Brainerd Fishing Report: 12-20-14
The cooler than normal conditions ealier this month were good for making ice. There is currently 10 to 12 inches of ice on most of the smaller lakes and 4 to 7 inches on the larger lakes throughout the area. The crappie fishing has been good on many of the smaller lakes throughout the area. Key locations have been deep water holes with silty bottoms. The best times have been around sunset and sunrise. The best depths have been in 28 to 32 feet of water. The walleye bite has has been fair. Anglers on Gull Lake, and North Long have been able to catch 2 to 3 fish per evening. The best walleye bait has been a shiner minnow on a set line. The northern pike action has been strong. Kyle was able to release several 32 inch+ on his last outing. The best pike locations have been right outside the weed line. Happy Holidays everyone!
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 11-18-14
Last week's unseasonably cold temperatures have put a jump start on this year's ice fishing season. I haven't seen this much ice, this early, in many years. Several of the larger area lakes are still open in many locations but most of the smaller area lakes and many of the bays on the larger lakes are frozen. We should have excellent ice conditions this year if the current conditions hold. The forecast is calling for several more days of lows dipping into the single digits. We should have a few house out in the next couple of days if the snow can just hold off. There's nothing worse for early season ice than a big snowfall. It would be nice not having slush under the snow this year. Kyle was out on the river yesterday and found good, walkable ice. The spear and ice are ready to roll. Give us a call when you want to go play on the ice. Stay safe and warm.
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 11-13-14
Last Monday's storm dumped between 7-8 inches of snow on the Brainerd Lakes area and the local landscape has turned white. The first weekend of deer hunting went a little slower for us this year but we still managed to harvest several nice bucks. The largest was Todd's big eight. It hasn't been scored but it looks like it might make 160-165 B&C. The weatherman is predicting nighttime lows in the single digits for the next five days so I'm sure there will be a few less hunters in the woods this coming weekend. The good news is many of the smaller local ponds are now frozen over and several of the smaller lakes will soon follow. We just might have an early ice fishing season for a change. Todd and Kyle have been sprucing up the fish and spear houses and things should be ready to roll when safe ice arrives. Give us a call and we will help set things up. Stay safe and warm. See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 11-01-14
It's the week before deer season and the public landings have been empty. The fall bite never really kicked in this year. The walleye action in October was sporadic at best. I snuck out with Todd last Saturday to do a little crappie fishing before putting his boat away and we were pleasantly surprised to find good crappie numbers and size. The key crappie locations were sharp breaks near deep water holes. The best areas were the same locations you would typically fish at first ice. The best baits were small jigs tipped with small rubber bodies. Good colors were white/blue and white/pink. We added a few split shots above our presentations to help reach the bottom quickly. The depth finder was key to finding the locations which held the most fish. The crappie schools are tightly bunched this time of year. Don't waste time fishing locations where fish are not marking. The majority of the crappies we located where suspended 2-4 feet off the bottom. Be safe this deer season!
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 10-20-14
Sorry for the lack of fishing reports the last few weeks but I sold my boat shortly after my last report and I haven't been back on the water since. The reports I've been hearing from the rest of the guides have been spotty. The good walleye bite really never kicked in this fall. The milder weather has kept many walleye schools shallower than normal and their locations have been inconsistent. The deeper walleye have been tougher to find and even harder to catch. Most groups are still catching 7 to 10 walleyes on a 1/2 day trip but the action is well below the level we're used to for this time of year. The crappie schools are just starting to show up in the deeper holes. The crappie action should only improve as we get closer to ice. The good news is I locked in a November build date for my new boat. It should be here in plenty of time for spring crappie fishing. I will be running the new Ranger 620 FS this year with a full windshield, 250 Verado Pro, and a 9.9 Merc kicker. It's one sweet boat. I can harder wait. I also made arrangements to have access to a spare 20 footer in the future. I will never be stuck without a boat again in the fall. My wife always says most people get their presents in December but mine always seem to come in March. I guess there's a little truth in that but I always seem to get the bills anyways... Ha, ha. Bow hunting has been good but I'm still waiting for MR. BIG. The rut will be here soon. I'm anxious to see what happens.
See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 9-16-14
Gull Lake had a great walleye biting going for the first few days of September and then it went south in a hurry. The walleye bite slowed after a major cold front pushed through about ten days ago. North Long and Whitefish have started to recover, but they're still off the place they were at a few weeks ago. Let's hope this week's warming trend will stabilize things and get those fish snapping again. The walleye have been easy to find on a many lakes throughout the area. The only problem has been getting them to bite. The mornings have been far better than the afternoons this last week. Most schools are holding in 22 feet of water or more. The bass have started to move shallow on many lakes. It will be frog migration time before we know it. The big pike have dropped deep. The crappie are starting to relate to steeper breaks in deeper water. The wild rice season is already over.
See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 8-28-14
The walleye bite slowed this week in the Brainerd Lakes area. North Long and Whitefish are still kicking out some fish, but nothing like they were doing a few weeks ago. September will be here before you know it. I saw over a dozen red maples this morning which had already turned scarlet red. Where did the summer go? Got to go, it has been busy, busy around here and I've still got miles to go before I can rest! See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 8-18-14
Gull Lake produced the best walleye bite in the Brainerd Lakes Area this week. The last few days have been nothing short of fantastic. The last few Gull Lake trips produced good numbers and size. It's going to be a fun September if this bite continues! The best locations on Gull Lake have been just outside the weeds. Key water depths were 13 to 14 feet. The best bait was a creek chub fished on a lindy rig. The best snell length was two feet long with a number 2 hook. The Whitefish Chain is still producing a few walleyes but the bite up there has slowed considerable. The walleye bite on Edwards and North Long remains slow. The bass bite has been good throughout the area. The best locations are located on the deep water edges of weed beds. Look for the spots where the cabbage weeds meet the sand grass. Crankbaits have been producing good catches now that the water is warm enough for the bass to chase. The big pike action has been fair. We never saw the 80 water temps we were hoping for on the big lakes this summer. The sunfish action has been spotty. Key locations are in 14 to 16 feet of water.  The rain storm is over. It's time to head out to Gull Lake and catch some more walleyes. Life is GOOD! See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 8-10-14
The walleye bite has finally slowed but there's still plenty of them biting on North Long, Gull, and the Whitefish Chain. The best method for catching walleyes has been rigging with red tail chubs or crawlers. Key locations continue to be the main lake structures but the walleye schools have dropped a little deeper. Fish fast. Most schools are only willing to give up a few fish before spooking off. Don't waste time babysitting any particular school. Sneak in, pop a few fish, and then be on your way. Running and gunning will put a bunch of fish into your live-well right now if you're willing to push yourself. The bass action shifted into a higher gear this week as water temperatures finally hit the 80 degree mark on many lakes throughout the area. The majority of the bass are holding on deeper cabbage edges, near the sand grass, during the day. Dock fishing has also produced good results for those anglers capable of skipping plastics far underneath docks. The best bass docks have been those with multiple ninety degrees extensions and deep blow outs created by large boat engines. The larger sunfish have headed into the deeper water and are located in 14 to 18 feet. The northern pike action has been good in the afternoons. We had numerous trips this week with good size and numbers. and numbers. The big pike action should only improve as the water temperatures continue to rise. Key northern pike locations are still 2 to 3 feet deeper than the walleye schools. It's time to go fishing. September will be here before we know it. See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 7-28-14
The best walleye bite has been on Gull Lake, North Long, and the Whitefish Chain. The walleye action on Pelican and Edwards lakes has been slower. The best locations have been deep water points and saddles. The walleye schools have dropped a little deeper this week but the majority of the fish are still located outside the weed line. The best walleye baits have been creek chubs and night crawlers. The best method for catching these big "eyes" has been hovering over the hungry schools with a lindy rig. We had several 29 inch+ walleye again this week. This truly has been a big walleye summer. I can't remember a year where we caught so many walleye over 29 inches. The bass action was fair this week. The cooler water temperatures have been the main culprit. The best bass bite has been occurring on the smaller plastics. Four inch finesse worms have been out producing larger worm combos at this time. The best bass locations have been the deeper weed edges.  Slower retrieve rates are out producing other presentations. The best worm combo has been motor oil with a chartreuse jig head. The northern pike action has finally shifted into a higher gear. We had several afternoons with good size and numbers. The big pike action should only improve as the water temperatures continue to rise. Key northern pike locations have been 2 to 3 feet deeper than the walleye schools. Bring on the summer. It's time for a little heat. See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 7-21-14
Its been a good week in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The water temperatures have finally hit the magical 75 degree mark on Gull Lake and the rest of the larger lakes are not far behind. The next two weeks should be some of the best walleye fishing of the summer. I'm not complaining, but we usually reach this mark by mid June. With the exception of the day following the Polar Vortex earlier in the week, the walleye bite has been good. We caught both numbers and size with good consistency. The biggest walleye of the week was a 32.25 incher which we released on the Whitefish Chain. Key locations have been deep water humps which topped off in 18 feet of water. The best bait for these big bruisers has been large redtail chubs on lindy rigs. The larger northern pike have started to show up on the deeper weed edges. This action should only improve in the weeks to come. The best baits for the gators have been large pike minnows. The bass fishing has been fair. We're just not seeing the numbers one would expect for this time of year. Hopefully the warmer water temps will jumpstart the metabolism of old bucket mouth and kick things into a higher gear. The best sunfish action has been in 12 feet of water. Life is Good and the weather is beautiful. Who could ask for anything more?
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 7-14-14
Gull Lake, North Long, and the Whitefish Chain continued to kick out walleyes. Key locations have been tight to the weeds in 12 to 13 feet of water. This bite should only improve as the water temperatures rise. I haven't been to Mille Lacs in over a month. The few reports I've heard from over there have been mixed. The good news is the walleye bite in the Brainerd area has been good for the last five weeks. The best method for catching these "eyes" has been searching them out with a depth finder before fishing them. Some of the schools have been extremely tight to cover. Many times you'll only see one or two fish outside the edge of the weeds while searching. Be prepared to throw a marker if you see more fish when you backtrack over likely locations. Don't waste time if the fish don't hit within a short time. Pull up and go looking for a new school. It only takes one active school to catch a mess of fish right now. The bass fishing has been good. 25 to 30 fish on a half day trip has been the average. The jig/worm has still been the best presentation. This action should only improve with warmer water. The big pike have finally started to bite. The big sunfish are in 10 to 14 feet of water. Life is Good and the weather is beautiful. Give us a call and we will going fishing!!
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 7-06-14
The walleye continue to bite in the Brainerd Lakes Area. Gull, North Long, Pelican, and the Whitefish Chain have all been producing plenty of walleyes this last week. The best bite on Gull has been occurring on windy, outcast days. The most productive locations on Gull have been just outside the weedline in 13 to 16 feet of water. The best locations for "eyes" on North Long and Pelican Lake have been main lake structures in 18 to 22 feet of water. Leeches have been working the best on these two lakes. The best walleye bite on Whitefish has been happening in 14 to 20 feet of water depending on the structure. The walleye schools have been VERY visible on the electronics these last few weeks, so don't waste time fishing in locations where fish aren't present. The bass action has been good with the majority of the fish holding on the deeper edge of structure. Search out good stands of cabbage weeds. The best bass have been relating to the edges where the sand grass meets the cabbage. Crayfish color patterns have been extremely effective. Thirty bass on a half day trip have been the norm. Catch rates should only improve as the water temperate continues to rise. The best sunfish locations have been found on the deeper edge of major structure. Panfish leeches tipped on small jigs suspended from slip bobbers have been effective. There's still some good crappie action taking place but the bite has been occurring only very early or late in the day. It's all good!
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 6-29-14
The walleye continue to bite in the Brainerd Lakes Area. North Long, Pelican, and Gull have been the best lakes for catching old marble eyes this past week. The best baits have been leeches and redtail chub minnows. Key locations have been just outside the weedline on major wind blown structures. The walleye schools have been marking well on the sonar the last few weeks. Don't waste your time fishing locations where fish aren't present. Use your electronics to locate the walleye schools before dropping a line. The bass action has been improving with the warmer water temps. The bass have moved from the back side of the weedline to the deeper edge. The shoreline breaks have been producing more fish than mid-lake structures. The pike action has been fair. The majority of the toothy gators are still being caught accidently while fishing for bass or walleye. The majority of the pike are still deep in the weeds, but this should change as the water temperatures continue to heat up. The best sunfish action has been occurring on the deeper edge of shoreline cabbage weed beds. The best crappie action has been happening around daybreak and sunset. Key locations have been just outside of good cabbage beds in 12 to 14 feet of water. Happy Fourth of July!
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 6-20-14
The shallow walleye bite on North Long Lake has slowed. The walleye there have moved out of the shallows and set up shop on the second breakline. The good news is this deeper water bite is still pretty good. Gull Lake remains slow. Pelican, Edwards, and Whitefish have been kicking out a few fish but still not what we would expect for this time of year. Water temperature are still well below normal. We need a little more heat to get things popping. The best walleye bait continues to be shiner minnows but we will be switching baits very soon. The shiners are finished spawning and with be difficult to get, or keep alive, in the near future. Redtails have been extremely scarce with all of the rivers running high or closed due to invasive species regulations. Expect to pay 14 to 15 dollars a dozen when you find them. The bass action has been good. The bass bite should continue to improve with rising water temps. Morning trips are catching 30 to 40 fish on half day trips. Afternoon trips have been slightly better than mornings for bass action. The best baits continue to be jig/worm combo fished slowly in water depths less than 10 feet. The sunfish are just about finished spawning. The northern pike action has been fair with the majority of the pike being caught accidentally while fishing for walleye. Where did June go??? It will be the Fourth of July very soon.  Life is Good!
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 6-14-14
The walleye action is starting to pickup in the Brainerd Lakes Area. North Long Lake has been producing most of the action in the area. The majority of the fish have been shallow. The best bite has been occurring on shiner minnows. There's also a fairly good evening bite going for walleye on lighted slip bobbers. The best bait has been a 1/8 jig tipped with a large leech for this late evening eyes. Gull Lake has been slower then we would expect for this time of year. The water temp on the Whitefish Chain is still in the high 50's to low sixties. The entire area needs a good dose of heat to bring the water temperatures up. Warm fish are happy, biting fish. The bass are still very shallow. Most are still in less than 5 feet of water. Light jigs with stout hooks tipped with a 7 inch power worm has been our best baits. The crappie action has slowed in the shallows. We had three extremely warm days in the being of the week and it seemed like every crappie in the lake was spawning at once. The sunfish have started to move onto their beds. The best action has been in 3 to 4 feet. Life is Good!
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 5-28-14
The crappie action remains strong in the Brainerd Lakes. The majority of the crappie schools are still relating to the cabbage weeds in 4 to 6 feet of water but a few fish have also moved into the pencil reeds. The pencil reed numbers should grow dramatically over the next five days with the weather forecast calling for sun and highs in the low 80's. The weather can only be described as beautiful right now. A welcomed change from the brutal winter we experienced just months ago. The walleye bite remains spotty. The eyes are still recovering from an extremely late spawn and remain scattered throughout the lake. Water temperatures are currently 10 to 15 degrees cooler than normal. The bass are on their beds right now and the sunfish are 8 to 10 days away from spawning. Bring on the heat. The walleye action will follow. Life is Good!
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 5-16-14
The walleye are still spawning in many of the lakes throughout the area. Most of the walleye are still relating to streams, creeks, and other current areas. The walleye we caught on opener were all in 6 feet of water or less. Pitching a jig / shiner minnow was the best combination for catching these shallow fish. The water is still cold, so make sure you work your presentations slooowwly. The bites have been extremely light. The best way to explain them is they're just there. The crappie fishing on the other hand has been anything but slow. The majority of the crappie schools have been relating to the cabbage beds in 5 to 7 feet of water. Fan cast likely areas until you find fish and then drop an anchor. The crappie schools have been packed into small areas. Find one crappie at the present time and you've found a hundred. The fishing should only get better with the warmer weather.  Life is Good!
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 5-06-14
All the lakes in the Brainerd Lakes Area are ice free. The last ice left Gull Lake about 8 to 9 days ago. The daily temperatures have been slightly below normal but the last few days have been sunny. Let's hope the pattern holds!  I had the boat out for the first time this last weekend. I was surprised to still see snow banks on several of the shaded shorelines on the Whitefish Chain. As far as spring patterns are concerned, we are definitely behind the typical spring. The rivers and creeks were full of walleye this last weekend. The spawn was still going strong on a few of the rivers I visited yesterday. With only three days left before the Minnesota Fishing Opener, expect the majority of the walleyes to be relating to these current areas. Key locations will be the rivers and creeks which connect one major lake to another. Prime locations include the bridge on the northern end of Gull Lake near Zorba's restaurant. I visited the bridge two days ago and it was full of walleye. There is a fishing bridge located on the southern side of the bridge which is open to the public. Come join the hospitality the Lakes area has to offer as we host the Governor's Opener on Gull Lake. While the south side of the bridge is good, the northern side is even better. a jig tipped with a spot tail shiner should produce lots of action in these types of locations. The best crappie action is still to come. Have a safe fishing opener. Stay tuned for weekly updates now that the open water season has arrived. Life is Good!
John

Brainerd Fishing Report: 4-23-14
It's been a cold, cold winter but thankfully the warmer spring like weather conditions have finally starting to gain a foothold in the Northland. Let's hope they are here to stay! The local ice conditions are improving daily. We have several smaller lakes which are starting to open and black ice is popping up on the rest of the lakes. The current forecast will cause many smaller lakes to open within the next 8 to 10 days. Great news for those of us still suffering from our cabin fever blues. It's time to start thinking about crappie fishing. The boat is coming home tomorrow. The turkey hunting this year was exceptional.  We harvested some of the largest toms to date. Life is GOOD! Stay tuned, the open water season will be approaching  quickly!
JOHN

Brainerd Fishing Report: 1-28-14
It's been extremely cold the last few days in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The temperatures dipped to minus 28 degrees Fahrenheit with wind-chill readings as low as minus 52 degrees below zero. The true definition of the word "brutal". The only good news has been the darkhouse spearing action. We spent the last four days with a film crew from National Geographic filming a segment for one of their upcoming documentaries. Life could not have been better. We saw several nice fish and had a great time. The whole experience was definitively one for the bucket list. We put several hours of film into the can and even managed to stick a few nice fish in the process. The biggest pike of the shoot was a 40 inch monster that swam through while the film crew was changing position. One second the big gator was in the hole and then the next moment it was gone. Oh well, I guess that's how fishing goes. The crappie action remains fair. Give us a call and we will set you up on a fish of a lifetime.
JOHN