06-10-08
Don't forget to pack the rain gear. This is the year to fill up the lakes again because we are getting plenty of well deserved rain. Besides the rain we have been enjoying a nice walleye bite on the surrounding lakes. We have seen some great fishing on Gull, Round, and North Long Lake. We have had the best luck using shiners so far but there have been some good reports of fish biting on leeches too. Most walleyes have been hanging right along the weedline. The crappie fishing is coming to an end but the the sunfish are moving into the shallow reedbeds. So the upcoming week should be great for catching big sunfish. I like small leeches on a Northland Fire-Fly jig for chasing bluegills. Sounds like the bass are really getting active in the shallows. I haven't been after them yet but I have landed a couple of big ones while fishing for crappies. The next 2-3 weeks should be very good when it comes to multi-species action. It doesn't get much better.
05-19-08
The first week of the walleye season is in the books. It has been different than any we have seen in our 33 years here. Opening weekend weather was rainy and cold, lake water temperature was colder than normal, and the walleyes were pretty scarce. The bright spot was the better than average crappie and bluegill bite. Seems like just about any smaller bay or smaller lake is producing some nice panfish right now. Small jigs like a Northland Fire-Fly jig tipped with a small crappie minnow, worm, or leech will do the trick. Some anglers this week have reported some 100+ fish days while chasing crappies. This prime fishing should continue for the next few weeks as they are in the shallows and going through the spawning cycle. Now back to the walleye report. Though the week started out pretty slow the last couple of days have showed some signs of improvement. The best reports are coming from Gull and Round Lakes. We have had the best luck fishing the edges of developing weedgrowth. If you can find some new weeds along the drop from 10-15 feet of water, that is where the walleyes have been. They are not everywhere just yet and it has taken some searching. The walleyes seem to be in tight schools of a few fish. The best baits have been shiners on either a small Fireball jig or a plain live bait rig. Most fish have been running on the smaller side but an occasional whopper has been caught. Which is a good sign. As the water warms up more and more walleyes will start showing up on the traditional springtime spots. Right now we just need to play the cards that mother nature has dealt us. Good luck this week!
05-06-08
The big weekend is now only a few days away and we are very excited. Finally the ice has left our home waters. What will the walleye opener bring? It is hard to say. We have never seen the ice go out this late in the spring. My gut feeling is that it will not be that much different than a normal year. I will be spending all of my time in the baitshop for the weekend helping everyone get rigged up and on the water. The bait tanks will be full of minnows and the coolers are full of leeches and nightcrawlers. The Governor is in town fishing up at Breezy Point. We'll see how they fare this year. I wish them the best. If I had to pick a lake to start out on it would be Gull Lake or the north end sand on Mille Lacs. On Gull I would stick to the northwest quarter of the lake. I like a couple of techniques for the daytime bite. A small 1/8 oz Northland Fireball jig tipped with a small shiner is a good presentation. I like to pitch it up in the shallows and hop it back to the boat or fish it slowly along the bottom. My other favorite technique is our old stand by, the live bait rig with a plain snelled hook tipped with a shiner. Once it starts getting dark I like to switch to trolling with a Rapala. A floating #11 or #13 really does the trick for walleyes along shallow flats come sundown. I think that the best fishing over the weekend could be for crappies. With water temps in many lakes approaching 50 degrees the crappies are really starting to turn on. So grab a scoop of minnows and some small jigs and bobbers and head for the bays. Stop by anytime through the weekend for the latest reports. Like always we will be running extended hours and there will be free cookies while supplies last.
04-24-08
This spring’s ice out will go down in history as one of the latest. The last few days have been beautiful, as the sunshine has pushed the temps into the 70s. The only problem is our lakes are still covered in ice. Some of the lakes are making progress but some lakes still have ice fishermen walking on them. There have been a few anglers hitting the open water at the Gull Lake narrows and from the sound of it there are even a few crappies in there. It should keep getting better as spring moves along and the water warms up. Time to dust off the fishing rods and reels, spool on some new line, and tie on that trusty crappie jig. Some of the smaller lakes and bays should open in the next couple of days. The bigger lakes could be ready in about a week. I would love to predict sooner but I think May 1 is a little more realistic considering the upcoming forecast. Over the last few weeks the fishing has been phenomenal for big crappies. We’ve even seen some 2 pounders caught and released. That is a serious slab. This big crappie bite should continue into the open water period. While we’ve been waiting we’ve been stocking the shelves here at the store. The new tackle is up and we’re ready to talk fishing so stop in on your way to the lake. I’ll keep you posted on the latest.
03-21-08
March Madness has started which is great because I look at it like a right of passage. We have survived another winter and spring has started. Lately we have been busy with lots of different activities. We had a great family weekend in St. Paul that included a trip to the Mall of America, after that we framed and sheet-rocked the basement of my sister's home, the gopher hockey team has also kept us entertained with their late season surge. But to top it all off 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. We'll be heading out again next week for a couple of days. Hopefully they'll be hungry. Spring is always so busy. 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.
Tip of the week: 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.
02-29-08
Spring is coming fast and we are starting to get cabin fever. I know that I have been thinking about open water. It all starts this month as the river start to open up and the walleyes start their spring run. I'm going to be getting the boat ready this weekend. I'll also be getting ready for the boat show at Brainerd Sports and Marine on March 14-16. Should be a great weekend for checking out the hottest new boats on market. Stop by and say hi, I'll be there helping out Warrior. As we are starting to think about spring we are still hitting the crappies pretty good. I haven't been catching a lot of bigguns yet but there are lots of active fish in the 10-11 inch range. Check out the deeper water on any small lake. I have caught fish in 30-40 feet of water. It seems like minnows are working just as good as spikes or waxies. Give us a call if you want to get out on the water. We will fish anytime anywhere.
01-07-08
It is 2008, the time is now to look forward in anticipation of the great things in the new year. I think it is going to a terrific year when it comes to fishing the Brainerd lakes area. How could it be anything else? We are talking about fishing. There are many questions to ponder. How will the rest of the ice season go? Will we have an early ice out, and will the spring crappie season be great once again? Will Mille Lacs and our lakes here be on fire again this season? I guess we will find out. My new years resolution is going to be an easy one this year. I am going to get my family out on the lakes a little more. Family is always priority number one.
The fishing continues to be on fire. Walleyes are hitting pretty good on Gull and North Long. The quality of the fish is really nice too. I'd say it 50-50, keepers to smaller ones. Lots of 16-18 inchers out there this year. The best fishing has been along the weedlines in 14-22 feet of water. Some days a shiner minnow on a set line is the ticket the next day they want jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head. The crappie fishing is really starting to pick up on the Gull Chain. The best reports are coming from Margaret, Upper Gull, and Roy Lake. There are also good reports from Wilson bay on the south end. The pike fishing has been decent for anglers using tip ups and sucker minnows. 10-16 feet has been best. Most fish have been running 3-5 pounds with a few in the 10-12 pound range. For sunfish stick to Nisswa Lake.