Leech Lake Opener Tips

[Walleye #1]

Well the anticipation is building for Walleye Opener 2016 on Leech Lake.  Instead of a fishing report, I thought I would send out a few good pieces of advice for your Leech Lake Walleye Opener.  

 

1. Find the Bait and you will find the walleyes - Walleyes are done spawning and will be ready to start feeding actively.  Spot Tail Shiners will be the the food of choice, so look for bait balls on your electronics or up in the shallows.  If you find some bait,  you should probably stop and fish.

 

2. Fish the Wind - Leech Lake is a wind driven lake.  The fish congregate where the wind is blowing.  Points, shorelines, and flats will all be vital areas to look at.  Also any current areas are worth fishing as well.

 

3. Shallow, Shallow, Shallow - Be prepared to fish anywhere from 3-10ft of water.  Fish could be ultra shalow and this means pitching jigs to them by fan casting an area.  With a good wind, you may be able to make drifts through some of these shallow areas as well, but get your bait out away from the boat.

 

4. Have your Jig Box ready - A jig and minnow should be your first choice.  Jigs such as a KenKatch Long Shank or 3D Eye in 1/8thoz or 1/4oz is a good place to start.  Colors are endless, but remember bright sunny days something that will create some flash in the water is usually a good thing.  

 

5. Change up your cadence - This is very important.  Sometimes they want it dragged and sometimes they want it snapped.  Paying attention to your jig cadence and what is working is really important as is the line angle in which you are doing it.  Little things can make a huge difference.

 

Remember to be safe, show great etiquette on the water and at the boat landings, and enjoy the weekend.  It looks like normal Opener weather, rainy, cold, and windy!  But who cares, we are back Walleye Fishing!

[Red Cabin]

Thanks for the tips!