fishing reports Metro Area Minnesota Fishing Reports by Matt Johnson

[Matt Johnson]

Who's all been out in the Metro so far? There are spots locking up nicely but I would still advise extreme caution when hitting Metro lakes. Many parts are just starting to freeze over and things can be deceiving. Make sure and take a chisel and check the ice with every step, especially when venturing out on new ice. Don't take any risks. Also bring a fishing buddy with and make sure both you have a good pair of ice cleats on. Take all the necessary precautions when venturing out on a early ice.

I know we all get excited, myself included, but please don't risk anything. It's a long season and we're already ahead of schedule.

The forecast is looking good for making more ice. I would imagine more and more people will venture out over the holiday weekend as well. Check with local bait shops for ice conditions, a lot of them have their finger on the pulse.

For those going north, it sounds like things are looking good up there. A lot of anglers hitting the ice and some bites are very good... Red Lake for one.

We have multiple groups going in different directions throughout the next several days and I'll report back with what we find.

Be safe out there and good luck!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

[Matt Johnson]

Today I couldn't help but look outside and ask if I still live in MN? 40 degrees... AGAIN... in January? Good thing we had a great start to the ice fishing season in regards to making ice. A lot of excellent ice out there so getting out and catching some fish is not a problem. Still be careful near neckdowns and islands, same with some shorelines depending on the structure, but overall conditions are good. Some cold weather moving in later this weekend and first part of next week.

Fishing has been pretty consistent. In the last couple months I've been all-over the Metro on a handful of different lakes. Chisago Area... Minnetonka... Medicine... Clearwater... Rush... Green (Princeton)... Big Marine... Prior... the bite seems to be stable and if you're willing to move around a little you'll catch fish. The key is still mobility though. If you're not seeing fish on your Vexilar then move. I have not seen a lot of success by waiting for the fish to come to me. Only exception might be a couple evening bites waiting for the crappies and walleyes to "turn on" otherwise it's been a run-and-gun season for sure.

Another key ingredient for almost all of my bigger fish has been WEEDS. The green weeds have played an important role this winter and it's held consistent across the Metro from what I've seen. Find green weeds, find pockets in the weeds, find hard bottom in the weeds... there are fish, and good ones!

Biggest thing though.... keep having fun! Take advantage of this warm weather and get out there and catch some fish!!

[Bogie04]

Hey Matt, great reports! Did you have any luck on Clearwater?? I love fishing that lake, but I haven't made my way up there yet this season.

[Matt Johnson]

Funny how posts can take a complete 180 turn in a matter of weeks... a few weeks ago I was talking about 40 degree temps... now we're talking below zero every day! LOL. "Minnesota nice" is the term I believe?

Fishing has continued to stay consistent though. A little more "hunkering" down and a little less moving but you still need to make some moves to stay on the fish and keep them coming up the hole. My IceArmor has been getting a workout the last couple weeks, no doubt about it!

One thing that has continued to remain true is that they fish are relating to the weeds. That hasn't changed, especially for the big fish. A lot of fish (and anglers) continue to pound the deeper holes and basins--and will continue to catch fish--but I'm still finding larger fish relating to weeds, sometimes as shallow as 4-6 feet inside pockets and depressions amongst expansive weed flats. Tougher to stay on these fish in colder conditions but the fish are still there. If you're looking for a numbers game then camping out over deeper water is the ticket though.

One thing I've noticed this year for the walleye bite is that most of my productive fishing windows have been at sunrise, and not sunset. Usually it's the other way around for me in the Metro but this year my best walleye bites have consistently come in the morning hours. I think it has to do with more light penetration because of lack of snow cover, causing a quicker flurry when the sun comes up. Also the light penetration continues all day long so there is some stability as we move into sunset, unlike sunrise, where the fish are used to it being dark instead of excess light. Who knows though, just a theory but it seems to hold true for me this year...

Otherwise the panfish activity continues to keep us busy. Haven't had a banner year for big fish but a lot of decent averages it seems. Plastics continue to out-produce live bait for me and keeping things moving is the ticket. I even made a couple trips to Independence to chase the crappie rumors and had fun catching a bunch of fish, but they are definitely not as big as everyone is preaching Still a lot of fun and it was cool to spend some time learning a new lake that I haven't fish in a while.

One more weekend of walleye fishing for me and then it's complete focus on panfish (and maybe a few catfish ) from here on out!!

Good luck out there and be safe!

[Matt Johnson]

I just wanted to take a quick moment to address water temperature as we move into these spring months. Water temp can make a huge difference on success right now, especially if you're looking for quantity. As the water temps (surface temps) move into the mid 40s and even low 50s, try and find the warmest water in a given bay, channel, creek, etc. I know it sounds like commonsense, but not all bays, channels or creeks are created equal. The "rule of thumb" is to always go to the north end of the lake, but don't count-out the north end of the bay, channel, creek, etc... the key here is the north shoreline... which could easily be a channel or creek arm on the south end of the lake

Regardless, watch your temperature gauge and pay attention to temp changes. Look at water clarity and put together a pattern as to why fish are in certain areas. Temperature is very important to me right now, especially for those panfish. If you don't have temp on your electronics then you can buy a cheap temp probe that be be installed on your trolling motor or transom of your boat... then you can keep an eye on things and be more efficient and cancel out "dead water" once you find that magic temp range...

Good luck out there and enjoy the sun!

[Matt Johnson]

Expanding on my recent post, here is a video of a seminar I put on a few weeks ago where we go into more detail on springtime panfish...

A great season to be out in the boat and having fun!!

[Matt Johnson]

Small baits for panfish have been key the last couple weeks and they should continue to produce as we see this cold spell too...

But rest assured... warm weather is coming and we'll be breaking out the larger panfish plastics shortly!!

[staube3]

Great video and very accurate! it's amazing how well a 1/64th jig with a fish fry does right now.

[Matt Johnson]

A lot of talk lately on "garage organization" and keeping things clean and neat. Here's a quick video on how I like to organize some of my fishing gear in the garage...

Fishing Gear Organization - VIDEO - CLICK HERE

Enjoy!

[Matt Johnson]

Well... this weekend sure was interesting! Saturday was pretty darn good, but yesterday threw about every weather curveball at us that you could imagine! Wind, pouring rain, sun, humidity... we had it all!!  Fishing on Saturday was fairly consistent, but yesterday found people just trying to find a way to stay comfortable, LOL.

We spent our time on Lake Minnetonka and found a lot of fish in the shallows on Saturday, mostly inside weedline areas. We didn't see a lot of fish holding on a specific spot (beds) but just cruising those similar areas. Shorelines and even back bays/channels held most of the fish. We didn't spend really anytime out deeper, so not sure if there was even a deep bite going. There were so many fish in the shallows that I guess it didn't matter.

We caught most of our fish on wacky rigged Mister Twister Comidas and Poc'it Fry's. Caught a couple fish on spinnerbaits and a few on wake baits too, but most fish came from the wacky rig while we picked apart structure by casting. Seems like any shallow weed clump held a fish or two, and areas with newly budding lilypads provided the best action. Docklines held some fish, but there needed to be weeds present and a silty bottom seemed to make a big difference too. Water temps were 58-62 degrees (surface temps). Also don't be afraid to cast very close to shore... seems like some of the fish wanted to be land-dwellers! LOL

Here are a few shots from the weekend...

 

Looks like today and tomorrow are going to be below average for air temps, which should put things on hold for a little while still. Warmer temps are headed our way again and starting Wed we should see things pick back up. If you're out today or tomorrow then I would look tighter to the inside weedlines or even slightly deeper if you're not finding fish in the shallows. Even toss some spinnerbaits for pike too if you just want action    Otherwise things will turn on again later in the week and I plan to try a few other lakes between now and Sunday and will report back...

Good luck out there!!

[Matt Johnson]

It's nice to see some warm weather again! Those few days of cold stalled things a bit (and even set things back a little). Water temps started around 56 degrees yesterday and the bibs have become a normal piece of attire the last couple times out, at least to start the day. The good news though... the bass are still occupying the shallows and they are more than eager to bite! We found a lot of fish in the Chisago area in that 1-5 foot range... we fished both Chisago and South Lindstrom yesterday. Chisago had fish in 1-3 feet and South Lindstrom had fish in 2-5 feet. We actually fished two different patterns depending on what side of the body of water we were on. Chisago fish were tight to shore, around newly budding lilypads and silty bottom. South Lindstrom fish were on the inside weedline where the sand-to-weed transition takes place. We caught fish in both spots with wacky rigged Mister Twister Comidas though. Also picked off several fish on the Poc'it Fry and even a handful on spinnerbaits. Don't be afraid to just deadstick the wacky rig too... the fish will find it and grab the bait. A LOT of fish cruising the shallows and they are HUNGRY!! Water temps were around 60 degrees when we left the lake at 3pm yesterday. Temps should creep up a little more today too...

Have a safe and fun Memorial weekend! Remember to thank and remember our troops!

[Matt Johnson]

There has been a question I've been asked on just about every guide trip lately... "what sort of line are you using on these rods and why do you use braid?" So, here is a short video I put together to answer some of those questions...

Braided Fishing Line Tips - CLICK HERE

I'm a big fan of braided fishing lines and use them for a variety of situations, especially for bass fishing.

[mwal]

Matt,

 

Nice Video one thing you did not go into was do you you use the braids in gin clear water without a leader?

 

Mwal

[Matt Johnson]

mwal,

Good question and I'll be happy to answer it right here. Sometimes I do use braid in clear water, all depends on the application and cover. If I'm flipping into heavy cover then I'll still stick with braid. Otherwise I will either switch to a rod with all fluorocarbon line or add a fluorocarbon leader to my braid. I prefer to get away with braid as much as possible though. Sometimes I'll even throw crankbaits with braided line and drop down to like a 10 pound braid with a very small diameter... this allows me to feel when weeds "foul" things up and it also allows me to cast better and--believe it or not--I can dive the crankbait even deeper because the thin diameter and no stretch. Braid also cuts through weeds better if I end up crankin' around sparse patches of weeds...

[mwal]

Thanks Matt,   At my cabin we have seechi disk reading of 26 ft so I always use  flouro leader. Just seeing what others do in clear water. In the cities I use straight braid alot

 

Mwal

Edited May 29, 2015 by mwal

[Matt Johnson]

The last week or so definitely provided some interesting conditions. Temps swayed back and forth and so did the fishing. Finding a consistent pattern was tough so we ended up moving a lot to stay on top of fish. Things were a little more consistent over the weekend and with the warmer temps predicted this week I think we'll see a solid weekend of fishing ahead of us.

Sunfish are starting to bed, although I'm still seeing/catching our bigger fish in the staging areas just outside where they'll be bedding in the near future. It also varies from lake-to-lake too. Some lakes are in full-swing, while other lakes have little to no activity on beds yet. Rest-assured though, after this week they will get going!

The bass are still on inside weed lines and shallow cover. Maybe not right up on shore anymore, but in that 3-6 foot range. Some fish on docks too. A few reports of outside weedline fish but we're still doing well on that inside weedline and pitching pockets in the weeds. Reeds are holding a lot of fish too and same with mainlake points--on top of the points--great spots for these windy days too where you can throw spinnerbaits and lipless cranks (if the weeds allow).

Pike are all over the place. Just toss a spinnerbait around the weeds and weed flats and you'll pull in pike. They are putting the chow on right now and they really enjoy the windy days! All else fails, fish for pike to put a bend in the rod!

I'm feeling good about the way things are setting up. Weeds look nice in a lot of the lakes and the water temps will bump back up with the warm temps coming this week. It will be interesting to see how the reports come in throughout the next week or so.

Good luck out there and be safe!

[Rick]

Nice report Matt..looking forward to seeing your legendary pics

[aanderud]

 

Pike are all over the place. Just toss a spinnerbait around the weeds and weed flats and you'll pull in pike. They are putting the chow on right now and they really enjoy the windy days! All else fails, fish for pike to put a bend in the rod!

 

​Matt, that's a good point about the pike putting a bend in the rod if the bass aren't biting.  I followed that similar line of thinking the other day when my son and I were finding walleye harder to come by mid-day, and we switched to smallies -- they were willing to bite, and he had a blast reeling those guys in (maybe more than the walleyes even)!  I'm not picky on species, that's for sure -- whatever bends the rod the most at the time works for me. 

[Matt Johnson]

Once things get hot and the water warms in the summer months, that doesn't mean you need to stop targeting panfish. The bite can indeed be "hot" during the summer months. Here's an article I put together to go over a few ideas...

Dog Day Panfish - CLICK HERE

Enjoy!

[SkunkedAgain]

Up north the walleye have switch from minnows to leeches and now crawlers. Does anyone have a sense of the general walleye bait preference right now on metro lakes?

[Matt Johnson]

SkunkedAgain,

I have not spent a ton of time fishing walleyes lately, however, the reports I'm hearing are that leeches are indeed catching fish on the weed lines in the Metro. And also like you mentioned above, pulling crawlers on spinning rigs are catching fish too. A handful of anglers are starting to pull cranks too... Salmo Hornets have been good.  The few walleyes I've caught recently have either come from fishing crappies or drop-shotting for bass on the outside weed lines. Nothing consistent though...

[expl]

Been pulling cranks shallow and geting walleyes.Most every weedbed I encounter has alot of small baitfish in or around them.Seems like whatever shallow running lure I use gets hit hard.I havnt tried leeches or crawlers,too many pesky bluegills and I have even caught a few of them on #11 floating rapalas.

[gopher19]

What time a day has been best for eyes?

[Matt Johnson]

We caught some walleyes the other day around noon-2pm... must have been lunch time for them

And like expl mentioned, they were all weed-focused in 7-10 feet of water. And yes, definitely a lot of baitfish in the shallow weeds right now, so we were pitching small jigs with minnow baits (Mister Twister VIE Shiner). Worked well for good "eater" fish... nothing was over 18" but had some decent numbers...

Otherwise the crappies are staging in those same weeds right now too, biting on the same presentations, so it makes it fun. No need for a bobber, just pitch the jig into the areas where the weeds begin to thin out (towards deeper water) and make sure there are still weeds present. It was consistent on a couple different lakes in the Chisago area, as well as on Lake Minnetonka...

As far as bass go, we've moved out to the weed lines and even some of the deeper rocks already... they are finding themselves already relating to their summer patterns and that seems to be consistent where ever I go. Still some fish up around docks, but the schools of fish seemed to have moved out... jig worms and drop-shots mostly... the crankbait will get a workout this week for a little while too...

[monstermoose78]

Same thing I found in the Princeton area Matt. 

[expl]

Time of day for me has been allover the clock.One day its 6a.m and another its 11a.m.I guess it just depends on when they decide to eat and Im there.A few weeks ago the bite was consistently late-midnight and later.Then again I was sleeping during the day so the day bite could have been goin on also.I have been going out at all different times this week so far and havnt pinned down any better areas or times.The bite just seems so random,the other day I caught a few in a spot I was doing well at a few weeks ago but hadnt caught any at for quite awhile.

[Matt Johnson]

Fishing was pretty consistent over the last several days. A lot of fish relating to main lake structure and outside weed lines... this goes for bass, pike, walleye, panfish... all species really. Caught a lot of fish in the 7-10 foot range, mainly where weeds were present. Also nabbed quite a few bass in 12-15 feet too, some even as far out as 24 feet if rocks were present.  Seems like the fish in the shallows were more sporadic, but the deeper fish were definitely more schooled up and easier (more consistent) to catch.

Bass were biting on drop-shots and jig worms. Drop-shotting mid-size worms and shaky worms (Mister Twister Poc' Phenom and Poc' Shake'R worms). Jig worms were similar in style... Poc' Phenom and also Comidas (with an inch bit off). Didn't have to use a ton of "weedless" jig heads either, used a lot of mushroom heads when jig worming this weekend... didn't have to pitch into the "thick" stuff...

The panfish were all in that 7-10 foot range right where the weeds would sparse out or else in the pockets of heavier cover. Crappies and sunfish, but the crappies were definitely king this weekend for aggressiveness. 1/16oz jigs with twister tails and/or soft plastic minnow baits. No need for a bobber, just watch your line for any movement and the fish were on it

Walleyes were outside weed focused too, also a couple on the deeper rocks (smaller fish). Eater fish and better size fish were relating to the weeds for us. Same spots at the panfish to be honest, even nabbed a few on the panfish presentations. Didn't focus a lot on walleyes so never pulled any live bait for them to see what the bite was really like, just picked up a handful while targeting panfish/bass...

Looks like the weather is going to be nice this week with some temps in the 70s and then moving into the 80s... expecting a consistent pattern and looking forward to chasing down more bass... maybe throw some crankbaits this week!

Good luck out there and hopefully everyone had a nice holiday weekend!

[Matt Johnson]

Panfish continue to relate to the weeds, but more so along deeper edges now. Found a lot of fish in 13-18 feet on drop-shot rigs. Crappies and sunfish. There are certainly fish up shallower and in the weeds, but the milfoil on the lakes I've been fishing has come in thick. Seems like the school of better-size fish is out deeper as of late. They are sitting in the bottom water column and seem pretty eager to bite. Just look for a bend in the weed line or a large underwater point, hump... some sort of structure... and the fish are relating to it.

For the presentation... I've been using #6 VMC SpinShot hooks with 1/8oz (or smaller if possible) drop weights, dropper line is between 15-20" or so. Then I tip those hooks with either small Twister tails or minnows baits. 4-6# test line. Works great for all panfish species... oh, and the walleyes are eating them on occasion too

Definitely a fun and easy way to fish. I've also noticed that I've catching more on drop-shots then straight lining a jig... must be the absent of weight that the fish like, and the specific action that the "flicking" presentation gives off... I plan to drop-shot more panfish tomorrow and Friday...

Same technique has been dynamite for the bass too, but just with larger sizes.  We've been doing very well on the bass with drop-shots, both for numbers and size. All outside weed line or in the sparse weeds (where applicable). Using 1/0 SpinShot hooks and the weight needed to stay down. Tipping them with Mister Twister Poc'it Shake'R or Phenom. Also caught some fish on spinnerbaits, cranks and of course flipping the foil... but I prefer the drop-shot lately if we can get away with it. A couple big fish on docks too, but that will hold consistent...

[Matt Johnson]

Water temps are definitely warming up! Best bites (as you can guess) are the first few hours of light... namely 6-9am or so. Otherwise we've been turning to deeper water during the day, or areas with shade/cover... thick weeds, deep weed edges, docks, over-hanging trees, etc. Hard bottom spots in the weeds are excellent places to look too... holds cooler water and also forage. However, if you're a shallow water angler then make sure to be out there early, otherwise the bite gradually becomes more difficult as the sun gets higher.

Regardless of the time you hit the water, make sure to key on deeper weed lines and offshore structure. Deep points that drop into the basin are good, same with isolated humps and reefs. A lot of these main lake spots are holding fish throughout the day, even during the "hot" hours of the afternoon. Be prepared to fish in the weeds or very tight to the weeds. If you're targeting bass then be ready to flip jigs into the "thick" stuff or work deep weed lines and rock piles. If you're targeting walleyes then be ready to pull baits or jig out in deeper water. If you're targeting panfish then be prepared to drop baits through heavy weeds (pockets) and along outside weed lines. Properly equip yourself with the weight amount of weight for the job... making sure you stay down where the fish are and have the most feel. This is a big reason I've been drop-shotting a lot more lately... the wind has not allowed me to fish the way I want out over these spots... so I've been fishing heavier dropper weights on the drop-shots, which still allows me to present the right presentation no matter the conditions.

Dead-sticking for a variety of species has worked well too. Sometimes patience can be key.

We've found fish up against shaded shorelines too, so if you absolutely have to fish shallow, make sure to look towards shaded shorelines and dock lines... panfish and bass are both there. The pike and walleyes have move out however. Trolling crankbaits has worked for both... outside weed lines and main lake deep points. Salmo Hornets are a tough one to beat if you're looking to catch "whatever bites"... cast or troll... fun way to fish...

Looks like the warm weather is going to continue. Make to bring your sunscreen this week and be safe out there!

[Matt Johnson]

Had a great week of fishing and hit a handful of lakes... even some in Wisconsin... yea, yea, I know... sorry guys

Found a similar pattern allover, where the fish were relating to deep weed lines and mainlake structure. Caught most of our bass on drop-shot rigs or weighted wacky worms. Definitely had to slow down at times to get the bites... sometimes "dragging" the bait ever-so slightly. Water temps actually cooled off a little, finding a lot of 76-78 degrees and not so much in the 80s (surface temp). Fish were really (tightly) schooled up too. Not uncommon to pull multiple fish from the same area/spot without having to make much of a move.

We caught most of the fish on finesse worms, both curly tailed and straight tailed. The Mister Twister Poc'it Phenom and Poc'it Shake'R were the two top producers. Then the Mister Twister Comida for the wacky rigs. We did punch the milfoil for a little while but the deep weed bite seemed to produce a lot better for us, for size of fish too. A couple fish came on spinnerbaits and crankbaits, but the "finesse" fishing is what took the cake for the most part.

The panfish were allover the deep weed lines too. Easy to find and catch, just deploy a smaller version of the drop-shot rig and wham! Sunfish and crappies were relating to similar structure, although we did have to be in the weeds to catch more of the crappies, they were definitely relating to the weeds a lot more than the sunfish... the sunfish were slightly off the weeds and using the bottom 1/3 of the water column.

Oh, and the pike were allover... broke off A LOT the last several days, LOL.

And last.... I managed to set a new PB yesterday with this 7lb 9oz tank!! ...

Measured 22 7/8" and the profile on this fish was amazing! Also boated one over 6 and one over 5 yesterday as well... figured we would have seen a 27# bag for five fish! Truly an epic day I will never forget! And yes, the fish is still swimming... replica to follow shortly!

Enjoy the weather and cooler temps and good luck out there!