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!