Good morning from the Quiet Lakes, a soggy start to the FREE fishing weekend but looks to clear up today and be perfect tomorrow. Temps are warming up to the mid to upper 70s with a slight cool down later this week with good chances of rain until that front rolls through. The water temps are taking their sweet time to warm up as most lakes are still hovering around the mid 60s mark. The bite should heat up with this weather though and fish are starting to move more already.
Musky–Opening week of the musky season had pretty good reports of fish being seen and caught. It sounds like smaller rubber baits, jerkbaits and even some live bait caught fish. Anglers are finding fish mostly on weed edges and shallow structures adjacent to basins.
Northern pike–The pike bite has been on fire and anglers are catching pike on everything. All sizes of crankbaits, inline spinners, spinnerbaits and live bait are all working for pike right now. Look for fish in weed beds that have abundant panfish.
Walleye–The walleye bite has been hit or miss. Most anglers are finding them on shallow and mid lake structures and points that have deep water close. Fish have been relating to the shallowest part of the these areas and anglers have been doing well on both artificial and live bait.
LMB–Largemouth have been a great bite as well lately and anglers are catching loads of bass on fathead minnows underneath bobbers lately. Weed beds are key and as lake temps warm up fish will start to push into summer weed patterns. Look for fish right now in 6-10 FOW.
SMB–We caught a few smallies the other night on slip bobbers and leeches while trying for walleye. They were coming up into shallower water and getting active at dusk. Other anglers have been doing well on smallies jigging ned rigs in these same spots.
Crappie–The crappie bite has been tough lately but they too should really start to get aggressive as water temps warm up. Anglers are starting to see fish that havent spawned yet coming into 4-6 FOW water and schooling up there. Crappie minnows under a bobber and plastics such as crappie scrubs and crappie sliders are working to catch fish right now.
Bluegill/Perch–Bluegill and perch are shallow and anglers are finding them off of docks and up tight to shorelines. Leaf worms, crawlers, and leeches are all catching fish right now.
Have a great weekend and we will talk soon.
Greg