Fishing Report 5/31

We hope everybody had a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend. From all of us at Gene's, we thank all the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect this great nation and our freedoms. Remember & Honor.

We had a busy weekend here at Gene's, and the fishing was GOOD! The walleye bite continues to be strong on Big Pine, Little Pine, Ottertail, Rush, Star, as well as other area lakes. The water temp has reached low to mid 60's on most area lakes, and the fish are starting to slowly transition from spring/ spawning areas to the early summer locations. Majority of anglers are having the best luck in 7-10 FOW, with a Jig and Minnow bite still being the best technique. Shoreline breaks and flats have been the best locations, and finding the shallow flats adjacent to deep water has proven to be a great starting point. Trolling the jig and minnow behind the boat at speeds of .8-1.4 mph has been the best speeds. 1/16th and 1/8th ounce jigs continues to be the best jig size, with colors depending on weather conditions and the lake.

Although the shallow water bite the last week has been the best, we did hear a lot of reports of anglers having luck in deeper water. Lindy rigs with leeches, crawlers and minnows are also producing walleyes in 15-25 feet of water on shoreline points as well as mid-lake humps. The deep water bite will continue to improve daily as summer progresses and the water temps continue to rise.

The Crappie and Bluegill bite continues to be strong on Big Pine, Rush, Star, Dead, Long, as well as other area lakes. A bobber with a jig and minnow or grub continues to be the best option for these shallow water panfish. 2-8 FOW has been the best depth. It is important this time of year to be selective on what fish are kept for the fryin' pan. Big females that are full of eggs should be released to ensure the future success of our local fisheries. As the spawn finishes up, these fish will push out to the weedlines and will be ready to be caught in 6-12 feet of water!

Bass and Northern Pike are often overlooked, but they have been biting! Look for bass shallow this time of year, with a lot of fish schooling up in 3-6 feet of water in the warm water bays of lakes. A wide variety of shallow water lures and plastics are producing bass on all area lakes that have a good population of bass. Northerns are ready to be caught on all area lakes in 6-10 feet of water. A wide variety of spoons and lures are producing fish, as well as minnows on shallow lindy rigs or jigs.

Hard to believe we are about to turn the calendar to June, but we are excited to enter into arguably the best fishing month of the year! We thank all of our loyal customers who made it such a busy Memorial Day weekend for us at the shop... we appreciate your business! Happy Fishing Everybody!