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!
Friday, June 6, 2008
Cool, Wet Weather Good for MN Fishing
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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!
