Outdoors Weekly Fish Tales Archive

August 31, 2007

ANNANDALE - B.J.'s Bait & Tackle, Bill, west side of Clearwater Lake, between the two public accesses, www.bjsbait.com (320-274-3730) Lots of bass action last Saturday on Clearwater for the tourney. Jigging off the deep drops and texas rigging produced the most. Some nice northerns are being caught in about 10 to 15 feet of water, bobber fishing with sucker minnows. For sunnies, hit the weedlines with worms in about 10 feet of water. The walleye bite is still deep.

ANOKA - Action's Fishing, Jack, 809 West Hwy 10, www.actionsfishing.com (763-422-4890) Looks like fall fishing bonanza has started early this year, at least for Smallies. Smallies are biting on the Rum River. The fish were all smacking top water presentations, several 18 and 19 inch fish on Pop-r's and lots of fish on white Culprits with no weight. Area lakes were hot for sunfish on small crawlers, with Northerns and Largemouth on white spinnerbaits. The catfish are also biting on the Mississippi River too.

BATTLE LAKE - Ben's Bait & Tackle, Josie, Junction of Hwy 78 and 210 (218-864-5596) Fishing in general has been good. The walleyes are biting at night on cranks or jigs and a minnow up on the flats. On Battle Lake, early morning or afternoon has been the best time on crawlers or shiners in anywhere from 15 to 20 feet of water. On Stalker Lake the walleyes are hitting in about 20 to 25 feet of water with minnows. For northerns, try trolling the weedlines on Ottertail, Clitheral or West Battle. The bass are biting on Clitheral, West Battle, Fiske and Stalker Lakes with either topwater baits or small sucker minnows on jigs. The sunnies are biting on East Battle, Star, Stalker or Clitheral anywhere from 8 to 20 feet of water, the bigger ones coming in the deeper 15 to 20 foot range using panfish leeches. The only crappie reports comes from West Battle Lake in 15 to 20 foot water on crappie minnows.

BEMIDJI - Bluewater Bait & Sports, Mark Cook, 1 mile north of the Hwy 2 & 71 Intersection, www.bluewater-bait.com (218-444-2248) The muskies are biting well and have moved shallow. Guys are using rad dogs and shriver's in the reeds on Plantagenet and Lake Bemidji. The walleyes are biting on jig and a redtail minnow in 10 to 12 feet of water and some are using crawler rigs as well. As the water continues to cool, the walleyes are slowly starting to move around and become more active. We’ve also heard good bluegill reports on the area lakes and the crappies have been biting in a little deeper water then where the sunnies are.

BLACKDUCK - Timberline Sport & Tackle, Carl Adams, Junction of Hwy 71 and Blackduck Lake Rd. (218-835-4636) Have only had a few reports off Blackduck last week. The bite is switching now over more to a jig and a minnow. Round and Island Lakes have been the best choice for walleyes. The bear baiters are reporting a lot of hits.

BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA - S & W Bait and Tackle - Home of Walleye Dans Guide Service 7 1/2 miles North of Brainerd on the East side of Hwy 371 (218) 829-7010 www.sandwbait.com & www.walleyedan.com

CHISAGO CITY - Frankie's Live Bait and Marine, Brad, Corner of Hwy 8 and CR 77, www.frankies.net (651-257-6334) Panfish are biting on Chisago and North/South Center, they are running deeper… out in about 12 to 20 feet of water. The best spot on North Center is out by Nelson Island and on Chisago between the A-frame and the big island. The bass bite has been good for those who want to catch and release. The walleye bite has been tough though, we need some cool nights to get the lake to turn over.

CROSBY - Oars-N-Mine Bait and Tackle, Jesse Williams, 22640 Hwy 6 N (218-546-6912) Well, the cold snap brought some tougher fishing, but this recent weather pattern has picked up the bite a little. Walleyes are being caught on Pelican in the evening hours, as well as the Mississippi during the day and a few on Rabbit in the mid-late afternoon. On Rabbit, fish shallow. Bass fishing has been decent but should be very good for this weekend. Pike action has slowed a bit, but most fish being caught now have been in the weeds on spinnerbaits tipped with a small sucker. Trout reports have been few and far between, but there are quite a few nice smallmouth and pike coming from the pits. Crappie action has been good, with most fish being caught in the live weeds during the day and in 14-18 feet in the evening on Puddle Jumpers or tube jigs. For panfish, give Little Rabbit or East Rabbit a try. Big bluegills have been coming in from the river consistently, with most fish caught right with the walleyes and smallmouth. Smallmouth action is heating up on the Mississippi and Clearwater on surface lures. Musky action this last week was very good on Cedar, with several multi-fish days reported. Try throwing a black bucktail here. Goose opener is this Saturday, and the outlook is promising. Birds have started to group up a bit, and bird numbers seem to be pretty good. Stop in for the up-to-the-minute fishing and hunting report 7 days a week!

CROSSLAKE - Holiday of Cross Lake, 35610 Cty. Rd. 66 Crosslake, Lee (218-692-2708) Held’s Guide Service (218-820-0989) Walleye action remains good on Whitefish Chain and Crosslake with fish being caught in 18 to 24 feet of water. Try Lindy-rigs and leeches during the early morning or evening. Northern action has been good with spinner rigs & large pike minnows or spinner baits worked along the weedline. Also try Rapala crankbaits trolled in 20 to 25 feet of water. Bass are hitting surface baits and plastic worms. The best spots have been around docks and rafts and the outer weed line. Crappie and panfish action has been good with fish been taken in 18 to 20 feet of water. Try small jigs and waxworms.

DULUTH - Fisherman's Corner, Scott, 7 miles north of Miller Mall on Hwy 53, www.fishycorner.com (218-729-5369) Island Lake walleyes continue to be the best thing going for inland waters. The walleyes are biting in deeper water, about 18 to 22 feet deep using blown up crawlers on a rig. The Fish Lake crappie action continues to be good in about 12 feet of water and the bass are just outside the weedlines. Out on Superior, the lake trout are biting out in about 100 to 120 feet of water out from the pumping station.

DULUTH - Marine General, 1501 London Road, on the edge of Lake Superior, www.marinegeneral.com (218-724-8833) Once again we have been having excellent fishing out of Duluth. The lake trout are suspended and are biting out in 60 to 140 feet of water. The suspended fish are being taken on spoons of various colors. Green, glow green, chartreuse, and glow pink have been the hot colors. For the fish closer to the bottom, they’ve been using flashers and flies. Up in Silver Bay, the salmon fishing has been good, and gets better as you travel up the north shore. Thunder Bay has also had a good salmon bite going on. A few muskies are being picked up in the St. Louis River, and the walleyes have been biting on the south shore. Some really nice big walleyes have been caught out there.

ELY-Babes 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) Finally, a cool change from the heat of summer. We've been waiting for months for this weather, and now it has finally arrived. As water temps start their downward trend, the action for walleyes begins to build. You can smell the rains of fall in the air on those cool mornings as you head out on the lake. This is the time of year when just about any angler worth his salt can shine. Walleyes are beginning to bunch up, and where you find one, there surely are more close at hand. The eyes are moving a bit deeper, a trend that will end in the deepest holes the area lakes have to offer. Right now though the best catch rates are coming from lakes like Shagawa, White Iron, and to a lesser extent Burntside. Try fishing the 12-20 foot breaks, where hard rocky bottoms give way to mud and sand. This transition may be difficult to find if you don't have a good quality bottom machine, but do your homework, check the charts and even ask the locals where these areas are and save yourself a lot of time searching, and a lot of that high priced fuel in the process. Where just a few weeks ago the first choice for live bait was leeches, we now are getting back to jigs and spinners with a half crawler or minnow trailer. Slow trolled crankbaits are also producing a few nice fish. Slow down your presentation, as the fish tend to prefer this tactic right now. The smallies are dropping down a bit in the water column too, so select baits that will get down to the 8-15 foot range. Big lipped cranks and jig and tube combos really work for those football shaped rocket powered eating machines. The Northern pike seem to respond to the cooler temps by putting on the feedbag. They still are in their skinny water haunts, and can't seem to resist BIG shallow running crankbaits, spoons, and the deadliest of all, sucker minnows under a bobber. For up to the minute fishing info, call or stop in at Babes Bait and Tackle at the west end of Ely. Babes is "The best little bait shop in Ely".

FOREST LAKE - Mikes Bait on 8, 1/2 mile east of 35 on Hwy 8, Rich (651-464-5150) North and South Center have both been good for panfish. Chisago has been okay too. The walleyes have been good on Forest and Clear Lakes. The bass have been good on the deep weed edges and also shallow. The muskies have been biting shallow.

GREY EAGLE - Nancy's Bait & Tackle, Rex, 4 miles east of the Rock Tavern on Big Birch Lake, 4 miles west of Upsala (320-285-2405) The fishing has been good for the people that are making it out. A few muskies are now being caught on Buckhorn. The sunnies are biting on Big and Little Birch. Big Swan Lake has turned green. A few walleyes are being picked up on Big Birch, and the walleyes and smallies are biting on the Mississippi. The crappies are biting on Pine Lake and Kings Lake.

HACKENSACK - Swanson's Bait & Tackle, Jim Tuller, Hwy 371 on the north end of Hackensack, www.swansonsbait.com (218-675-6176) The nice weather that we had been enjoying all summer came to an abrupt end. It has been cool, cloudy, and drizzly for the past few days. No real rain to bring the lake levels back up, just enough to keep it damp. There are still a few fishing being caught, not like it had been though. Northerns have been the most numerous in the reports; Woman Lake and Stony Lake have had plenty of pike action. Casting spinnerbaits has been successful for most. The bass tailed off pretty quickly when the weather turned cool. It should pick up this week, as the fish adjust to the new weather. Stick with the plastic worms on the deep weed edges. The slower you fish the better off you will be. Walleyes are still snacking on nightcrawlers on Leech Lake. The main lake has been the best spot. 12-16 feet of water, there will be some decent perch mixed in as well. That lake has really made a come-back, the walleyes did well all summer, reports of bigger than normal perch, and there were also some nice crappies and bass caught throughout the summer. Muskies were a little bit quiet but they were everywhere. Hopefully as the weather straightens out there will be more people fishing so I can get you a more in-depth fishing report.

KABETOGAMA-NAMAKAN - Gateway Store, Phil Hart, US Hwy 53 & Co Rd 122, 30 miles south of Int'l Falls-Canadian border, kabfishingreport.com (218-875-2121) Fall is in the air with the cool nights keeping lake temperatures under the 70's. It's the time of year you may have your favorite spot to yourself as the summer runs down. Live bait choices are limited this time of year especially with our drought, leeches are getting smaller and harder to find, minnow selections vary from dealer to dealer. Anglers are reporting success for walleyes using jig heads and rigs most often around the 30' plus depth. Minnows, your best bait choice for this depth. This is a great time of year to use your crank baits, find your method or lure to troll at depths between 22-30', keep lure near the bottom. Northern pike and walleyes respond to this method. The shallow water bite still happens, all bait choices and lures can be effective at a feeding time, once you figure it out, mornings and evenings usually the best odds. Water levels still within the rule curve keeping the lakes very navigable, keeping travel between Kab and Namakan normal. Mid-Kabetogama where the depths average 10-15' deeper than the West end will increase your opportunity to find a school of fish. Namakan starting at the East end of Kabetogama offers lots of reefs and shorelines beneficial for walleye anglers. Crappie action slow, but should be increasing as the water levels drop. Smallmouth hitting at nearly all depths as their season approaches closure.

LAKE OF THE WOODS - Area Tourism Bureau, Denelle Hovde , near Junction of Hwy 11 and Hwy 172 in Baudette, www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com (1-800-382-FISH) Cooler temperatures here at Lake of the Woods mean the walleyes are on the move closer to shore. More fish are moving into the Lighthouse Gap as well as Morris Point Gap. Many folks are still down rigging in 32-34 feet of water, while some anglers prefer jigging around the mud flats. North of Long Point and also north of Graceton Beach have been producing some nice walleye. River fishing continues to strengthen, with some nice keepers being caught around Clementson Rapids. Vita's landing is also a favorite spot of anglers that are looking for some walleye action. It's that time of year again when the shiners will soon be running, and the fish walleye are sure to follow. The Northwest Angle and Islands is a muskie fisherman's paradise. Most anglers are still casting, but anticipate trolling for the big ones soon. The walleye bite remains steady at the Angle with several 19 - 28 inch walleyes being taken. Oak Island, Flag Island, and Crowduck have been producing some great walleye. For more information on your next outdoor adventure visit us on the web at: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

LEECH LAKE - Anderson's Resorts, Tim, www.andersonsleech-lake.com (1-800-516-0077) A 52-inch muskie was caught and released out of Uran Bay August 27 on a Black Bucktail. This is just one of the many muskie fishing stories being told around Leech Lake right now. Perch, sunfish and crappies are all biting great as well. Steamboat and Headquarters bays have been top picks. Bass fishing has picked up in the wild rice beds. Cooler weather has seen the walleyes move up on some of the rock piles. Fall looks like it is going to be great. We are getting much needed rain. Come enjoy Leech Lake with us!

METRO AREA EAST - Blue Ribbon Bait & Tackle, Oakdale, Josh, www.blueribbonbait.com (651-777-2421) The walleyes are biting on the St. Croix by the Afton area. Try White Bear and Bald Eagle for muskies. The crappies have also been biting on the St. Croix. And the catfish have been biting on Silver and Beaver Lake.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Chris Kuduk’s Guide Service (320-630-1761) The jumbo perch have been biting along the shoreline in Browns. A few guys are out having luck catching muskies. Guys are beginning to pull raps at night and catching some nice walleyes. The deer have really been moving a lot lately and some really good reports of bear baits getting hit.

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

MILLE LACS LAKE – Johnson's Portside, Kelly or Steve, 1 mile north of Isle on Hwy 47 SE side of the lake, www.johnsonsportside.com (320-676-3811) Welcome to Labor Day Weekend, Anglers are coming up looking for the big catch. Walleyes you may find hanging more around the rocks as the water temps start to cool. Try fishing in about 22-27 feet during the day time hours, hit the evening hours in 10-14'. Muskies like the north sand hanging around break or if you rather hit weeds in the bays that’s not so bad either. You can still chase smallies around the rocky areas also, using a crawler, or a little casting won't hurt.

LAKE MINNETONKA - Wayzata Bait & Tackle, Tim or Bob, half mile west off I-494 on Hwy 12 (952-473-2227) A few deep water walleyes are being picked up on cranks. The bass and sunnies are still on the weedlines. The water temp has dropped down about 6 degrees since this time last week. The summer pattern is still in affect though with the bigger fish deeper and the active ones up on the weedlines.

LAKE MINNETONKA – Minnetonka Outdoors, Gary or Gregg, south frontage road to Hwy 7 between Vine Hill Rd & Old Market Blvd in Shorewood, www.minnetonkaoutdoors.com (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, www.sportlandbait.com (218-963-2401) Call us for a 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, www.lakeosakisresorts.com (320-859-2530) Call us for a report!

PARK RAPIDS - Delaney's Sport Center, Kevin, East 1st Street, www.delaneyssports.com (218-732-4281) The walleyes have been biting on Big Sand using crawlers in about 32 feet of water. The northerns are up in about 14 to 16 feet of water on Big Man Trap. And the gills continue to bite well on the Crow Wing Chain lakes in about 12 feet of water on waxworms. A few muskies have been caught on Big Man Trap and a lot of follows have been reported.

PELICAN RAPIDS - Park Region Sport Shop, Lee Brenna, Intersection of Interstate 59 and 108 in downtown Pelican Rapids (218-863-5701) Call us for a report!

RAINY LAKE - Rainy Lake Tourism, www.rainylake.org (1-800-FALLS-MN) Rainy Lake walleye are somewhat scattered about, but can be found and caught. Crawlers have been the preferred bait, and most anglers are trying a slow moving spinner rig in 25-to-30 feet of water. Areas like Community Reef or the shoals near Saginaw Bay are good places to start searching. Crappies can be caught in Black Bay and areas of Sand Bay, use a light jig and try tipping it with a small minnow. Northern pike continue to feed aggressively, try a fast moving lure along the edges of weed beds. Rainy River walleye are active in areas with a bit more current, such as below the dam or above and below the Manitou and Long Sault Rapids. Sturgeon fishing remains open on the river, be sure to follow all regulations. Word is they are congregating just below the dam at International Falls. Smallmouth bass anglers did well over the weekend. In fact, Dale LaBelle and Karl Howells caught a combined weight of 30.13 pounds to win the third annual International Falls Bass Championship. The catch-and-release tournament continues to grow in popularity and stature. Anglers fish Rainy Lake for one day and Rainy River for the other.

RED WING - Ike's Bait & Tackle, Ken, 2109 Old W Main St, Red Wing (651- 388-2111) The northerns are still biting at the mouths of the Rush and Pine creeks down on Pepin. Guys are using large suckers and red eyes. The walleyes have been in 14 to 20 feet of water and guys are picking them up pulling shads with lead line. The crappies and sunfish have been biting at Bay Point Park on crappie minnows and panfish jigs.

SAINT CLOUD ¬ Stop Light Bait, 45 8th Avenue SE, St. Cloud (320-255-9689) The sunfish in our area continue to bite. The fishermen have been catching sunnies on Horseshoe, Sucker and Minnewaska Lakes. Depths vary from 9 to 18 feet. Waxworms and panfish leeches are catching the fish. Also check out Osakis and Big Birch for some sunfish. The largemouth bass have been going strong on Clearwater and Grand Lake. And the small mouth bass fishing on Big Birch has been good. Northern pike have been biting well on Clearwater with nice sized fished consistently showing up. A few perch are being caught on Mille Lacs on the rocks on the SW corner of the lake. The hot bite on the Mississippi has slowed down a little, but try fishing the pools from Clearwater up to the 10th Street Dam. Above the 10th street dam and the Sartell dam the crappies have been biting. We still have bulk leeches in all sizes in stock. The fishing this summer at big Sandy has been excellent. Northern pike and bass are providing a lot of the action now. Nice crappies are being caught sometimes suspended or around the docks. The later evening bite for crappies has been the best. The walleyes have also been biting on Big Sandy. Also try fishing the flowage, Lake Minnewawa and Aitkin Lake. Big Sandy Sports and Pizza is a convenience and sporting goods store, call them for the up to date fishing report, 218-426-4335. They also have great food and pizza. They also carry bulk leeches and all other live baits.

SAINT PETER - Hermies Bait, Brad, 43539 French Hill Rd. St.Peter MN 56082 (507-931-6875) Nice sunnies on Tetonka, good ½ pounders. Some have been caught out on Lake Washington in Bakers Bay too. A few crappies in the narrows on Madison. The river is still high, so the fishing is slow out there.

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, www.axelstacklebox.com (507-362-4444) The rain from last week really has helped out down here, lakes came up about a foot so they are about normal right now, had some rain last night again so that was a bonus. Some nice pannies were taken since the storm, seem to be scattered around Tetonka though. 5 nice muskies were reported and 2 were photographed, 1 being a 54" and another 53".Bass are hitting well on plastic worms and spinner baits. We make our own here so you can get a very large variety in color and blade types for no more then a name brand one. Madison reported some real nice crappies and some walleye also. Gorman also had some good fish taken over the last couple of days. Lakes are green for the most part now but with the cool down, they will clear fairly quickly.

WACONIA - Mase's In Towne Marine, Cindy, corner of Lake and Elm (952-442-2096) The bass have been biting well around the docks using stick baits. The sunnies have been biting on the north side of the island and down on the south end by the beach. Some muskies are also being caught on the weedlines.

WINNIBIGOSHISH – Walleye Visions, Tom Neustrom, 21622 Airport Rd, Grand Rapids www.mnfishingpros.com (218-327-2312) The cooler weather has definitely changed the walleye bite on Big Winnie and there seems to be an overall improvement for all species. There was an older gentleman that I have known for years that told me that we will have an early Fall and Winter this year, and maybe he's right. The surface temperatures have dropped 5-6 degrees this past week and the jig and minnow bite has really picked up, but very shallow. The nice thing is that there are bonus northern pike and nice perch in the shallows as well. How shallow you ask? How about 4-6 feet! An eighth ounce Northland Fireball and a Rainbow Chub have been working great. Find isolated weedbeds along the East, North, and West shores for the best results. Stony, Little Stony, Raven's Point and Mallard all have walleyes and nice pike. A nightcrawler and rig has also produced well. The nice bluegills are biting in McAvity Bay and some decent crappies are biting in Little Cutfoot in front of the old hatchery. As the water continues to cool, the action should increase even more. If you are thinking of a Fall trip up to the Big Winnie area, book a guide trip with the mnfishingpros.com group. They will take all the guess work out of where to find the fish and make your trip a memorable one.