Been out on Minnetonka a couple of times in the last 10 days.  Both were pretty nice days - 55-60 air temp.  Water temps two weekends ago were in the 60-62 range and then yesterday they were down to 56-58 depending on where I went.  Caught a few peanuts both days but simply could not find any size.  Must've hit a dozen different points, humps and drops (edges and inside) and a few flats.  Tried slow, fast, vertical (jig, tube, Tx Senko, jig worm) and horizontal (buzzbait early, chatterbait later in the day, frogs in the pads) - kitchen sink time - and just couldn't find 'em.  The hard-bottom spots along the foil edges that have jacked in the summer aren't producing at all.

Not looking for anything specific here, just some local expertise on where in general they tend to locate in our natural lakes up here when the water temps fall through the 60's and 50's in October.  Thanks all.

-- Rick

42 minutes ago, MinnRick said:

Been out on Minnetonka a couple of times in the last 10 days.  Both were pretty nice days - 55-60 air temp.  Water temps two weekends ago were in the 60-62 range and then yesterday they were down to 56-58 depending on where I went.  Caught a few peanuts both days but simply could not find any size.  Must've hit a dozen different points, humps and drops (edges and inside) and a few flats.  Tried slow, fast, vertical (jig, tube, Tx Senko, jig worm) and horizontal (buzzbait early, chatterbait later in the day, frogs in the pads) - kitchen sink time - and just couldn't find 'em.  The hard-bottom spots along the foil edges that have jacked in the summer aren't producing at all.

Not looking for anything  oatbspecific here, just some local expertise on where in general they tend to locate in our natural lakes up here when the water temps fall through the 60's and 50's in October.  Thanks all.

-- Rick

Rick, it seems you and I are in the "same boat" so to speak. I spent a week in Northern Wisconsin last week and found exactly the same conditions, tried just about everything with the same results. If I didn't have fantastic fishing in the spring on the same lake, I'd have thought there were no bass in this lake. 

I have done better on the largemouth when the water temps were colder. Largemouth were all over shallow weedy flats where the weeds were still green. 

Sadly, this fall has been the worst it seems in years.  I am puzzled as to why.

I have been targeting vegetation...areas that typically hold fish this time of year.  Nothin'...and I mean not even a sighting of bass.

The one time I did have success I was hitting docks in the early morning.  But even with this, I got numbers not size.

Wish I had an explanation but also by the lack of posts from successful outings...others are experiencing the same.  

This weekend's weather looks nice but with temps continuing to drop into the 30's at night, more lakes will be turning over....which makes it that much tougher.

On a positive note, the weather pattern this week should be stable.  Let's hope for the best. 

 

 

 

 

 

I abandoned fishing Lake Minnetonka several years ago because the water got so gin clear you could see 12-15 feet down, there were almost nightly bass clubs, and every weekend had a tournament.  Those conditions made for some REALLY tough bass fishing so I targeted other, smaller metro lakes.  I've done much better because of it.  I think there are a lot of bass in Tonka but I also think that the ultra clear water and the pressure has made the bass fishing extremely difficult.

And although its not really a problem anymore now, during the summer the recreational traffic out there is unbearable sometimes.  It can really limit where and when and how you want to fish.