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Leech LakeFishing Report Thing have changed since the Opener and Mother Nature has had a lot to do with that. What we found this weekend was water temps had dropped in throughout the lake anywhere from 3-6 degrees due to the cold weather and rain we had last week. That played a role in the fishing this past weekend, but the name of the game was to adjust your game plan and get away from what may be the “traditional” early season walleye patterns. Walleye fishing was up and down at times during the weekend, but if you were willing to change up your routine and do some different things and fish different locations you were rewarded with less pressured fish and often times active biters. Main Lake Flats around Goose island such as West Goose and Grand View are still producing fish, but the fish have moved deeper especially when there is a lack of wind to push bait fish up shallow. The best fishing was in 9-13’ of water with either a jig and minnow or a lindy rig with a shiner or leech. Be sure to mix up jig colors and sizes. An 1/8th oz KenKatch 3D eye jig or KenKatch Long Shank was the ticket this past weekend. We did not spend as much time fishing the main lake points this weekend which had a lot more to do with fighting the fishing pressure. Instead we focused on wind blow shoreline breaks and breaklines that dumped into 10-16’ of water throughout the main lake. Obviously Leech has and always will be a wind driven lake, so using that to your advantage to make controlled drifts or using your bow mount such as my Motorguide Xi5 to work breaklines proves to extremely productive. When it is calm snapping jigging far out produced, by going 1mph to 1.5mph at times or long lining a leech and crawler is extremely effective and will continue to get even better. Don’t forget other tactics as well this time of year, there is always a time and place to slip bobber isolated weed pockets or rock piles as well as casting crankbaits at windblown shorelines or after dark. Crappies have begun transitioning but are still prime for the picking with some work. Boy, Headquarters, and Shingobee are all producing fish in 6-12ft if water along weedlines and flats with isolated pockets of cabbage. A jig and plastic or a crappie minnow under a float are great presentations. Perch are still being caught and mixed in with the walleyes, but there were reports of isolated schools of jumbos caught this weekend, just using a jig and minnow. Tight Lines!