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Brainerd Fishing Report: 12-12-11
It's time to start
thinking about getting back into the fishing mode again. Mother
Nature has given us some good ice on many of the smaller lakes in
the area. The ice thickness varies from 6 to 9 inches on most of
the smaller lakes. The amount of ice on the larger lakes still
varies dramatically. It's still going to be a little while longer
before I feel safe driving a truck on Gull Lake. The crappies
have been biting well. Key locations have been the deep water
areas adjacent to prominate underwater points. Travel light and
bring a Vexilar. The current warm weather pattern has made great
conditions for standing on the ice. The walleye action will
improve once we get more access to the larger lakes. Give us a
call. Todd has been moving ice houses on the lake. Life is Good!
JOHN
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First Ice Walleye |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 11-30-11
It's the last day of
November and there's still plenty of open water in the Brainerd
Lakes Area. Thanks for all the open water guide calls but the
boats are in storage, or have been sold, for the year. (We might
have to rethink our open water fishing season next year if this
global warming trend continues!) I drove by several smaller lakes
in the area this evening and they all seemed to have a good layer
of ice. Too bad the bigger lakes like Gull and Round are still
wide open. I visited with Bob Johnson this afternoon and he's
ready to go again this yearwith darkhouse spearing. There should
have some new darkhouse spearing information up on the website by
the end of the week. I really would suggest you give this "old
school" Minnesota tradition a try. I took my kids out with Bob
several years ago and they're all hooked for life. The deer
hunting isn't over yet. Todd wandered south to Nebraska last week
for a little "plains" hunting. His efforts were rewarded with a
typical "Nebraska 8". Life is Good!
JOHN
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Todd's Nebraska Buck |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 11-12-11
The deer processing
is over! I've got the last batch of jerky in the
dehydrator and there's a few steaks marinating in the frig for
the grill tomorrow night. The workshop smells like a smokehouse. I
just love that smell! **tip: Chill the rounds in the freezer before slicing them with the deli-wheel.
The meat will slice perfectly if it's chilled to the point where
it's just starting to crystallize. I hope everyone had a successful deer
season. I passed on deer hunting this morning so I could finish
up the last few items on the Honey-do list but my middle son,
Jake, and I are planning on hunting tomorrow.
We've got enough deer in the freezer, so we'll only be
pulling the trigger if the buck's got a really good set of
horns. One of our hunting party, Ben, pasted on a small fork chasing a doe this
afternoon. The moon will be full tonight so I'm sure the little
buck
will be chasing that poor doe all night long. I haven't been
fishing now for two weeks. The new boat is ordered and I'm hoping
it will be here by the end of January. I ordered it early so I wouldn't
risk missing the early season
crappie bite this year. I spent most of last March in the hospital and
then April and May lying on my back. ( I was in a bad snowmobile
accident on March 3rd that shattered my left hip and pelvis.)
There's no way I'm
not going to miss out on TWO crappie fishing seasons in a row!
Happy belated Veteran's Day. Thanks for your service. Life IS Good!
JOHN
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The boat is ordered! |
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2011 Minnesota Deer Hunt |
The Heavy Lifting Crew
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Daughter's First Deer! |
A bunch of future back straps |
Proud Young Hunter |
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 11-07-11
The first weekend of
the 2011 Minnesota deer hunting season is in the books. I hope
everyone had a great weekend. My daughter Kayla, age 10, shot her
first deer on Saturday evening. It was one of the best hunts of
my life. Kayla and I headed to the woods around 4pm and picked a
stand on the western edge of the property. We spent the next two
hours visiting and practicing finding targets with her scope.
(This was Kayla's first deer hunt). The time pasted quickly.
Before I knew it there was just 15 minutes of legal shooting time
left. I was starting think we weren't going to see a deer when a
nice doe appeared in a clearing about 125 yards south of the
stand. The doe was walking east. I whispered "deer" into Kayla's
ear. The doe continued east as Kayla tried desperately to find
the deer in her scope. Too late, the doe entered some brush
before Kayla could find it. There was another opening about 30
yards to the east. I told Kayla to find the opening with her
scope and wait. We were lucky, the doe entered the opening a few
seconds later and then stopped. I whispered, "squeeze the trigger
when you see its shoulders in the crosshairs." The little 243
rifle barked a few seconds later. "It seemed like a minute!" The
doe just dropped. I couldn't believe it. Kayla killed the doe in
its tracks. There was a lot of high fives over the next few
minutes. Kayla's big brother, Jake, was close enough to see the
whole thing. It was a great family moment. The doe field dressed
at 140 lbs. We didn't hunt on Sunday. We spent the day butchering
deer instead. Our group of five went 5 for 5 with 3 bucks and 2
does on Saturday. Life is good! My older son Tyler will be
hunting with us this coming weekend. If luck holds, maybe he'll
be able to fill his tag too. Shoot straight and be
safe!
JOHN
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Daughter's First Deer! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 10-31-11
Happy Halloween! I
really don't have much of a fishing report this week. I took a little break from
fishing and headed out to the Dakotas for a "little" duck
hunting instead. We had a few amazing hunts. I
guess I'll have to find a few more duck recipes in the weeks to
come. I hope everyone has their deer rifles sighted in. The Minnesota
deer firearm season starts this weekend. I'll be up north in Zone 1
hunting with
my kids and a few good hunting buddies over the next few weekends trying to
bag the big buck of the woods. Keep posted. I'll hopefully have
a few good deer pictures by next Monday. The open water
fishing season has come to an end. We'll be back at it
again by mid-April. We'll have our ice
houses out as soon as we can this winter but I don't think it
will be for at least another two months if the current warm
weather pattern holds. Thanks for all the business this year. It
was one of the best seasons we have ever had. Next year's boat is
already ordered! I'll be running another pro staff boat for
Ranger this coming year. It really is a sweet looking boat. I'll post a few
pictures when the boat comes in. Keep in touch. We'll be posting
hunting pictures over the next few weeks. Shoot straight and be
safe!
JOHN
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Wild Morning in the Field! |
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2011 Dakota Duck Hunt |
Unbelievable Hunt |
The Goose Hunters |
Another Great Hunt! |
First Evening Hunt in ND! |
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 10-23-11
The weather has been
absolutely beautiful these last few weeks. I can't remember a
week in October where the highs were in the 80's before. The two
best walleye lakes this last week were Pelican and Gull. The
warmer temperatures have pushed some of the walleye schools back
onto the weed edge. You definitely have to fish the walleyes where
you find them. The sonar is an invaluable tool right now. Use it
to locate schools before you start fishing. The winder days have
been producing the most action. The shallow fish have been bigger
but it takes a good 15-20 mph wind to get them going. The calmer
days have been slower but we've been able to catch limits to near
limits on most days. Key water depths have been in 10 to 14 feet
for the shallow fish and 30 to 35 feet for the deep fish. The
leaves are prime right now. Give us a call and we'll jig up a
mess of walleyes as we enjoy the fall colors. Thanks for the business.
JOHN
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Nice Mess of Walleyes |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 10-12-11
The weather has been
absolutely beautiful these last few weeks. I can't remember a
week in October where the highs were in the 80's before. The
warmer temperatures have pushed some walleye schools back into
the shallows. The sonar is an invaluable tool right now. Use it
to locate schools before you start fishing. You definitely have
to fish the walleyes where you find them when some of the schools
are deep and others shallow. The winder days have been producing
the most action. The shallow fish have been bigger but it takes a
good 15-20 mph wind to get them going. The calmer days have been
slower but we're still able to catch limits to near limits of
fish on most days. Gull and Pelican lakes have been the
best bets right now. Key water depths have been in 10 to 14 feet
for the shallow fish and 30 to 35 feet for the deep fish. The
leaves are prime right now. Give us a call and we'll jig up a
mess of walleyes as we enjoy the fall colors. Thanks for the business.
JOHN
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Mess of Calm Weather EYEs! |
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The Fall Leave Colors are Prime! |
Hold Em High! |
It's been Great Weather |
The Big ONE didn't get away! |
Limit of Walleyes! |
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 9-29-11
It might be close to
the end of September but one would never know it by the weather.
The high temperature today was 82 degrees. NICE! The walleye
fishing has been good this week. Pelican, North Long, and Gull
continue to be the best bets for walleye numbers and size. The
walleye schools are scattered. Some of the fish are shallow and
some are deep but they're all biters when you find them. A jig
tipped with a minnow is an effective bait at the moment. Pay
close attention to you depth finder. Some of the deeper fish have
been 3-4 feet off the bottom in some locations. Don't waste time
in these situations. Lift your jig a few feet off the bottom and
you should be rewarded with a healthy "thump". The big girls are
definitely on the feed. Smaller baits might catch a few more fish
but the larger baits have been the ticket for catching trophies.
Don't be afraid to fish with larger 5 to 6 inch redtails. This is
your chance to catch a fish of a lifetime. I took a little break
from fishing last weekend and spent a couple afternoons jump
shooting ducks with my son Jake. (The weather was better than my
shooting) Check back soon. I still have lots more pics to post
from this week. Thanks for the business.
JOHN
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Nice Deep Water Walleye |
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Opening Weekend for Ducks 2011
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Jump Shooting Time
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Saturday Afternoon |
Nice Wood duck
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Sunday Afternoon
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 9-21-11
Where has September
gone??? It was just a blur this year. The walleye action was good this whole month. Pelican, North Long, Gull, and Round are
producing good walleye numbers and size right now. It's just too bad
September can't last another month or two. (Three would be even
better!) The weather, with the exception of last weekend's big cold front, has been nice. It
won't be long before we start seeing the good fall colors show
up. The majority of the
walleyes have started to fall off the weedlines and they are
beginning
to relate in the classic fall spots. Search out steep breaks that
provide access to deeper water. The walleyes will spend the
daylight hours in the deeper water and then move up into the
shallows as the sun starts to set. Good daytime depths have been
in 24 to 40 feet of water. Lindy rigging with chubs has been
equally as effective as jigging with shinner minnows. Just
remember to use the lightest jig you can get away with for the
given wind conditions. (You'll hook more fish!) We've been using
1/4 oz jigs on calmer days and up 1/2 oz on the windiest days. Several of the above lakes have
a real good night bite going on right now. Trolling cranks in 6
to 8 feet of water has been very effective after dark. Thanks for
the wonderful summer. Here's to October!!
JOHN
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The Walleye Bite is ON! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 8-31-11
Happy anniversary! I
didn't forget. Twenty-six years sure flies by fast. The week was
a busy one in the Brainerd Lakes area. The walleye bite is
definitely on. Gull, North Long, Pelican, and the Whitefish Chain
continued to kick out walleyes. The key locations are just
outside the weeds. I expect the walleyes to start dropping deeper
in the near future. It has been great run-n-gun action. Don't too
much time on any one school. There's more fish showing up outside
the weeds everyday. The best bait right now for the walleyes
continues to be minnows. Don't forget the bass! We had several
great afternoons this week where we just pounded the bass. The
bigger bass are vulnerable right now so please practice catch and
release with these bigger fish. Life is good! Got to run! Thanks
everyone for the great fun in the boat this week. Check
back soon. I still have lots more pictures to post from this week
and the previous. Thanks again for the business.
JOHN
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That's a BIG Bass! |
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The Walleyes are BITING!
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A Bunch of "eyes"
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A Bigger Bunch!
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Invite the Neighbors!
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Another Fish Fry
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Bonus Bass Action
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 8-23-11
The walleye bite was
good this week on Gull Lake, North Long, Pelican, and the Whitefish
Chain. The best locations were wind blown points. The best baits
were redtail chubs. The walleye bite was the strongest in the
mornings. Key water depths were 15 to 20 feet. I spent the week
fishing walleyes in the mornings. I fished bass & pike in the
afternoons. Walleye limits were common this week. The big pike action is
starting to slow. The bass action, however, was fantastic. Key
water depths for bass were in 14 to 17 feet. The best baits were
jig & pig combos. Don't be afraid to use too big of a bait for
bass right now. The big girls are definitely on the feed. The smaller baits might catch a few more fish but the larger
baits have been the ticket for 3 to 6 pound bass. Check
back soon. I still have lots more pics to post from this week. Thanks again for the business.
JOHN
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The Walleye Bite is ON! |
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A Great Week for Walleyes, Bass, & Pike
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Walleye Limit & a Bonus Pike |
Limit of Eaters
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Great Afternoon
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26.5 incher released!
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Another Nice Bass
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A Double!
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A Bonus Pike!
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Nice First Walleye
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 8-16-11
The walleye action is
starting to heat up in the Brainerd Lakes Area. Pelican, North
Long, and Whitefish Lake all produced good numbers of "eyes" just
outside the weeds this week. The best action occurred on
overcast days when a moderate wind was present. Consistent wind
directions helped with fish location. I look for this walleye
pattern to only improve as we move closer to the end of August.
We had our best walleye luck using medium sized redtails tipped
on Lindy rigs. Hot water tip: Drop all live minnow baits as
quickly as you can through warmer surface waters. Redtails die
very quickly when held at the surface. Some minnows will die in
as little as 15 to 20 seconds in the heat of August. The local
bass action remains strong. We had one morning this week where we
broke the 100 fish mark. The majority of the bass are just off the
second weedline in 14 to 20 feet of water. The best baits were
jig/worm and jig/minnow combinations. I'm sure it will be a good time. Thanks again for the business.
JOHN
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Walleye Action is Picking Up! |
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A Great Week for Walleyes, Bass, & Pike
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The Battle is ON! |
SMILE!
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Great Afternoon
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100+ Bass Morning!
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 8-09-11
The bass fishing was
good this last week, both in numbers and in size. We had two
mornings this week where we broke the 100 fish mark in a four
hour span of bass fishing. The biggest bass of the week was just
over 5 lbs. The majority of the bass we caught we just off the
second weedline in 14 to 20 feet of water. The best baits were
jig/worm and jig/minnow combinations. The best tactic was to let
the bait drop slowly to the lower edge of the weeds before
starting the retrieve and then stopping half way back to let the
bait fall down to the bottom again. This tactic was exceptionally
useful when the winds were calm and the skies were clear.
The northern pike action was strong again this week. The largest
pike have been holding in 25 to 30 feet of water. Search out deep
water points with access to the main lake basin. These have been
big pike locations given the recent hot weather conditions. The
walleye action has been good the few opportunities when I've had
the chance to chase them in the last five days. We ended up
catching our limit in just under four hours of fishing this
morning. The walleyes were all holding in 18 to 20 feet of water.
We caught all off our fish this morning using creek chubs tipped
on a lindy rig. It's time for bed. I'm headed up to the Whitefish
Chain tomorrow for walleyes. I'm sure it will be a good time. Thanks again for the business.
JOHN
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That's a Big Bass! |
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A Great Week for Bass, & Pike
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Fun on the Lake |
Bonus Pike Action
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Batting Clean-up!
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Great Afternoon Action
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 8-03-11
The fishing was good
this week in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The walleye, bass, and
northern pike fishing were all good. The best walleye action
occurred on the Whitefish Chain. We had two good mornings this
week where we
caught walleye limits in 18 to 20 feet of water just outside the
weedline. The rest of my groups for the week were more interested in bass
fishing. (never fails) The bass action continues to be strong. The majority
of the bass
are now relating to the outside edges of deep water points. We had
several mornings where we broke the 60 mark for four
hours of fishing. The biggest bass of the week was just over 5
lbs. Weedless jigs tipped with "gulp" minnows accounted for
several of the nicest bass we boated. The northern pike bite
continues to be strong. The majority of the pike are still
relating to the tips of deep water points. Lindy rigs tipped with 5 inch sucker minnows
were the best baits for catching the pike relating to these deepwater locations. Sorry,
but we're booked
solid this week as well. Thanks for all the calls. We still
have (2) slots left open in the second
week of August if you're interested in fishing. Thanks again for the business.
JOHN
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Future Bass Master! |
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Good Week for Walleye, Bass, & Pike
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Johnny V's 29 incher
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This is how it's done
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Tulle's Second Big Fish
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Nice Big Bass Double!
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Great Afternoon Action
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Nice Walleye!
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Kiss the Bass Award
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 7-27-11
The Big Gator bite is
definitely on. We caught several nice pike this week that tipped that
scales well over 10 lbs. I spent most of the week fishing bass in
the mornings and then northern pike in the afternoons. The bass are
still holding on the second weedline and have started to move to
the sand grass flats. Jig/worm combos are still working well.
Good colors are blue fleck and red shad. Allow your baits to
settle to the bottom about half way back on your jig's retrieve
and you just might be rewarded with the solid "thump" of a hungry
bass. Sophie of the R.P. triplets used this method to effectively
boat over twenty bass herself one morning this week. The northern
pike have been holding outside the weed edge in 18 to 25 feet of
water. Jig & Minnow combos have been effective baits for the pike
in these locations. The Big Pike award for the week went to the
R.P's good family friend, Jeff. He managed to boat (2) fish over
14lbs in less than 30 minutes with his largest fish weighing in
at sixteen pounds! Thanks for all the calls. Sorry we're booked
solid this week. We still have a few slots left in the second
week of August. Thanks again for the business.
JOHN
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Daily Double Award! |
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Crazy Week for Big Gators
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Pike King Spencer
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Pike Queen Mattie
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Bass Princess Sophie
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Jeff's Second Pike
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 7-19-11
The bite is on!
Walleyes, bass, and pike; it's all been good this week. The best
walleye action has been coming from Gull Lake in 12 to 15 feet of
water. The best walleye locations have been wind blown edges
of major weed flats. Use your depth finder to locate the schools
before you stop to fish. Several days produced limits. We've had our best luck with creek chub
minnows fished on lindy rigs. The bass action has been improving
with each passing day. The water temps have finally reached into the
low 80's on a few of the smaller lakes and the bass have definitely
kicked into action. Many trips are producing 50 to 60 fish in a
half day of fishing. We
had our best luck this week fishing jig/worm combos on the second
break line in 14 to 17 feet of water. The one exception was a flat
calm foggy morning when the top water bite was simply out of this
world. Most of the bass were over 2 lbs and several tipped the
scales well
over 4 lbs. The hot water has also pushed the larger pike into
the deeper water. Don't be afraid to pull off the second weedline
in search of a fun battle with these toothy critters.
Thanks for all the calls. Sorry for the delay in posting
pictures. Early to rise, late to bed, it has been a very busy
week!
JOHN
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The Big Gators are Coming! |
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Good Week for Walleye, Bass, & Pike
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 7-12-11
The warmer temperatures have
finally returned to the Lakes Area. It sure was nice to see a string of
fours days with daytime highs in the lower 80's. The bass and
pike fishing were strong this week and should only
improve as the water temperatures continue to climb. We had several
mornings which produced 50 to 60 fish on four hour trips. The
majority of the bass are holding on the inside edge of the second
weedline. Jig/worm combos have been producing well. Key water
depths have been in 14 to 17 feet of water. The walleye
action was slow this week. I only spent a few hours searching for
"eyes" and the results weren't worth the time. I took
my two boys bow fishing this week and had a ball. It was the
first time I've ever tried it and the results were beyond my
expectations. Our aims weren't the best but we quickly caught on.
Our group took over 200 shots in just under 4 hours and we boated
around 40 fish. The biggest carp for the night was around 20 lbs.
We saw several carp that were pushing 30 lbs but failed to
connect. I can see why bow fishing is one of the fastest growing
sports in the Midwest. There was never a dull minute. We saw at
least one fish ever 3 to 4 minutes the entire time we were out.
We only hit 3 or 4 fish in the first hour. There is definitely a
learning curve to the sport, but all of my boys picked it up
after 20 to 30 shots. I know we could have harvested over 100
fish if we would have been shooting as effectively in the first
two hours as we did in the last hour. We had one string of 5 for
5 in the closing part of the trip. I know we'll be back to give
it another try soon. Give us a call if you're interested in
experiencing this new fishing adventure and we'll be happy to set
you up with the right people. See you next week.
JOHN
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The Bass Action is ON! |
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Crazy Night of Bow Fishing Carp & Suckers
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All Ready for Action
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We've got a Double!
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Perfect Smoker Fish
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Big Fish Award
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 7-05-11
I hope everyone had a
festive Fourth of July. The weather was absolutely beautiful this
last weekend in the Brainerd Lakes area. The bass action
continues to improve with the warmer weather. The bass have
finally started to move to the second weedline, but there are
still plenty of fish still in the shallows. The best bass action
has been coming from the smaller lakes in the area. The larger
lakes are still cooler then one would expect for this time of
year. Most of our bass action has been happening on jig worm
combos. The walleye action was slower towards the end of this
week, but we had several good days in the beginning that produced
some nice walleyes. The northern pike action remains strong with
the best action coming from North Long lake and the Whitefish
Chain. Key water depths for the toothy critters have been in 12
to 16 fow. The sunfish are still in the weeds and have yet to
drop out into deeper water. We could use about ten good days of
warm weather to help heat up the area lakes. The water
temperatures are still below normal for this time of year. The
good news is the weatherman is calling highs in the 80's for much
of next week. Life is Good!
JOHN
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Bass Masters in Training |
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Good Week for Bass & Pike Action
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 6-27-11
It sure has been nice
to see the sun for a change. North Long, Pelican, and Gull
continue to produce walleyes just outside the weedline on sunken
islands and
wind blown shoreline breaks. The big walleye awards definitely
went to the women and children this week. The walleye fishing was
good. We had several
days where limits came quickly this week. Creek and redtail chubs
were definitely the bait of choice. We caught most of our
walleyes on lindy rigs. The bass action continues to improve. The bass
have finally started to move out to the second weedline. This
migration should only get better as the water temperatures
continue to rise. Jig worm combos in red shad and blue fleck have
been good bait choices in these situations. The northern pike
action remains strong in 8 to 12 feet of water. Let's hope
this nice weather pattern holds for a while. We'll see you next
week.
JOHN
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18 Walleyes & a Clam! |
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Good Week for Walleyes on Gull Lake
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26.5 inches
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26 inches
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23.5 inches
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25.5 inches
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 6-22-11
The walleye fishing,
along with the weather, has been spotty this week. The best
walleye action has been coming from North Long and Gull
lakes. The majority of the walleye schools have been located just
outside the second weedline in 12-14 fow (feet of water) on Gull
Lake and 18-25 fow on North Long. The wind direction has been
inconsistent, relocating the walleye schools almost daily.
It seems the only thing that has been consistent has been the
rain. It has rained least an hour or two everyday for the last five days.
Let's hope this weather pattern dries out before we get any closer
to July. The bass fishing has been good, but it should only get
better with a little more heat. It's tough to get the water
temperatures in the high 70's when the daytime air temperatures
for don't reach
65 degrees. Many of the bass are still located extremely shallow
on most of the Brainerd lakes, although some bass on the smaller
lakes have moved out to the second weedline. The northern pike
action has been good. Most of the pike are still in the weeds in
6-12 fow. Trolling any type of 3-4 inch stick bait at 1.5-2 mph
has been extremely effective. Good colors have been fire-tiger
and yellow parrot. It just started to rain. Let's hope that
doesn't last long.
Life's Good!
JOHN
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26" Walleye on North Long!
(I held it out Further)
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 6-15-11
The Mille Lacs trip
was loads of fun. We boated over forty walleyes between our two
boats. The wind was blowing 10 mph out of the SE when we started
at 8am and was well over 15 mph when we quit a 1:30pm. The only
problem, if you could call it that, was most of the fish were
over twenty inches. Todd's boat won the big fish award with a
nice "eye" just short of 28 inches. The flats closer to shore
were out produced the flats further out. The majority of the fish
were located on the upper edges of the flats. Key depths were 25
to 28 fow. We caught all of our fish on leeches. The best
technique was rigging with 6-7 foot snells. It is time for bed.
The morning will be here before I know it. I'm headed up to
Whitefish tomorrow so I better get some sleep.
Life's Good!
JOHN
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Todd's 27.5" Walleye!
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Brainerd Fishing Report: 6-11-11
The walleye bite on
Pelican Lake was good this week. We caught numbers and size. The
biggest walleye we released was 29 inches. Key water depths were 24 to 32
feet. Spot-tail shiners, redtail chubs, and leeches were all equally effective. Lindy rigging
was the most productive technique on the spots we fished. The walleye action on Gull Lake
and North Long was spotty this week. I'm sure the big mayfly
hatches both lakes experienced around the middle of the week had
something to do with it. I was out walleye fishing on Gull this
morning and we worked hard for just seven fish. We
caught all of our walleyes in 12 to 13 fow. The fish seemed spooky today. We
never caught more than two walleyes, and most times just one,
from the several schools we found. I have the day off tomorrow
and then I'm headed over to Mille Lacs. I've heard walleye
action is starting to pick up on the flats. I'll let you know how
we did later this week. The bass fishing has been great. Most of the bass are still extremely shallow and in some
cases still on the beds. Small finesse plastic worms threaded on
5/32 oz jigs have been good baits in these situations. The
panfish action is still good, but the crappies are just about
finished spawning on most of the lakes in the area.
Life's Good!
JOHN
|
Trudy's 29" Walleye!
|
Brainerd Fishing Report: 6-04-11
The walleye action
continues to improve in the Brainerd Lake Area. Gull, North Long,
and Pelican lake have been productive both during the daytime and
evening hours. The best daytime bite on Gull lake has been just
outside the weeds in 12 to 14 fow. The bite on Pelican has been a
little deeper. Windy days, and we've had a bunch, have been
better than the days with little wind. Play the wind and search
out wind blown structures. These locations will hold the largest
schools of active fish. Lindy rigging with shiners or chubs has
been the most productive presentation right now. The crappie
action has been fantastic the last few days. The sunfish and
crappie spawn are in full gear. Key locations are shallow water
areas bathed in sun. The bass are still in the pencil reeds.
Small finesse plastic worms threaded on 5/32 oz jigs have been
good baits in these situations. Good colors have been red shad,
pumpkin seed, and black. The weatherman has finally cooperated
and it looks like we have a beautiful week scheduled. We're
looking at highs in low eighties with plenty of sun. What more
could a person ask for? Have fun, be safe, and we'll see you next
week.
Life's Good!
JOHN
|
Char's 25" Walleye!
|
Brainerd Fishing Report: 5-26-11
The daytime walleye
bite has improved over the last few days. This morning it was
exceptional. The best water depths have been in 12 to 14 fow. Key
locations have been just outside the cabbage weeds on wind blown
points. Spot-tail shiners are the bait of choice right now. The
night bite is still good, but the shallows continue to get
weedier by the day. The largemouth bass are extremely shallow.
Most are right in the pencil reeds. Keep this in mind for this
Saturday's Minnesota bass opener. Calm winds could create some
fun sight fishing opportunities during the
next week. The northern pike have been aggressive on many
of the area lakes. Shallow diving stick-baits have been effective
in 8 to 12 fow. Good trolling speeds have been 1 1/2 to 2 mph.
The sunfish and crappies have started to spawn in earnest. This
bit should only improved in the weeks to come. Have a happy Memorial Day Weekend and we'll see you
next week. Life's Good!
JOHN |
Nice Walleye!
|
Brainerd Fishing Report: 5-20-11
Gull, Round,
Whitefish, & North Long lakes have been giving up a few
walleyes during the day this week, but the daytime action has
been nothing compared to the bite after dark. The full moon
phase and clear night skies created perfect conditions this week.
There were several nights where you could have read a newspaper
at midnight. The best nighttime trolling depths have been in 6 to
8 fow. Search out the largest underwater bars in the lake that
top out in 3 to 6 fow. These are prime spots for hungry walleyes
after dark. Troll shallow running floating baits at 1 1/2 to 2
mph. Make sure you have out 100 to 150 feet of line when you
troll. Todd was out Monday night from 8:30 to 11:30 pm. He caught
and release almost 2 dozen fish in that time. (That's good
fishing!) The best daytime walleye depths have been deeper. The
crappie fishing continues to improve with the warming water.
Search out the backwater bays with dark muddy bottoms and it's a
good bet there's a bunch of crappies in there right now. The
sunfish have moved into many of these areas too.
A small 1/64 oz jig tipped with a waxworm is a good sunfish bait
right now. Make sure the bobber is the smallest one you can find.
Get some sleep, get the yard work down, and then get ready for
another great summer on the water. See you next week!
JOHN |
Walleyes After Dark
|
Brainerd Fishing Report: 5-14-11
Today's conditions
were wet, cold, and windy. The daytime walleye bite was slow, but
there were still enough "eyes" in the livewell at the end of the
day for a good fish fry. Todd managed to catch and release a few
nice female walleyes besides the "eaters" his group kept.
Gull, Whitefish, Pelican, and Round lakes all managed to produce
some daytime walleyes, but the best reports I heard came from
those anglers who ventured out at midnight on Friday. The key
water depths for the night bite were 4-6 FOW. The shallow fish
scattered quickly once the daytime traffic started to pick up.
The "best" daytime depths ranged from 12-40 FOW. You definitely
had to fish the walleyes where you found them today. The best
nighttime bait was a lighted slip bobber/shinner combo and the
best daytime lure was a jig/shinner.
Life's Good,
JOHN |
Deep Water Walleye
|
Brainerd Fishing Report: 5-10-11
The weather has been
unseasonably cool the few days in the Brainerd Lakes area. I just
hope the current pattern changes before this weekend's walleye
opener. We could all use a little sunshine for change. Todd was
out crappie fishing with a group this last weekend and they
managed to find a nice school of fish in the deeper cabbage. The
shallow water areas that are typically so productive this time of year
were still too cold to hold any good numbers of crappies on the
lake he was fishing. I talked to several other guides who had
been fishing on different lakes over the weekend and they all
reported the same pattern. Finding crappies in the cabbage weeds
might take a little more effort than locating crappies in the
backwater areas, but when you do, the results are worth it.
Search out good stands of cabbage weeds in 6-9 feet of water
close to the shallow backwater areas you typically fish. Crappies
will use these areas as staging points to move into the shallows
as they warm and will also fall back to them if the shallows
suddenly turn cold. Something we've experienced all too often
this spring. Keep the phones calls coming. We're booked solid for
this weekend but we still have a few dates open in mid-week. Good
luck this weekend. Check back and we'll have some
walleye photos for you next week.
Thanks for your business,
JOHN |
Cabbage Weed Crappies |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 5-02-11
Sorry for the delay.
Things have been a little hectic this last week. I still have a
hundred things to do around the house now that the weather dial
has finally
stayed set to spring. The crappies have moved into many of their
springtime spots
on Pelican Lake. The boat marina was absolutely alive with people when
I stopped by earlier this week. Break out the
casting bubbles and the crappies rods. My favorite technique for
this time of year is to suspend a small 1/32 oz crappie jig about
18 to 20 inches beneath a casting bubble. Casting bubbles are
more aerodynamic than common bobbers and will cast out much
further in windy conditions. I like to tip the jig with a white
puddle jumper, but only after I've shaved about half the lead off
the 1/32 oz jig head. This makes the jig's final weight closer to
1/64 oz. The reasons for doing this are twofold. A lighter jig
falls much slower, thus staying in the strike zone longer. The
1/32 oz jig also has a bigger
hook gap than their smaller counterparts. I've found most bait
companies use too small of hooks on their 1/64 oz jigs. The hooks just don't catch
enough flesh when a larger crappie clomps down. There's nothing
more frustrating than hooking a nice 14-15 inch crappie and then
having the hook pull free because the hook's gap was
too small. The next topic is the Opener! (It's the term we
Minnesotans use to described the official starting day of walleye
& pike fishing each spring.) My two walleye opener tips are
to 1) focus you efforts near small necked down currents areas &
2) troll small stick baits over shallow wind blown rubble flats.
This year's late spring still has many walleyes still relating to these
traditional spawning areas at the
present time. Good luck, have fun, and we'll more again next
week.
Life's Good!.
JOHN |
Backwater Crappies! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 4-25-11
I always love this time
of year. It sure is nice to hear the sound of frogs again. Life
is Good! The walleyes have just about finished running in the
southern part of the Brainerd Lakes Area. There were only a
handful left below the Gull River dam when my kids and I went
down for a look the other evening. It has always been an annual
event, but I guess we missed the main run this year. There still
might be a chance to see some walleyes running if you head up to
the Whitefish Chain. I don't know how much longer it will last,
but I talked to a few friends yesterday that managed to get up to
the Pine River station on the west side of Upper Whitefish to
watch the DNR strip walleye eggs earlier this last week. They
said it was impressive. It sure is fun thing to see if you ever
get the chance. There is just something about seeing a few
hundred walleyes in a big holding net that gets a guy thinking
about fishing. That reminds me, the walleye opener is less than 2
1/2 weeks away. I hope everyone is getting their boats ready. The
crappie fishing has been slow this last week. The water is still
just a little too cold, but that can all change quickly. The
weather has been beautiful the last few days.
Talk to you
next week.
JOHN |
Walleyes Running on Gull River! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 4-18-11
The return of snow has
sure put a damper on things in the Brainerd Lakes Area. I really
was shocked when I woke to an inch of snow this last week. The majority of the snow has since melted but
the daytime temps have remained well below normal. Highs
of 35 degrees are the last thing we need right now. I
can't believe it! It just started snowing while I was typing this
report. Dang! I'm sure this will delay the shallow water crappie
fishing a few more days. The shallows cool very
quickly under these conditions, forcing hungry crappies back out
into deeper water. Think deep if you are planning on braving the
current conditions. Key locations will be the first sharp break
adjacent to the shallow areas you typically fish.
The crappies hold in these locations when the shallows turn cold.
"Skinny" water can drop to almost 32 degrees during a cold spell while the deeper
water will be just a bit warmer. Use a small jig / puddle jumper
suspended below a casting float. Set the float to 8 to 10 feet
and start fan casting the deeper water. Pull the rig a few feet
across the surface and then allow the jig to
fall slowly back to the bottom. (1/64 oz jigs work best!) Hungry crappies
pushed out of the shallows will bunch up tight. It might take
some time to find the first fish but be prepared to toss out a
marker buoy when you do. Usually there's a whole bunch more
waiting where the first one came from.
See you
next week.
JOHN |
Nice Deep Water Crappie! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 4-10-11
Happy B-Day Mom. It
won't be long now and it'll be time to close up the place in
Arizona and head back to Minnesota for the summer. All the snow
is just about gone in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The only piles
left are the ones hidden back in the woods. They won't last long
with the current weather. Rice Lake is open and the ice
has started to pull away from the shore on Gilbert. The daytime
high was 55 degrees yesterday, so I'm sure most of the
smaller area lakes are in the same condition. The ice
remaining on the lakes is heavily crystallized and foot traffic
is no longer advisable. This is always the slow time of the year
for me. I just hate waiting for open water. Last year I was able
to sneak out and help some friends kill a few turkeys. I don't
know if my hip is going to let me do it this year. I'll keep you
posted. The good news is the boat will be coming home real soon.
It's time to get her ready for crappie fishing. One of my
favorite times of the year. I'm predicting the ice will be off
Gull by the 3rd of May. That's almost a month later than last
year. Talk to you next week.
JOHN
|
Time to Get the Boat Home! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 4-2-11
It's time to start
thinking about fishing again. The panfish action has really
picked up in the last few days. Key water depths have been in 6
to 9 feet of water. The best locations are sandy holes inside of
good weed beds. The best method for finding these prime locations
is to simply drill lots of holes. Drill your first hole on the
deep edge of a good weed bed and then work shallower, punching a
hole every 20 feet or so. The trick is to lay out a large grid of
holes, almost like a checker board. I like to punch 20 to 25
holes to start. A gas auger is a must. The fun comes when
you start to "leap frog" from hole to hole with your flasher.
Some holes will be duds and other will be golden. It's amazing
how many fish can be in a small area. Don't waste time. The
panfish are aggressive and will rise quickly for any bait.
Most of the lakes still have 2 to 3 feet of good ice, but this
can change quickly this time of year. Several friends were out on
a smaller lake yesterday and only found 20 inches. Be
safe and have fun!
JOHN
|
Leech Lake Tullies! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 3-28-11
It is good to be home
again. The first attempt didn't go very well. My left
hip started to swell shortly after I returned home. The doctors
were worried about infection so they decided to open some of my
wounds and clean them out. The fluid problem turned out to
be worse than we first realized. The short hospital stay
the doctors first talked about turned into five
full days. The good news is the second operation was a success
and I'm feeling much better now. Last night was the first time
I was able to sleep in my own bed since the accident happened on
March 3rd. Hopefully all the bad things are behind me now. Thanks
for all the emails, letters, phone calls, and visits. I was truly
amazed to hear from so many people. Your thoughts and prayers
have been very much appreciated. They have put me in a great mood
and have helped more than I can say with the healing process. God bless
and thanks again.
JOHN
|
Pulling the Spear Shacks |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 3-18-11
John came back home
yesterday. He was in a good mood but he is still very sore. The doctors
were able to repair all of his injuries. We'll let you know how John's progress is going in
the weeks to come.
|
Pulling the Spear Shacks |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 3-07-11
John was involved in a
snowmobile accident on March 3rd. The accident occurred when John's
snowmobile hooked a hidden stump under the snow. John was thrown
from his sled and hit a tree. The force of the collision broke one of
his
ribs, crushed his hip and pelvis, and also caused
internal injuries. John was airlifted to the Twin Cities. The doctors were able to
repair John's hip and pelvis. The operation took 5 1/2 hours to
complete. The internal bleeding stopped on its own. John still
has a long road to recovery. He will be spending the next week in
the hospital. We'll let you know how John's progress is going in
the weeks to come.
|
Pulling the Spear Shacks |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 3-01-11
We only made it out
ice fishing a few times this last week. The crappies are still
biting, but the action was definitely slower than several weeks ago. The best crappie locations are currently
the deep water breaks near
underwater points in 32 to 40 feet of water. A Vexilar is a must
for this type of fishing. One school of crappies might be
suspended 10 feet
off the bottom and then the next school comes in 15 feet off.
There was really no pattern. The vexilar allowed you to put your
bait at the same depth the fish were. The crappies were finicky, most wanted to
look at the bait for 20 to 30 seconds before they decided to bite.
(Many didn't) My favorite bait for fishing deepwater crappies is a 1/8
oz Glow Demon in orange/glow or green/glow colors. The heavier
weigh helps get the lure down quickly to the fish in deep water
conditions. Keep the calls coming. I've only got a few time slots
left for guide trips in May, but June still has plenty of openings.
Stay warm and think Spring!
|
Pulling the Spear Shacks |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 2-21-11
Happy President's Day.
The ice house rental season has officially come to a close. We
took advantage of Thursday's warm weather and pulled our ice houses off the
ice. All "permanent" ice houses have to
be off the lakes by the end of this month. We're still taking
trips, but we'll be using portables for the remainder of the
season. The Tulipee fishing on Leech Lake was great this last
Saturday. The total catch was almost 75 fish. Bob's smoker will
be working overtime for the next couple of weeks. The best depth
was in 26 feet. The best action was found on deep water humps
with prominent points. Hungry schools of "tullies" move to these
locations in late February to feed on small insect life. The best
baits were small 1/64 oz sunfish jigs tipped with waxies. Use a
Swedish pimple, with no hook, as a dropper rig to get your baits
down quickly to the fish. Use a 12 inch piece of mono to connect
the pimple to your sunfish jig. Super "ultra" light rod tips are
a must for this type of fishing. Tullies, even 5 pounders, are
notoriously light biters. Use the depth finder to mark the fish
and then drop your bait down. Hold your bait about a foot above
the fish and then watch your rod tip closely. Most bites are
indicated by just a slight sag in the rod. We use #2 lb test line
with drags set accordingly. Most of the tullies on Saturday
averaged 1 1/2 to 2 lbs with a half dozen or so touching the 3
pound mark. We'll see you next week.
|
Fire Up the Smoker! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 2-13-11
The temperatures
jumped back into the 30's just in time for the weekend. Bob's
group spent Saturday spearing on Gull Lake. The action was good.
The best pike movement occurred in 9 to 12 feet of water. The
smaller fish decoys seemed to be attracting more pike this
weekend than the larger ones. The walleye action was slower, but
we still managed a few nice "eyes" on the tip-ups over the
weekend. The sunfish action was also good this week. Key
locations were right outside the weeds in 7 to 11 feet of water.
Small jigs tipped with waxworms are effective baits right now.
The key is having a Vexilar, or fish finder, right now. Don't
waste time if you don't see the sunfish on the depth finder. The
panfish are either in the area, or they're not. The ice fishing
season is winding down quickly. All of the ice houses have to be
off the lake by the end of the month. It's almost time to start
thinking about lake trout. Todd's got a good pattern for "lakers"
on the Whitefish Chain. Bob's headed up to Leech next weekend for
his annual Tulipee trip. I went along last year and had a blast.
Keep thinking SPRING! We'll see you next week. |
Late Season Pike! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 2-07-11
What a great weekend.
The walleyes were biting and so were the pike. The weather was
absolutely beautiful. The weekend temperatures were in the mid
thirties and the winds were mild. Bob brought out the grill and
even cooked brats for us on the ice.
It doesn't get much better! Thanks again Nate, Kyle, and gang.
Laters! (inside joke) The key water depth for the walleyes was
definitely shallow. (Right in the Weeds!) The pike were deeper.
The best walleye baits were shinner minnows on plain red hooks.
We caught most of our pike on four inch suckers. The spearing
action was good again this weekend. Congratulations to Todd and
Angie on their new little addition to the family. ( a
healthy baby boy ) Keep
the calls coming. We've only got two ice houses left for this
weekend. One for panfish and one for walleye. Thanks for
your business. |
Nice February Walleye! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 1-31-11
We're still catching a
few walleyes in the Brainerd Lakes area but the action has
definitely slowed. All of our rental houses were filled again this
weekend and the people fishing in the panfish houses did better than anyone
else. Todd's still has one walleye house out on Gull Lake but I
think he'll be moving it soon. Nate's houses, along with one of
Todd's, are located on several of the smaller lakes in the area.
They've been catching crappies and sunfish with good consistency
this last week. The best crappie action has been occurring in the
mornings and at sunset. The sunfish
have been biting throughout the day. Key depths are 8 to 12 feet.
Small jigs tipped with waxworms have been catching the most fish.
A fish finder is almost a must right now. Bob spent Sunday moving
spear houses on Gull. The spearing action was good for Bob and
his group on Saturday. They let several nice fish swim through
and speared a few eaters. Keep the calls coming. It sure helps
pass the winter away.
|
Karen's First Walleye! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 1-24-11
The temperatures were
simply brutal this last week. The thermometer at the house read
-31F degrees on Friday morning. The
walleye action was slow this last week. The best action
continues to be crappies and northern pike. The best pike
locations have been found on main lake points that have access to deep
water. The best water depths have been in 10 to 14 feet of water.
One of Bob's customers, Shane, speared his trophy of a lifetime
this last weekend. The fish was 39 inches long and weighted
17lbs. The big gator is headed to the taxidermist as we speak.
The best crappie times have been in the evening. A Special thanks
to the local JC's for putting on another great ice fishing
tournament. Stay warm and we'll see you next week.
|
Shane's Trophy Pike! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 1-17-11
The crappies continue to bite in the Brainerd Lakes area. The best
crappie action has been coming from several of the smaller lakes in the area. The best locations have been the deepest holes
in the lakes. Key depths are 30 to 40 feet of water. The crappies have been suspended half way off the bottom. The crappies have been biting sporadically throughout the day with the best bite occurring right at sunset.
The best baits have been small jigs tipped with crappie minnows. The northern pike were active this weekend. Bob's groups saw multiple big fish over the weekend and speared several nice eaters.
(We only spear large pike if someone wants to take a trophy) The ice conditions are perfect for the Ice Fishing Extravaganza. It should be a fun weekend. We've got the ice grill ready to go and we'll be grilling burgers on the ice.
Stop by and say hello if you're around. Thanks for the calls, but
we're booked solid again for this coming weekend. We do have some
openings for the following weekend left. Thanks for your business!
|
The Crappies are Biting! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 1-10-11
Our ice houses were
busy over the weekend. We had to do some juggling, but we got eight different groups out
ice fishing on Saturday and
Sunday. The crappie fishing and northern pike spearing were great. The walleye action was only fair. The crappies were in 32 feet of water, suspended about half way
off the bottom. I visited one of our houses yesterday afternoon and
witnessed over 35 crappies caught in 1 1/2 hours. The largest
crappies were taken on medium
sized Glow Demon jigs, chartreuse/glow, tipped with small minnows. The
crappie schools showed well on the depth finder. The key was to
fish slightly above the suspended fish. The water depth varied from school to
school, so it was important to adjust your lure depth
accordingly. Bob was spearing with a group on the Whitefish Chain on Sunday. They had an unbelievable day. They passed on 8 pike, all over 32 inches, and still managed to spear their limit of 3 to 5 pound eaters. We
are currently booked solid for this up coming weekend, the 19th &
20th, and only have a few slots left for the 26th & 27th. We
still have plenty of mid-week slots open.
Our standard aluminum ice house rate is $150/day
and $225/day for the deluxe sleeper models with flat screen TV's.
Thanks for your business!
|
Kyle makes a good throw! |
Brainerd Fishing Report: 1-03-11
Happy New Year! Life
sure has been busy in the North Land. Last week's rain forced us
to move all of our ice houses off the ice. Standing water made
the ice on several lakes a mess. The good news is we've got the
ice houses back out and they're all in new locations. Hopper's
house managed a few nice walleyes and a "bonus" eelpout on the
first night out. The big fish award for the weekend went to the Johnson house; a beautiful 30.5 inch walleye.
Thanks to everyone who braved the weather and came out fishing
with us this last week. Bob had several groups out spearing over the holidays.
The spearing action was only fair. The big culprit was the
weather. Hopefully we can hook some stable weather this next
week. We've found the crappies! Shane's group caught over 40
crappies, 10-14 inches, the other evening. The best water depth
was 40 feet. A small jig tipped with a minnow, along with a
Vexilar, was all that was needed for some great action. Our ice
house rates are $150/day for the standard aluminum wheelhouses
and $225/day for the deluxe sleeper models with flat screen TV's.
Stay warm and we'll see you next week.
|
Nice Trophy Walleye!
|
Brainerd Fishing Report: 12-26-10
Happy Holidays
everyone. It's been a busy, yet festive, weekend in the Brainerd
Lakes area. We've got good ice on most of the smaller lakes in the area.
The trucks been driving on the smaller lakes for about four days
now and there's even been a few people driving on some of the
larger lakes too. I haven't driven my Tundra out on Gull Lake.
I've seen a few big trucks on the main lake, but I'm going to
wait for the 3/4 ton trucks to start driving before I start using
mine. I've spent most of my time on an ATV or a snowmobile. You
can get anywhere you want to go right now using this mode of
travel. The walleye bite on Gull has been good. The best water
depths have been in 18 to 24 feet of water. There's a great bite
window from 3:30 to 4:15 PM each night. Jigging spoons, set
lines, and tip-ups are all working well. The walleye bite on
Millie Lacs has also been good. Our ice house rates will be $150/day for the
standard aluminum wheelhouses and $225/day for the deluxe sleeper
models with flat screen TV's. Happy Holidays!
John
|
Millie Lacs Walleyes!
|
Brainerd Fishing Report: 12-19-10
The lakes are still
making ice in the Brainerd Lakes area. Most of the lakes
currently have between 10 to 12 inches of good ice on them. The
wildcard has been the snowdrifts. You can expect to find 2 to 3 inches
less ice anywhere the snow has had a chance to
drift. Todd was out fishing on Gull Lake tonight. He found 8 inches of ice
in the location he was fishing. He found 12 inches of ice less than 200 yards
away earlier in the week. The thinner ice didn't slow the walleyes though. Todd
caught four walleyes in the 15 minutes I was talking to him on
the cell phone. I was out with the kids this weekend and the
fishing was fair. We only caught six walleyes, but they were
pretty nice. My son, Jake, caught one about 25 inches. It came in
on the Vexilar and then just pounded the jig. We took a few
pictures and then let her go. Note: Make sure you keep the camera
warm when you're planning on taking a few ice fishing photos. I
left my camera in bag outside the house. It looks like we're
fishing in a fog. We've had some great trips with customers this
last week. Everyone has really enjoyed the new houses. The deluxe ice houses
are really something. I don't know of anywhere else in the
Brainerd Lakes where you can sit and watch a flat screen TV and
catch walleyes. Our ice house rates will be $150/day for the
standard aluminum wheelhouses and $225/day for the deluxe sleeper
models with flat screen TV's. Happy Holidays!
John
|
Nice Walleye!
|
Brainerd Fishing Report: 12-11-10
I was out spearing with Bob Johnson
on Saturday morning just before the big
chill swept through the Brainerd Lakes. We had about 8 inches of
ice on North Long lake at 10:00am. The temperature dipped down to
-11 degrees overnight, so I'm sure we added another 2 inches last
night. The key has been the lack of snow. We missed out on the
big snow storm this weekend. While Minneapolis got 20 to 22
inches, Brainerd got less than 1/2 inch. The lack of snow gave
the area lakes a chance to add some much needed ice. I'm sure
we'll have 11 to 12 inches on the lakes by this coming weekend. I
wouldn't advise any traffic, other than ATV, at the present time.
The calls for ice fishing keep rolling in. We still have several
weekends free, but the times around Christmas and New Years have
been filling up fast. I know I promised a few new pictures of our
ice houses, but I just haven't had time. I'll try and stop by the
factory tomorrow and get a few pictures. The deluxe ice houses
rentals are really something this year. Several have flat screen TV's included. Our ice house rates will be $150/day for the
standard aluminum wheelhouses and $225/day for the deluxe sleeper models
with flat screen TV's. Life is Good!
John
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It's Spearing Time!
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