Bemidji, Black Duck & Upper Red Lake Area Reports 12/21/08

[Tabers]

Bemidji Area Lakes
 
All lakes are drivable with 11-16” of ice (use your own best judgment)--except Lake Bemidji which has 9-16”.  Looking at a good foot of snow or so on most of these lakes.
 
Lake Bemidji
South end is drivable and for all other accesses some are driving and others are 4-wheeling or snowmobiling)  Use your own judgment--what you’re comfortable driving on.
Great night bite for walleye, dead-sticking with a larger minnow  (14-22’),  Awesome perch day bite (22-26’) with people finding smaller numbers of jumbo perch 10’ and less.  Good numbers of perch being caught using a larger jig or spoon tipped with a Fathead minnow.
 
Lake Plantagenet
Perch are being found mixed with walleyes during the day fishing from 14-26’ using a glow jig tipped with a Spot Tail Shiner or Fathead minnow.  Good nighttime walleye bite with glow jigs tipped with Golden or Emerald Shiners producing better results than the Fatheads. 
 
Turtle Lake
Good evening bite using a Buckshot jig tipped with a fathead minnow.  Don’t expect much during the day. 
 
Turtle River
A few crappies being caught—be cautious when driving due to springs. 
 
Blackduck
Perch bite is slow—walleye bite is OK but fish are on the smaller end. 
 
Pike Bay
Lots of perch being caught (deeper than 20’) and you’ll need to weed through them for the keepers.

Upper Red Lake
 
Big trucks are driving everywhere.  Walleye fishing above average both to the east and to the south.  Glow jigs tipped with Fatheads or Emerald shiners.  Dead-sticking seems to be producing the best results.  Walleyes are being marked and 8 out of 10 times they end up hitting the dead stick.  People are finding walleyes at 8-13’.  Crappies—GOOD LUCK--you may get a few on the north end.

Be safe out there.  Keep a tight line! 
 
Ron--Taber’s Bait, Bemidji MN