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Metro Area Minnesota Fishing Reports by Matt Johnson


Matt Johnson

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Good Lord!  Congrats on the PB and on breaking the ultra rare 7 lb barrier.  I would have been ecstatic with the 6!

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DEEP... is the word of the day. Meaning, a lot of fish out deep. Catching bass in 22-24 feet on drop-shots. Catching crappies in as deep as 30 feet suspended over basins. Crankbaited a few pike off deep points in 16-20 feet. Seems like everything has moved out. Big plus side to fishing deep... you don't hook a lot of weeds :)     We've also nabbed a handful of bass flipping the milfoil lately too, and of course the ever-popular fish under a dock here and there. Focus on deeper water patterns though, especially for numbers right now.

The key though, is to not look at all weed lines as equals. Find subtle changes in the weed line, namely an inside turn, point or even isolated hump just off the main weed line. The fish are stopping (schooling) on these spots and it's not uncommon to sit and catch multiple fish casting to the same area. Here's a snapshot that might shed some light...

Tonka%20shot.jpg

(Snapshot courtesy of the Navionics WebApp)

This is a fairly "classic spot" on Lake Minnetonka. The red dots are depicting spots along a weed line, but notice how I've picked spots where there are changes in the weed line. Namely inside turns or abrupt changes. Also notice the spots on the expansive underwater point and also out on an isolated hump. You could spend a lot of time on just these areas and pick off schooling fish. You can duplicate this pattern on a lot of lakes and areas. Bass and pike are common, of course panfish too, and if walleyes are in the lake it could produce those too.

This is a fun time of year though because usually when you find one fish you'll find more. I like to either pitch drop-shots or jig worms for the bass. Drop-shotting is something you could use for the bass, panfish and walleye. Pike like everything :)  But if you're mainly targeting pike then I would throw deep diving crankbaits right now. You can use drop a jig and live minnow too, as everything will eat that on these sort of spots.  Biggest tip is to just keep moving. If you don't catch a fish on a specific spot within 5-10 minutes then move, the school is not there. If the school is there then you'll get bit.

Looks like some enjoyable weather the next several days. 80 degree temps and sun (small chances of rain). Get out there and catch some fish and be safe!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry to say... but DEEP continues to be the hot word lately. Finding fish on deep weed lines seems to be the key to success--for size and numbers. Some of the rock spots have dried up but deep edges off weed lines and if you can find deep weeds in 15-20 feet you'll usually find fish. Another consistent factor seems to be that change in weed line too... meaning you want to some some level of inside turn or steeper edge in order to hold fish. This seems to hold true for both panfish and bass... honestly haven't targeted many walleyes or pike lately... but I've used this concept for both smallmouth and largemouth bass, along with crappies and sunfish. Only exception being some schools of crappies over the basins still... as deep as 28 feet but hearing reports of fish out in depths even reaching 40-50 feet suspended half way down.

For bass though, we've been continuing to pound the drop-shot or weighted wacky-rig. A drop-shotted Mister Twister Poc'it Phenom or Shake'R are taking the cake. Then a weighted wacky-rigged Comida seals the deal... they will usually eat one or the other :)    Here's a couple shots from recent outings...

MJ%20largie.jpg

MJ%20smallie.jpg

An important part of the success lately is the move. If you don't catch fish within 10 or so minutes then move. Even if you catch one and then there is a 15 minute window, still move. At least that has worked for us. Keep hitting spots until you find them schooled up. If multiple people are in the boat then someone should have a bend in the rod every 5-10 minutes or the school is not there.

Otherwise enjoy the weather... looks like nice weather tomorrow and a cool-down on Sunday... should be comfortable out there regardless, just remember to be safe and bring some rain gear, might have to dodge a little rain this weekend... good luck out there!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Up and down patterns lately. Still certainly a lot of fish out deep, but the morning bite has been fun in the shallows lately! Buzz baits, wake baits... fun way to start the day for bass anglers! Otherwise moving to deep structure most of the day again, especially with these recent warmer temps. Main lake structure continues to hold fish as well... isolated humps (with weeds) and expansive main lake points and inside turns too. Jig worms have been working well. Drop-shots too, but the jig worm seems to have taken over most of the action lately, or weighted wacky-rigs.  The crankbait bite has turned on a little too, especially if you're looking for a mixed bag of fish... the pike really like the cranks right now over mainlake structure!

For panfish we've continued to find fish along weed lines as well as up against deeper dock lines. Drop a panfish plastic down along a weed line in 13-18 feet and you'll get bit. A lot of fish out in those areas still. Seems to be true for better size fish too. Otherwise move up near deep docks and pitch around those areas if you're looking for numbers and fun with the family.

Spinner rigs with crawlers have been picking up walleyes and a mixed bag too. Cover water seems to be key, so working weed lines gives you the most options for consistent action. Everything bites a crawler on a spinner rig :)

Otherwise we've also spent a fair amount of time on the river(s) too. Decent smallmouth again along the wood snags and any deeper pockets. Drop-shotting is putting numbers in the boat but sucker minnows have produced better size. Also twister tails on jig heads if you're looking to get by cheap because of lost jigs in snags. Easy to re-tie and more comfortable on the pocketbook.

Looks like some weather will be rolling in this weekend and then cooler temps next week (70s for highs) so we should start to see the beginning of late summer into early fall transition... feed bags will be ramping up!

Good luck and be safe!

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  • 2 months later...

Time to start thinking ice! Had a discussion about spring bobbers the other day so I decided to throw a quick tip on video for why I like to use spring bobbers for ice fishing...

 

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Not all ice fishing soft plastic baits are considered equal. In fact, even the same plastic can be fished and rigged in multiple ways. Next time you hit the ice, don't give-up on a specific plastic because it's not working... modify it a little first!

Modifying Ice Fishing Plastics - CLICK HERE

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  • 2 months later...

Whew... the last few months have been a blur! Sports shows... traveling... guiding... events... a lot has happened in the world of ice fishing! Sorry for the lack of reports. I'll try to be a little more active going forward...

So far, things are FINALLY shaping up nicely in the Metro Area for ice. Trucks are driving out on a lot of the area lakes but PLEASE still practice caution. I'm still finding areas with less than 10" of ice, so traveling off the "beaten path" is not recommended. If you want to venture out to new areas then I would suggest using an ATV or snowmobile until you know the ice is safe. The ice is weird this year and certainly patchy in regards to ice thickness. Just be safe.

Otherwise in regards to fishing, the bite seems pretty consistent. I've fished over a dozen lakes in the last couple months and the green weeds are holding strong in a lot of lakes and the fish are relating to those shallow areas. A lot of ice anglers are out on the basins and deeper holes (and finding fish) but I would encourage you to seek shallow areas for a more consistent daytime bite. We're catching panfish throughout the day in the weeds--including crappies. Even a handful of daytime walleyes relating to the shallow weeds. Just stay mobile and don't settle for one hole if you're not marking fish after a few minutes. Those shallow fish are cruising AND eating, so you just need to intercept them. Leave the live bait at home and hammer them with plastics. I've been using the Maki Mino and Jamei XL lately, seems to trigger and entice the most fish and they also stay on the hook longer. Tungsten jigs are a must too, as I'm finding the quick-drop makes a big difference.

It's great to see all the ice anglers out on the ice and having fun. I've had a ton of conversations the last couple months with anglers out on the ice. I probably need to spend more time with my line in the water and not talking so much some days, LOL.

Please be safe out there and good luck fishing!

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I was fishing in as little as 2 feet the other day, but that is rare to be honest. I would say an average of 4-8 feet for most of my shallow weed fishing. Big key is finding green weeds. Bottom type can make a difference, but oxygen-rich green weeds are most important. Don't be afraid to utilize your underwater camera for situations like this, namely to look for actual fish too. Punch holes and move fast looking for "life" down below. Mark pockets in the weeds, any rocks, change in weed type, and of course pods of fish. You can certainly fish each hole you punch, but dropping a camera down in the shallow water and "seeing" what's there can be more efficient. Once you find/know fish are in the area then you can slow down and catch them...

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  • 3 weeks later...

The couple weeks have me scattered all over the Metro area. Out west to Clearwater... back northeast to Chisago area.... back down to Prior... back up to Rush... back to Tonka... the list goes on and on. Haven't fished the same lake twice in a row yet this ice season, lol.  Regardless though, the bite has been consistent in regards to pattern no matter where I go. Fish are still--and will be--relating to weeds. The thickest milfoil flats in the summer are holding the most fish right now in the winter. Of course a lot of the milfoil has laid down, creating channels and corridors within the weeds, but nonetheless the fish are there.... and eating!!  Many anglers are still pounding the deeper water, holes and basins. While there is definitely fish in those areas, I would continue to encourage you to move shallower and look for more active daytime feeders in the weeds. If you camp out over the deeper spots in the evening or at low-light periods that's great, but blaze a new path during the day and chase those shallow fish. This pattern has been very consistent on all corners of the Metro.

Here's a way to learn (or prove) that fish are in these areas.  Grab JUST your auger and underwater camera. I know it's tough, but force yourself to at least give it a shot for just one morning. Go to an area where you know green weeds are present and leading into/near deeper water (IE: expansive main lake underwater point or saddle near a breakline. Make sure the area has solid weed growth).  Now begin punching a series of holes every 5 yards or so throughout the weed flat. Finding large clumps of weeds is a good thing too. Now go through each hole with your underwater camera (or do so while you punch and move) looking for fish activity. I'm seeing A LOT of panfish, bass, pike and even walleyes relating to these shallow weed spots. These fish are also the more aggressive-natured fish in the area too, as they feel the need to ambush and actually attack their prey. Hit these fish with jigs and plastics, I prefer tungsten and finesse tails myself, namely Clam Drop-Kick jigs and Maki Spiiki or Mino tails. A good combo for plummeting through the weeds and attracting/enticing fish.

The key is the find those green weeds and available nearby deeper water. Not all weed flats/spots are created equal, some spend a little time scouting a lake map beforehand and put together a plan. Sometimes the most obvious pieces of structures do indeed hold fish, and it still amazes me how many people do not fish the obvious spots--even in the pressured Metro and surrounding area lakes.

Go grab the auger and camera and go hammer-out a spot and see what you find.  I would like to possibly plan an on-ice event for FishingMN.com next winter where we attack this approach and even catch a few fish!

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gogophers, "shallow" can be relative. In a lake that only gets to 15 feet, 5-6 feet is shallow. In a lake that gets to 50 feet, shallow could be 10-20 feet deep.

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Shallow for me lately is 6-10 feet of water, at least when referring to my post above and the Metro area lakes that I'm targeting. But GeluNumber1 is right, shallow is relative to the lake.  However, I typically mean less than 10 feet when I refer to "shallow" in most of my posts. Basically if I can get by with just the 10-foot mode on my Vexilar FLX-28 :)

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looking to get out to a east metro lake here on Saturday as it is suppose to be 52 degrees, it should be a good day for hole hopping. I mainly target panfish, and lately ive been trying to find crappies. would a jig and a bobber set up be a good way to go about this? with a small jig and a plastic and then the bobber set up with a crappie minnow and a plain hook? anywhere from 6'- 15' of water around weed lines

Edited by WillieMN
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Last night there was still alot of crappies and small perch on the small lake I fished in 20ft of water(west metro). Might depend on the lake, I always like to have a hook and a minnow down(deadstick),  I start jigging with a small spoon and minnow head usually. If they don't like that then i switch to a small jig, I've been using the new tungsten and plastics by Northland and VMC.   Maybe start shallow and drill out to the deepest part of the lake and hole hop and see if any pattern emerges.

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A jig and crappie minnow on a set-line is never a bad idea if you plan to stick around an area for a while. It can both draw fish in and also catch some of the larger fish at times. If you're going to dedicate yourself to an area then it doesn't hurt to use that second line...

And yes... the temps this weekend are going to be great for hole hopping! Just be safe out there as some of the accesses are already shot and it's going to get a lot worse the next few days... my opinion is to keep the vehicles off the ice and stick to ATV or snowmobiles this weekend if that is an option. Otherwise walk out and enjoy the nice weather and get a little exercise too :)   The ice is doing some weird things lately and it's not worth the risk in my opinion...

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Great tip, Matt. Just picked up a dead stick rig. Curious whether you always hook the minnow a certain way with your set lines or play around with it? I tend to like tail-hooking them...seems to get them wriggling more to free themselves. 

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toja... I like to either tail hook or hook through the dorsal fin on top, allowing them to swim around and stay alive. If I'm using a jigging spoon then I tend to use just the minnow head...

Fri-Sun proved to be a few great days on the ice! Well... Fri and Sat anyway, that cold front that came through yesterday sure shut the fish down, not to mention is felt coooolllddd after the 50 degree weather on Sat! LOL.

Friday we spent the day on Lake Minnetonka with the Boys and Grils Club and we put a lot of fish topside. Not a ton of big fish, but every kid caught a fish which is always our goal at those events. A handful of decent sunfish caught, as well as some bonus pike. The bass were all over the shallows and we were watching them on the cameras but they wouldn't bite... caught one right away in the morning otherwise they just smiled at the camera the rest of the day. The panfish were schooling up heavily and eager to bite, so it provided consistent action. We went out of Spring Park Bay and we didn't have to go far to catch fish... like literally 50 yards from shore. A nice walk for the kids.

Then on Saturday and ventured the north end of the "Metro" area and found fish in a shallow lake. The warm weather sure put them on the move but after we punched 200 holes we had a nice playing field to work with and just hopped from hole to hole picking up fish all over the place. Nothing really held them in one spot so it was definitely go-go-go to catch them, but we got sunburned and caught a pile of fish in the warm weather! Biggest crappies were about 12.5" and some of the gills were close to a pound! Gotta love late ice panfish...... in February ;)    Here's a shot of the biggest gill of the day...

I know I sound like a broken record, but keep pounding the shallows... the big fish are there and they love the weeds. That bite will only get better in these waning months of late ice.

Now some cooler temps which will lock things back up nicely and allow for another great weekend for those looking to get out again!! Be safe out there and have fun!!

Matt Big Gill web.jpg

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I struggled on Saturday to catch fish. started off in 4-6ft of water, drilled probably over 50 holes. but it was pretty tough going. the lake I was on isn't a very big lake, I don't think the fish population is large. but I have fished this same lake before and caught decent crappies there. I ended up moving from 4-6ft of water to 9 to 12ft of water and only managed a few small sunnies. I was marking fish, I changed jigs but didn't get much in return. heading to a lake in Wisconsin this weekend for some crappie action. really looking forward to it. I haven't had the best luck with crappies this year but im starting to put crappies on the top of my list of fish to catch.

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Willie... did you manage to find weeds anywhere in the shallows? Still green? I see your from St Paul, if you're fishing a lake near/around St Paul I would be happy to help with some ideas. Feel free to shoot me an email... mattjohnson at mattjohnsonoutdoors.com

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18 hours ago, Matt Johnson said:

Willie... did you manage to find weeds anywhere in the shallows? Still green? I see your from St Paul, if you're fishing a lake near/around St Paul I would be happy to help with some ideas. Feel free to shoot me an email... mattjohnson at mattjohnsonoutdoors.com

I did find weeds. all over this small,small lake I was fishing. I I saw in the shallows, about 4ft. I only have a couple weekends left to fish. but it all depends on what mother nature does here in the next couple weeks to determine weather or not if I will be able to get out on a Minnesota lake in a couple of weeks. thanks for the offer, if I get a chance to make it back out, I will be sure to email you! thanks Matt!

 

heading to a lake in Wisconsin this weekend. my girlfriend's dad says he slays the crappies every year around this time. im going to be holding him to his word.

Edited by WillieMN
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also, for this weekend with going to Wisconsin for Crappies. I have a few smaller Swedish pimples, couple smaller tungsten jigs, tipped with a minnow head and ill probably have a dead stick bobber set up with a plain hook and a crappie minnow, once I get on the crappies.

 

does that seem like a fair place to start? I might run to fleet farm to see what they have left for ice fishing gear tomorrow night.

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I've been big on tungsten jigs and plastics. Honestly don't even bring live-bait with me at all unless I'm on a guide trip. Most of the fish in the weeds are more aggressive and are not spending as much time "investigating" the bait either... although some of the larger sunfish can be a little picky at time. I've been combat fishing the panfish with jigs and plastics, moving fast and not spending much time in one hole unless I have aggressive biters. If I have fish on the Vexilar that are negative or not aggressively biting I'll just pull up and move to the next hole. It's tough to leave fish, but why beat your head over a rock trying to catch those negative biters (unless you know they're big fish I suppose)... but typically there is a fish that will bite right away when you drop down the next hole for the first time...

 

Maki Mino Crappie 2 web.jpg

Maki Mino Crappie web.jpg

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Ok cool! I just picked up some clam maki plastics last night, along with a few tungsten jigs. thats what ive kind of been doing, ill see fish on my vexilar, but they wont bite so I just hop to another hole. but the lake I fished last wasn't very desirable. its just close to home, and it was a nice day out so I went out for a couple of hours. this weekend I will be hitting it all day, leaving home at 5am and wont be home until 8 or 9pm. I don't know the name of the lake, but my girlfriends father says they hammer the crappies the same weekend every year. so im praying ill be able to pull a few slabs from the hole. I didn't get to fish too much last year on late ice. so im really pumped for it this weekend.

my plan is to have a tungsten on, with a plastic and maybe a waxxie, and then if I find a hole where im hammering them, put a dead stick in with a bobber.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just a quick tip as we start to hit open water season in the Metro... and yes, the lakes are open already for those looking to catch some ice-out panfish :)

DON'T leave the ice fishing jigs and plastics in the garage when you hit the open water these first few weeks. The fish are still eating those offerings and you will increase your catch by focusing on ice tackle. Too many anglers jump right into traditional open water baits like tubes, twister tails, minnow baits, etc.  I would encourage you to keep the tungsten jigs and finesse plastics in the line-up for a few weeks... it will even work on the larger fish right now. Small jig/plastic combos under a float fished in a neutral manner will account for a lot of fish right now...

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  • 1 month later...

Quick report on the crappie fishing out on Lake Minnetonka...

Many anglers are beating up the shallow channels, boat docks and back bays, but I'm still finding crappies (at least the bigger ones) out deeper still at the mouths of these areas. 8-12 feet of water seems to be consistent. A lot of smaller fish up shallow, along with some carp starting to play. We've been finding a more consistent bite for better quality fish out on the weed lines and over your classic milfoiil spots (since the foil is not up yet). A few pods of fish out over the basins too, but that 8-12 foot mark seems to be the most productive. Some spots give-up a couple fish, other spots hold a school. If you don't get bit after a few minutes then move to another spot. They are aggressive when you find the hungry pod.

For baits, we're using Mister Twister tails and Maki Jamei XL's. Use the best weight of jig to keep contact depending on wind. You could use a float if you want, but make sure to set it at least 4-6 feet down. They are not rising all the way to the surface to feed. I would recommend going without a float if you can.

With the cooler temps this week those fish will stay out deeper. Next week might be a different story though as it looks like things are going to warm-up...

Good luck out there and be safe!

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Fish behaviors are consistent with what we found last week as well. Still holding out in that 8-12 foot range if looking for larger fish. A lot of anglers beating up the shallows and there are fish up there, but they seem to be consistently smaller in size. Bigger fish were caught as deep as 16 feet. Some docks were holding larger crappies but there wasn't a consistent pattern. Large, wood pylon-based docks held the most fish, especially near deeper water. Back bays and channels had the warmest water but again held a majority of the smaller fish. All depends on what your goal for the day is... to catch big fish or catch a pile of fish. Two different strategies.

The good news about this week though... a lot of warm temps ahead and water temps will really begin to rise and draw in more fish. By the weekend you'll see a complete free-for-all in the shallows!

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Things are changing slightly from this weekend. I'm starting to see a lot of fish (crappies) moving onto main lake structure. The spawn is happening on many lakes and the "bedding" is happening. That warm weather really jump started things. Large main lake points and areas with weed stalks are housing fish. They moved up onto these pieces of structure and the chrome-colored crappies are finding their place! Shallow channels are kicking out more fish and it seems like more movement is definitely happening. The main lake fish are getting a lot of my attention as they continue to seem larger and more aggressive. Some of the fish in the back channels need a little coaxing, while the fish on the main lake structure are crushing the presentation... which makes things a lot easier on these windy days! We even deployed a panfish Carolina rig yesterday to keep the bait in the strike zone as the wind blew small white caps! Fun way to fish though if you haven't tried it!

Depths we found consistent fish at where 4-6 feet, especially on top of the main lake structure. Seemed like the bigger fish held closer to the deep edge but still in those 4-6 foot ranges. If you got too far on top of the structure you caught smaller fish and bluegills. The bigger crappies wanted that edge area. We threw Mister Twister Tri-colored tails at them with 1/16oz jigs or else the Carolina rig for panfish (which consisted of a smaller egg weight and a lightweight hook with a twister tail or minnow bait). Float fishing worked too, but make sure you use the correct weight for the wind, otherwise the bait is not in the strike zone and you're wasting time. Here's a good one from yesterday...

 

MJ crappie open web.jpg

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Hit the water hard on Friday and Saturday in search of big crappies and they certainly moved into the shallows! Our usual deeper spots held smaller fish (and A LOT of pike breaking lines). Didn't spend much time out deeper and relocated to shallower flats and/or back channels. With the main lake water temps in the mid to upper 50s, we found 60 degree temps up against certain banks and back in the channels... the fish were there! Had to coax some of the larger fish to bite as they were staging for the spawn and holding tight to specific spots. It was an all plastics bite and we used tungsten jigs to keep the bait down in the strike zone... it made a HUGE difference on where you jig was in the water column. If it was too high they would not come up for it, but if you kept it just a few inches off the bottom then it was a definite fish catch. We were using Clam Pro Tackle Drop Kick jigs tipped with Maki Jamei XL and Mino XL baits. Also pitched some Mister Twister Tri-colored tails too, but the Maki was hot.

One thing we saw very consistent was sun direction. It made a big difference on the position of the sun in relation to where the fish were sitting... even on a single piece of structure. A classic example of fishing the right spot, AND having to fish it the right way. Some anglers were fishing the right spots/areas but were not fishing the spot the right way. Fun to watch that pattern develop!

Here's a couple good ones from Friday and Saturday...

 

Matt and Nick Crappies web.jpg

Matt crappie web.jpg

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      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
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