Outdoors Weekly Fish Tales Archive

March 28, 2008

ANNANDALE - B.J.'s Bait & Tackle, Bill, west side of Clearwater Lake, between the two public accesses, www.bjsbait.com (320-274-3730) We are looking forward to open water now. The shop is closed until April 19th.

BATTLE LAKE - Ben's Bait & Tackle, Josie, Junction of Hwy 78 and 210 (218-864-5596) Sunfish, they are biting on South Turtle, Star and Battle Lakes in 15 to 20 feet of water and catching them like 10 feet down. Crappies, they are getting them on the same lakes, plus Dead Lake, and they are in 20 feet of water and fishing 12 feet down, that’s where the bigger ones are. Tulibees, they are getting them on Pickerel, Star, Molly, Clitheral and Ottertail Lakes, but on Clitheral and Ottertail they tend to be wormy. Using waxies, they have not been getting a ton of them yet though. Some of the access’s are getting bad where they are driving on, but once you get on the lakes, they are fine.

BEMIDJI - Bluewater Bait & Sports, Mark Cook, 1 mile north of the Hwy 2 & 71 Intersection, www.bluewater-bait.com (218-444-2248) Some good reports from Pike Bay for perch, the Bemidji bite is ok. Plantagenet reports are good. And the back lakes are doing well for crappies and sunnies. Accesses are in good shape still.

BLACKDUCK - Timberline Sport & Tackle, Carl Adams, Junction of Hwy 71 and Blackduck Lake Rd. (218-835-4636) The ice is in good shape still, the bite on Blackduck is good for perch, out in the deeper 20-23 feet of water on the mud. Still some good gill reports coming off Gull and Pimusch. A few perch on Round Lake too.

BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA - S&W Bait and Tackle - Home of Nisswa Guide League, County Road 77 just west of Highway 371, www.sandwbait.com (218-829-7010)

CHISAGO CITY - Frankie's Live Bait and Marine, Brad, Corner of Hwy 8 and CR 77, www.frankies.net (651-257-6334) South end of Chisago and off Pancake Island have had some great bites going right now. The ice is still good; just watch it at the access.

CROSBY - Oars-N-Mine Bait and Tackle, Jesse Williams, 22640 Hwy 6 N (218-546-6912) Bluegills have been very active in shallow water wherever the weeds are the greenest, which in many cases is as shallow as 5-8 feet. Small Diamond Jigs and Marmooskas have been the ticket loaded with eurolarvae. Crappies are still using the breaklines more than the flat weedy areas, and plastics as well as set lines with a crappie minnow have still been good. Start around 20 feet of water and work your way in towards the shallows until you find fish. Low-light periods have been good for both species, but with some work the fish will bite all day. For crappies, Demons and Neon Lites have been best. Stop in for the up-to-the-minute report 7 days a week!

CROSSLAKE - Holiday of Cross Lake, 35610 Cty. Rd. 66 Crosslake, Lee (218-692-2708) Nice weather over Easter Weekend got a few more anglers out and about with some reports of Crappies hitting glow jigs tipped with either minnows or waxworms in 12 to 16 feet of water. The best fishing times are 1 hour before sun set to 1 or so hours after.

DULUTH - Fisherman's Corner, Scott, 7 miles north of Miller Mall on Hwy 53, www.fishycorner.com (218-729-5369) Still a lot of perch on Pike Lake, a few nice ones. Fish Lake crappies and sunnies continue to bite. And on Superior, the looper and coho bite has been good when the ice is blown out away from the shoreline. Ice is still good on the inland lakes, 30 plus inches still. It seems the perch have gone deeper and the crappies have come shallower.

DULUTH - Marine General, 1501 London Road, on the edge of Lake Superior, www.marinegeneral.com (218-724-8833) Up the shore, depending on the ice going in and out, they have been getting some coho and loopers. Trout have been hitting up north on some of the smaller lakes. Fish Lake has had a good bluegill bite going on now, with a few crappies mixed in here and there.

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, www.babesbait.com (218-365-6930) The panfishermen and women are starting to come out of the cabin, to enjoy the now sunny and more comfortable days. Lead lakes this week for crappies are Little Long, Twin, Johnson and Bass. The crappies are hitting jig and waxie combos in 14-30 feet of water 2-4' up from the bottom. Farm and Fall lakes are giving up some bigger crappies, but action is scattered with only a few fish taken. Stop in at Babes for all of your ice fishing needs.

FOREST LAKE - Mikes Bait on 8, Rich, 1/2 mile east of 35 on Hwy 8 (651-464-5150) The ice is still good; the launches are getting a little wet, so watch them. They have been getting some sunnies and crappies on Chisago, the crappies should start to stage here soon. Some crappies on Forest Lake still, Green in the deep water on the east side too. Waxies and eurolarvae or crappie minnows have been the best.

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) Some nice fish have been caught in the area. Maple Lake has been giving up some nice sunnies. They have also been getting some on Osakis and Buck Lake by Bertrum. And Big Swan Lake has been giving up some crappies and sunnies.

HACKENSACK - Swanson's Bait & Tackle, Jim Tuller, Hwy 371 on the north end of Hackensack, www.swansonsbait.com (218-675-6176) There is still a lot of ice on our lakes, 30-36 inches in most spots. The snow has melted down and made travel easier as well. The best news is that the fishing has been pretty good the past few days. Crappies are the best thing going right now. Pleasant Lake has been decent. Fish in 14-20 feet of water with a small jig and minnow, 3-5 feet off of the bottom. Evening has been the most productive, plan on staying an hour or so after dark.There has also been some flurries of action during the day. Sunfish have been hard to keep off of the hook the past week. Finding the bigger ones has been the challenge. Birch Lake, Lind(say) Lake, and Pleasant Lake have been seeing some action. The key is staying mobile and move until you find the fish. The depth has varied anywhere from 6-22 feet of water. The perch bite on Leech is still going strong, and will get better as we get closer to ice-out (that may be awhile). The flats around Goose Island and the East shore of Sucker Bay have been two good spots. Most of the fish are in 10-14 feet, some have found them as shallow as 6 feet. No word on any Tullibees this year though. This past fall there were reports of small schools of Tullibees in the shallow water which is a good sign for years to come. The walleyes bounced back so I would think that they would do the same.

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) Lots of good ice surface attracted anglers this past Easter week. Most folks looking for crappies and many settled for walleyes and northerns on the border lakes. Live bait and small jigs with a slow presentation has reportedly been working the best for crappies and walleyes. Anglers state depths around 28’ to 32’ seem to be holding the active fish, except for pike which are moving in to more shallow water. As the days get longer, the crappie bite soon follows till ice out. Ice depths on these border lakes vary between 16-30” and consists of compacted snow and good ice. As of this writing the lakes have no standing water on the ice, and any slush found is minimal. There is still some great border lakes snowmobiling ahead.

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) Houses can remain on Lake of the Woods until March 31st, so there is still time for a last minute winter adventure. Fishing remains constant around the reefs of Garden Island, Knight Island, and Bridges Island. The shallow sand around Pine Island has started to produce some trophy walleye as well. There has been some monster northern caught lately along with walleye, sauger, and perch. Ice conditions remain stable, and the plowed road is in good shape. The Rainy River is open at Loman and will soon open at Indus, Birchdale, and Franz Jevne. Walleye season is open until April 14th, so now’s the time to plan your spring fishing trip on the Rainy River.

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

METRO AREA EAST - Blue Ribbon Bait & Tackle, Oakdale, Josh, www.blueribbonbait.com (651-777-2421) Try Peltier for panfish, they have been getting a few. Also for panfish, try it on Lake Jane.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Chris Kuduk’s Guide Service, www.kuduksguideservice.com (320-630-1761) The crappies are hitting in Isle Bay right now big time, right out from Hunter Winfield’s. Early morning and the evening are the best times. And rabbit Lake up by Malmo has been good for sunnies. Chris will be at the sports show in Hutchinson this weekend, stop and say hi.

MILLE LACS LAKE - Malmo Market, Lynwood Elliott, State Hwy 47 and 18 East, NE corner of Mille Lacs (320-684-2295) Now is the time to Ice fish Mille Lacs. The spring temps allow anglers the enjoyment of open ice fishing (no portables needed) after the cold winter we've had it's great to be outside again. Jumbo perch action started to heat up. Anglers have been having there best luck on Red larvae or crappie minnows in 28-32 feet at the gravel to mud transitions. Two Mile, Flamingo and the Hennepin Island areas seem to be doing the best. The big crappies down in Isle Bay have also started. Anglers on the ice by 6 am are doing the best. Sunset has also been good. Crappie minnows are the key. Remember your 2007 angling licenses are good till April 30th this year. As always check in with your favorite resort before accessing the ice.

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) Hey are all you guys sitting at home thinking that fishing is over? Oh no, it’s just beginning. The perch are starting to move in a bit, you will want to be here for that 7 am to 3 pm bite, fishing in 14-16 feet of water on rocks or gravel, get yourself a couple dozen crappie or fathead minnows, and some waxies. After then you'll want to head over to the bays, fishing about 8-10 feet you may come across a big ol' crappie. Stop by and grab some larva, and waxies for that bite.

LAKE MINNETONKA - Wayzata Bait & Tackle, Tim or Bob, half mile west off I-494 on Hwy 12 (952-473-2227) A handful of guys are getting out in the bays getting some panfish. We are spooling line now on your reels, stop in and get setup for the spring open water fishing.

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) We have survived another winter and spring has started. Lately we have been busy with lots of different activities. We finally hit the open water again. It was great out in South Dakota. The weather was perfect hitting the mid 50s during the couple of days we were on the river. There were still a few ice chunks floating around but nothing too serious. We caught a few chunky walleyes on jigs and minnows but the first trip of the year is always about just being out there again. It just feels good to be in the boat again. I started preparing the bait shop and we are starting to book some fishing trips for the guide boats. I'm really looking forward to that magic time in April when our lakes open up and the crappies are dunking the bobbers. It is one of the best times of the year. There are still a few crappies and sunfish being caught in the area. The snow is gone from the tops of the lakes but we still have about 3 feet of ice. Most fish are deep still but it will not be long before they start to migrate towards the shallows. Time to re-spool the reels for the upcoming season. There are lots of different options when it comes to line. Most of the time I use good old monofilament. Berkley XL or Stren are the most popular in our area. I like to use 4 pound test for my crappie fishing combos. For my walleye rigs I use 6 pound test in the early season and switch to 8 pound test for late summer and fall fishing.

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)

PELICAN RAPIDS - Park Region Sport Shop, Lee Brenna, Intersection of Interstate 59 and 108 in downtown Pelican Rapids (218-863-5701) Good sunnie fishing, coming off Lida and Lizzie. Not hearing much for tulibees, they are catching a few. But the panfish bite is the story. We have moved the store 2 blocks south. We still have a few good weeks of ice fishing that I can see, so get up here and fish.

RAINY LAKE - Rainy Lake Tourism, www.rainylake.org (1-800-FALLS-MN) Ice Angling has slowed a bit, but there is still ice and anglers are heading out. Walleye have been most active in the early hours with popular spots being Sand Bay and American Narrows. Northern pike are perhaps more active and are being caught on large minnows in the somewhat more shallow areas near Rainy Lake City. Border Waters regulations allow for a walleye season open until April 14. The Shorewood access in International Falls has been plowed out and only a small ice shelf prevents launching. River waters are open for several miles downstream and the ramps from Pelland to Birchdale will soon be open as well. Sturgeon fishing is also very popular.

RED WING - Ike's Bait & Tackle, Ken, 2109 Old W Main St, Red Wing (651- 388-2111) Guys are still doing well down at the dam. Some big walleyes were caught in 18-25 feet of water and nice saugers that they are filling out on. Ike’s hair jig with a fathead, or plastics (white tail) the brighter colors are working out better.

SAINT CLOUD - Stop Light Bait, 45 8th Avenue SE, St. Cloud (320-255-9689) Now is the time to fish many of our area lakes. Sunfish and crappies have been biting. Pearl Lake, Sugar Lake, Clearwater and Goodner Lakes have been producing sunfish. Lake Julia, Briggs, Pearl and Kings Lakes have also been producing some crappies. Fishermen report catching some nice perch on Mille Lacs and Mayhew Lake might be worth a try. We have freshwater shrimp in stock and we can take care of all your DNR license needs.

SAINT PETER - Hermies Bait, Brad, 43539 French Hill Rd. St.Peter MN 56082 (507-931-6875) The panfish are hitting on Washington and German. The river opened up, the ice on the lakes is questionable. Clear Lake has been good 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) Lake Tetonka is doing well giving up sunnies and the always welcomed perch. Sunnies have been caught using spikes either red or white and have noticed they are moving to shallow waters.

UPPER RED LAKE - White Birch Resort, Monte Sharbono, vacation@whitebirchresort.net (218-835-4552) The roads out on the ice are still in good shape and we are hearing more and more reports of guys getting crappies. The key is to punch a lot of holes and move around.

WACONIA - Mase's In Towne Marine, Cindy, corner of Lake and Elm, www.intownemarina.com (952-442-2096) In Towne Marine will be closed as of March 2nd until the ice is out.

WINNIBIGOSHISH – Walleye Visions, Tom Neustrom, 21622 Airport Rd, Grand Rapids www.mnfishingpros.com (218-327-2312) The winter has not released its grip on the Big Winnie area and ice anglers have continued to pursue perch around the lake. There is plenty of ice and there are reports of as much as 30-35 inches in places. Most fishermen are getting around pretty good, but I would definitely call ahead to Fred's Bait, Highbanks, Nodaks, or McArdle's resorts before heading here in the next few weeks. Ice conditions can change rapidly in and if we get some needed rain soon, the ice will begin to go. The perch have been kind of on the move and the reports are from the North Humps, to Tamarac Bay, to Raven's Point, to Bowen's Bay. Small forage spoons with minnow heads or a couple waxies still seem to be the bait of choice. The shallow bite will be the ticket in the next 2-3 weeks, right up until ice out. Always be careful for changing conditions. The crappies have been doing pretty good in Big Cutfoot, but again keep moving. Depths of 22-25 feet are best around the Big Island and McAvity Bay. Stop and see us at the Northwest Sport Show at booth #938 and book a trip for 2008.