Fishing stays hot in OTC
By Randin Olson, Lock Jaw Guide Service
With winter in full swing and the ice covered in up to 14” of hard snow, most anglers are running for the permanent shacks filled with warm air and good eats. Fishing this time of year can be tough but not if you look in the right areas. As for walleye’s they have made the transition to the mid-lake humps and reefs and will stick it out there for the remainder of the season. On large lakes such as Otter Tail, there are still a lot of untapped opportunities to be had. With weeds laying down and dying, walleyes will start to focus in on other structural elements such as gravel and rock or sand to mud transition areas. These spots are all easily found by using a old fashion flasher and interpreting the screen. Downsizing bait and lures can be extremely effective this time of year as all fishes metabolism slows down and unlike the heat of the summer, they don’t need to eat as much or as often. Lures like Northland’s Forage minnow offer a smaller profile without giving up an aggressive action. Morning and evening will be your best times on the water these days with weather being one of the few factors to charge up a daytime eyeball bite.
Panfish Paradise is kicking out great numbers of gills and crappie. The bite is different on each lake but with help from a good auger like Eskimo’s Pistol Bit, searching for a school panfish doesn’t have to be hard. Mud flats are holding a lot of roaming fish right now and it pays to stay mobile. Crappies and gills suspending over upwards of 50ft of water is not uncommon this time of year and using flashy lures like a Buckshot spoon or the Rippin’ Shad can put big crappies topside for you right now! Gills are mostly still relating to weed cover and shoreline structure. Tempt them with small tungsten jigs such as a fireball jig tipped with waxies or plastics. As always staying mobile is key during MN’s deep freeze, don’t be afraid to break away from the crowd and explore new areas.
For you pike hunters out there, this is one of my favorite times of year. Pike are constantly roaming large weed or sand flats in search of prey. Don’t let shallow water deter you. One of my favorite tactics is to place a number of tip ups in a zig zag pattern starting with 3’ of water and working out to about 12’. Large sucker minnows, frozen smelt, or even hotdogs (uncooked of course) can all temp the toothy critters to take a bite. Pay close attention to witch holes are producing and focus efforts in that area. Don’t wait to long on any one spot. If you haven’t had a flag in 30min, pick up and move. Making big moves until a pattern starts to emerge.
Until next time, may your rods bend and your drags scream.
