Cool, Wet Weather Good for MN Fishing

First off, as promised here's a picture of our prize catch from Memorial Day Weekend: A 35" Northern Pike from one of Minnesota's 10,000+ lakes!

With water falling from the sky on nearly a daily basis, and temperatures hovering around tolerable to mild at best, many of Minnesota's outdoor enthusiasts have dubbed this a wasted spring.

Not so for Minnesota's angling population. The cooler weather and often cloudy skies have made this early season a fisherman's dream!

It's no secret that fish of all types are found in shallower water than later in the season. The cool temperatures mixed with rain have helped keep water temperatures cooler and thus extended the shallow water stay of many fish. It also has prolonged the maturation process of the annual weed beds in many lakes as well.

From an angling stand point, this makes fish easier to find with much better luck! As a result, Walleye, Pike, Bass and pan fish reports have been nothing but positive early in the 2008 fishing season.

Expect to find the best success in shallows for one or two more weeks before having to look deeper as the season progresses!

Minnesota Weekend Fishing

I'm sure we've all used our economic stimulus checks from George Dubya to book that trip to our favorite Minnesota fishing destination. In case you haven't, here's a great suggestion!

The Brainerd Lakes Area! This place has been known for turning into more of a golfer's paradise lately, but don't forget about the many great fish producers this areas has to offer. Everything from rivers, streams and great walleye, pike, pan fish and bass fishing is in abundance along Paul Bunyan's highway (Hwy 371).

The most popular destinations are locations on Gull Lake and the Whitefish Chain which have plenty to offer. But if you're going for fishing, you might want to try some of the smaller side lakes. They are less heavily fished, less crowded with skiers, tubers and joy riders and offer some of the most peaceful, quaint resorts in the state!

Our Memorial Day Weekend was spent on the Cullen chain of lakes in Nisswa, MN (about 15 minutes north of Brainerd). With three connecting lakes, there's plenty of hot spots to choose from. We had great luck fishing for anything that swam!

Crappies were biting in 7-15 ft. on crappie minnows and leaches. Plenty of 2-3 lbs. bass were produced off of green, yellow and orange spinner baits. There were also Pike aplenty to be found along weed lines in 15-25 ft.

Our weekend came to an end Monday evening by witnessing a 45-min epic between man and Northern Pike. Man finally emerged victorious by landing a 35-inch, 15 lbs. beauty on a 6-lbs. test line with out the aid of a leader!

A picture is soon to come!

Early MN Fishing Reports

Early fishing reports have been coming in over Minnesota's first week of the 2008 Walleye/Pike season. Shallow is the way to go. You should find some luck along the weed lines in 8'-16' in most lakes in the state. Also look for some action fishing the rocky shallows.

Most seem to be having good success with jigs and shiners. Of course, none of this should be surprising for Minnesota lakes early in the season. What you may be surprised at is the low amount of bait. Shinner minnows are in short supply early this season due to the late ice on many bodies of water. This has delayed the annual shinner run by a couple weeks. Populations should start increasing any day now, but don't be too surprised if you're limited to only a pint instead of a larger amount at your local bait shop!

Minnesota Fishing Opener to Remember

Hope you all had successful Opening Fishing Weekend! Our group had quite the day out on a small, Twin Cities lake in our 14' Starcraft!

With rain holding off most of the morning we were able to be on the water by 9 AM. (I know, real ambitious!) Ten minutes into the day we were stopped by our friendly game wardens to ensure we did indeed have our licenses and proper boat registration. Not to worry, everyone passed.

Using only artificial bait (yellow headed 3/8 oz. jig with a white Mr. Twister) in 12'-20' the action was pretty steady and fast... but not in the way we'd expected.

The first fish of the season was a nice sized perch. The immediate vibe was that it was going to be a great day! We had no idea it would be the last fish in the perch family for over 3 hours!

The next few hours yielded lots of fish... all of them largemouth bass! (Yes we know bass season isn't open yet!) While we constantly switched up our bait trying to find those elusive walleye and pike, the only thing we caught were 2-4 lbs largemouths. If only it were two weeks later!

Our day ended with a drizzly battle with about a 40" muskie - again not in season! The fish leaped out of the water twice, ran 3-4 times before we got it up to the boat. As we dipped the net into the water, the fish made one final dash to the depths and broke the line.

What day of fishing would be complete without the story of the one that got away! It's going to be a great year! Be sure to check back frequently for more updates!

Minnesota Fishing Opener!

Happy Minnesota Fishing Opener Eve to all! The day so many of us wait a frigid few months for is finally upon us! With high gas prices and frozen waters (my sympathies to anyone planning on fishing Leech, Rainy, Lake of the Woods and others), many will be looking for a good catch closer to home this weekend so here are some productive Twin Cities Walleye lakes for you to consider:

1. Upper Prior Lake - If you've read the Star Trib lately, you know this lake has been quietly increasing its Marble Eye production over the last few years.

2. Lake Minnetonka - Sure to be crowded, but for good reason. Usually a steady fish producer.

3. White Bear Lake - Another body of water where the boats can seemingly out number the fish, but weather might ease the herd of anglers a bit.

4. The Rivers - The St. Croix, Mississippi and Minnesota all run through the Twin Cities with some well known Walleye holes. Just make sure you're not in a catch and release zone when you fill up your stringer.

The forecast calls for rain and mid-50 temps, so pack your rain gear and maybe some gloves! You'll be joined by more than 1-million others fishing our 10,000+ lakes and rivers this weekend, so use proper boating etiquette when launching and use patience!

Good luck to all... if you don't catch a whopper at least make up a whopper of a fish tale before you get home!

Cold Weather Fishing Tips

These cold weather fishing tips should help bring you some better luck if the recent weather most of Minnesota has been experiencing decides to stick around for another month... which is looking more and more like the case!

The first tip is to stay warm! This usually means starting dry and keeping dry. Packing extra gloves, hats and dressing in layers is the key. Hey, we're Minnesotans... we know this!

When fishing those still frigid Minnesota lakes and rivers, remember fish are cold blooded animals. Their metabolism changes with the temperature of their habitat. When the water temps are cooler, they slow down and feed less. One cold weather fishing tip is to use smaller, slower baits and lures.

Because of their slow metabolism, fish feed less. This means they look for smaller meals that are easier to catch... why do you think ice fishing lures are so tiny?! Try and avoid those fast retrieval lures with jerky movements for something a bit slower.

One of the biggest keys to fishing is knowing where the fish are at (DUH!). One of the tricks I use is to check the belly of the first fish I catch (assuming I catch anything) for silt. If there's any sandy residue on the underside of the fish, there's a good chance it's been on the bottom for some time. If this is the case, I'll switch to a slow-moving, vertical fishing pattern just off the bottom.

Hopefully these tips bring you more success! Until next time... pray for a warm up and more active fish!

MN Spring Fishing Tips

The Twins have started, the Wild are in the playoffs, The Masters is next weekend... It can only mean one thing: The Minnesota Walleye/Pike opener is just a month away! Here's a couple tips on what's helped me land some nice keepers during the spring fishing season in MN.

For bait: I typically find success with jigs tipped with shiners or leaches. (I've also had some good early season success with a Lindy Rig.) When fishing with a jig, I tend to favor green over any other color for the first few weeks of the season. White and orange can be pretty successful as well. The weight pretty much depends on what the conditions are on the lake. I try to keep my line a vertical as possible... which brings us to our next tip:

SLOW DOWN! Don't be in a rush to fish the whole lake in one day... They make the fishing opener a whole weekend for a reason!

Water temperatures are cooler, and fish are not as active as they will be a few weeks later. Give them a chance to bite (unless you're content with a small, aggressive walleye or a two-pound pike).

If you find a good spot, make use of your anchor. If you'd rather move about, do so at a slow pace. Drift bags are good for slowing your movement. Back trolling is another good way to keep from drifting too fast.

Keep these things in mind as you're working those weed beds and drop offs this on May 10th, and you should find at least some success!

Minnesota Fishing 2008

It's almost time to fish Minnesota! Dust off those rods and tackle boxes, and tune up the fishing boat! Minnesota's Fishing Opener is just around the corner! May 10th, 2008 to be exact! This blog is intended to keep us all up to date on all the best fishing tips, locations and equipment MN Fishing has to offer!

What better place to start than the location of the Governor's Fishing Opener on Pelican Lake in Breezy Point, MN?

Pelican Lake is known as one of Minnesota's best walleye lakes. Its many underwater structures make this lake an ideal habitat for walleyes, and the lake consistently produces more fish and fish bigger in size than most lakes.

There are a few tips you should know before heading out on the lake that any Brainerd Lakes Area guide will give you. If you've never fished Pelican Lake before, you're likely to get frustrated early, probably thinking there's nothing but weeds here. This is due to the great clarity of the lake's water. Clear water allows sunlight to reach deeper depths in this lake meaning the weed lines will run deeper.

When fishing this lake, remember that what is considered deep walleye depths in most lakes is typically too shallow on Pelican Lake. Dropping your line deeper than you'd expect to will result in more fish!