Reeling in the good times in Otter Tail Lakes Country
Randin Olson Lock Jaw Guide Service 218-640-0158
It may feel like we live in the tropic, but I assure you that this is Minnesota. With warm temps being the norm and storms rolling through one after another, fishing can be great if you know where to look. Lakes country is full of opportunities to fire up the grease and mid-summer can be a frustrating time for some. Baitfish blooms are everywhere and most refuse to leave the safety of the weeds. Bug hatches are happening regularly so needless to say the fish have a wide variety of options to fill their tummies. With help from this report and a little luck, you can still cash in on some fine Otter Tail county fishing.
Eye balls are spread out and moving constantly. Being mobile is key to catching any numbers of fish. Currently, there is a shallow pattern, a mid-depth pattern, a deep pattern, and a suspended pattern. All these patterns will produce fish depending on your timing. Start shallow to mid-depth in the mornings and evenings and progressively work deeper as the day wears on. A spinner rig on a bottom bouncer is one of the time tested best options for covering water and catching fish during the summer; Cranks will also produce and so will minnows. Puppet minnows are a great tool to keep tied on this time of year. When you find a concentration of fish, stop and cast or troll a puppet minnow through to pick them off one at a time.
Bass fishing has been phenomenal. The two main patterns I have been working are deep weed lines and slop. For the deep weed lines try pitching a Jungle Jig or a 1/2oz spinnerbait and work your way around points, inside corners and pockets. When taking on the slop, rig heavy and prepare for battle. Frogs, spoons, and Jungle Jigs are all great options for this but remember that when you hook them, you need to get them out!
Panfish Paradise is hotter than ever. Trolling small jigs over emergent cabbage will produce lots of crappies. Once you find a school you can stop and cast to them or continue to troll. Gills are all over the shallows. With most of the bigger fish moving towards the deeper weed line, tie on a small jig and tip it with a crawler or leech to entice a bite. And please practice selective harvest, big Gills and Crappie take along time to grow so letting the big ones go for others to enjoy is always appreciated.
Now is the time to take the cover off the boat and get the family out fishing! Don’t be afraid to move around and change the target species. If your having trouble or just want to learn some new tactics, give me a call.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
