Don’t Forget To Check The Weed Lines!
The nice weather keeps inviting fishermen to Otter Tail Lakes Country! As the days pass, ice fishing is getting put on hold more and more. Without a BIG cool down in the near future, I can’t even begin to predict ice. I heard frogs croaking from my deer stand last weekend!
If you do get out and fish around Lakes Country this week, just continue to do what you’ve been doing. If you’re new to the area and want to try get into something, you can start by focussing on spots that you would try when you start ice fishing.
A lot of folks like to try deep deep water for walleye in the late fall—I avoid deep water and concentrate my efforts on weed lines instead. Right now I like 14–22 feet; the fish are nice in those areas. Despite the challenge of finding weed line fish, the reward is worth the effort.
Northern pike continue to be busy around weeds and drop-offs and you can anticipate good pike action until later in January. I don’t do a lot of late season bass angling so I don’t have a good report on those—sorry. Panfish can be found just outside weed lines on some lakes while in other lakes (especially deeper lakes), panfish are setting up in deep patterns far removed from weeds. Check out pits and holes on mid-depth flats. When you mark some activity near the bottom of those pits—give them a try.
Minnows are the best live-bait bet for nearly all species right now, but don’t be afraid to toss jigs and Gulp twister-tails and fry and minnows at the fish. If you’ve put your boat up for the winter or want to try catching a walleye from shore in Otter Tail Lakes Country—now’s the time. Find inlets or outlets and cast shallow diving crank baits or jigs tipped with fathead minnows or gulp twisters into current areas—especially at night.
Good luck fishing Otter Tail Lakes Country this week. We’re having beautiful weather, so get out and enjoy it before it decides to go away.
Ross Hagemeister
