Lake Wissota, I’ve caught catfish while trolling crankbaits. That really
surprised me – I thought they were lazy fish.

John

John,

I have caught catfish on tube jigs plenty of times when I was targeting smallies.

For hooks, I use about a 5/0 up to 7/0 circle hook depending upon the size of the bait. I prefer to use baits that came out of the lake I am fishing(gills work great), but a nice 2 inch chunk of cut sucker will work well.

I cube them by cutting down through the back bone and out the gut. The fresher the better.

I think that the cats that live in the river or near the mouth of it are more agressive fish than your average catfish. I have caught alot of the bigger ones on live suckers as well.

Normally when I go out with a buddy we will start off by fishing one rod with a live sucker or gill, one with cutbait, and one with nightcrawlers to see which the fish prefer.

Bob

Quote:

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On Lake Wissota, I’ve caught catfish while trolling crankbaits. That really
surprised me – I thought they were lazy fish.

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Early to mid-season, I catch a bunch of nice channels, 10-lb class, by pulling cranks up in the Chippewa River above Lake Wissota. A BUNCH. Most of the flats that I catch up there come on bait, but a channel will run down and CRUSH a crankbait.

Jason,
Do you catch many flatheads above Wissota?

I have never fished that far south on the Chippewa. I did try for flatheads below the Holcombe dam on the uppermost part of the Cornell Flowage a couple years ago. Out of the three times I tried with live bait I caught one flathead that was about 18″, other than that I didn’t get any hits on the live. I figured that fish was an anomaly, and that must be about the northermost portion of their range on the river. I have fished live bait on the chippewa above holcombe and caught tons of channels but never once have i seen or caught a flathead.

Bob

Quote:

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Jason,
Do you catch many flatheads above Wissota?

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I sure do!

Mostly in the sub-30″ class, and primarily on jig/bait combos fished for eyes.

I met a gentleman this winter who has the BIG flatties dialed in on the main lake. I’m looking forward to some hot, buggy summer nights to be able to try his techniques!

Hi Jason.
Glad to hear catching cats on cranks isn’t uncommon. I’d love to catch more –
it’s like snagging a log. I’ll definitely be doing that more this year on both
Wissota and Holcombe.

John