MINAKI

[Kandiman]

Does anybody have any info. that they want to share about fishing at Minaki the past few weeks. We were there in June and had a subpar trip but still enjoyable. We are thinking about returning after Labor Day and was wondering if the fish ever turned on in Big Sand, or what the fishing has been like since we were there. Thanks in advance.

[Reels]

A friend just got back, said walleyes were still slow. No troll bite on Big Sand, and he had to work and search for the walleyes daily.

Smallmouth and Northerns were good.


<{{}}><

[PACMAN]

ttt

[iatag]

I just returned from a week long fishing trip to Minaki the last week in July. It was a strange week for weather in July, with temps below 50 in the mornings, and highs around 70. (On the drive up we hit a low of 37 degrees early in the morning near the border.) I don't know if the cold front impacted fishing, but I would describle walleye fising as slow. The fish seemed scattered, but we were able to pick up a few walleyes each day by jumping around from reef to reef up on Big Sand. Most parties seemed to be catching fish, but not in great numbers.
I was fishing with my 9 year old son, and another group of 3 with with grandpa, dad, and his 10 year old son. Even with the slow action both boys had a blast. (GameBoy did help a bit in my boat, however!)
We caught several walleye in the 23 inch range which is much smaller than the high from our previous 10+ trips to the system. The hardest size to catch was the 18 inchers we were looking for to take home.
There is an interesting post about changing the possession limit on this system so you might want to check out thread. We have definately noticed a drop off in numbers the last two years, but I'm not sure what to attribute it too. It could be over fising, but there didn't seem to be as much boat traffic as usual up there this year.
We were able to catch fish trolling on Big Sand, but that too was a bit slow. Trolling was best right before dark and into the night for those who wanted to stay out late. Action was actually "fast and furious" last Thursday from about 9:00 p.m till we quit around 9:45 with fish coming every 5 minutes or so. (With the little kids and the fact that we had never come in that late before we headed back to the cabin before we could get our fill of catching these late biters.) Deeper running lures like Reef Runners and Deep Thundersticks seemed to work best for us. I think "hard-core" walleye fishermen who are willing to fish after dark could do very well up there right now. Quite a few boats were doing just that, as we saw many boats coming in around midnight.
We spend 1/2 day fishing for Northern, and that action was excellent. Big fish of the trip was a 36 incher caught by my friend. Both of the kids had fun reeling in 20 - 25 inch Northern. Between the two boats we landed over 30 northern in the short 1/2 day we fished for them. Had we known it would have been like this I think we would have spent a little more time casting for these slimers!
From talking to Muskie fishermen, that bite was very slow also, although a local did catch two in one day trolling around the bridge and NorthStar Village area.
I enjoy Minaki a lot and hope the numbers return so I don't have to invest the time getting to know another system!

[woods]

I'm curious about the reports of fewer walleyes at Minaki. I have been going up there for 20 years with the same group, and we have had our best two years in 2002 and 2003. It was awesome! This year was a disaster due to 5 straight days of rain, and very cool weather. I would like to know what the fishing would have been like in good weather. Hope for a good year in 2005!

[Ia-Craig]

Woods, I'm the other party IaTag referred to in his trip to Minaki. IMO, it is hard to tell from any 1 week of fishing what the general fish popluation is of an area. You may have an off week because of weather, or you may hit the 1 week when the bite is the best of the year. For us, this year I think the cool/rain temps while we were there and the cooler than normal water temps made our normal mid-summer techniques not produce as well as past years. If we would have gone to our old spring spots like up river, or to Little Sand or even Gunn lake we may have hit it hot. If fish populations are such that limits are lowered in the Minaki system, well that is unfortunate but I will not fuss about it. Bringing fish home is not a major factor to the enjoyment I get from my anual Minaki trip!

IaCraig;)

[Kandiman]

Thanks for the replies. I was beginningb to think that nobody was going to Minaki any more. There used to be lots of posts about this great fishery.

[woods]

Craig, don't get me wrong, I will continue to go to Minaki as long as my body lets me, no matter what the limits. My point was that I personally haven't seen the decline in fish that is being talked about. In fact, yesterday, I talked to one of the guys in town who went up on June 26, and he said they had fabulous weather, and one of their best years too.

[woods]

Craig, don't get me wrong, I will continue to go to Minaki as long as my body lets me, no matter what the limits. My point was that I personally haven't seen the decline in fish that is being talked about. In fact, yesterday, I talked to one of the guys in town who went up on June 26, and he said they had fabulous weather, and one of their best years too.

[Reels]

Hey Woods, hows it going?

I know what you mean. You and me can go out and catch our fish, we have been fishing the system for many many years. We know spots on the spots, and know how to fish them according to the weather.

The average angler the first time out there is struggling a bit though. In the years past, you can pick any point, island, hump and catch fish. Now I think you have to search more, which crowds a bunch of boats on certain points. So instead of having one at the hatrack, two at whiskey, a few on dead mans, and a few off burnt, you now have 15 boats off of one spot that is producing.

There seems to be a strong year class that is about 23"-25" now.Last year, they were say maybe 21", the year before, tons of 19-20" fish. The last few years, I can't honestly say I have caught a lot of "eater fish" 17" and smaller the last few years. Lots of fish over the slot.

I did see a lot of smaller fish caught this year though, and that is a good sign!

Just one fishermans opinion...


<{{}}><

[woods]

Hi Reels! Good to hear from you. All is well here. I have to say we haven't caught nearly as many 17 - 18" fish as we used to. I agree with your comments. I did send some first timers to a few spots this year. They felt there weren't many fish in the lake, but I think they were just in the wrong places.

[IaCraig]

Woods, no worries. I did not read anything into your post, I was just commenting that I won't assume the fish numbers are down because of the 1 slow week we had, but if the Ontario fish & game decide population is down enough to warrant reduced limits it will have little to no affect on me.

Reels, your description of fish sizes is spot on to my experience in that system over the last few years. However, I think the number of boats and fishermen has declined quite a bit in the area the last few years. (maybe 911 or maybe other reasons?) Anyway, the last week of July in Minaki the walleye fishing was tougher than normal. Maybe you're right that you would have had them jumping in the boat, but I am not a rookie to the system either and I think the 2 fairly large cold fronts we big factors.

IaCraig;)

[Reels]

No, they were certainly not jumping in the boat! We had to work harder for them than in the past with a lot more moving around.

I agree with you that there does seem to be less boats over the last few years. I think it does have to do with the fish population, but it is just a guess. Maybe a combination of things.


<{{}}><

[reelman1]

Has anybody heard any reports on musky up there? I will be leaving the 13th to go up to Minaki.