opener right around the corner
By Ross Hagemeister, meisterguideservice.com
The leaves are on the trees, goslings are starting to pop out of the grass along slough edges, and spring gobbler season is well on it’s way…..but what about the water? It’s difficult for water to stay warm when overnight lows and day time highs are 10 degrees below normal. Snow is still a pretty normal thing to hear in the forecast. It shouldn’t make sense, but it does. I normally get over to the state fish hatchery but they don’t want the baby walleye to catch Covid, so the gates are closed to spectators. It’s fun to see the walleye—all sizes and of varying degrees of physical fitness and condition. Being able to see the walleye and visit with the hatchery/fishery folks usually gives me a very good idea where the walleye spawn is at. From there, I have a good feeling about what to do on the opener. Thank you Covid for ruining more stuff, more fun. Last week I wiggled my boat way back into a large shallow water bay on a top-end panfish lake in Otter Tail County. I quietly paddled in to the darkest, shallowest, part of the lake—anticipating seeing small spook swirls from skittish blue-gill and crappie. Nothing. If I had gone further back into that bay—I might have never made it out. There was no life. Nothing. Things are shaping up now, after a good stretch of warm temps and high penetrating over-head sun. Thank you May; the sun you bring is welcome. April didn’t help anyone, but it’s over with, spring anglers are glad to see it go.
You can finally find panfish in shallow water around lakes country. Anglers can fish from shore, bridges, canoes, and boats—and all can catch fish for dinner. As I’ve mentioned in previous pre-summer write ups, keep a sense of stealth about you. Don’t Godzilla fish in a small bay or shallow water. Soon enough you’ll be able to be less careful and still catch fish. Look for bays and shorelines where life is happening. I like to see turtles on lake-edge deadfall, and I like to see emerging/growing/greening lily pads. Most of all, I like to see fish If there is something swimming around in the area that you choose to fish—give it a try. I like to use Northland Fire Fly jigs. Try either 1/64 oz or 1/32 oz and tip them with Gulp fry, Gulp minnows, or live angle worms or crappie minnows and fish them under bobbers so you don’t have to fish fast. I recommend artificial baits and food because they stay on your hook when you cast. Try a 7ft med-light action rod, spooled with 4 lb mono to achieve great casts.
Good Luck fishing Otter Tail Lakes Country this week!
