Albert Lea-Austin-Faribault-Mankato-Northfield-Waseca, Fishing Reports

[Muddog]

I hit the water this AM looking for something to set a hook into. I started looking for big stuff but had no luck. So I got out the small stuff (Bass/Walleye gear). Well the Walleye stuff didn’t pan out so I moved to Bass gear. I started with a yellow/white 5” shad Jerkbait (Fluke) on a 4/0 hook. Bingo! The Bass were all over it (Real Bass, you know, White Bass). I was fishing the down wind side of the lake where the wind was blowing into the weeds. The retrieve they like was always changing. Some hit when it was on the surface and some would hit when it was on the fall. Others liked it when it was twitched. After a dozen or so I switched to a 3.5” YUM Money Minnow. That worked too. I did throw some crank baits (Walleye stuff) but the weed fouled them up to much.

All were over 15".

[smalltownboi2008]

hit the water this morning on a local area lake and ended up landing 3 eyes in 20 min. 1st one was 18 1/2 inches 2nd one was 16 1/2 and 3rd was 15. all very nice eaters. ate them for lunch. all were caught in less than 10 FOW. most of you know this morning after the fog disapeared the bite completely turned off. the sooner you get there the better.

[Muddog]

The Walleye, Northen Pike and Bass (White and Largemouth) bite is going strong. I've been throwing stuff at the weeds in 4-8FOW and if you hit the time and spot right the fishing couldn't be better.

I've Been useing Plastic swim baits (like the YUM Money Minnow) and swim jigs. I'll get 1 or 2 more trips to the water and I'll try to go into more detail on the what and how. For now I'll say a nice slow thump, thump, thump of the thumper tails is calling in the Walleyes. The trick seams to be getting the weight right to get the lure to run close to the bottom at a speed where the tail will thump.

[Matt C]

Mike and I hit Mazaska for an hour or so tonight. No fish 'boated'. But missed a few. I forgot the crawlers on the kitchen counter.

Saw a guy boat a nice eye, he tossed it back...said he was just up in canada, but wouldn't name the lake. lol.

water temp 73-74.

[local laker]

After a NICE limit of 10-12 " crappies,i went to the south end of washington and found some really nice bluegills.There could have been more,but they were nice size.I also caught a cooper colored sheephead.I have not seen one that color before.The boat was sure scummy after that trip.She's really weedy now.What a great weekend to be on the water !!!

[Team Otter]

South Central MN Weekly Fishing Report, 6-15-09

We got a recent splash of rain, the weather turned in the fishermen and women's favor and we got to fish hard this past week. And the fish are biting! If you were walleye fishing this past week, it didn't take long to figure out that they have officially settled into their typical summer pattern. Vegetation is emergent on every lake in the area and the baitfish and other food sources are using these areas as are the walleyes. Fish can be caught ultra-shallow right now, so don't be afraid to go right in after 'em regardless of time of day. Pitching and casting crankbaits and beetle spins to 1 - 4' of water has been most productive but don't rule out the water right near those areas but a touch deeper; say 5 - 9' of water. When fishing out away from the shallow,cloudier water and/or vegetation, troll rather than pitch or cast. If the trolling is not working, slow down a touch and use a small jig and leech. The deeper bite is still worth a look if things aren't working in the skinny water but be sure you're fishing slow. When deeper (i.e. 12+'), focus along the outside edges of both emergent and submergent vegetation. Also, if there are deep rocks available, give a spot like that some of your time too. 18 - 24' of water, over rocks, is a good depth range to work. Slip bobbers and leeches have been best but riggin' with leeches or night crawlers has also turned some fish that are using 15+' of water. Main lake water temperatures are now fairly steady in the high 60's and some lakes are even seeing readings in the low 70's.

Little to nothing changed this past week when talking crappies and bluegills. The pan fish bite remains fair to good. When targeting crappies and 'gills search near gravel and sand to mud transitions or on inside weedlines. Pre-spawning and spawning fish are being caught, so you may be able to be pretty aggressive with your presentation or slower, depending on how the fish are reacting. Some of the better presentations this past week have been tube jigs and hair jigs. Bait or no bait? It's up to you...

If you're headed West, click on the link below to wet your whistle.

NE South Dakota Walleye Fishing

[no bait nate]

went out to a favorite area lake with my brother in law to try to find some fish on saturday. didn't find a lot of fish but the quality was nice. jiggin weedlines seemed to do the trick that day as we both tied into some nice pike.

35 inches but not the thickest fish in the lake

only to be outdone by John's 36 1/4 inch. It was also his new PB. now this fish was eating good....

not a bad day when ya get two fish that total over 70 inches and well over 20 lbs.

i also managed to catch a pretty nice ice scoop. it put up a heck of a fight but i don't think they fry up well.

[hidepounder]

[Team Otter]

South Central MN Weekly Fishing Report, 6-23-09

Rain fall continues to be quite timely for this area, although more wouldn't hurt but there was still plenty of opportunity to get out and fish this past week. And the walleyes are definitely biting. The nice thing about the walleye fishing right now is that they're not too fussy in terms of presentation. However, what is important is to be making adjustments to the presentation until making contact. There are some walleyes that continue to relate to both emergent and submergent vegetation. You can go right after those fish with crank or swim baits or you can slide off what's often a definitive edge and fish crawler harnesses behind bottom bouncers or even slip bobbers and leeches. The ultra-shallow bite that was holding steady for the past few weeks tapered off a bit but there are still fish using areas that are heavily concentrated with baitfish or any other food source. Be sure to consider wind direction for this bite. Pitching and casting crankbaits and beetle spins to 1 - 4' of water has been most productive. The most active fish right now, though, are those hanging near the skinny water in 4 - 6' of water. Trolling small profile crankbaits like #4 Salmo Hornets at 2.5+ mph is and will continue to be a "go-to" presentation. The fish are just crushing this presentation if given different looks of trolling speed and/or lure direction. Your trolling pattern should not be a straight; mix it up! The deeper bite is still worth a look if things aren't working elsewhere but be sure you're fishing slow. When deeper (i.e. 12+'), focus on transition areas and/or rocks. 18 - 24' of water is a good depth range for starting your search.

One thing that's definitely nice about this area is that it seems the pan fish are always biting somewhere and this past week was no different. The spawn is wrapping up for both crappies and bluegills but apparently they've needed little time to recover. When targeting crappies and 'gills, search both large and small flats near gravel and sand to mud transitions or on outside weedlines. Some of the better presentations this past week continue to be tube jigs and hair jigs but don't be afraid to go after the better quality fish just as if you were fishing walleyes in deeper water. Also, it's getting to be that time of year, where some of the better quality pan fish in the area lakes will start suspending right under the water's surface over main lake and secondary basins. Look for this pattern to really take off come mid-July and into August...

[benbosh]

any body see any carp or any other rough fish on area lakes that would be worth bowfishing?

[fritz179]

Ended up getting some fish in the rain this morning. I was pulling spinner rigs in 4-8 feet of water with fatheads, going very slow. 17 and 18.5 inches. Landed a 23 incher as well, however the battery in the camera was dead.

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[french_lake_kid]

Took the last week of work off to pre-fish tourneys and just be a kid again, well here are just a few pics from this week. all these fish were caught in less than 3fow. and all while bass fishing, Team Otter is right when he says the shallow water walleye bite is going!!! Enjoy

38"s fell victim to a chatterbait on French

Luckycrank w/ a 26"er

A 25"er from washington, sorry this is from a cellphone

These are also from Washington 17" and 21" all these fish were released to swim another day

[Reid G]

Nice pics, but where's the bass?

[french_lake_kid]

Those will stay on my photobucket account at least til tourney season is over

[Team Otter]

Nice fish!

[no bait nate]

took a little road trip to the st. croix by Stillwater to do fishing on saturday night with a few buddies. didn't get out on the water till dark but it was to our benefit. as the fishing was slow we heard some hoots from shore that made us think we should take a closer look. as we pulled up close to the docks somebody was deffinetly having a good time. got close enough with the boat lights and we got ourselves a nice show from some ladies at a bachelorette party that were taking a "late-night" dip off the dock! ah success at its best, talk about a great night on the water.

[hidepounder]

[no bait nate]

haha really, river girls gone wild....

[jhanks50]

haha well that makes that trip even more fun!!!

[jhanks50]

Made it out for a while today in the crazy wind and managed to catch something other than a horrible sunburn!!! We had to hide from the wind most of the day but all in all it was a productive day we fished about 13 ft and shallower all day on points and found that the crappies seemed to like the 11ft depth and a minnow... now the sheepheads they were crazy, seemed like every ten minutes we had another BIG sheepie on...overall on the day probably caught about 15 crappies 9-101/2 inches and to many sheepies to count and a couple bonus perch!! great day to be out on the water (except for the sunburn...ouch!!!)

[smalltownboi2008]

Is it just me or does that muskie look skinny? nice fish though.

[NTW]

Nice fish FLK, how did you manage during the washington tourney?

No Bait Nate - you just need to make sure you blur the background when you post the pics from the river saturday night so nobody can locate your "hot spot" haha

[french_lake_kid]

We ate it badly, but hey that happens, helps you appriciate winning or finishing high, all the better

[NTW]

We ate it badly, but hey that happens, helps you appriciate winning or finishing high, all the better

sorry to hear that but you got the right attitude!

[Morneau132]

Check your email

[french_lake_kid]

You got mail

[Reid G]

We ate it badly, but hey that happens, helps you appriciate winning or finishing high, all the better

I thought that was LC's favorite lake in southern MN?

[luckycrank]

operative word being was

[seamonster1]

Had a limit of "eater"(15-18) fish last night. 18-20 feet off old weedlines. Hook color and snell length seemed to make a ton of difference. Too short and "sheepieville".

Sunfish ate tighter to old weeds and in large schools- picked up several in the 9inch range, after getting to close to the old weeds( 13-15 feet)

[kg2]

operative word being was

Was! Past tense! The weights were scary bad, and I hope that the DNR takes notice.

At least the walleyes were biting (supper that night for many)! (Eyes shouldn't be living in bass habitat, or they will pay the ultimate consequence.)

There is a evening contest out there tonight...