Ice on Tainter Lake!

[Tainterslayer]

There is ice on Tainter. I went and stood on it today after coming home.  Will be fishing tomorrow

[venom]

   Good luck and be safe!!

[Tainterslayer]

Thanks. It's up to 4 inches now but no fish.. Gas station didn't have any minnows besides fatheads/crappies either...

[DD]

Where are you fishing on Tainter with 4".  Just moved to the area 2 months ago, any suggestions for early ice on this lake for walleye, perch, bluegills, etc.  Where do you buy bait in this area?  Thanks

[bbmonkey]

Butchs Bay on Lake Menomin is great for early ice. They were out fishing there today.

Canons Auto Repair sells minnows and such. They are kinda down by the river below the dam.

[pike4some]

How much ice on butches, how about the cemetary?

[Tainterslayer]

I live on the smaller side where the hay river comes in. I never fish on the larger side of the lake. The channel will obviously be thinner. Still too thin for me to feel safe venturing out very far. I've usually had the best luck around the shore lines with walleyes, they always like to hit as its turning dark. Perch are usually scattered and hard to find. It's hit or miss out here.
Express Mart in Colfax sells Northern, walleye, crappie, and I think they still stock fatheads in the winter too. Otherwise Menomonie has a place called Canon's Auto. Its due west of the fire station, down the hill.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=44.876625,-91.93368&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=0&sz=14&sll=44.87789,-91.92853&sspn=0.034485,0.090981&ie=UTF8&ll=44.876704,-91.933358&spn=0.008622,0.022745&z=16%3E

[DD]

Was just on Tainter this am, about 3" of ice.  Didn't get 1 bite, not too familiar with the lake so I didn't venture too far.  Fished at the North landing.

[pike4some]

They are down at the cemetary now also on Menomin. Same tyhing there not catching much yet.

[DD]

Like I said before, I'm new to the area!  Is Tainter a good lake to ice fish or just a place to spend time on a winter day.  Just wondering how much time to invest in the lake. 

[pike4some]

I personally have never spent much time there. I know when they have there contest each year not much gets caught, But thats maybe because they only have a certain area you can fish in. Maybe get yourself a lake map and scout it out to see if there is an area that may look good and give it a try. You may land on a spot and love this lake.

[Tainterslayer]

It's not a lake where you can go out and expect to limit out all the time. It takes time, luck, experience to catch fish. Many times it is hit or miss. My parents house is up on the northern part of the lake (the small side) north of county D. It's always been a learning experience here. I just found a spot last year to catch bass. My usual plan is to fish near the shoreline structure. A lot of the lake is just flat and sand bottomed. The shorelines are usually somewhat rocky in spots. I have a few maps of structure and depth of Tainter and Menomin. The Menomonin map is not online but I can get it to you if you PM me.

Tainter lake Bathymetric survey map
http://fileresource.sitepro.com/filemanager/26/filecollections/95/188EF5CE-C480-F756-B704-307F60DF0E35.pdf

[Tainterslayer]

It was good fishing tonight. Set up my tipups about noon and only got one flag in about 4 hours but it was a keeper northern. Then between 4:15 and 5:00 we got a total of 5 or so more flags. Totaled 6 flags and 4 fish.

[pike4some]

What was the keeper for size

[Tainterslayer]

Wasn't huge, plump and a little over 20 inches. Enough to give me a pound of meat. That's about the minimum that I want to keep.

[wiicefishing]

DD-

Like Tainerslayer said, don't expect a limit.

Back in the college days we used to launch from Elk point. Small/Medium shiners for Walleye's and Northern on the 10 ft flat west of hay river. Also caught some perch on the first small point west of the launch. Try to find the cribs.

Mixed bag on the lake. Never know what your going to run into.