Bring-Yo-Bling For Leech Lake Walleyes

What do shallow woman and leech lake walleyes have in common?

They both LOVE shiny things.

With the lake full of forage options right now, get a walleyes attention with flash and bling.

Here are some of my best patterns from the past few weeks. Mostly silver combos with a little gold here and there. 1.7-2 mph is a good speed to start out at right now. I use planer boards for fish shallower then 20' or when fishing multiple lines. For breaklines, try sending a shallow diver behind a planer board up-top and run a deeper model straight behind, keeping the boat in 15-25 f.o.w. Run Husky Jerks or Bomber Long A's with a short lead (40'-60') behind the board when fishing over weeds.

 
                                                                cheers and hooksets!

MN River-Fancaster's First Flathead

I was south of the 218 this week and decided to wet a line for a flattie on the MN river. I located some nice water with rafts of timber on an outside corner bend on Google Earth before hand. I was fishing from shore so access is also a major consideration in this type of planning. A 9" Sucker on a 8/0 hook did the trick. The 30 second video that my p&s camera took captured the best part.

 

I had several other fish run line off of the reel with the bait clicker sounding like my boyhood playing card in the bicycle spoke routine but they were only brief encounters. I hope to try it again sometime soon.

cheers and hooksets!

First Week Of June- Leech Lake

I'm finding plenty of eater sized Walleyes most trips out with a few anchor fish between 25"-27" each time to keep things interesting. Wind swept shoreline structures are still holding fish in 5-10 f.o.w. with some fish starting to scatter to the mid-depth flats. We had a strong night bite last night with fish slamming raps trolled at 1.5mph. A jig and shiner is best for daytime shoreline stuff. However, I have been switching out the shiner for plastics when the fish are really banging and the strikes come even harder, you just have to up your jig one size and rip it a little more.

My Muskie outings have been uneventful thus far with a few follows that were low and slow. We need some warm weather to get these monsters going. I did have one come after an 18" Walleye boatside with it's mouth open though. Always cool to see.

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cheers and hooksets!

Gimme Shelter

 

 

 

 

With the main lake still pretty chilly, look to sheltered backwaters now for crappies, bluegills, largemouths, pike and more. The shallower and more protected the better.

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 doggies too! 

 

 

 

cheers and hooksets!

 

 

 

Walleye Bull Market-Leech Lake

Leech lake has seen it's walleye booms and recessions over the years and things are shaping up for a banner year in my opinion. The years of  "too big to eat" walleye fishing are over. There is a perfect balance of eaters and over-slot fish to keep it exciting. While other Minnesota lakes may be better for numbers or hold bigger fish, Leech, in my opinion is the quintessential walleye fishery. Its red hot one month and humbling the next. Just make sure to keep one eye on the panfish, bass and muskie action too for a more diversified portfolio.

 

Cheers and hooksets!

If you smelt it...

The smelt run is wrapping up now in most of the Great Lakes rivers and streams. Although I have never actually dipped a net for these little fish I can attest to their tastiness as I got to partake in a smelt fry a few weeks ago. Yum!


                                            These butterflied smelt have a tasty fry
                                                 Okay warden...I'm ready to die!




                                                         Cheers and hooksets!

Leech Lake-Finaly Some Open Water

 

I hit Shingobee bay for a few hours this afternoon to try some panfish action as the main lake was still iced up for opening weekend. No Crappies, the Perch were all pretty small @ 6"-9" but I did manage to find some nice Bluegills. The biggest two touched the 10" mark. Most of the bay was 42-44 degrees but I saw 50 up in the frog water. That breeze was chilly. Steamboat bay is mostly ice free now and Kabekona bay will go tomorrow I believe. Come on open water!

 

                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

                                                               Cheers and hooksets!