MN Bound Crappie Contest

Anyone going? I am going to give it a try. Weather looks pretty good for Saturday too, mid 60’s and mostly sunny.

Have to get there at 5am to get a parking spot

bigcrappie wrote:

Have to get there at 5am to get a parking spot

Haha. Years ago I did it and there wasn’t very many people at the access in early May when I would start at 7am. Not like there’s a ton of recreational riff raff this time of year yet either.

The weigh in at Lord Fletchers on a nice day…now that’s a different story. That place can be a zoo.

I will be there. Plan to launch at 7 ish and get to Fletchers early to get a spot hopefully to park.

If anyone has an open seat and wants a fishing partner let me know

I’ll probably have an open seat at the tiki bar over at Fletcher’s if that helps

Eelpoutguy wrote:

I’ll probably have an open seat at the tiki bar over at Fletcher’s if that helps

I’m not one to shy away from a drink

I’ll shoot you a PM when I’m there

Anyone else pre purchase tickets. I bought two and it had no where to print it out? Said something about mailing it out, but not sure they will show in time. Last time I thought you could print them out.

John Rasmussen wrote:

Anyone else pre purchase tickets. I bought two and it had no where to print it out? Said something about mailing it out, but not sure they will show in time. Last time I thought you could print them out.

You don’t need the physical ticket. Just save the confirmation email they send you. They’ll give you a ticket when you check in at Fletchers.

Never mind I just found out from Tom at Fishing for Life and he said you get them as/ if you register a fish.

EPG, Crappie and Gimruis. We should all try to meet up and have a cold one.

Thanks G!

Hoping an IDO person wins.

I weighed in early at 10am to avoid the zoo at 2pm. My Father was the current clubhouse leader at the time. He got called up on stage for an interview with Bill Sherck!

Attachments:

1. 

   IMG_2980.jpg
   

2. 

   IMG_2982.jpg
   

Well what did he weigh in ? Size length gerth.

Hey guys hope all had a good time today. Had a busy day and forgot this event was going on. Still some warm Philly cheesesteaks on the Blackstone if you’re still in the neighborhood

Attachments:

1. 

   20220507_202255-scaled.jpg
   

2. 

   20220507_194224-scaled.jpg
   

Bearcat89 wrote:

Well what did he weigh in ? Size length gerth.

If I remember correctly it was about an 11.5 incher that weighed 0.84 pounds. There was only about 40 entries at the time though.

I was checking cameras and noticed ice would be out Friday afternoon so I ran up to the cabin to get the toon in.

Dang! Feels good to be floating again.

Attachments:

1. 

   open-water-2022-scaled.jpg
   

Congrats to your dada G!

tim hurley wrote:

Congrats to your dada G!

As it turns out, he didn’t even sniff the leaderboard once the final results were tallied. All of the top 5 biggest crappies in the adult division were 1.5 pounds or bigger. The random weight for the ATV was 0.94 pounds.

The number of massive crappies that come out of that lake every spring is astonishing.

gimruis wrote:

The number of massive crappies that come out of that lake every spring is astonishing.

True statement for sure!
The big fish was 1.8, the guy’s at the dock next to us weighed in the 2nd place fish at 1.6 both 15 inchers. I had a 12 incher that weighed in at .86

Good time as usual. If you not already doing it you need to get out and hit the shallow spots right now for slabs we had 60 degrees in the shallows. Prime time right now, window will be closing soon.

John Rasmussen wrote:

True statement for sure!
The big fish was 1.8, the guy’s at the dock next to us weighed in the 2nd place fish at 1.6 both 15 inchers.

For as much winter angling pressure that lake receives, its amazing that any sizable crappies survive until the spring. Guess its a mystery that I’ll take to my grave on where those freaks come from.

Its a big lake, Just saying…….

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>John Rasmussen wrote:</div>
True statement for sure!
The big fish was 1.8, the guy’s at the dock next to us weighed in the 2nd place fish at 1.6 both 15 inchers.

For as much winter angling pressure that lake receives, its amazing that any sizable crappies survive until the spring. Guess its a mystery that I’ll take to my grave on where those freaks come from.

bigcrappie wrote:

Its a big lake, Just saying……

You got any advice for me and anyone else who has yet to unlock this mystery?

I’ve driven around Minnetonka all winter for work and I’m curious where you’re seeing all this pressure.

Most of the lake is ghost town come winter.

Deuces wrote:

I’ve driven around Minnetonka all winter for work and I’m curious where you’re seeing all this pressure.

Most of the lake is ghost town come winter.

There must have been 200 houses every time I drove past Carson’s Bay this past winter. They’re stacked on top of each other like a deck of cards. Maybe that is not a good representative of the lake as a whole, but its not a very big bay either.

Deuces wrote:

Most of the lake is ghost town come winter.

i have to agree for both Winter and Summer. There are popular areas in the winter that get crowded for sure but there are also large stretches of the lake where you can barely see anyone on the horizon while fishing. Summer cruising boats are certainly in abundance on nice weekends but go out fishing anytime between M-Thurs, rainy/cold weather, or before memorial day and after labor day and you pretty much have the 14,000 acre lake to yourself.

@gimruis carsons bay is one of the more popular winter bays along with several others. Generally speaking i think the east side of the lake receives more fishing pressure than the west

Glad to hear those that went to the contest had a good time! Maybe next year we should plan a little IDO get together around this contest. seems we have a some regulars that attend every year

crappie55369 wrote:

Generally speaking i think the east side of the lake receives more fishing pressure than the west

x2 and there’s a decent # of smaller bays without public access that are basically limited to homeowner’s unless you run the channel which I won’t do.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>bigcrappie wrote:</div>
Its a big lake, Just saying……

You got any advice for me and anyone else who has yet to unlock this mystery?

Don’t fish where the houses are…

Ripjiggen wrote:

Don’t fish where the houses are…

Haha. Thanks. I wouldn’t even consider it!