Outdoors Weekly updated fishing report

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Minnesota's Statewide Fishing Report - Updated Weekly

March 31, 2006
 
ALEXANDRIA ? Christopherson?s Bait & Tackle, Dana Freese, 2 blocks east of Big Ole, (320-763-3255) A few anglers going out on the chain with Darling the hottest bite. Some crappies and bluegills have been on the outside edge of the shallow bays as the fish stage. Start in 10-15 feet of water and work shallower with a small ice fly and waxie or eurolarvae.

ANNANDALE - B.J.?s Bait & Tackle, Bill, west side of Clearwater Lake, between the two public accesses (320-274-3730) We will reopen at ice-out.

ANOKA ? Action?s Fishing, Jack, 809 West Hwy 10 (763-422-4890)We will reopen at ice-out.

BATTLE LAKE ? Ben?s Bait & Tackle, Josie, Junction of Hwy 78 and 210 (218-864-5596) Anglers doing well on West Battle. Sunfish during the day with the crappies kicking in at around 5:30 p.m. On the flats in front of shoreline on the west side of the lake. Sunfish are in about 8-10 feet of water. Greens and chartreuses the best colors. A few perch on Ottertail on the flats, fatheads and small jigs best bait. Tullibees on Star and Pickeral, also Molly Stark. Still driving on Battle Lake but that might change over the next week. Check before you head out.

BEMIDJI ? Bluewater Bait & Sports, Mark Cook, 1 mile north of the Hwy 2 & 71 Intersection (218-444-2248) Good ice on area lakes, shorelines starting to get soft. Perch bite good starting to move in shallow on Lake Bemidji and smaller lakes in the area. Also panfish bite has been good for sunfish during the day and crappies towards evening. Smaller bodies of water will see ice conditions deteriorate fast as the temp warms up.

BIG STONE ? Bud?s Bait & Tackle, Greg or Jim Rasset (320-839-2480) Not much angling action this past week. Most anglers are looking forward to ice-out and the gamefish border water opener on April 29.

BLACKDUCK - Timberline Sport & Tackle, Carl Adams, Junction of Hwy 71 and Blackduck Lake Rd (218-835-4636) Could be the last week of driving, warm weather should soften shorelines. Blackduck perch bite is going around 20 feet. Good bite in 14 feet on Red Lake. More anglers heading north to the Rainy as the ice just opened last week.Area panfish lakes are starting to produce good catches of sunfish.

BRAINERD LAKES AREA ? Brainerd Guide Service, John Blong (218-825-8965) The warm weather has removed much of the snow in the Brainerd Lakes area, but there?s still a few weeks of ice fishing left. The sunfish have kicked in on many of the smaller lakes in the area. Key locations have been in 6-8 feet of water, right in the weeds. Small ice jigs, tipped with waxworms, have been the best bait. Don?t be surprised if you catch a few bonus crappies in the process. If the current weather pattern holds, we should start seeing dark ice within the next week, or so.

CHISAGO CITY ? Frankie?s Live Bait and Marine, Brad, Corner of Hwy 8 and Co Rd 77 (651-257-6334) Stop and see us at the Northwest Sportshow!

CROSSLAKE - Holiday of Cross Lake, Lee (218-692-2708) Eagle and Kego producing panfish and crappies in 16-20 feet of water. Greer and Donnely producing some nice sunnies on waxworms and small jigs.

DETROIT LAKES - Dick Beardsley?s Guide Service (218-846-9230) Like last week, not a lot of folks out ice fishing but there have been some heading to the Rainy River to get in some open water walleye fishing! There has been a pretty decent tullibee bite going early in the day on Pelican Lake. Rose, Long and Sallie are also kicking out some tullibies. Little Detroit, Cotton, Prairie, Toad and Round are producing bluegills during the day and a few crappies in the late afternoon/evening. The ice is still in pretty good shape, but we are supposed to get some rain this week and once that ice starts to go it won?t take long!

DULUTH - Fisherman?s Corner, Scott, 7 miles north of Miller Mall on Hwy 53 (218-729-5369) North Shore anglers catching some fish as rivers starting to break up. Kamloop bite best near the Lester and on up the shore. Coho bite good out in the Lake as well. Lake Leora reports a few decent crappie catches. Pike Lake perch bite is good in 25 feet of water.

DULUTH - Marine General, 1501 London Road, on the edge of Lake Superior (218-724-8833) Crappies biting on Island Lake. Bluegills hitting on Caribou and Nichols lakes. Pike Lake perch in 20-25 feet of water on mayfly wigglers and crappie minnows fishing 6 inches off the bottom. Cohos hitting by the Lester on looper bugs and crawlers.

EDEN VALLEY ? Mike?s Bait & Tackle, Mike, right off Hwy 55 (320-453-2248) Anglers are catching sunfish on Koronis and few on Rice. Try Cedar Island for crappies and sunfish. Catfish are active on the Chain. Call for ice conditions.

GRAND RAPIDS - Rapids Tackle, Don Wendt, 2 blocks west of Jerry?s Liquor Warehouse (218-326-9838) Have heard a few reports of perch off High Banks. There has been some perch taken from Pokegama around the Tioga landing area, try around 20 feet. Rice and Sugar Lakes are still producing smaller crappies.

GREY EAGLE - Nancy?s Bait & Tackle, Rex, on CR 2, four miles east of the Rock Tavern on Big Birch Lake, four miles west of Upsala (320-285-2405) Sunfish in shallower water. Crappie bite still best Big Birch and Big Swan. Lowlight hours best for crappies, sunfish hitting mid-day. Little Birch and Big Sauk have produced a few tullibees.

HACKENSACK - Swanson?s Bait & Tackle, Jim Tuller, Hwy 371 on the north end of Hackensack (218-675-6176) Shingobee Bay sunfish and crappie bite has started. Woman Lake panfish bite also on. Ice conditions are rough around shore and there is water on the ice in some spots. ATV or snowmobile travel is recommended. The tullibee bite is non-existent on Leech Lake again this year, but the sunfish and crappie bite has taken up some of the slack.

KABETOGAMA-NAMAKAN ? Gateway Store, US Hwy 53 & CO Rd 122, 30 miles south of Int?l Falls-Canadian border, Phil Hart (218-875-2121) Angling this past week was weather perfect, cool, yet sunny, very moderate temperatures. The best bite this week goes to crappies and perch. Northern pike in Namakan/Sand Point slowed some, and lacked angler?s attention. Crappie fisherman were at the channels and in many bays throughout Namakan and Sand Point. A few slabs caught along with more average fish. Not a lot of full limits, but most anglers were able to ice a few for dinner. Minnows, the best bait by far used with plain hook, small jigs or small tubes. Ice appears plenty safe for the short term at least. I saw lots of sun and wind burn faces so a little lotion on the face might be advised.

LAKE OF THE WOODS ?Area Tourism Bureau, Jane, near junction of Hwy 11 and Hwy 172 in Baudette (1-800-382-FISH) Walleye season here runs to April 14th, and if you?re really feeling up to it, you can fish the ice and open water in the same day. With a solid 20-24 inches of ice and about a foot of snow on the lake, ice anglers are still finding plenty of space to set up their portables. Walleyes are biting in 26-28 feet of water during the day, and in 12-16 feet in the morning and evening. Afternoons have been reported as better than mornings, and small jigs with small minnows close to the bottom seem to be doing the trick. Action near the reefs has been better lately than the sand and mud flats, with the areas around Pine Island showing some large walleye as they move up to the river. Northern are biting well in Zippel and Four Mile Bay, along with some good reports from Swift Ditch. Open water has been reported on the Rainy River west as far as Clementson, with the bay still frozen over. Birchdale is open shore to shore, and the double ramp has been plowed off, making it ready for boats of all sizes. Frontier and Vidas Landings have open water, and are ready for small boats. Water clarity remains good, and with weather forecasts predicting highs in the mid to upper 40?s we should experience a nice slow melt, keeping the river from mudding up before the season is over. As of early in the week, the water temperature is reported at 38 degrees. Anglers on the river are reporting that most techniques are producing well, and 3/8-ounce jigs and rainbow minnows are bringing in steady action, with many boats reporting 40 to 50 fish caught during a day of drifting.

LEECH LAKE ? Anderson?s Resorts, Tim (1-800-516-0077) On Leech Lake, try Shingobee Bay for crappies and bluegills in 12-14 feet of water. Perch action reported in 10 feet of water near Stoney Point using jigging spoons and minnow heads.

MANKATO ? The Bobber Shop, North Riverfront Drive (507-625-8228) Ice conditions hit or miss near the landings. Panfish on Washington has been the only action reported this week. Anglers looking forward to the ice-out panfish bite.

MILLE LACS ? Lundeen?s Tackle Castle, Bill Lundeen, Onamia (320-532-3416) We will be open on a limited basis through April - if the lights are on, come on in! The perch bite has slowed from where we saw it earlier in the month - some decent catches are still coming in here and there, but the ?hunt? is definitely on. Vineland Bay and Agate Reef are good starting spots Tullibee are still scarce. Access conditions are beginning to deteriorate, so be sure to use caution. We still see some limited vehicle traffic, but ATV?s are most common. There is no snow on the ice. The walleye and northern pike seasons are closed. The 2006 opener is May 13.

MONTEVIDEO ? DJ?s Sporting Goods, Jon Dahlvang, east Hwy 7, south side of Hwy, (320-269-7265) Very slow reports. A few anglers walking out, but not too many.

NISSWA - Dave?s Sportland Bait & Tackle, Jason, 2 miles south of Nisswa at the Intersection of Hwy 371 and Cty Rd 77, next to Schaefer?s Foods (218-963-2401) We are still waiting for the crappies to hit their spring feeding binge. So far it has been very sporadic, but it was better this week compared to last. A few crappies are starting to move out of the deep holes. They are in transition to the shallow weed flats. Sunfish have been biting very good in recent days. They are running on the small side. A scattered crappie is being caught along with the sunnies. For best results use a small ice jig tipped with a waxworm. Some good lakes are Round, North Long, Nisswa and Margaret. Open water is right around the corner, time to start getting the gear ready. If you can't wait, hook on the boat and hit one of the rivers. See you down at the Northwest Sportshow.

PARK RAPIDS ? Delaney?s Sport Center, Kevin, East 1st St (218-732-4281) Bluegillls best on Fish Hook in 14 feet of water with waxworms. Also try Upper Twin for panfish. Crappies going on Island Lake in 30 feet suspended in 20 feet. Big Mantrap also a good choice. Anglers are still driving vehicles out as of this week. Call for current ice conditions.

PELICAN RAPIDS ? Park Region Sport Shop, Lee Brenna, Intersection of Interstate 59 and 108 in downtown Pelican Rapids (800-962-8553) Anglers still going out, with Prairie Lake best sunfish bet right now. Start in 12 feet of water with a small jig and a waxworm. Ice is starting to soften, so use caution. Tullibees are going good right now on Star and other lakes. Check in for an up-to-date report.

RAINY LAKE ? Rainy Lake Tourism (1-800-FALLS-MN) There are still ice anglers finding a few walleye, most in 30 feet of water with minnows on light jigs. Rainy River spring fishing season is in swing. There are launches above the Dam near International Falls and below the dam and there are numerous launches down the river valley. You may legally fish between now and April 14th on the International Waters and the aggregate walleye/sauger possession limit is two. All walleye/sauger over 19.5 inches must be released. Northern pike season remains open with a possession limit of three, with only one over 40 inches. All northern pike between 30 and 40 inches are to be immediately released.

RED WING ? Four Seasons Sport Shop, 2301 W Main St (651-388-4334) Anglers are catching walleyes and saugers between Covel Park and the dam. The first cut is doing real well. Good size walleyes, with one 11.5-pounder reported. Catching 19- to 20-inch saugers and some smaller ones mixed in. Try a jig and a minnow or a grub.

SAINT CLOUD ? Corky?s Gas & Bait , Main Street in Rockville (320-251-1567) Panfish are hitting. Pearl is doing well, but you'll have to sort through them. Waxworms are the ticket. Goodner's and Pleasant have been so-so. On Grand, the bite was hot, but shut down. Still ice out there, accesses beginning to wear away. Crappies spotty on Pearl, try crappie minnows in 18 feet of water. On other area lakes, try working in 22-25 feet.

SAINT CLOUD ? Stop Light Bait, Honest Don, 8th Avenue SE, St. Cloud (320-255-9689) Crappies biting on Little Sauk, Big Birch, Sugar and Rice lakes. For sunfish try Pearl Lake, North Long Lake and Sauk Lake. Perch bite is on and off at Little Rock and Mille Lacs. Anglers reporting good fishing on Rainy Lake.

SPICER - Mel?s Sportshop, Hwy 23 and Ruth Street (320-796-2000) We have ice fishing and open water at the same time. As of this writing there still is vehicle traffic on most lakes. The open water fishing is occurring on the south side of the Lake Koronis, below the outlet spillway. Catfish are biting with one reported over 8 pounds. Also, the outlet spillway of Lake Calhoun is giving up crappies, sunfish and perch. As for ice fishing, Lake Calhoun is still good for sunfish and crappies in 6-8 feet of water. Waxworms and glow hooks seem to be best. Games Lake, on the northeast corner, has been good for sunfish with the best bite in the morning. Also, an evening bite off of the 20-foot drops has cooled off, but Nest Lake seems to be heating up. With warm weather predicted, please use caution when traveling on area lakes, as the ice can deteriorate quickly.

STARBUCK - Minnewaska Bait, Larry Jensen, Hwy 29 near the Starbuck Marina (320-239-2239) Ice is still good, pulling away from the shore in some areas. Late season crappies on the Glenwood end and some sunfish action by the Fish Hatchery during the day.

WACONIA - Mase?s In Towne Marine, Cindy, corner of Lake and Elm (952-442-2096) Closed for the winter season! Stop by and see us in the spring!

WAYZATA - Wayzata Bait & Tackle, Tim or Bob, half mile west off I-494 on Hwy 12 (952-473-2227) Anglers waiting for open water, good time to buy your new license before the opening day rush. A few sunfish reported on Minnetonka and some crappie action on Lake Independence.

WINNIBIGOSHISH ? Walleye Visions, Tom Neustrom, 21622 Airport Rd, Grand Rapids (218-327-2312) Wow! I turned around and saw about 10-12 boats heading North and that only means one thing, the Rainy River is open for business. For me I have to miss the action this year for other commitments, like sport shows and vacations. This last week the perch fishing on Big Winnie seems to still be a little inconsistent, but there were a few anglers that did fairly well off the tip of Sugar Bar and about a mile east of Raven?s Point. Some of the fishermen have been toning down and fishing smaller minnows and waxworms. Again the fish are down there but they are not very interested. Moving around is the key to finding active fish. Now we get to a touchy subject. The ice will start to deteriorate, and will make travel tough in the next week or so. If we get any rain to go with it, the party is over for the winter. ATV?s may be your best bet in the next week, and call for ice conditions starting soon. Crappie fishing has been decent on Big Cutfoot in depths of 28-32 feet, and there has been a night bite on Bowstring. Be real careful out there and don?t forget the Northwest Sportshow and stop and see the mnfishingpros.com in booth #938. Let?s talk fishing and set up a trip in the Big Winnie area for the upcoming season.

? 2006 Outdoors Weekly Corporation
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