Happy Opener! Fishing Report 5/17

Happy Fishing Opener Everybody! After what seemed like an endless, cold, brutal winter, open water and warm weather sure does feel GOOD!

Fishing on the opening weekend was as to be expected. We had a few really good reports, with the majority of fishermen saying the bite was fair for opening weekend. With the unique spring weather we encountered, the water temps were not ideal and the windy weekend made it tough to get out on the water opening weekend. All things considered, it looks like we will have a much better week!

Big Pine, Little Pine, Rush , Ottertail and many other local lakes produced walleyes on opening weekend. Majority of fish were caught in 5-10 FOW trolling a small jig with either a minnow or a plastic. It is easy to be concerned about using shiners when fishing shallow water walleyes with a jig, but any medium sized minnow will work, and don't forget about plastics! We have a GREAT selection of walleye plastics, and some serious anglers prefer these lifelike plastics more than real bait! If you have not tried plastics, give it a try this spring when jig fishing shallow... you likely will be surprised at how effective they are! Lindy rigs on shoreline breaks with leeches, crawlers and minnows produced fish also, as well as crankbaits. Looking forward to the next week, a great starting spot on area lakes would be on the shallow flats and points in 8-10 feet of water. There are fish in deeper water also, but the majority of fishermen who had the best luck reported the majority of fish coming in less than 10 feet of water.

Don't forget about the panfish! It is easy to get consumed with walleyes this time of year but the panfish bite has been really good! Find the shallow, warm water bays on any of the area lakes, and the bluegill and crappie will be there! Use a bobber with a small jig with a crappie minnow, plastic, or worm in 3-8 FOW, or cast a small jig with a plastic. These fish are schooled up and when you find one, many more will be there to be caught, so stay mobile until you locate a school of fish!

We thank everyone for there support and business over the opening weekend! We are so thankful and appreciative of our customers. Without your support and loyalty, we wouldn't be here! Happy fishing everybody! Make sure to keep an eye on our facebook page for more updates and information on bait and inventory! Happy Fishing!