Outdoors Weekly Fish Tales Archive

August 3, 2007

ANNANDALE - B.J.’s Bait & Tackle, Bill, west side of Clearwater Lake, between the two public accesses (320-274-3730) The sunnies are biting in anywhere from 10 to 15 feet of water along the weed edges on worms and waxworms. A few nice crappies are being caught in about 15 feet of water about 7 feet down on the deeper weed edges. We’ve had some nice large mouths caught on plastic grub worms up in the weeds. The northerns are biting on sucker minnows, bobber fishing the weedlines. The walleyes have been really slow.

ANOKA – Action’s Fishing, Jack, 809 West Hwy 10 (763-422-4890) Call Jack for the most current updates!!

BATTLE LAKE – Ben’s Bait & Tackle, Josie, Junction of Hwy 78 and 210 (218-864-5596) The walleyes are still biting ok, leeches and crawlers on most lakes. Silver, Blanch, Walker and Rush have been all right, Ottertail is the best out of the bunch with the most activity coming at night in 6 to 11 feet of water on sucker minnows. The sunnies are biting on Deer and Dead Lakes. Not really hearing anything on crappies. A few muskie reports coming on W. Battle Lake, lots of follows. The northerns and bass are really biting great.

BEMIDJI – Bluewater Bait & Sports, Mark Cook, 1 mile north of the Hwy 2 & 71 Intersection (218-444-2248) The walleyes have been biting well while trolling beetle spins with white twister in about 6 to 8 feet of water on Lake Bemidji on the flats by diamond bar. Also along the east and west shorelines by the cabbage beds. In the daytime, they are moving down to 20 to 35 feet of water and guys are having some luck with lindy rigs with crawlers or redtails and more are using lead core now with crank baits out in the deeper water. The bluegills and bass are biting on area lakes. Not much heard lately on crappies. The muskie bite has slowed in the last few days.

BLACKDUCK - Timberline Sport & Tackle, Carl Adams, Junction of Hwy 71 and Blackduck Lake Rd (218-835-4636) The walleyes on Blackduck are still in the weeds in 7 to 9 feet of water and guys are having luck with lindy rigs with a leech or crawler. Some also are using a #5 or #7 shad rap. They are also picking up a few on Island with cranks in the evenings. The 2 Twin Lakes and Pimusche have been good for panfish.

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) Visit our web site for updates!!

CHISAGO CITY – Frankie’s Live Bait and Marine, Brad, Corner of Hwy 8 and Co Rd 77 (651-257-6334)There’s been a good crappie bite on North Center by the 2nd island and some big sunnies caught out on Chisago in the deeper water weedlines, 8 to 20 feet deep. The bar off Nelson Island on North Center has also been kicking out some nice sunnies on wax worms and pieces of crawlers. The bass are biting everywhere.

CROSBY - Oars-N-Mine Bait and Tackle, Jesse Williams, 22640 Hwy 6 N (218-546-6912) Pike action has been very good, with sucker minnows and spinnerbaits taking most of the bite on area lakes. Bass have been very active as well, hitting offerings on lakes such as Rabbit, Serpent, Clearwater and Horseshoe. Pelican and Serpent have offered the best walleye bites, mostly in the evening hours and into the night. Sunfish can be caught with regularity on lakes such as Blackhoof, Little Rabbit, East Rabbit and Turkey Bass, while crappies have been active on these lakes as well as Serpent and Manhomen. Trout can be caught early in the day on Manuel and Huntington on Powerbait and jigging spoons.

CROSSLAKE - Holiday of Cross Lake, Lee (218-692-2708) Held’s Guide Service (218-820-0989) Call Lee for the hot spots!

DULUTH - Fisherman’s Corner, Scott, 7 miles north of Miller Mall on Hwy 53 (218-729-5369) Fish Lake has been ok for walleyes. On Island Lake last weekend, Laura Billmen won first place in the walleye tournament with a 29 inch, 7 pound 8 ounce fish. The bass fishing has been good on Caribou, Murphy, Laura, Nickels and Island Lakes. The smallies and muskies are biting on the St. Louis River. On Lake Superior, the fish are biting up the shore. Out from the Lester River buys are getting lake trout, and out from Two Harbors, they are getting salmon.

DULUTH - Marine General, 1501 London Road, on the edge of Lake Superior (218-724-8833) On Lake Superior, up the shoreline from Two Harbors to Silver Bay the salmon are biting, out from the pumping station a couple of miles out. The walleyes are biting on the St. Louis River and some muskies too. There have been some walleyes biting on Island Lake, but nothing major. Most of the action has been out on the big lake.

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) The myth about the "dog days of summer" has been busted wide open. As hot as the weather has been, the fishing has been hotter. Good numbers of all the prized game fish have been taken in the past week. Slab-sided crappies to 16" have been taken from White Iron, Fall, Low, and Little Long lakes. Many fishermen are using minnows, but jigs with tube tails, or grubs have been tapping into the bigger fish. This may be a result of fishing more water faster. Keep this in mind if you don't just stumble across that perfect spot. Walleyes are not holding to any pattern. They are being caught anywhere from four feet down to thirty feet. During these blazing hot days, it seems to be best to fish early, fish late. Not only is it more comfortable to fish those hours, but the fish seem to be more active then as well. Basswood Lake has been the most consistent with fish being taken in excess of 31". Anglers on Burntside, Fall and White Iron are all bagging limits of nice fish. Fortunately for all of us the future minded sportsmen and women are releasing the larger fish in favor of the more delectable "eater" size ones. Giant smallmouth bass are entertaining all those who target these acrobats of the water. Early morning top water action has been fantastic. Skitter pops, Hula poppers, and Zara spooks are topping the list of preferred baits. As the sun rises and the fish drop down a bit, tossing leeches or crawlers seem to work very well. Northern pike, the barracudas of fresh water, are living up to their "bad boy" image. Not only are they savagely attacking lures thrown in their general direction, they are literally ripping walleyes off of stringers. Several anglers report that they are being ripped off as they are reeling in other game fish, by these ultimate predators. Remember, for up to the minute fishing reports, come in or call Babes Bait and Tackle, "The best little bait shop in Ely."

FOREST LAKE - Mike's Bait on 8, 1/2 mile east of 35 on Hwy 8, Rich, (651-464-5150) The sunnies are still shallow; the crappies are out in 20 feet of water suspended. A few walleyes are being caught on shiners and leeches. For bass, work the deep weedlines with deep cranks. The muskies have still been hot on the area muskie lakes. Working top water baits towards the evenings and bucktails during the day.

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) The walleye bite has been pretty slow. Some have been caught below the Blanchard Dam on the Mississippi River and the river in general has been good as the water level drops the fish seem to concentrate in the deeper pools. The catfish and smallies are really biting in them. The panfish bite has still been good on most area lakes. For crappies, target Pine and Mound Lakes. The large mouth bass have been biting all over and the northerns continue to bite well too.

HACKENSACK - Swanson’s Bait & Tackle, Jim Tuller, Hwy 371 on the north end of Hackensack (218-675-6176) Fishing seems to have slowed a little, or maybe it is just the anglers have slowed in the warm weather. It amazes me but the crappies have been biting the best. They are suspended in deep water on Birch Lake, Ten Mile, and Pleasant Lake. Pleasant Lake has been productive in 14-16 feet of water fishing with a crappie minnow above the cabbage weeds. Ten Mile and Birch Lakes are both holding Crappies in deeper water, look anywhere from 16 to 24 feet. Small Johnson Beetle Spins tipped with a crappie minnow have been working well. White and Pink jigs have been productive on most lakes. Woman Lake finally gave up a few walleyes yesterday (or the anglers just started talking). Trolling in 25 to 30 feet of water in the evening worked for a few different groups over the weekend. Muskie anglers are still coming up empty-handed most of the time. There are still a fair number of follows on each outing but no luck with a hook-set. Northern pike have been feeding aggressively on Leech Lake keeping the muskie anglers occupied. Some have been 35"+ fish. Bass still like the warm weather, as the water temps nears 80 degrees in most lakes they are moving deeper though. A jig and a leech or small sucker minnow will catch bass, and northerns, on Pleasant Lake and Birch Lake.

KABETOGAMA-NAMAKAN – Gateway Store, US Hwy 53 & CO Rd 122, 30 miles south of Int’l Falls-Canadian border, Phil Hart (218-875-2121) Unusually hot temperatures for our area slowed anglers and fishing down. Mornings and early evenings offer the most comfortable fishing, and the most cooperative fish. Walleyes have been shying away from the bright sun, going deeper and coming in shallower, on both ends of the day. Look for walleyes during the day at 30-40’ on reef edges or drop-offs. Martin Islands and surrounding areas offer an abundance of deep structure. On cloudy days or early evenings, you might find a sluggish walleye or two up on reef shelves or in some shallow bays and windward shorelines. Bait offerings vary - minnows in deep water with jig or crawlers, and leeches using a slip-sinker rig. Trying a spinner with a little more speed might help generate a hit. Hot mid-days should be spent looking for pike or smallmouth. Smallies might be near the weeds chasing bait or on sharp rock wall drop-offs looking for crayfish. Pike hang around the deeper water adjacent to shallow weedy bays, as well as amongst the weeds. Check out Slatinski, Mud, Daily, Nebraska, and Blind Ash Bays for lunkers. Sauger and Perch will end up in slightly deeper water than their counterparts. While the weather remains hot and sunny and with very little wind, expect some sluggish fishing. Now is a great time for water sports on our lakes, as the water temps are steadily in the 80’s.

LAKE OF THE WOODS – Area Tourism Bureau, Denelle, near junction of Hwy 11 and Hwy 172 in Baudette (1-800-382-FISH) The weather has been hot here at Lake of the Woods, but the fishing has been hotter! The walleye bite has been strong on the reefs in 8-10 feet of water using a crawler and bottom bouncer. Anglers are also having luck pulling plugs in 33-35 feet of water. Others have seen down rigging producing well, so whatever your personal fishing style is Lake of the Woods is the place to catch fish! The smallmouth bass have been biting like crazy in the Rainy River and Baudette Bay. The walleye bite has also been good on the river, mostly smaller eating fish have been caught lately, perfect for a shore lunch. Green jigs in 20-23 feet of water in the Clementson Rapids area have been working well. The Northwest Angle and Islands area has been having a great summer season. Bottom bouncers and jigs of any color have been very successful on the reefs around Oak Island. With several monsters over 50 inches taken, muskie fishing continues to be hot at the Angle.

LEECH LAKE – Anderson’s Resorts, Tim (1-800-516-0077) Walleye fishing has turned on again, Sugar Point people reporting limits pulling shad raps fire tiger ,perch colors are the best followed up by crayfish. Sub Island area also doing great with live bait rigs and Sand is still holding them at night. Slip bobbers are the best there, muskies are becoming very active on rock piles. Yellow bucktails and Jackpot lures seem to be the best baits. Panfish and perch are very active in most bays, so getting a pile of fish for a fish fry is not a problem. Still time to fish Leech this summer, otherwise think fall!

METRO AREA EAST – Blue Ribbon Bait & Tackle, Josh, Oakdale (651-777-2421) The bass have been biting well all over, large mouths on Big Marine and Big Carnelian. The northerns are hitting just outside the weedlines in 8 to 10 feet of water on while bobber fishing with sucker minnows. White Bear and Forest Lakes have been 2 of the better ones. The sunnies are biting on Peltier and Battle Creek but you’ve got to really weed through them to get some keepers. The walleyes and sauger have been biting on the St. Croix early in the morning before the silvers move in. A few crappies are being caught on Centerville and Big Marine in the evenings. The muskies have been fairly active on are lakes.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Chris Kuduk's Guide Service, Chris Kuduk (320-630-1761) The walleyes are still biting like crazy; the problem is that there are none in the new slot range to keep. But don’t let that keep you away. If you like to catch fish, and a lot of nice 20-25 inch walleyes, you should be out here. The muskie action is heating up now too.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Malmo Market, Lynwood Elliott, State Hwy 47 and 18 East, NE corner of Mille Lacs (320-684-2295) Call us for a report!

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) Another warm weekend along with the warm weather on the way, walleye action was slow this weekend. Be it the heat or all the bait fish, floating crayfish? All I can say is the fish are there and I'm marking them, but they just didn't want to bite. Try the deep mud, bobber fishing or pulling some crankbaits along the edge of the deep gravel. Muskie hunters are showing up in the sand on the North shore, Big Point and the Isle Bay areas. The summer isn't over so don't give up. Mille Lacs holds the record for both muskie and smallies. So get up here and fish!

LAKE MINNETONKA - Wayzata Bait & Tackle, Tim or Bob, half mile west off I-494 on Hwy 12 (952-473-2227) The fish continue to be weedline oriented; they are where the oxygen is. The northerns and sunnies are cruising in 10 to 15 feet of water, and the crappies are suspended. The top water muskie fishing is starting to get going.

LAKE MINNETONKA – Minnetonka Outdoors, Gary or Gregg, south frontage road to Hwy 7 between Vine Hill Rd & Old Market Blvd in Shorewood (952-470-8800) Call us for a report!

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) Call Jason for an updated report!!

LAKE OSAKIS - Buck Point Resort on the N.W. corner of the lake, Brad, 115 miles west of Twin Cities on I-94W, take hwy 3 North out of Osakis to Hwy 10 West (320-859-2530) Some sunnies are being caught out in the pencil reeds out on the 1-1/2, 2 mile bar. The walleyes are biting on 4 mile bar and Johnson’s bar. The northerns are in the shallows along the weedlines. Not much word on the crappies.

PARK RAPIDS – Delaney’s Sport Center, Kevin, East 1st St (218-732-4281) The walleye bite has been the best on Fishhook Lake in 21-22 feet of water on crawlers. The northerns have been biting on the Crowwing Chain on sucker minnows in 14 to 16 feet of water. The bass have been real good on spinners up in the shallows on Fishhook and Island Lakes. The bluegills are biting on the Crowwing Chain in 12 to 14 feet of water and the crappies are biting in the evenings on Big Man Trap.

PELICAN RAPIDS – Park Region Sport Shop, Lee Brenna, Intersection of Interstate 59 and 108 in downtown Pelican Rapids (800-962-8553) The smallies have been biting good. The walleye bite has dropped off. A few are being picked up in the deeper water, out in about 35 feet. Guys are using lead core to get down there on Lida and Star. The muskie bite is going great on Pelican Lake. For panfish, the sunnies are in deeper water (15 to 18 feet) on Crystal among the cabbage weeds. The water temps are 82 to 83 degrees.

RAINY LAKE – Rainy Lake Tourism (1-800-FALLS-MN) Visit our web site for updates!!

RED WING – Ike's Bait & Tackle, Ken, 2109 Old W Main St, Red Wing (651- 388-2111) Still getting walleyes pulling plugs in 18 to 25 feet of water out on Pepin, trolling #7 shad raps. The bass are biting in Maple Springs on Ikes’ hair jigs tipped with leeches. The panfish bite along the shorelines is picking up. The northerns are still biting well at the Rush River entrance on large red eyes and large sucker minnows.

SAINT CLOUD – Stop Light Bait, 8th Avenue SE, St. Cloud (320-255-9689) Sunfish are still biting on our area lakes. Depending on the lake fish are being caught from 9 to 18 feet deep. Fishing deeper yet, may produce bigger sunfish. Try fishing Sugar, Pearl or Big Birch Lakes. Early in the morning has been the best bite, and also starting about 7 p.m. Bass and northerns are biting well, try Clearwater, Lake Alexander and Sugar Lake. Muskies are also biting in our area muskie lakes. Mille Lacs and the Mississippi River are also producing muskies. The Mississippi River bite is still good for catfish, some walleyes and a good small mouth bass bite. Fish are biting the best now early in the mornings and late at night. we still have bulk leeches for sale. For good fishing up north, visit Big Sandy Sports and Pizza at Big Sandy Lake on hwy 55 north of McGregor. Big Sandy right now is producing nice size crappies and bass. Some walleyes are being caught and a lot of northerns. Minnewawa Lake is producing nice sunnies and northerns too. The sunnies are biting on waxworms and the northerns are hitting suckers and artificial baits. Big Sandy Sports also has leeches available in large quantities. For the latest reports at Big Sandy, call 218-426-4335.

SAINT PETER – Hermie's Bait, Brad, 43539 French Hill Rd. St.Peter MN 56082 (507-931-6875) The cats are going wild. We just had a 50-pounder weighed in earlier this week. Guys are fishing the deeper holes with chubs and suckers. They are getting a few sunnies in Baker’s Bay on Washington. And the northerns are biting on Madison.

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, northerns have been really hot here on Tetonka this week. Spoon plugging is the way to get these toothy critters in the heat. The panfish have been slowed by the heat, but still can be had on Washington and Madison. Walleyes are being taken on anything that makes a noise (rattling). Bass have been doing OK using plastics and the Worm brand worms, darker the better.

WACONIA - Mase’s In Towne Marine, Cindy, corner of Lake and Elm (952-442-2096) The sunfish and the bass are the top two species of fish that are biting out here right now. the sunnies are in a little deeper water, 12-16 feet of water of the weed edges. The bass are a little deeper, suspended just above the weeds. We’ve had some good muskie action, with lots of follows. They are mostly biting on the top water baits. The northerns are biting too. We’ve seen a little better walleye bite at night the past week during the full moon.

WINNIBIGOSHISH – Walleye Visions, Tom Neustrom, 21622 Airport Rd, Grand Rapids (218-327-2312) Call Tom for the most current update this week!!