Brad Hawthorne Outdoors

Here we are again, at the threshold of another Minnesota Fishing opener.

Some anglers call this “amateur day” and opt to throw in the towel and stay home, others smile at the challenge, while thinking about battling traffic and crowded lake accesses. We hook up the trailer with boat loads of determination, never looking back….unless for some chance, a net or life jacket flies out of the boat while on the freeway.

Such sacrifices are necessary, we know it, and we would never change a thing about it. We are, after it’s all said and done, fanatical hardcore fisherman who will brave crowded landings, congested community
fishing holes, swarming bait shops, and long lines of traffic just for the shot at catching a walleye. We are the reason Opening Fishing was created in this great state.
This is for some “the best day of the year” and will kick off 5-6 months of the best Minnesota has to offer. A long standing tradition for family and friends alike.

Choosing the “go to” lake can be tough. With all of the choices, it’s no wonder it leaves a few anglers thumbing though paper maps and “googling” certain body of water and for the Internet savvy crowd (that’s you) searching fishing forums for the slightest hint of where to go. So lets take a look at a few great opener lakes in Minnesota

Brainerd MN, Pelican Lake
Home to this years Governors fishing opener is Pelican Lake. Pelican lake has received walleye stocking for a number of years, and According to the Minnesota
department of natural resources, the 1999 through the present year class of walleyes are abundant and should provided quality fishing from now and well into the future. Pelican is no small body of water it weighs in at just over 8,253 acres with 22.7 miles of shore line.

Anglers will find no shortage of structure on Pelican. Reefs, sand bars, steep drops, or rock humps, pelican has it all. This is defiantly
the “meat and potatoes” lake in the Brainerd area. Red tail chubs on jigs or Roach rigs usually are found at the end of many lines on the opener or all summer for that matter and beyond.

Winnibigoshish
Anglers who venture north to “Winnie” this year should be rewarded with plenty of walleyes in the harvest slot, as well as a shot at some large female Walleyes, 4-8 lbs. being common. Slot limits set in place by the DNR and fast growth rates have kept the lake in prime condition over the past few seasons. With 58,544,00 acres of fishable water opening day anglers should have no problem finding a spot away from the crowds. From rock piles to main lake flats, sandy tapering shore lines, and weed beds, and Oh and let’s not forget about the mud., yes the mud, Winnie has some very productive mud areas. You don’t here about them very much but trust me, the Winnie mud can be great at times. Winnie is always accommodating many different styles of fishing and remained on top fishing lists for years.

Lake Mille Lacs
Ah……Mille Lacs, Seemingly always surrounded by controversy. From gill nets, to slot changes, This Walleye fishery has had its ups and downs that no secret. The good news is…..The Slot is set. The regulation
which begins may 10th and requires anglers to release all walleye from 18-28 inches. The regulation aims to ensure that the state angler harvest falls within the state’s allocation of 307,500 pounds of
walleye.

The winter of 2007-2008 small perch dominated the catch. Most walleyes that made it to the frying pan were absolutely stuffed with perch,Spot tail shiners, Sculpins and Cicoes. This had a few anglers frustrated with the big lake, and for
good reason. The 2007-2008 winter seasons were like “fishing in a bait bucket.” This is not all bad, Mille Lacs is full of 22-27 inch walleyes and hopefully this bait hatch of monstrous proportions will help push some of those 6-7 lb Walleyes into the 8-10 lb trophy category.

I have to admit, Mille lacs is my favorite lake in Minnesota, it has everything, Jumbo perch, huge Walleye, 50+ inch Musky, piggish Brown Bass and some very large Northern Pike. What ever you’re after, Mille Lacs has it and there’s a good chance at catching a true trophy for every species this year and many years to come.

Leech Lake, Walker MN
Home of the 2007 Governors fishing opener, Leech lake is in great shape. Stocking efforts and Cormorant control coupled with slot limits have brought this lake back to it’s once great condition. Anglers who fish Leech this year will find slot fish in good numbers and perch now reaching the “Jumbo” category, If I had to put money on the best opening lake this year, Leech lake in Walker MN would be it.

The 2005 and 2006 year classes are abundant and doing very well under the currant lake management. Leech Lake is back in a big way. Take a trip to Leech this year, you won’t be sorry you did.

What ever lake you choose this year, remember to be safe, have fun and help the guy who just can’t seem to get his boat on or off the trailer, what goes around comes around, always has, always will.

Brad Hawthorne is a multispecies guide and Pro Staff member of Lake State Fishing. His web site is www.bradtheguide.com

Dead sticking 101

Dead stick rods rigged with the proper line, and weights rule the game of late season, at least for me anyway. Knowing a few things about deadsticking in the “dead” of winter can help you put a few extra walleyes on the ice. You can still work that jigging rod but chances are the “do nothing” method may be the rod you are fighting more walleyes on. Here are a few tips to help you out.

 The “do nothing rod”. A rod with a soft tip and medium backbone is a rod that can be used without a bobber meaning less resistance when the fish is pulling the bait away or will tell you that the minnow is on the fritz. One of the best dead sticking rods out there is the Thorne Brothers Deadsticking Rod, which is made with a combination of graphite and fiberglass. Some other rods like the Shakespeare Ugly stick might not say dead stick on the rod but it has the features mentioned earlier that make it a great choice for under $30.

I’m a firm believer in watching rod tips constantly when dead sticking, One little abnormal bump or a totally dead line might mean a fish has slid up and took a little taste, so it pays to keep an eye on the rod and those drags on the medium to loose side untill you set the hook.

Line choice is part of the puzzle and equally important, switching to heavier line on your dead sticking rods and set lines is a must this time of year, most of the time when a fish is hooked the line will come in contact with the bottom and top of the ice hole many times, with 3-4 ft of ice thickness. If the fish decides to take a run more than a few feet in any direction other than straight down, you’ll be fighting the fish while the line slices and scrapes the bottom of the ice hole. Nicking and chafing the line which can increase the failure rate if using too light of a line, you don’t want to be caught with 4-6 lb line in this situation. After every fish be sure to check your line, heaver lines like 8 lb fluorocarbon or super lines tipped with fluorocarbon are even better when the ice gets around the 3 ½ 4 ft mark.

On the business end, lively minnow, maybe even a little on the larger size (3-4 inch) and light wire hook with a few split shots 16-18 inches above the hook…tried and true, simple but effective, the perfect sit and wait bait.

When adding weights to your dead sticking combo, add enough split shots to load the rod tip, usually one or two maybe three, match minnow size to the weight, this will balance out the whole presentation and allow the rod to do what it was designed to do, and will more than likely be the be the most natural looking presentation the walleyes have seen all winter. The whole idea is to get that minnow moving freely and natural.

As far as Locations go, off shore structure, not the stuff in the middle of the lake and not the stuff right close to shore but those tiny little bumps and inside turns, it’s all about the spot. Fishing pressure can push fish off structure. This is a fact so finding your own little spot away from the crowds can not only be more peaceful but rewarding as well.

You’ve done you research to find your spot, the holes are drilled, the shack is warm and there’s usually some speculation in between fishing buddies on the spot choice. So it seems that for the time being, all your apples are in one basket. Now only time will tell, talk about fun! This is dead sticking at it finest.

Have fun this winter, keep an eye on ice conditions and be safe

 Tuning in the Eye’s

Crank baits are one of the best lures to target Fall Walleyes.  The one thing that may keep the walleyes from biting those crankbaits, is a lure running out of tune.  An out of tune lure lacks the action it is meant to have and does not look natural in the water.  Instead of running straight, it veers off to the right or left of the intended path.  Here are a few tips to keep your baits running true. 

I like to tune crankbaits on calm days, as it helps to see the swim path of the lure.  Another thing that helps is having someone drive the boat while you are tuning, this will make the process faster and more enjoyable.

After attaching the desired lure to be tune, bring the boat up to a trolling speed near 3 MPH. Next let 5-6 ft of line out and point the rod tip straight at the lure, most times if a lure is out of tune it will immediately run right or left . Burp the throttle a few times or reel in, if the lure runs right or left of you, you will need to make the neccessary adjustments if you plan on putting the lure out behind the boat, especially at higher speeds.  In most cases tuning a lure to 3 MPH is satisfactory.

To tune baits you can use a basic needle nose pliers.  If the bait runs left, bend wire loop to the right; if the bait runs right, bend wire loop to the left.  Now a little goes a long way when tuning, so don’t over bend the wire loops. A micro adjustment is all that should be needed to get the bait back on the right track.  Baits with wire loops or screw eyes should not be adjusted with split ring pliers as they don’t do a sufficient job.   Also, never file or bend the lip of the lure, this will render the lure useless and nonreturnable.

Hopefully these quick easy tips on tuning will help put a few walleyes in the boat for you this fall and into the future as well!

This page will be occasionaly updated with reports, fishing news and other posts you might find usefull.

Good Fishing,
Brad Hawthorne