Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Ice Fishing Report December 18, 2024

"Walleye anglers have been reporting a good steady bite on area lakes, during the evening hours. Anglers have mainly been fishing 18 to 23 feet of water. Jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head or deadsticking a lively minnow near the bottom has accounted for many of the walleyes caught.

Northern pike anglers tip up fishing for pike have been reporting catching good numbers of 25 to 35 inch pike at many of the popular bays for pike, this last week. Handful of 40 plus inch pike were also reported. Anglers continue to focus on weedbeds for pike. Medium to large size suckers produced the best results for anglers.

Panfish anglers have been reporting some good fishing for sunfish on a handful of those lakes. Anglers have mainly been finding them in shallow weedbeds with small jigs tipped with wax worms. Pink, wonderbread and purple were popular colors this last week for sunfish. Crappie anglers have been finding some crappies out in the deeper basins. Crappies have been scattered so drilling holes and covering ground has been the key to catching them." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism December 17, 2024

"Ice fishing is in full swing on the south end of Lake of the Woods, the ice is progressing nicely. Many resorts have day houses out and are fishing, some have been fishing for a week already. There are some sleeper fish houses out in some areas. This is all good news.

Please remember, ice conditions can vary significantly from one area of the lake to the next. It is best to work through your favorite resort or outfitter for current ice conditions and weight limits on their specific ice road.

In Minnesota waters, you can use two lines through the ice. Most anglers are using the one - two punch, basically jigging in one hole and deadsticking the second. The jigging line will catch more active fish as well as attract fish to where you are fishing. The deadstick with a live minnow sitting under a bobber will often catch the more neutral fish. On the jigging line, use a ..." Read Report >> Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing December 17, 2024

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism December 10, 2024

"There is certainly good news regarding ice progression in Baudette and surrounding communities. The satellite imagery shows Big Traverse Bay, which is the main body of the lake, locked up. The formation of ice is progressing nicely, and ice fishing has begun in some select areas along the south shore of Lake of the Woods.

Elsewhere, others are grooming trails and openings will be announced before long. There were concerns voiced by some about the big blow we received this week. Thankfully, it did not mess things up, the ice stayed intact and continued to thicken. 

Initial actual fishing reports have been very good. Good numbers of walleyes and saugers are being caught with some nice jumbo perch, eelpout and pike as well. When you decide to come up, please ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing Report December 10, 2024

Wired2Fish December 10, 2024 "Humminbird Launches MEGA Live 2 FFS and XPLORE Fish Finders"

"RACINE, Wis. (December 9, 2024) – Humminbird, a leader in cutting-edge fishing technology, introduces the XPLORE™ series and MEGA Live 2 forward-facing sonar, setting new standards in fish finder technology.

The XPLORE Series offers seamless integration with the One-Boat Network, advanced waypoint management, 1-foot contour LakeMaster® and CoastMaster™ maps included, and a customizable, intuitive user-interface for enhanced fishing performance. New MEGA Live 2 forward-facing sonar from Humminbird further elevates the live sonar fishing experience with superior real-time clarity and bait tracking, empowering anglers to ..." Read Full Story and Learn More >> Humminbird Launches MEGA Live 2 FFS and XPLORE Fish Finders

News Release December 10, 2024: "First-come, first-served seats to be offered for 2025 DNR Roundtable"

"The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Roundtable — an annual gathering of conservation partners to discuss fisheries, wildlife, and ecological and water resource topics and encourage partnership — will again include a no-cost, open registration opportunity.

The 2025 DNR Roundtable will be held Friday, Jan. 10. The opportunity to register for one of a limited number of first-come, first-served slots will open at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 10. At that time, a registration link will go live on the DNR’s Roundtable webpage.

The 2025 Roundtable will include a mix of important topics over the course of the day and an informal early evening reception. Program details will be available closer to the event."

Reader Comments December 8, 2024 "Upper Red Lake Walleye Report"

"On December 6, 2024 Justin (pictured) and his fishing pals headed up to try their luck on Upper Red Lake and by his account, it sounds like they made a good decision.

Justin, "Corbin from First City Guide Services not only put us on the fish, but was also was kind enough to transport us to and from his suggested fishing spot. That saved us miles of walking and allowed for extra fishing time. We departed from JR's Corner, and crossed over ice that ranged in thickness from 6 to 7 inches. We set up and fished in water depths of about 8-1/2 feet of water. Gold variations seemed to be the key color for the jigging lures. Dead-sticking using plain hooks combined with live minnows was also effective."

Justin's crew reported catching good size walleyes and reported that for a time, catching keeper fish under 17 inches long was challenging. The balance of sizes did change though, and as schools of fish from different year classes moved through resulted in catching a full 7 person bag limit of walleyes.

"Morning hours from 6:30am to 8:30am was on fire and we could have bagged a 3 man limit within first hour and a half easily" Justin reports. The action slowed down about 10:30 am once a crowd of people formed in the area around us."

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism December 5, 2024

"The focus for most outfitters along the south shore of Lake of the Woods this past week is checking ice conditions, and things are progressing nicely. As we remind anglers each and every year, ice conditions can vary significantly. Consequently, we typically will not make blanket statements about ice conditions or thickness of ice. It is best to work through a resort or outfitter who knows the ice conditions on the part of the lake they are working.

The 10 day forecast shows temps staying below freezing and hitting the single digits many days. Depending upon the wind, this should continue to build up the ice and get things started.

Some spearing and angling for pike has started this week in ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing Report December 5, 2024

December 2, 2024 "First Ice Arrives, Fishing Season Set To Begin"

It didn’t take long for the recent cold wave to set the ice on dozens of lakes in Minnesota’s north country. Going into the weekend, small, shallow lakes everywhere already had a couple of inches of ice. Since then, it’s been colder, and the ice is gaining thickness, about an inch every day is estimated.

This week, bait and tackle shops, like Fred’s Bait in Deer River are re-opening, and ramping up for the ice fishing season. Today, there are already folks fishing on the ice, and by the weekend, some will be experimenting with ice on smaller, shallower waters in the north central region. It goes without saying that in a few days, there will be crowds forming along the edges of the ever-popular Upper Red Lake. I’ve already seen images of some folks showing off their walleye catches from Red.

Now that the lakes are freezing, we can only ..." Read >> Ice Fishing Update 12-01-2024

November 25, 2024 "Don't Blink, Ice Around The Corner!"

I’m somebody who likes using good tools, ones that work the way they’re supposed to. The problem for anglers is that finding good tools is a lot harder than finding cheap, ineffective ones. I’ve done some digging over the years and found a few high-quality accessories that make my job easier virtually every day of the fishing season.

None of these items are “sponsored” products, I buy them just like you do, and I have nothing to gain from suggesting them to you. So, if you’re thinking about creative “stocking stuffer” (under $25) ideas for anglers on your Christmas shopping list, buy these with confidence, they will ..." Read Full Article and Learn More >> Christmas Season Stocking Stuffers Movember 25, 2024

November 25, 2024 Reader Submission, Wild Game Recipe

Bob Noonan got my attention when he emailed his recipe for preparing Elk Loin. I realize not many of us have bagged elk this fall, but there are a lot of us that dig bag a deer, and I can’t see why his recipe won’t be great for fixing some venison for the holidays.

Here’s what Noonan had to say; “Jeff, as we wait for Mother Nature to begin making ice for the upcoming ice fishing season, I'd like to share one of our dinner menus at the Noonan's Deer Hunting Camp. I prepared sous vide Colorado Elk Loin for the gang.

I like using a rub of fresh rosemary and thyme from my herb garden along with garlic and ground India Special Extra Bold Peppercorns. Following a 24-hour sous vide bath at 133 degrees, I did a quick sear that resulted in a medium rare and deliciously tender carved elk loin. Regards, Bob Noonan, Vermillion, SD

News Release November 22, 2024 "DNR rulemaking notice: Electronic Licensing System (ELS) rules update"

"The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is proposing technical changes to administrative rules that support a modernized electronic licensing system. The proposed rule changes are needed to align administrative rule with recent changes in Minnesota statute. Comments will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 26, 2025.

There are several groups who may be affected by the rule changes, including license agents, deputy registrars, and numerous groups of license buyers, including individual hunters and anglers, off-highway vehicle owners, boaters and charter boat captains in addition to legislators and citizen oversight groups.

In 2021, before drafting ELS system requirements, DNR surveyed license agents, deputy registrars, license buyers, and the public to ..." Learn More >> DNR rulemaking notice Electronic Licensing System For 2025

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism November 20, 2024

"Even for avid walleye anglers, the deer hunting season, a big tradition in these parts, overshadows the drive to fish. Still, there were some anglers that either already harvested deer, or are more into catching fall walleyes than hunting. For them, it's been hard not to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather along the south shore of Lake of the Woods. Those that are fishing have been rewarded with an excellent walleye and sauger bite that is happening in several areas across the lake.

The best depths on the south end of L.O.W. are 22 to 28 feet of water. Vertical jigging with frozen emerald shiners is catching most of the walleyes, saugers and jumbo perch. Depending upon where on the lake you are fishing, some slots and big trophies are in the mix as well, but most reports are talking about good numbers of ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Fishing Report November 20, 2024

November 18, 2024 "A Rewarding Family Hunt"

As far as deer hunting trips go, there wasn’t a lot going on in Minnesota’s northwest zone this weekend, but there was enough to make it fun.

I saw a buck myself on Friday evening, but it was a long way from me, almost 500 yards away at its closet. Secretly, I was happy that it didn’t walk closer because it saved me the decision of whether or not to try shooting at it. Not qualifying as “Mr. Big”, along with that Montana mule deer already taking up space in our freezer, I didn’t feel too desperate to bag another one. Maybe I’ll see him again next year when he’s a little bigger, who knows?

The highlight of this trip was when my "great-niece-in-law", soon to be 15, bagged what I believe is ..." Read >> Sundin Report November 18, 2024

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism November 13, 2024

"On the Rainy River, there were good numbers of shiners noving upstream into the river this week. Typically, if there are shiners concentrated in an area, there will be walleyes, and there definitely are.

Walleyes are coming from various spots from Four Mile Bay to Wheeler's Point, to Baudette all the way to Birchdale. With so many anglers taking advantage of the deer hunting season, there are not a lot of boats on the river.

Walleyes are being caught in 10 to 25 feet of water in various stretches of the river. The bait and consequently, walleyes, are moving around. Once you find some fish, you will ..." Learn More >> Rainy River Lake of the Woods Fishing Report

Wired2Fish November 6, 2024 "How to Find and Catch Aggressive Fall Walleye"

Hobie Wan Kenobi writes that if he had to describe himself as a walleye angler in one word, it would be “consistent.”

Kenobi "I do not catch many big fish, nor am I up on the latest buzz in the walleye world. Most of my fishing trips for walleye produce a consistently average number of 18- to 22-inch eater-size walleye."

It's true, folks do love seeing pictures of large fish, and images of modest sized fish usually get scrolled by faster than Fourth of July fireworks. But in reality, having fish in the frying pan is more important to many walleye anglers than capturing images of big ones. Here are some unconventional walleye techniques Kenobi uses to make those walleyes ..." Learn More >> How to Find and Catch Aggressive Fall Walleye

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism November 6, 2024

"With unseasonably warm weather, there are still some anglers hitting the water on the south shore of Lake of the Woods, and most have been rewarded. There are limits of walleyes and saugers being caught, and the forecast looking ahead is favorable.

The best bite on the south end of LOW has been in 22 to 28 feet of water. Water temperatures are dropping and as the temps cool further, the bite has been excellent.

Vertical jigging with frozen emerald shiners has been the program for most anglers. Bring plenty of bait, as you'll need to sort through some smaller fish and short biters. Plenty of eater fish to be had, just have to do a bit of sorting. Anglers are also reporting very good numbers of ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Rainy River Fishing Report November 6, 2024

November 3, 2024 "Honoring the Honor-Able"

Well folks, I don’t spend a whole lot of time hunting these days, and when I do, I’m likely to be within a few hours of home. So, for me, last week’s trip to Montana, hunting for Mule Deer was quite a departure from the norm. To say that the scenery was beautiful would be an understatement, “awesome” is more like it. Beautiful sunrises, interesting terrain, a fair amount of wildlife and wide-open spaces everywhere we looked.

To say that the hunting was fabulous would be an overstatement though, truthfully, there were times when we struggled to see much of anything. We encountered other hunters who were frustrated by that, their expectations were high, maybe justified, maybe not. For us, lots of scouting, combined with the help of friends, the hunting was “good enough”. Some days, we didn’t find any “huntable” deer at all, but on a few occasions, we did. So, while the hunt lasted right up until the end of our final stalk on day 6, we did leave the state with the tags of all five hunters filled. I’ve never been with a party of deer hunters in which everybody ..." Read >> Montana Mule Deer Hunting November 3, 2024

Brainerd MN Area Fishing Report October 31, 2024

"Water temps in the area have remained stable despite cold nights. Smaller lakes are between 51-54 degrees for surface temperature. Walleyes can be found on the outside weed edge or off the deeper break. Green standing weeds are key to the shallower water bite. The walleyes off the deeper break are easier to find however require more effort to get bites. Working Lindy rigs with minnows ranging from 4-6” has been the most effective. The more lively the minnow the better.

In addition to walleyes the musky bite is going strong. Dragging large minnows on bobbers is working along the weed edge. Staging the minnows 30-60ft behind the boat is working best for my trips. In addition big rubber can be worked to get more aggressive fish and cover more ground.

The weather looks to be stable for the next couple weeks. It might be warm for deer opener but will be great weather to continue the opener water season. With a few more trips this year yet we will be out until the baits bounce.

Good luck and tight lines to those still out!" — Joe Billiar, Crooked Hat Guide Service

Wired2Fish October 31, 2024 "Should Professional Fishing Competition Have Age Limits?"

"While some folks are leaning on the simple argument that forward facing sonar destroyed competitive fishing, what seems to be more at the heart of the issue is a lot more young anglers are competitive now than used to be the case.

One person mentioned on a recent post the possibility of having a senior fishing league, or another league with elder statesmen in it. Which is a much more interesting discussion point. But a question popped into my mind about whether professional fishing should have age limits much like other sports naturally do.

So professional fishing has allowed for anglers to fish into their 70s and 80s since inception. To my knowledge no one 90 or older has fished in a professional tournament. But that begs the question should we cap it? And would capping it make the league ..." Learn More >> Should Professional Fishing Competition Have Age Limits?

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism October 30, 2024

"Now is prime time to head up to Lake of the Woods (LOW) and the Rainy River. Fall fishing is in full swing on the south side of Lake of the Woods, and on the Rainy River! With plenty of limits of walleyes and saugers being caught, and a favorable weather forecast, anglers are enjoying some excellent fishing.

Dress for Comfort: With cooler mornings, dressing in layers is essential. Ice fishing gear is ideal for early mornings, and you can shed layers as the day warms. A warm hat and gloves or mittens are also handy.

The best bite on the south end of LOW has been in ..." Read >> Rainy River Lake of the Woods Fishing Report October 30, 2024

October 24, 2024 "Never Too Late For More Fishing?"

Almost every year, there’s a day or two at the end of the fishing season when I wish I would have quit a little bit sooner. This season is not one of them, I could have fished at least another week, I think, and still been happy with the fishing action. Letters like this one that came via email from Steve explain why.

“Hi Jeff, It was nice to meet you in person at the Winnie Trading Post. We spoke for a bit in the truck as you were heading out to go fishing.
We've been fishing since Saturday on Winnie. Overall, the bite has been very good. Water temps are in low 50s and the south wind seems to have driven them to the north shore. We fished near Third River for a bit and limited very quickly with ..." Read >> Fishing Report October 24, 2024

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Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism October 22, 2024

"Now is a great time to get up to LOW and the Rainy River, there's a great weather forecast ahead and the fall fishing on Lake of the Woods is on fire!. There are lots of limits of walleyes and saugers coming in from the south end of the lake, and the river is getting better at the same time.

Like any fishing, being flexible pays dividends. If you are fishing on a charter or with a guide, your guide will make necessary adjustments to put you on fish. If you are fishing on your own, here are some considerations.

Walleyes and saugers are being caught in ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Fishing Report October 22, 2024

October 18, 2024 "Walleye Smallmouth Combo Guiding Season Finale'"

When we arrived at the lake, the parking lot was empty, and the landing ramp was bone dry. We could see whitecaps rolling across the water beyond the shallow bay where we launched. The surface water temperature was 51 degrees, and that never changed throughout the day. By the time we got out into the main lake, it was clear that fishing on the windy side of the lake wasn’t going to work, so we bounced across the lake in search of more manageable conditions.

I stopped at a point near the southwest corner and “spot locked” in about 16 feet of water. By the time I passed out the fishing rods and got the minnow buckets set up, the boat was rocking and rolling in whitecaps.

Casting and retrieving jig and minnow combos at the weedline in about 10 feet of water. Bugs picked up one nice walleye quickly, but after that, small perch and a couple of pike was all we caught. “Well boys, it looks like one of those days when we’re gonna get pinned into the calm corner. Hopefully, we’ll be able to ..." Read >> October 18, 2024 Walleye Smallmouth Combo Guiding Season Finale

Wired2Fish October 18, 2024 "Trolling Plugs for Southern Walleye"

"I was first introduced to southern walleye fishing by my good friends Corey Brooks and Robert Gee. These are both East Tennessee locals who have dedicated a large portion of time to dialing in the Tennessee waterways. We’ve since made trolling for walleye an annual tradition, and it’s something I look forward to every year. This feature explains what we look for, what we use, and where we fish when trolling for southern walleye.

Current is arguably the most important factor in having a successful day of walleye fishing. These fish typically reside in deep, cool water. Current forces these fish to set up along the bottom, making them much easier to catch. We have a few key locations in ..." Learn More >> Trolling Plugs for Southern Walleye

October 17, 2024 "Walleye Fishing Update"

Walleyes were on the agenda this Wednesday, but not on Winnibigoshish. My crew got trapped in big waves last month and they all agreed that the heavy south winds forecasted made that option a bad idea. So, I decided to make a 2nd trip to the lake I wrote about back on October 2, 2024. The lake, a relatively small, 3000-acre lake has a reputation for decent fall fishing and has plenty of structure to explore. So even if I hadn’t been there much this season, I wasn’t too worried about not finding something to do there.

When we launched the boat, my surface temperature reading at the landing wa 50 degrees. By the time we were fishing on the main lake, 52 degrees was the average reading. The wind, as expected, was blowing hard and there were whitecaps rolling across the water. My strategy was to ..." Read >> Sundin Walleye Fishing Report October 17, 2024

October 16, 2024 "Suspending the Suspend-Able"

In crappie school, threatening suspension for misdeeds is not an effective form of punishment. No, they love being suspended and that would just make them happier. And happy they were on Tuesday, not only suspended high above the bottom of the lake, but also away from the shoreline, headed toward the lake’s deepest holes.

Understand, the movement, or so-called migration doesn’t necessarily mean that crappies must travel long distances. In certain lakes, migration could take them just a few hundred feet from summertime haunts. In some lakes though, they may travel miles to find preferred wintering habitats. In fact, when possible, they may go so far as to leave one lake, and swim into other connected body of water. The trick to finding them during fall is to figure out where the lake offers them the best available habitat.

On Tuesday, most of the fish we located were in, or near the ..." Read >> October 16, 2024 "Suspending the Suspend-Able"

Reader Comments October 15, 2024 "Lake Winnie Feeding Times"

Here's a reader comment regarding my "working theory" about walleyes feeding heavily at night, resulting in a slow start to many morning fishing trips. (See Lake Winnie fishing report October 13, 2024)

"Dave Allen wrote: "Good morning Jeff. Your thoughts on the Winnie walleye not being hungry in the mornings can be partially confirmed by my experiences on the big pond over the last three years.

I fish at night pulling crankbaits and this summer have fished exclusively on Winnie an average of 2 to 3 times per week. From the fishing opener until early August, I was fishing 1 hour before sunrise until shortly after sun up. Fishing at that time, the norm was catchoing 15 to 20 fish on each outing. By early August, I was forced to switch over to fishing from 1/2 hour before sunset until a couple of hours after sunset each day in order to catch similar numbers of walleyes.

I and some others who pull crankbaits at night have had the same thoughts about "full walleyes" and slow feeding early in the day. Proof that these fish are full is the very fat bodies we've noticed since mid August. Fattest dang walleyes I've ever seen on Winnie. Anyway just wanted you to know that others are having the same thoughts." Dave Allen

Wired2Fish October 15, 2024 "Crankin’ for Fall Bass with Ott DeFoe"

"Ott DeFoe looks forward to this time of the year. When October’s chill sets in and water temperatures steadily drop, DeFoe can use the lures he made famous, balsa crankbaits, to target big bass.
Years ago, when he was just a teenager, he spent hours in his garage near Knoxville, Tenn., hand-crafting his own brand of wooden lures. Thanks to his self-taught woodworking skills, he carved out a legendary career in professional bass fishing.

Those baits are now part of what is now known as the OG (Ott’s Garage) series, mass-produced by Rapala. DeFoe still puts his stamp of approval on the baits and makes sure they exhibit the same qualities of balsa wood lures that his homemade versions did. Each fall, he comes full circle and uses the crankbaits he designed to ..." Learn More >> Crankin’ for Fall Bass with Ott DeFoe

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism October 15, 2024

"Fall fishing on the south side of Lake of the Woods is excellent right now. Water temperatures are in the low to mid 50s and the colder water temps have the fish snapping.

Walleyes and saugers are being caught in a variety of locations across the south shore in water depths ranging from 20 to 27 feet. Jigging with frozen, or live emerald shiners is catching a pile of fish. Anchor up and jig over the side of the boat. Typically, lots of small fish to sort through but you will get your keepers along with some larger walleyes. Jig colors to consider are gold, glow white, glow red, chartreuse, orange, and pink. Gold combined with any one of these colors is often a good choice.

The Rainy River continues to get better and better with more walleyes moving in to ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Fishing Report October 15, 2024

October 13, 2024 "Connecting With the Connect-Able"

The photo of my friends Tom and Brad with their walleye double is gratifying, but it did not come without effort.

Lake Winnibigoshish was stingy with her walleyes during the morning hours on Saturday. That wasn’t just my opinion, friends who were fishing the lake on Saturday morning reported similar struggles. It would have been easy to believe that the fish weren’t biting, and that our efforts to catch them were futile.  But if we’d succumb to the temptation of thinking negatively, we might have talked ourselves right out of catching not only these 2 fish, we might have missed out on catching the rest of their 12 fish limit too, but that’s speculation.

The fish were not, not biting, I didn’t think, and I told that to my crew repeatedly. “We just have to keep looking and keep fishing until we ..." Read Full Fishing Report >> October 13, 2024 Connecting With the Connect-Able

Wired2Fish October 13, 2024 "Tips for Catching Crappies from Scattered Hard Cover"

"Kobie Koenig and Adam Pavek head out crappie fishing on a sprawling Canadian Shield lake, where finding fish is a needle-in-a-haystack proposition. The duo uses cutting-edge fish finder technology to locate crappies around submerged trees, boulders, and other isolated structures. Koenig explains that crappies can be elusive and often spread out, making them difficult to find. However, they quickly identify high-percentage spots and fish using a mix of forward-facing sonar, side imaging, and even 2D sonar.

The team focuses on casting jigs and safety pin-style spinners in 10- to 15-feet of water, adjusting their presentation based on conditions. While the list of best crappie baits is long, Koenig highlights the versatility of a hair jig, which can be fished at different depths and manipulated in various ways to attract bites. When crappies are suspended, live sonar helps pinpoint them, allowing Koenig and Pavek to ..." View Video and Learn More >> Tips for Catching Crappies from Scattered Hard Cover

October 11, 2024 "Wrapping Up Ruling out Rules and Accepting the Exceptions"

In yesterday’s report, I used up most of my morning writing time on Q&A about fishing for walleyes in clear water. I promised that I would finish reporting about Wednesday’s (10-10-2024) fishing trip with Dave and Brett, so here goes.

The theme, “Ruling out Rules and Accepting the Exceptions” describes our experience to a T. In search of walleyes, we explored shallow water, deeper water, weedy patches, steep breaklines, mid-lake humps and sandy flats. We covered lots of water, and looked everywhere I could think of … except the lake’s most prominent crappie holes. I avoided the crappie spots because as we left the dock, my first instruction was “we can’t catch any crappies, we already fished for them, and caught our limits yesterday,” my crew advised. At the time, that aviso didn’t worry me because ..." Read >> Sundin Fishing Report 10-11-2024

October 10, 2024 "Ruling out Rules and Accepting the Exceptions"

The title of today’s report, “Ruling out Rules and Accepting the Exceptions” is particularly timely. Why? Because it pertains both to my fishing trip on Wednesday, and to the reader comments from friend and frequent emailer, Rand Olson. Let’s start first with Rand’s comments, then I’ll work back on my report about yesterday’s fishing trip with Dave and Brett.

October 9, 2024 "Calmer, Warmer, Brighter Walleye Fishing"

The wind stopped blowing, the sun kept shining and surface water temperatures on Lake Winnie rebounded slightly on Tuesday. Despite frosty temperatures during the wee hours Tuesday morning, the lake water held its own; 55 degrees was the average from 8:00 AM until about 11:00 AM. During midday, temperatures rose into the 58 degree range. A mild, but welcome algae bloom developed on the lake’s calm surface too.

As expected, walleye fishing under these circumstances was not a fast action proposition. That said, it wasn’t bad either, we plodded from spot-to-spot, picking up a fish here and there until we had the fish we wanted. If you’ve been keeping up with recent reports, then you already know all about how we ..." Read >> Lake Winnibigoshish Walleye Update October 9, 2024

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism October 9, 2024

"Sturgeon fishing is really picking up as the water cools in the Rainy River. Sturgeon are not legal to harvest at this time, but catch and release is allowed. From now into the month of April, 2025 fishing for sturgeon will continue to be catch and release only, until the "keep season" begins again, anglers can then choose, if they catch one, to harvest 1 legal fish drung the 2025 season.

Walleye fishing on the Rainy River continues to get better and better. There are definitely more shiners and walleyes in the river this week. Good fish are being caught in many sections of the river.

Trolling crankbaits in the fall is a well known strategy to catch hungry walleyes chasing shiners. Trolling is also a great way to ..." Read >> Rainy River Lake of the Woods Report October 9, 2024

October 8, 2024 "Let's Clear Something Up; Lake Winnibigoshish!"

A week ago, I would have guessed that both water temperatures, and water clarity in Lake Winnibigoshish would have remained favorable to anglers for at least another week. Mother Nature though, had other plans and dished out a brutally forceful and cold west wind on Sunday. On Tuesday, in the aftermath of that cold front, surface water temperatures had fallen from 64 degree down to just 56 degrees. My Secchi disk reading on Winnie’s west side Tuesday was now 13 feet, a 6-foot increase in water clarity in only 4 short days.

Walleyes that had previously inhabited shoreline breaks in relatively shallow water fled the scene and turned up deeper, in 19 to 24 feet of water. We found them on both shoreline related breaklines, and on some of the largest mid-lake bars. Their attitude was generally positive, and when we could see them, they usually struck. Boat shyness, an issue we haven’t faced for a while now, reared its ugly head though, and almost every spot we fished turned out to ..." Read >> Lake Winnie Fishing Report October 8, 2024

Jeff Sundin January 7, 2024 "Baraotrauma - We Already Know More Than You Think" Fishrapper Fishing Articles Section: Barotrauma Research, Studies and Reports

I was on the phone Saturday (1-6-2024) morning with Uncut Angling’s Aaron Wiebe talking about his recent video presentation about barotrauma affected crappies. I was then, and am now, most grateful for his willingness to engage with me in the lost art of civil discourse. Our conversation was fairly long, so I won’t bore you with every little detail. Instead, I’ll just cut to the chance and start by saying that I agree with 90 percent of his presentation. Where we differ, opinions about whether fish caught in 35 feet of water can be “safely” released, will likely lead to more conversations down the road.

You’re probably worried now that I’m headed down the path toward debating the “science” of barotrauma again, but I’m not! We’ve debated enough about that already. I wonder though, after following the commentary, have you noticed a certain behavioral phenomenon like I have? Have you noticed that folks have a tendency to pick and choose selected details from a story, and then use those, and only those select details in order to advance their own, personal opinions? Wiebe and I talked about that, and I shared with him, my concern about one of ..." Read >> January 7, 2024 Baraotrauma - We Already Know More Than You Think

Jeff Sundin January 5, 2024 Barotrauma, "Responding to the Respond-ABLE"

Personal responsibility, that’s my thing, and folks who know me understand what I mean. I’m sure my kids grew weary of hearing me use the phrase “low expectation, low result” during their formative years. Folks that know me well realize too, that I never set a standard that’s higher for someone else than the one I set for myself. Still, even when I try my hardest to be responsible, I still can’t always reach the “high bar”. I realize my shortcomings and try to correct them. I like to think that my standards are set high enough so that even when I can’t score high on the curve, I at least come close.

If you don’t already know, those standards extend to the service I’ve set out to provide for you. I want you to know that before I write an article for you to read, I’ve studied, learned, and reflected on information I’m preparing to share. I try to get my facts straight, and close to being accurate, to the extent that its possible. To do that, I interact with a lot of people who are smarter than me, people whose knowledge I respect.

Disappointing to me is the number of people in our world who would bypass the pursuit of excellence. Folks who believe that they were born with more knowledge than ..." Read >> Succesful Release or Wishful Thinking? January 5, 2024

Jeff Sundin January 4, 2024 Pointing Fingers Or Working It Out? — Releasing Crappies Caught In Deep Water, Who Proved What To Whom?

Ever since last week, when I shared the Uncut Angling video of Aaron Wiebe challenging the “integrity” of the Lindner Media and MN DNR video about barotrauma, there’s been something bothering me. I feel like I should come down on somebody’s side and support them, but I can’t. There isn’t anybody who is clearly in the right, or in the wrong either. I’m conflicted because laying assumptions and opinions aside, nobody, me included, actually KNOWS for sure, what they’re talking about.

In case you missed it, the video produced by Uncut Angling host Aaron Wiebe accuses Minnesota’s DNR Fisheries Staff of purposely creating a flawed study. Wiebe’s assertion is that the project, a joint video production between the MN DNR and ..." Read Article >> January 4, 2024 Pointing Fingers Or Working It Out?

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