Outdoors Weekly Fish Tales Archive

May 11, 2007

ANNANDALE - B.J.’s Bait & Tackle, Bill, west side of Clearwater Lake, between the two public accesses (320-274-3730) The crappie tourney last week was tough, but a 2.2 pounder managed to come in and take first. Most are reporting sunnies and crappies along the emerging weedlines, using a flu-flu and minnow. Looking ahead to the opener, it should be good as long as the weather holds.

ANOKA – Action’s Fishing, Jack, 809 West Hwy 10 (763-422-4890) There is a good crappie bite going on right now, best I’ve seen in 10 years. We have shiners, leeches, and crawlers. And we should have redtails for the opener. The Mississippi looks good for walleyes this weekend north of Anoka. We are ready to go for the opener.

BATTLE LAKE – Ben’s Bait & Tackle, Josie, Junction of Hwy 78 and 210 (218-864-5596) The crappies continue to bite well on Clitheral, Elbow, Molly Stark, Blanch and West Battle Lakes. Most are coming from 4-6 feet of water. Everything looks good for this weekend. We are getting our docks put back in after the high winds last weekend. We should be good to go there. We’ll be fully stocked up on bait. The water seems to be a little warmer then the past years.

BEMIDJI – Bluewater Bait & Sports, Mark Cook, 1 mile north of the Hwy 2 & 71 Intersection (218-444-2248) The crappies are going good on area lakes. We had a very successful crappie contest with the winning stringer weighing in at 15 pounds for 10 fish. The winners wouldn’t reveal their spots though, but they are out there. The suckers are still running in the streams. We are geared up for the opener and we’ll have everything for your open water fishing needs.

BLACKDUCK - Timberline Sport & Tackle, Carl Adams, Junction of Hwy 71 and Blackduck Lake Rd (218-835-4636) There have been a lot of crappies caught on Upper Red Lake last weekend the walleyes are ready to go too. The crappies on other area lakes are biting well too. It looks like it’s going to be a great opener.

BRAINERD – www.sandwbait.com & www.walleyedan.com - S&W Bait and Tackle - Home of Walleye Dan's Guide Service, 7 1/2 miles North of Brainerd on the East side of Hwy 371 (218-829-7010) The countdown is on. I am chomping at the bit to hook into that first open water walleye of the 2007 season. Our group of fishing guides will be out in force and most of us will be on the Gull Lake Chain. We have a group that has booked us for the past number of openers and it is a fun time. Things are shaping up and it looks like we will have a very busy season on the water for all of our guides and then some. Our guide service will be in and out of S&W Bait all week long, so make sure to stop us and ask questions if you have any. Make sure you look through our new website at www.walleyedan.com

CHISAGO CITY – Frankie’s Live Bait and Marine, Brad, Corner of Hwy 8 and Co Rd 77 (651-257-6334)The fishing has been good so far this spring. The crappies are out in the main part of the lakes now, off the docks and moving towards their summer pattern. Chisago, South Lindstrom and Kroon Lakes have all been good for crappies. The best luck has been on small leeches and waxies on flu-flus. Cubbie jigs have also been hot. Sunrise Lake is now open; the access was opened last Saturday. It looks to be a good opener. Target the eyes in 8 to 10 feet of water in the sand. Good Luck!

CROSBY - Oars-N-Mine Bait and Tackle, Jesse Williams, 22640 Hwy 6 N (218-546-6912) Bluegills and crappies both have been found in shallow water here this past week with more regularity, but this recent span of colder weather has seemed to move the fish into deeper water when active. More and more anglers are reporting walleyes and pike being caught with the crappies as of late here, working the shallows of area lakes. Look for opener to be a good one, considering what we have seen. The creeks and channels where walleyes typically are just exiting now have been void of fish for a while, and that post-spawn lull typically seen around opener should be past. Consider us just ahead of schedule, but right on as far as the bite goes. For this week of crappie fishing, look for Bay Lake to pump out its fair share of crappies in Hanson’s Bay and White Hawk. Mahnomen is a solid choice for both crappies and sunfish, as is Blackhoof. The walleyes will be biting; keep tight lines. Stop in 7 days a week for the up-to-the-minute fishing report!

CROSSLAKE - Holiday of Cross Lake, Lee (218-692-2708) The crappies are biting in the shallow muddy bays in 2 to 4 feet of water on tube jigs or a plain hook tipped with a minnow. The sunfish are biting all over. Great luck on the Mississippi north of Brainerd.

DULUTH - Fisherman’s Corner, Scott, 7 miles north of Miller Mall on Hwy 53 (218-729-5369) The steelhead are still running, catching them on flies and crawlers. The crappies are biting on Fish Lake in the shallows and they are starting to move in Caribou Lake by the humps. The walleye spawn is over; they’ll be ready for the weekend.

DULUTH - Marine General, 1501 London Road, on the edge of Lake Superior (218-724-8833) The river opens to walleye fishing this weekend and should be very good. The water level seems to be down about 2 feet, we caution you not to cut buoys. Stay in the channels or run slow if you venture out of them. Because of the low water, the Clyde Ave. ramp may be unusable for the bigger boats. The lakers and coho continue to bite well in the big lake trolling with stick baits and bombers. The water temp is around 36 degrees. The streams are slow due to the lack of water, but if we get a good rain, we might have one more good run. The smelt numbers seem to be better than last year.

ELY - Babe's Bait and Tackle, 451 W. Sheridan St., Ely, MN, first business on the left as you are entering town of Ely from the west on Hwy 169 (218-365-6930) Time to dust off that "soft water" fishing gear. The time has come to get in on some of the hottest fishing action for crappies of the year. Big crappies are moving up into shallower water right now and it's a great way to fill that void between ice out and walleye opener. This is prime tie to catch those bragging size crappies. We currently have a nice crop of minnows and all the related gear to catch a mess of these slab sides. Ely has one of the largest selections of quality lakes within a short hop of town. Stop on in to find out which lakes are currently on our "hot list".

FOREST LAKE - Mikes Bait on 8, 1/2 mile east of 35 on Hwy 8, Rich, (651-464-5150) The panfish bite right now has been good on Forest Lake and north and South Center Lakes. We’ll be open all 24 hours of the opener. Some good local walleyes lakes to hit would be Clear, Green and Chisago Lakes. Forest Lake will be the sleeper lake for eyes.

GREY EAGLE - Nancy’s Bait & Tackle, Rex, on CR 2, four miles east of the Rock Tavern on Big Birch Lake, four miles west of Upsala (320-285-2405) While the guys have been out fishing for panfish, the walleyes have been biting. That is usually a good sign of things to come for the opener. The sunnie action has been good on area lakes and the crappies have been fair. We’ll have plenty of bait for the weekend, shiners, spot tails, jumbo leeches and redtails.

HACKENSACK - Swanson’s Bait & Tackle, Jim Tuller, Hwy 371 on the north end of Hackensack (218-675-6176) We are getting ready for the opener. There has been some crappie action from shore in the shallows, try Pleasant Lake. Some perching has been going on Leech Lake. The water temp was up to 60 degrees last week, but has since dropped back down. The water levels are definitely down, be cautious at the landings this weekend.

KABETOGAMA-NAMAKAN – Gateway Store, US Hwy 53 & CO Rd 122, 30 miles south of Int’l Falls-Canadian border, Phil Hart (218-875-2121) Here we go with a fresh new season, the Kabetogama-Namakan basin has been avoid of ice since April 30th, so the timing of opening and ice out should be favorable for anglers. Spawning should be wrapped up with some males lingering in the shallow waters. Everything looks favorable for a shallow water success for walleyes and northerns. A cold front could be a spoiler sending the fish to deeper water. Jig and minnow should prove to be the best choice for walleyes, and pike will probably surprise anglers taking the same bait as they should be plentiful. Light jigs or floaters over shallow gravel beds might be a good start before moving to mid-depth reefs. Anglers might find some action on leeches; however, those wanting jumbos may have to wait. DNR early reports show a pretty strong sauger population which will help anglers with the new regulations. All anglers remember the Namakan basin, which includes Kabetogama, Namakan, Sand Point and Crane Lakes have a new experimental walleye regulation. All walleyes between 17" and 28" must be released immediately. The new bag limit is 4 walleyes with two additional saugers allowed. Simply stated you may take a combination of 6 sauger and walleye, of which not more than 4 may be walleyes. Don't forget smallmouth bass will be opening on these Northern lakes as well. Good Luck, have a Good Season and a Great Opener!

LAKE OF THE WOODS – Area Tourism Bureau, Denelle, near junction of Hwy 11 and Hwy 172 in Baudette (1-800-382-FISH) We are gearing up for the beginning of summer fishing. Summers on Lake of the Woods are great times for family fishing trips. There is literally no better way to ensure a positive fishing experience than to book a trip with one of our expert guides. You and your family are safely transported out onto the big lake on a coast guard approved vessel, chartered by a licensed Captain. All of your gear and bait is provided for your trip. The resorts even pack you lunch or, you can often opt for the time-honored shore lunch. These fishing trips let you rest and relax with all of the planning taken care of by our resorts. Walleye season opens again on Saturday May 12th. If you're like many people, the perfect fishing trip means a remote northern Minnesota lake, and just you and the walleyes. Sound good? Then you'll want to book a trip to the Northwest Angle and Island Community. This stunning location is uniquely situated on the northern shores of the Lake of the Woods. The rocky shoreline and islands provide sheltered bays for endless hours of fishing fun! Check out our website at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com and link to any one of our finest resorts for details on fishing packages available right NOW!

LEECH LAKE – Anderson’s Resorts, Tim (1-800-516-0077) For information on the Governor's Opener events scheduled this weekend, visit www.mngovernorsopener.com

METRO AREA EAST – Blue Ribbon Bait & Tackle, Josh, Oakdale (651-777-2421) Some crappies are being caught on local lakes. Try Bald Eagle, Big Marine, N. Lindstrom and Rush Lakes. On the St. Croix, some walleyes are being caught, but it is not a great bite.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Chris Kuduk's Guide Service, Chris Kuduk (320-630-1761) The crappies continue to bite in the bays and channels. The smallies were biting like crazy while we were fishing for crappies the other day. It looks like it’s going to be a great walleye opener and a good season. Call now to get your trip planned as the weekends are filling up fast.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Malmo Market, Lynwood Elliott, State Hwy 47 and 18 East, NE corner of Mille Lacs (320-684-2295) Opener is here; extended forecasts are predicting highs in the 70's and west winds from 6-8. Should make for a great opener, which we all know is rare in MN. Many anglers will be drifting or trolling the North sand rigged with minnows or leeches which are always great and easy fishing early in the year. Agate reef is also a great spot for opener, either jigging or bobber fishing the edge of the reef. Drifting 3 mile with rigs is also a good bet. Many of the northern resorts have dredged and upgraded their ramps. The DNR has also purchased 2 new public ramps one at Liberty Beach, another on the North end still under construction. The regulations are the same as last year. May12 - July14 release all walleye 20.0" through 28.0". Possession limit is 4 with not more than one over 28". No fishing or tackle allowed on Mille Lacs starting at 10 pm May 14. Leeches are in good supply (call to reserve) crawlers and minnows also look great. We've also expanded our tackle, hardware and fresh produce this year. Don't forget to call for fishing and lake reports. Good luck and hope to see you soon.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Johnson's Portside, Kelly or Steve, 1 mile north of Isle on Hwy 47 SE side of the lake (320-676-3811) Are you ready for the best walleye season in years? Look to shallow rocks this weekend, along the East Side reefs, with water temps hitting below average. Now I know some of you guys may prefer to hit the North end sand, but honestly with the shallow water on the north end, it may make the sand warmer which in the end may spook the fish. Besides who wants to play bumper boats while fishing, right?? Check in daily for new reports, and we are looking forward to seeing you this weekend.

LAKE MINNETONKA - Wayzata Bait & Tackle, Tim or Bob, half mile west off I-494 on Hwy 12 (952-473-2227) The crappies are in 8 to 14 feet of water biting on a jig and minnow. Target the deep side of the growing weeds. In some of the smaller lakes they are post spawn in 4 feet of water. A few sunnies are being caught around, not much size to them. For walleyes this weekend, look for them in around 17 feet of water dragging a minnow on the bottom. The northerns will be out in about 12-15 feet of water cruising around. Good luck! We’ll be all stocked up with bait for the opener.

LAKE MINNETONKA – Minnetonka Outdoors, Dallas or Gregg, south frontage road to Hwy 7 between Vine Hill Rd & Old Market Blvd in Shorewood (952-470-8800) Minnetonka's crappie bite has been slow but starting to pick back up. Some reports of really nice crappies on Whaletail and Independence.

NISSWA - Dave’s Sportland Bait & Tackle, Jason, 2 miles south of Nisswa at the Intersection of Hwy 371 and Cty Rd 77, next to Schaefer’s Foods (218-963-2401) We are getting closer and closer to the big weekend and we sure are getting excited. It should be another awesome opener here at the bait shop. It's our 32nd opener. Last year we had one of the busiest on record and this year looks to be following the same pattern. The walleye fishing should be pretty good again this year in the Nisswa area. Some of the lakes I would key on are Gull, Pelican, Round, and Mille Lacs. These choices always seem to be producers early in the year. Over the last few days it has been darn windy. When walleye fishing wind can be tolerated, but for crappie fishing it makes things difficult. Most anglers were fishing areas that they could hide from the wind a little. They still caught some decent fish. This weekend it should be great for both crappies and walleyes, it's nice to have a couple of options. The bait tanks are filling up fast and I'll be busy scooping minnows all week. Stop in meet the crew and we'll give you a few pointers for this year's walleye opener. Good Luck!

LAKE OSAKIS - Holiday Resort, Adam, 115 miles west of Twin Cities on I-94W, take 71N to Co Rd 10W to Falcon Dr in Osakis (320-859-4360) Crappies are starting to stage in prespawn area of the lake, and some nicer males are being seen just outside the pencil reed edge around Two-mile and Miller's Bay. The wind, rain, and cooler temperature will no doubt send them to deeper water for a bit. Lots of sunnies being seen moving into the inlet areas and the shallow bays, The North end of Osakis has been pretty active with some nicer fish being caught in the early morning hours. Generally lots of fish, but sorting is necessary for the nicer ones.

PARK RAPIDS – Delaney’s Sport Center, Kevin, East 1st St (218-732-4281) The crappie bite so far has been best on the Crow Wing Chain in the shallows and outside the reeds. Not many reports on the sunnies. It should be a good opener in the area.

PELICAN RAPIDS – Park Region Sport Shop, Lee Brenna, Intersection of Interstate 59 and 108 in downtown Pelican Rapids (800-962-8553) The winds last week took out our docks, we are working like crazy to get them back in place for the weekend. We should be good to go. Crystal, Franklin and Lida have been producing some big crappies. The temps are up from last year. The shiners are running when the sun comes out. It should be a good walleye opener. Crawlers might be a good bet too.

RAINY LAKE – Rainy Lake Tourism (1-800-FALLS-MN) Rainy River sturgeon fishing has been very good. The rules call for catch-and-release fishing from May 8-15, so you still have a chance to hook one of the largest game fish in Northern Minnesota. The crappie and smallmouth seasons remain open. Anglers hitting the waters below the dam at International Falls are catching smallmouth, but there’s been little word of fishing on Rainy Lake. The ice is just barely out, but the suggestion is to try fishing shallow areas with dark rocky or mud bottoms where the water will warm the most first. Northern pike remain open, and some nice ones have been caught in Rainy Lake using a hook and rubber worm combo. The lake and river will both be good bets for walleye when the season opens May 12, try anchoring and jigging with a minnow.

RED WING – Ike's Bait & Tackle, Ken, 2109 Old W Main St, Red Wing (651- 388-2111) FLW tourney last week went well. Top weights, totals for the day, went 30 pounds a couple of times. They are trolling plugs and shad raps in the brighter colors. The Bay City flats are starting to pick up, trolling plugs. We are starting to get some panfish in the back channels. The turkey hunting is going real good. Biggest so far was a 28-pound bird.

SAINT CLOUD – Stop Light Bait, 8th Avenue SE, St. Cloud (320-255-9689) Sunfish and crappies have been biting on and off in our area depending on the weather. Some crappies have been suspended on some days in depths ranging from 9 to 12 feet. Anglers are having luck on Clearwater, Pearl, Cedar, Little Rock and Julia Lakes. The walleye, northern, and lake trout opener is this weekend, we are predicting a very good opener. We will have jumbo leeches, lake run leeches and panfish leeches in stock and they will be available in bulk quantities. We will also have all the other types of bait you will need. Good Luck! Bring us some pictures so we can hang them in our store.

SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA – Axel's Tackle Box, Axel, 2 blocks north of Hwy 60 on Hwy 13, next to Casey’s, on Lake Sakatah in Waterville (507-362-4444) Well it’s been a good week before opener here, crappies and sunnies have been mixing up the action here on Tetonka. Jefferson remains the "hot spot" for the bullhead fisherman.Again lots of walleye and bass being caught on the area lakes, certainly more than this time last year.

STARBUCK - Minnewaska Bait, Larry Jensen, Hwy 29 near the Starbuck Marina (320-239-2239) The crappies are biting early in the morning until about 8 am in the Starbuck Marina. Some sunnies are also being caught, but you need weed through them to get some nice keepers.

STILLWATER - Jimmy's Bait and Tackle, Stillwater (651-430-2554) The St. Croix was slow last weekend do to the extremely high winds. The crappies are in shallow around the docks. During the week last week the walleyes were biting on the river, you just need to move around to locate them.

WACONIA - Mase’s In Towne Marine, Cindy, corner of Lake and Elm (952-442-2096) The access, our bait and tackle, all will be ready for the opener. We have had an excellent panfish bite, which will usually indicate a good opener. Our numbers of walleyes are in good shape from eaters to trophies. We have some nice northerns available in the lake too. For live bait, we are setup. We have shiners, suckers, fatheads, leeches, and crawlers. We are open 7 days a week now, the bait shop and access. Call for current conditions and stop in. We’ll point you in the right direction. We have a new website now with more information. Check it out at www.intownemarina.com

WINNIBIGOSHISH – Walleye Visions, Tom Neustrom, 21622 Airport Rd, Grand Rapids (218-327-2312) All the ice is off the lakes, and for the most part the walleyes are pretty much done spawning, except for the deeper, clearer lakes in the area. Big Winnie is a little lower than normal on the opener, but everything is gearing for a good one. With all the wind that we have had out of the South to Southeast, I would take a hard look at the North Shore, all the way to Stony Point. There should also be plenty of walleyes still hanging around in Cutfoot, so that may be a good starting spot. Bowen's Flats, Tamarac, and the Dishes should all have plenty of hungry male walleyes around. Make sure you stop and pick up some Northland Fireball Jigs before heading to Big Winnie. Watermelon and Lime Glow Green are especially deadly early on and almost anytime. Have a great Opener, and I'll be at the Governor’s Opener on Leech Lake on Saturday. Remember to bring your patience and good behavior on the Opener. It's a busy time and it really is about tradition, family and fun.