Minnesota Fishing Report - 2019

[NathanDLTH]

 

[gim]

I had one of the better days of the season on Saturday morning.  I caught over a dozen largies and another "accidental" tiger muskie.  Unfortunately I only had the dog with me and she can't take photos so this was the best I could do.

[sully420]

Spinnerbait has been producing well for me lately. Double willow leaf gold and silver. It's been effective on multiple lakes with various water clarity and vegetation conditions. I've been using a 3/4oz and a 1/2 oz and covering water.

[punch]

23 hours ago, Hawkeye21 said:

I'm heading up to the Alexandria are for a fishing trip Next week, how's the bass fishing going?  Sounds like it's been pretty tough in the south and it's been tough here in Iowa.  Hoping they are transitioned over to the fall bite now.

Where are you fishing in Alex? Love that area. 

[Hawkeye21]

5 minutes ago, punch said:

Where are you fishing in Alex? Love that area. 

Will be staying on Osakis but we will fish about a dozen different lakes in the area.  Lobster, Irene, Mary, Carlos, Brophy, Crooked and Oscar are a few I can think of that I've all fished.

 

Didn't go there last year but two years ago the fishing was fantastic.  Hoping it will be great again this year.

[punch]

2 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

Will be staying on Osakis but we will fish about a dozen different lakes in the area.  Lobster, Irene, Mary, Carlos, Brophy, Crooked and Oscar are a few I can think of that I've all fished.

 

Didn't go there last year but two years ago the fishing was fantastic.  Hoping it will be great again this year.

Nice, are there any good smallmouth lakes in that area besides finding some in the LHD chain? Just curious. 

 

I stay at Lake Carlos State Park every year and just stick to the LHD chain. 

[Hawkeye21]

1 minute ago, punch said:

Nice, are there any good smallmouth lakes in that area besides finding some in the LHD chain? Just curious. 

 

I stay at Lake Carlos State Park every year and just stick to the LHD chain. 

Never really caught many smallmouth up there over the years but we never focused on them.  Lots of largemouth and northerns.

[punch]

54 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

Never really caught many smallmouth up there over the years but we never focused on them.  Lots of largemouth and northerns.

There are some smallies in the chain, but they are tricky to target because they only hold to a few key area's and types of structure. I've caught some 3lbers. 

[Tlauz]

Fishing has been good when the wind blows.  Both smallmouth and largemouth  have been relating to thickest weeds and weed edges.  Rocks have been a bust.  Water temps 60-62 last Saturday and Sunday.  Caught this one Sunday on white spinnerbait. Hit at the boat with about 2 feet of line out. 

 

[punch]

2 hours ago, Tlauz said:

Fishing has been good when the wind blows.  Both smallmouth and largemouth  have been relating to thickest weeds and weed edges.  Rocks have been a bust.  Water temps 60-62 last Saturday and Sunday.  Caught this one Sunday on white spinnerbait. Hit at the boat with about 2 feet of line out. 

 

Wow that's a nice fish! mid 40's? 

 

How have you been fishing the grass lines? 

[JackKlassen]

On 9/11/2019 at 10:10 AM, punch said:

There are some smallies in the chain, but they are tricky to target because they only hold to a few key area's and types of structure. I've caught some 3lbers. 

Carlos has decent smallies. Finished well in a high school tourney with a few brown kickers.

[Tlauz]

17 hours ago, punch said:

Wow that's a nice fish! mid 40's? 

 

How have you been fishing the grass lines? 

45-46.  Had to mark it on side of boat then measure so not an exact measurement.  A couple weeks ago  I was catching a lot of fish on  a BX brat over weeds.  Lately spinnerbait and swim-jig have been the best producers.   Spinnerbait I have been running over the top of large cabbage beds. On my lake in the fall, find cabbage and find fish.  Largemouth have been in the middle of weed beds. I have caught some good smallmouth on edges. Smallmouth seem to be cruising along weed edges where it drops off.  Swim-jig I parallel weed edge one pass then throw in deeper  into weeds on next pass. I fish two connected lakes.  Small shallow lake seems to get better when water gets colder. .  Water tends to cool off faster up north.  It seems like everything happens a couple weeks earlier here when compared to most reports I read on here. 

[Tlauz]

Caught this little guy last weekend.  Looks like he was lucky to get away.  

[sully420]

6 hours ago, Tlauz said:

Spinnerbait I have been running over the top of large cabbage beds. On my lake in the fall, find cabbage and find fish.  Largemouth have been in the middle of weed beds. I have caught some good smallmouth on edges. Smallmouth seem to be cruising along weed edges where it drops off.  Swim-jig I parallel weed edge one pass then throw in deeper  into weeds on next pass. I fish two connected lakes.  Small shallow lake seems to get better when water gets colder. .  Water tends to cool off faster up north.  It seems like everything happens a couple weeks earlier here when compared to most reports I read on here

This has been the deal for me as well, cabbage has been the best grass lately. Basically find areas with the spinnerbait and slow down and work them over with a jig.

[Deplorable Fisherman]

I generally take a few trips up to Minnesota every year. We hit the Mississippi river a lot but this years rain kept us on lakes. A few weeks after opener, despite blue bird skies for a few days, we hooked in to several nice LMs in the 4.5 to 5 lb range.

 

  

[gim]

Is the bite completely dead out there or have people just not been out much? Guess summer isn’t quite over.

[MN Fisher]

Haven't been out the past couple weeks. Have to schedule my trips in advance, and the weather my past couple scheduled dates hasn't cooperated...high wind and/or rain with a canoe is not a good thing.

 

Was scheduled for tomorrow...but again there's T-Storms in the forecast - sighs.

[FryDog62]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

Is the bite completely dead out there or have people just not been out much? Guess summer isn’t quite over.

Last time I was out I got a call my wife was taking an ambulance ride to the local hospital... haven’t been out since, but keep the reports coming so I have a clue when I do get back on the water?

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Last time I was out I got a call my wife was taking an ambulance ride to the local hospital... haven’t been out since, but keep the reports coming so I have a clue when I do get back on the water?

Hope she's doing better. Good thoughts on the way.

[OperationEagle]

2 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Last time I was out I got a call my wife was taking an ambulance ride to the local hospital... haven’t been out since, but keep the reports coming so I have a clue when I do get back on the water?

Hey Fry hope all is ok. Thinking about ya! 

[OperationEagle]

Possible time on the water tomorrow. Has the fall action started yet?  Or are we still at the tail end of summer. Wondering especially given the recent warms temps. What’s been working guys? 

[sully420]

On 9/21/2019 at 10:21 AM, OperationEagle said:

Possible time on the water tomorrow. Has the fall action started yet?  Or are we still at the tail end of summer. Wondering especially given the recent warms temps. What’s been working guys? 

I was out yesterday, I found bass in millfoil. Basically I found areas of healthy milfoil that were spread out in clumps in 3' to 7' of water with a jig. I dont think there is a prevailing pattern right now. I think its gust spots and conditions. If the sun is out docks have been very productive, pads have also been very productive as long as they have at least 3' of water underneath. In overcast conditions I've just been breaking down grass flats and edges. The kind of grass hasn't really mattered it just has to be healthy, not a solid wall and orientated near the main lake. I've just been searching with a reaction bait than working the area slowly with a jig or t-rig.

 

So basically when the sun is up I fish docks or mats/pads and when its overcast I fish grass.

 

I have a question for everybody on here. Lately when fishing lakes with a thermalcline I've been marking schools of bait and above the thermalcline and bigger fish beneath the bait using the thermalcline like it's the bottom of the lake or an edge. The most interesting spots have been where the lake bottom drops abruptly and meets the tcline. Have anyone noticed this of fished theses spots? 

[Tlauz]

Got out today for 4 hours. Water was 4-5 degrees warmer than it was last Sunday (66 today).  It was cloudy and breezy. I only threw two baits all day. 1/2 oz. War Eagle spinnerbait and DT 3.  Today was probably the best bite I have had all year.  I burned spinnerbait over weeds in less than 10 feet of water and bass were crushing it.  Only negative was that I lost the two biggest fish I had on (one smallmouth and one largemouth). If I would have gotten them in the boat, the day would have been fantastic. 

[punch]

Did a morning on Mille Lacs yesterday in the NW corner around MyrMar. The big fish are biting! We caught 4 fish over 4lbs and several 3's. Some nice walleyes mixed in as well. The fall paddle tail swimbaite bite seems to be going. I tried ned rigs and dragging craws, but the big smallies only hit our white/silver paddle tails. Our best 5 went 21.7lbs.

 

The kicker was this 4.7 that I got on a 3.25" silver/pearl biospawn exo swim.

 

 

[punch]

Side note, if anyone is looking for a good deal on a mint Gloomis GLX 852S spinning rod, shoot me a message.