This Tackle, That Fish.
The water temps in Otter Tail Lakes Country have dropped into the top half of the 50’s! We are getting closer to snow flakes and ice—just a little closer…
In the meanwhile, walleye continue to bite on night crawlers, but I still choose sucker minnows for the larger fish. Some walleye are making their way to deeper haunts, however, I prefer and recommend shallow flats with rock and weed, and deep weed lines for larger walleye. Fishing from docks and bridges near outlets and inlets around Otter Tail County will also start to pay dividends as well.
Try to fish for shoreline fish and shallow fish with jigs tipped with minnows. While crappie and sunfish continue to pay attention to weeds and weed lines, don’t count out deep basins and holes just yet! Finding fish in holes and pits in a lake’s basin can be easy because they should be suspending at this time — give it a try.
Northern Pike are beginning to be very active again – use large sucker minnows and large hooks next to cabbage weeds adjacent to deep water—and hang on. Also, try pitching large crank baits at weed patches near drops at the end of flats. And for those of you who own muskie tackle—use those lures for large pike, they can’t help themselves! (On a muskie note, it’s prime time from now until freeze up.) Otter Tail Lakes Country has several prominent muskie waters—and the muskie are BIG! Give it try.
Good luck fishing Otter Tail Lakes Country this week!
Ross Hagemeister
