Lengthening Days Give Fish Cues to do Different Things

Hello anglers.  Our days are getting longer in Otter Tail County and we’re inching closer to spring.  Lengthening days give fish cues to do different things—change.  Each day, from now until the ice leaves the lakes, is a new day for fishermen.  I’ve been watching panfish patterns strengthen on some lakes and unravel on others so changes are underway.  If you were fishing in Otter Tail Lakes Country last week, and you return this week for more, you may be surprised to find that the fish have moved—so stay on your toes.   Be prepared to abandon last week’s spot and to begin searching new water.  While the panfish in the county seem to be revving their engines, the walleye are still a bit sluggish.  Walleye are still catchable, but there’s not an easy recipe for locating them—they are still not grouped up very well which means they are scattered across lakes rather then concentrating in specific depth zones.  When this happens (both summer and winter) it’s tricky to find them.  The good news is that when you do find walleye right now they will bite and deeper fish will even bite mid-day if you find a good school.  If you like to look for shallow walleye then you’re best fishing will be in the dark.  Northern pike are still feeding well.  For best results, find schools of panfish and dedicate

one line to a large minnow for lurking northern.   Here’s my tip of the week:  If you’re targeting panfish, be sure to pay close attention to the size of lure that you’re using.  If the fish are a bit leery, especially fish that have been pressured, you may need to use small lures and small baits.  The other option is to try and find schools of fish that haven’t been fished.  I always try and locate schools of fish in areas that haven’t been fished,  where I can use mid-sized lures which appeal mostly to larger panfish and also seem to discourage smaller fish at the same time.  Either way, have a couple of rods rigged with different sized lure options so you can switch hastily and efficiently.  Have a great time fishing Otter Tail County this week.  P.S. If you’re coming this weekend, you might want to try and find information about lake accesses because many of them “bucked up” this week when it got warm.  It would be too bad to take a long drive and have trouble getting on your favorite lake.  Good luck on the lake!

By Ross Hagemeister, Meister Guide Service