by Matt Johnson Exploding through the water like a torpedo, the monster bluegill crushes the shiner minnow—a hearty meal that’s typically found on the menu of a bass. This is a common scenario that often goes unseen within our favorite bodies of water, abundant with panfish. See, panfish are kamikazes, and have been known to devour baits twice their size. If that’s the case, then why do we settle with small-profiled presentations when targeting these underwater bullies? We’ve been taught that when thinking about smaller fish, we must throw smaller baits, but that’s definitely not the case… Lures that we commonly use to target bass and larger gamefish also have their place in a panfish angler’s arsenal. Granted, we might have to downsize slightly, but the common practice of throwing ... [ Read More ]
Giant Bass Through the Stages of Fall
Bite windows for giant fall bass can be short and intense, but this has always been my favorite season for searching for out-size fish. Between the last phase of late summer and into fall turnover, giant bass can be found locating at variable depths on waters throughout the country. While shallow water impoundments find fish locating either in heavy vegetation or on inside and outside turns on edges of expansive weed flats, deep impoundments can offer a chance at giant bass that locate on and around on off-shore structures. During the first stage of turnover, off-shore haunts also offer topwater opportunities to boat quality largemouth and smallies. Many fish are suspending on forage pods out over main basins. During prime bite windows during the night and early morning hours, larger ... [ Read More ]
Minnesota Sturgeon Fishing: Bigger and Better
Anglers have more opportunities to fish for Minnesota sturgeon because of a new catch-and-release fishing season this year. Here’s what you need to know. What does the new season mean for anglers? The new catch-and-release season on inland waters began this year. Each year, it closes from April 15 to June 15 to protect sturgeon during spawning. During the season, anglers can intentionally fish for lake sturgeon on inland waters. This allows sturgeon fishing on waters like Otter Tail Lake and the Littlefork, Bigfork and Kettle rivers – all of which have good numbers of lake sturgeon. Anglers can also catch and release lake sturgeon on additional border waters like the Red, St. Louis and Mississippi rivers. Why expand sturgeon fishing? Comebacks staged by lake sturgeon in recent years ... [ Read More ]
Weighty Tips for Fishing Ultra-Lite Crankbaits
by Mitch Eegan They glitter. Shine. Shimmer in the light. Minuscule minnows and young-of-the-year fishes are everywhere. Deep, shallow, swimming amongst the thickest cover, suspended high in the water column or bellied to bottom. The fact is there are more of these tiny tidbits swimming about lakes, reservoirs and rivers than any other species with scales. While there are still days the old adage “big lures catch big fish” holds true, the fact of the matter is the opposite is more often spot on. Over all, little fishes are what larger fish eat; the reality being all sizes and species feast on bite-size prey over the hefty ones every day. This premise drives the recent explosion of micro crankbaits hitting the stores. The devil is in their details - external scales, realistic ... [ Read More ]
Crazy Catfish (Squeaky-Clean Whiskery Schemes)
Who says you need to always use stinky stuff to catch catfish? Sometimes, cats are as happy to actively swim and chase prey as any freshwater predator. In fact, as anglers continually discover, catfish can be caught with a whole array of methods previously ascribed to their ‘glamorous’ aquatic brethren. Driven by broad powerful tails, forceful frames and muscular mandibles, the catfish clan—channels, blues and flatheads—is entirely capable of kicking bass and waylaying walleyes in any underwater arena. You’ve heard the stories—probably even yourself caught cats using unorthodox methods at one time or another: Channel catfish caught on curly-tail grubs; flatheads falling for Fat Raps; blue cats bombarding buzzbaits. Far from supernatural fishing phenomena, these seemingly unlikely events ... [ Read More ]
Reading fall walleye structure
During late summer and fall, if walleye are present, they are going to show up on electronics. Favorite fall walleye structure is rock reefs, deep points and classic structure that is between fifteen and forty feet of water - you are going to see fish on the screen. Bare spots that are void of life are usually a waste of time. No arches, no clutter, no bumps on the bottom - this often means no activity. Fishing this time of year is often very methodical and calculated. You have to trust your electronics and put yourself into position to be successful. Find the right fish and wait them out. Usually, when the marks start to lift off the bottom and separate, those are your active fish and that is your window to strike. This entire strategy however will unravel if you spend the entire ... [ Read More ]
Reach High for Clear Water Salmon
by Mitch Eagan Much has changed within the underwater world the salmon of the Great Lakes swim. Nowadays, it’s more than just the common cyclic climbs and crashes in the population of both predator and prey that have sportfishing catches varying year to year. In addition to Mother Nature’s natural order is the introduction of a glut of exotic species flushed from the ballasts of freighters from foreign seas. To say the water quality differs today from when the salmonid families were first introduced into these freshwater seas in the late 1960’s is a gross understatement. One thing that hasn’t been tainted, however, are the wicked feeding benders of Chinook and coho salmon. When the moment’s right, salmon still gang up and rip through schools of alewives, lake herring and smelt in ... [ Read More ]
Dog Day Blue Gills – The Dinner Plates
by Jim Uran Late summer bluegills keep the doctor away, it’s a proven fact. Well maybe I stretched the truth a little but they sure can make a person happy this time of year. Even during the dog days of summer, these tanks are more than willing to bite, and they are as easy to find right now as ever. Weeds seem to be the key location year round for bluegills. And as the summers water temp has peaked and is slowly on the downfall the fish certainly have a lot of options to hide in out there. What I look for out there is a weed bed that isn’t too thick, has openings for casting, but enough cover to keep the fish hidden. In a perfect world I will look for a mixture of cabbage and coontail in the 8-12 foot range, and anchor on the outside edge of it. I’ll slip bobber the area or ... [ Read More ]
Dreams of Building My Own Wheeled Fish House
Forget the intricacies of this years Vikings team. What Minnesotans really want to know is the best way to build the best ice-fishing house. And if you want the best, you've got to be thinking about building a wheeled fish house. Are you the type of person who is constantly thinking the best way to construct the next one? Like many - maybe most - fish houses on Minnesota ice, your perfect house is on wheels. That way you can fish, say, Gull Lake one day and run up to Leech the next and Lake of the Woods the next, much like using the comforts of your boat for walleyes and panfish. Or Deer hunting, duck hunting or, dare I say, the family camper. Retail, a wheeled house might go for about $6,000 to $50,000 - less, perhaps, if bought in the off season. With a few carpentry skills and ... [ Read More ]
Secrets to Catching Big Walleyes – by Jason Mitchell
Big fish will typically push smaller fish off off a spot if the big fish want to set up on that spot. Bass fishing is probably the best example of locations or spots that are typically big fish spots because so often, we can readily see what makes a location so attractive. Not all docks for example are the same. Some docks have a better scour hole from a big motor powering up on a boat lift. Docks with wheels or tires might have better structure below the dock that attracts fish for example. A particular dock will produce a big bass and a few weeks later, the same dock will hold a different big bass providing the spot has had a chance to rest. Some rock piles just have the complexity and all the right ingredients to produce several big muskies. Some particular holes or log jams ... [ Read More ]