Fishing Report – 2/27/19
By Randin Olson, Lock Jaw Guide Service
It doesn’t look like winter will be slowing down anytime soon so don’t put your ice gear away yet. As a reminder, Walleye, Bass, and Northern Pike season is now closed in Otter Tail County until May. Travel is very tough in lakes county right now. We have seen 28” to 32” of ice with 8” to 30” of snow on top. A side effect of all this snow is flooding, which is very common on most area lakes. Travel is still possible with the help of a snowmobile or tracked vehicle, but make sure to run a path to your fishing spot before hauling your gear out just in case you run into a slush hole. As tempting as it is to drop your house on a plowed road and start fishing, please try to refrain from drilling holes in roads. This will only increase the flooding on the lakes.
February is notorious for being a “tough” month to catch walleye. Usually, February is a transitional month for ol’ marble eye. These fish will start to move toward shoreline structure in no particular hurry. One day the fishing is hot, the next you start to wonder if your electronics are broke. Staying mobile is always a great approach to catching fish but its crucial to consistently putting eye balls topside during this time. Tip ups, and aggressive jigging has been the key to fooling fish lately. Use the tip-ups to help you cover a larger area while you hole hop with aggressive baits such as Northland’s Buckshot spoon.
Panfish paradise is still kicking out great panfish bites on most of the area lakes. Fish have been schooled up so it’s just a matter of finding them and hunkering down. Small spoons and tungsten jigs tipped with waxies are your best bet now. If you have an underwater camera, use it to help you find any green weeds that may be left. These still green weeds are almost guaranteed to hold lots of fish. On a nicer day, hole hopping will pay off big. There is still a great crappie bite going on now. A couple different patterns are working, fishing the basin areas are and will continue to produce. Also shallow weeds that still have life will produce until the weeds die off.
The best panfish bite of the season is quickly approaching. So keep drilling and keep catching, remember to check your trail for slush and travel safely.
Randin Olson, Lock Jaw Guide Service
218-640-0158
