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!