Outdoors Weekly Fish Tales Archive

November 16, 2007

ANNANDALE - B.J.'s Bait & Tackle, Bill, west side of Clearwater Lake, between the two public accesses, www.bjsbait.com (320-274-3730) The shop will be closed until the ice season starts. Have a great fall.

ANOKA - Action's Fishing, Jack, 809 West Hwy 10, www.actionsfishing.com (763-422-4890) The nice weather is great if you still fish from a boat. Not enough people are taking advantage of what seems like endless October weather we now get every year. Ever since 1998, we have had warmer than average fall weather. Don’t winterize your boats so early from now on, as November has been exceptional for smallmouth, walleye and pike fishing. Whether you fish lakes or rivers, start taking advantage of global warming in the late fall period. I was guided, for a change, by Don Krohn of Elk River on the Mississippi. We caught over 15 bass that measured 19 inches or bigger that day in late October, including one 21 incher, all on artificials!

BATTLE LAKE - Ben's Bait & Tackle, Josie, Junction of Hwy 78 and 210 (218-864-5596) There really hasn’t been anyone fishing, everyone has been hunting. The fish should still be biting out on Ottertail. We have had good deer hunting. We’ve registered 342 deer so far and that is higher then last year.

BEMIDJI - Bluewater Bait & Sports, Mark Cook, 1 mile north of the Hwy 2 & 71 Intersection, www.bluewater-bait.com (218-444-2248) There have been a few guys out muskie fishing and doing all right, but all the talk has been hunting. The bucks are in full rut for our last weekend of rifle hunting. So far the deer hunting has been going well.

BLACKDUCK - Timberline Sport & Tackle, Carl Adams, Junction of Hwy 71 and Blackduck Lake Rd. (218-835-4636) All we have to report is deer hunting, no body has been in that has been going out fishing. Our deer registration numbers are up over last year. And we’ve had a few duck hunters out chasing the northern birds. Some of the lakes have been skimming over at night when it gets calm; it won’t take many cold days and calm nights to get them to freeze up good. They are ready to go.

BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA - S&W Bait and Tackle - Home of Walleye Dans Guide Service, County Road 77 just west of Highway 371 www.sandwbait.com & www.walleyedan.com (218-829-7010) Visit our web site for updates.

CHISAGO CITY - Frankie's Live Bait and Marine, Brad, Corner of Hwy 8 and CR 77, www.frankies.net (651-257-6334) Our deer registration numbers are up from last year for sure. A few guys are out fishing, but not too many. They are still getting walleyes in the channel trolling the shoreline. There should be good fishing until the launch freezes up.

CROSBY - Oars-N-Mine Bait and Tackle, Jesse Williams, 22640 Hwy 6 N (218-546-6912) We are all out hunting… call the shop for the latest reports.

CROSSLAKE - Holiday of Cross Lake, 35610 Cty. Rd. 66 Crosslake, Lee (218-692-2708) Held’s Guide Service (218-820-0989) Fishing on the Whitefish Chain continues to be very productive. We are changing to our ice fishing spoons, tipped with a pinched off head of a fathead minnow, jigging on the breaklines in 12'-25' of water. Try for bigger walleyes trolling crankbaits at night. Crappie action is good, and are biting in their winter hiding spots. Catching bigger northerns on big sucker minnows off of deep weed lines. If you're looking for bass, try live bait rigging in 12-20 feet of water. Crosslake Holiday reports 550 deer registered so far this hunting season! Hope you have a great day on the water!

DULUTH - Fisherman's Corner, Scott, 7 miles north of Miller Mall on Hwy 53, www.fishycorner.com (218-729-5369) Guys are still getting out fish and having good luck. The crappie action is picking up on Fish, Boulder and Island Lakes. Guys are finding them around the deep holes. Deer numbers look good this year. Our biggest buck so far is a big 9-point weighing 279 pounds brought in by Bob Graves. Our second biggest is a 245-pounder brought in by Walt Trader.

DULUTH - Marine General, 1501 London Road, on the edge of Lake Superior, www.marinegeneral.com (218-724-8833) Deer hunting has been excellent; we have been selling lots of extra tags. Fishing from shore has been ok, but the guys who are getting out trolling are having good luck catching coho and loopers, and lake trout. But a reminder, the lake trout need to be released until the season opens up fro them. The current water temp has been about 47 degrees on the big lake. The walleyes are biting in the bay in about 20 to 25 feet of water right on the bottom and you have to be going at a slow, slow drift with a slow presentation. Use big suckers and spinner rigs and when you feel them take it, let them have it a while before setting the hook. All the fish have been caught in the lower bay.

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) Fishing pressure on area lakes has tapered off. While Shagawa, White Iron, and Burntside are still turning some nice stringers, the majority of sportsman are turning their interest towards deer hunting. Why not do a combination trip of fishing and hunting? Stop in at Babes for more local info. Call ahead for our new fall and winter hours. (218) 365-6930 Babes is "The best little bait shop in Ely".

FOREST LAKE - Mikes Bait on 8, Rich, 1/2 mile east of 35 on Hwy 8 (651-464-5150) It has been a good deer hunting season for us, lots of nice bucks were registered here. A lot of 11’s, a 12 and a 14 pointer where brought in. As far as fishing goes, the river has been producing some walleyes and crappies north of the St. Croix dam. South Lindstrom and Chisago have also been doing well on crappies. And we’ve had some good reports from Clear Lake from some guys out bobber fishing at night for walleyes. And we just got in our new Marcum equipment for the upcoming ice fishing season. Stop in and check out their new lcd cameras.

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) There are still a few guys out fishing on Big Birch with shiners and redtails for walleyes. Guys are catching big muskies on Shamineau and Lake Alexander. The deer success has been hit and miss. We have a good supply of muzzle loading and black powder equipment. And we have plenty of redtails and shiners.

HACKENSACK - Swanson's Bait & Tackle, Jim Tuller, Hwy 371 on the north end of Hackensack, www.swansonsbait.com (218-675-6176) Fishing seems to have come to a halt for the time being. Everyone has taken to the woods in search of the deer. It looks as though the ice season is only a short time away. The small ponds are starting to ice over and the bays and smaller lakes are not going to be far behind. We have had snow on the ground a few mornings this week, not more than a half an inch and none of it lasted very long. The deer hunting has been pretty good. We have registered over 880 deer so far this year, with one week to go in Zone 1. The leader in our Big Buck Contest is 230 pounds. There have been a fair number of nice racks brought in.

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) Hunting dominated the sports scene in our area, where the deer kill aligns with last year and looks to be a little better. Lots of bucks taken on the deer season onset, whereas registration this weekend favors the antlerless. Only a handful of anglers reported in throughout the week, the fast and furious fall bite has slowed down. Crappie action is still nearly non-existent, but we expect anglers to hit the water this week as the weather permits and the open water season shortens.

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) Fishing on the Rainy River remains strong, limits of nice eaters are being caught up and down the river. Many deer hunters have been taking a break from the woods and heading to the water to take advantage of the late walleye bite and the mild temperatures this season. Water temps in the river and lake are in the mid to low forties and water clarity is excellent. It’s not to late to experience the fall walleye run here at Lake of the Woods. Area resorts are gearing up for the hard water season, now’s the time to call your favorite resort to book a winter adventure you won’t forget. To download a Getaway Guide detailing the lodging facilities and attractions in the area visit us on the web at: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com Or give us a call at: 800-382-FISH

LEECH LAKE - Anderson's Resorts, Tim, www.andersonsleech-lake.com (1-800-516-0077) Call us for the latest.

METRO AREA EAST - Blue Ribbon Bait & Tackle, Oakdale, Josh, www.blueribbonbait.com (651-777-2421) Deer hunting has been what everyone has been talking about. Not much to report for fishing. The muskies are still biting, get out there and fish them. Our deer registration numbers are up from last year.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Chris Kuduk’s Guide Service (320-630-1761) Guys are still catching fish out on Anne Lake. Guys are out trolling rapalas at night on Mille Lacs and getting some nice walleyes. And I’ve heard some reports that the crappies are biting in Izatys Bay. The deer are running around like crazy here, they are in full rut.

MILLE LACS LAKE - Malmo Market, Lynwood Elliott, State Hwy 47 and 18 East, NE corner of Mille Lacs (320-684-2295)

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) Now that the weeds are laying down you can come in to the bays looking for the muskie, they are hungry and gaining weight, looking to see a possible record this year. And I don't know about you, but I'm so hyped for this year's ice fishing!

LAKE MINNETONKA - Wayzata Bait & Tackle, Tim or Bob, half mile west off I-494 on Hwy 12 (952-473-2227) There have been a couple of guys out fishing muskies still, and a handful of bow hunters have been going out. Other then that it’s been pretty quiet. A lot of people are waiting for the hard water season now.

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) It has been one of the best fall seasons for my family and our businesses. I have taken a little break from the computer lately to get recharged for the upcoming ice fishing season. The bait shop will be seeing some new things and we are adding some ice fishing guides as well as some rental houses to the lakes. Most of my time I have spent with my wife and our new son who was born in early October. We have also been spending some time in the fields. The pheasant season has been one for the record books across the midwest. It is truly a great time to be a bird hunter. Recently we have also been spending some time in our tree stands chasing the elusive Whitetail Buck. It is prime time right now as the rutting season has started. We have been out a few times so far and we have seen some decent bucks but nothing huge. I passed on a nice 6 pointer that meandered on by me last Saturday morning. I have put the boat away for the season, even though it was a great one. We had some awesome fishing this fall. The winter season should be great. I found a few new spots I'm going to check out. Keep checking back for the latest.

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) Please contact Fisherman’s Corner Bait Shop at 320-859-2181 for the latest fishing reports. Thanks from the Lake Osakis Resorts.

PELICAN RAPIDS - Park Region Sport Shop, Lee Brenna, Intersection of Interstate 59 and 108 in downtown Pelican Rapids (218-863-5701) We’ve been pretty much been busy with deer hunters. Our registration numbers look really good; there has been a lot of success in our area. Not many have been out fishing, most are waiting for the hard water now.

RAINY LAKE - Rainy Lake Tourism, www.rainylake.org (1-800-FALLS-MN) It looks as though anglers are getting some bonus fall weather and fishing. Walleye are biting in 18-to-24 feet of water around Sand Bay, American Narrows and Black Bay. Rainy River Walleye are being caught at the mouth of the Littlefork River, below the dam at International Falls and at Ranier Rapids. Firearms deer hunters are doing well. Again the fair weather has been a contributing factor. Some areas reported decreases in registrations and some reported increases so it’s hard to say if there is a trend. The Minnesota DNR will have some statistics and registration after the firearms season closes. If you venture into the woods for any reason during the deer season, be sure you are wearing blaze orange!

RED WING - Ike's Bait & Tackle, Ken, 2109 Old W Main St, Red Wing (651- 388-2111) Lots of limits are being caught up by the dam. The walleyes have moved in and guys are catching a lot of nice 2 to 3 pounders and bigger. They are also catching lots of nice 18 to 22 inch saugers. The saugers are running shallower in 10 to 15 feet of water and the walleyes are running deeper, around 18 feet of water. And they are getting some crappies up there where they are walleye fishing too. Guys are using bright colored Ike’s hair jigs tipped with a minnow and that seems to be working the best. Down at the lake they are still pulling plugs and getting some sauger and walleyes too.

SAINT CLOUD - Stop Light Bait, 45 8th Avenue SE, St. Cloud (320-255-9689) Deer hunters had mixed success on the second weekend in our area. We are a big game registration station and we are still taking in deer hides. Fishing for walleyes on the Mississippi River is keeping some local anglers busy. Big Birch, Mille Lacs, Alexander and Green Lake would be worth a try. Duck hunting has been a little slower in our area, but there are still plenty of geese around. Pheasant hunters are reporting great hunting in the South Dakota and the Minnesota pheasant hunt has also been good. Register your deer or bring in the hide to get a chance to win a .243 Savage with a scope or a Parker compound bow. The drawing will be held a week before Christmas.

SAINT PETER - Hermies Bait, Brad, 43539 French Hill Rd. St.Peter MN 56082 (507-931-6875) The walleyes are biting and things are starting to pick up in the river and Madison Lake. And guys are going out to Washington for walleyes too.

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) Not much going on down here. Most guys have been deer hunting. We’ve had a nice jumbo perch bite going out on Tetonka. That’s about it.

UPPER RED LAKE - White Birch Resort, Monte Sharbono, vacation@whitebirchresort.net (218-835-4552) Not much news as far as fishing goes from the lake. Most are out deer hunting. Contact the resort for the most up to date reports.

WACONIA - Mase's In Towne Marine, Cindy, corner of Lake and Elm (952-442-2096) The shop is closed until we get good fishable ice. So check back for ice reports in December. Until then, we wish you the best of luck during the hunting season!

WINNIBIGOSHISH – Walleye Visions, Tom Neustrom, 21622 Airport Rd, Grand Rapids www.mnfishingpros.com (218-327-2312) The weather has been probably better for fishing on Big Winnie than deer hunting, although there have been several does shot which is good. According to the hunters they would much rather see a harvest a doe first, before you are able to harvest a buck. It makes a lot of sense since the hunters are seeing five times as many does and fawns. I'm only relaying information from some pretty respected hunters in the Grand Rapids area. This past week Big Winnie was devastated by a tremendous die off of Bluebills due to their consumption of an exotic banded snail. The last numbers that were disclosed were over 6,000 Bluebills. Even if I had a fishing report for everyone, I think this is a lot more important. As of Friday, the DNR has no answer, and I can feel for them and the frustrations that they are experiencing. I will attempt to keep everyone updated on this matter and its long term effects. It appears so far that this disease does not affect fish, eagles, or other fur bearing animals at this time.