Big Pine Fishing Reports

[fishing4fun]

I'm going to be on Big Pine for the first time ever over Memorial Weekend. I'll be up with wife and kids, just hanging at a friends cabin. My fiend has no boat, so I'm pulling mine up. So just wondering if there are any dangerous areas. Don't want to wreck my prop on maden voyage. And also wandering what the walleyes are doing on a lake like this. Is it a fairly clear body of water, or stained. Can I catch fish during the day or only low light times. Any info, would be nice. I don't want your secret spots just some general info. Even panfish info for the kids, although my kids can catch walleyes with most adults. They still like to catch panfish when the eyes are finicky.....

Thanks

 

[smduke]

Your pretty safe on navigation on Big pine not much to hit. Unfortunately a lot of the locals up there seem to be insecure and think that everyone is going to catch more than them so I doubt you will get any information out of them. I can tell you that shallow running floating rapalas works over the weeds. good luck

[bak2MN]

I fish the lake every weekend and it all depends. I fish a lot of live bait along the break lines or on the humps and bumps. And like smduke said raps above the weeds has produced fish all day long at times. Pm me if you want more info.

[fishing4fun]

I love those replies.... I fish SD lakes mostly and that's about all I do, is cast Raps. And my boys will like that also. Thanks for the help. I hope to floating my boat Saturday by 4:00. We'll see what works.

[fishing4fun]

Thanks for the help finding the walleyes..... We even found a record breaking sheepshead! Check this thing out. 35"X31" girth.

[bak2MN]

That thing is a beast man. How you guys end up fish wise?

[IceHawk]

Love the sheepie!

[fishing4fun]

We ended up catching 23 walleyes, 15" being the smallest, 24" the biggest. Most fish were 19-21". And I was a bone head, I thought there was a slot on the lake from 18-26". But I guess that was done a couple years ago. So we ended up on cleaning 4 fish. All in all, it was a good trip.

Thanks

[bak2MN]

I think the slot is still on the lake. Hmmm will have to read the regs again.

[Rdubs44]

Big and Little Pine require a slot limit for walleyes.

[dankwalleye]

Anyone have any luck lately. We might be heading up there this weekend to try catch a few.   Is the shiner bite still going on or have the eyes moved deep to deep contours or sunkin humps

[gp13581]

Sounds like the wall eyes are hitting.  

[bak2MN]

Landed 17 nice keepers and 15 crappies last weekend. Starting to pick up some lately

[Live4fishing&hunting]

Does anyone know of some good places to ice fish on big pine lake for sunfish and walleyes

Edited November 24, 2018 by Live4fishing&hunting
I didnt pit the right word in

[Chill62]

I have been fishing big pine the last 3 years for ice fishing and have landed 2 walleyes all within slot and have never caught a sunfish through the ice.  During the winter I target the crappies and they tend to stay in deeper basins or holes on the lake.  Neighbor said there was 7 inches of ice 100 yards off of shore on the north end.  He didn't go out any further to check further out.  I haven't been to the lake in a few weeks to fish because it did freeze over late.

[Chill62]

Saw a report from the weekend that someone dropped the rear end of their side by side through the ice on Big Pine.  Looks like it's off of Squaw Point on the east side.  Says they were crossing a pressure ridge.  Thankfully no one was hurt and it didn't drop all the way through.  Vehicle fell through at the access by Frazee Saturday afternoon/evening, last week a side by side went through by Fergus Falls.  People need to know the route they are driving before just assuming the ice is safe.

[paydayy25]

Fished Big Pine last night and this AM. Measured 13'' of ice about a mile south of the Grandview access. 

 

Caught a handful of small walleyes (12'' and under) between 3:30 P.M. and 5 P.M. with the occasional northern pike mixed in. Its been slow fishing but ice conditions are good on my side of the lake with the exception of an small ridge coming straight off the point of the access and a small crack running along the south shoreline of the lake starting near the access.

 

 

Tight Lines! 

[Chill62]

Thanks for the report...Hoping to get out there sunday or Monday

[Bmann]

Been seeing the same thing on Big, piles of small fish (down to like 6 or 7 inch biters) during the sunset hour.  Starting to feel a bit like Ottertail out there! Flashers will keep you entertained anyway, marking fish pretty much non stop.

[Chill62]

Anyone know how the road on the north side of the lake is doing after the last weekends storm?  I had technical issues on Sunday getting my house off then the storm hit me.  I was hoping to get out saturday morning and getting it taken off but am curious if it's been hit with a plow or if anyone has driven out since Sunday.

[Chill62]

Took the ranger out Saturday morning and sorta plowed going from North Access out to Crappie village.  Few other houses were still out there when I went in pulling ours but didn't see any activity.  Didn't hit any slush along the road so that's still a good thing!

[Dshee35]

Hey I’ve been summer fishing big pine the last 2 years now and can’t ever seem to get on the walleye bite any tips on catching them this summer 

[Chill62]

Welcome to the page...Our cabin is on the North side.  I see lots of guys fishing lots of techniques but I have only used a jig and minnow (shiner/fat head) on the weed edges or plain hook Lindy rig pulling a Shiner or Leech (no luck with crawlers other than perch).  I'm not a ripping rap fan but I see lots doing that and I'd like to try it but right now I haven't ever used it.  Find the weed lines and troll them.  Slow and steady wins the race with me.  After weeds get up a few feet fish will start going to the deeper breaks/first structure from shore.  Find sunken islands/points/breaks off of the shore line and don't be afraid to be on top in 7 feet of water and don't be afraid to be 35 feet around the base of the island.  Your graph will tell you where you need to start before putting a line down.  Last summer our best presentation was a 6 foot long leader of 6# fluorocarbon line with a snell hook 2 or 4# depending on bait being used with 1 green soft glow bead.  Seems too simple to be efficient but it worked greatly.  It was a major leech bite last summer and I'd expect the same again this summer.  Around June 1st I expect a 50/50 bite of leeches/minnows but by June 7th I expect majority switching to leeches.  Please note Gene's Sports Shop in Perham does sell leeches by the pound and please support our local bait shop they are awesome guys!  Boats were next to us last year using same thing except line was 10+ pound test and they were not getting fish, I retied rigs for them using same hook and bead and instantly started producing fish.  Remember the slot out there and I think it's 18-26, I get that and Lida mixed up I think Lida is 17-26 and last year there were tons of nice eater eyes through the whole season.  

 

With all that information stated above Big Pine and I have a love hate relationship.  Before last year I was ready to find a different lake because after they left the shoreline spots I couldn't find them.  It can be very trying lake.  Do Not be afraid to move around and stay mobile.  Lots say the lake shuts down after sun gets up...we got a lot of fish last year after 8 am.  We'd have breakfast then go out fishing as everyone was coming off mad they couldn't find fish.  There were a lot of Sheeps Head/Freshwater Drum last year and they loved the Crawlers.  I spent lots of money on crawlers and gave up on them because I was tired of the drum!  Also I don't use spinners and it's been YEARS since I even bought one.

 

Good Luck and again welcome to the page!  I'll hopefully post more posts when I have actual time to get out and fish and not so busy with work!

 

Tight Lines!

[BGWalleye93]

Wondering how the bite is going on Big pine so far this year? Anyone finding any walleyes? Gunna try the lake out tomorrow and this weekend in hopes of getting something out together. Never fished for walleye on big pine just pike when I was younger. If anybody has an useful info I’d greatly appreciate it!