Fishing Reports

FISHING WITH THE GUIDES  with George Langley.   Week of   3/19 to 3/26

We saw a limited number of anglers through the doors last week as the weather was a factor for many. And that wind! The temperature looks to be trending warmer during the coming days, but last week was one of those gut-punch late winter weeks where there was plenty of cold and snow. It looks like we’ve got a bit more coming this week, but by next weekend we’ll hopefully be seeing temps in the 40’s.

There's still a good 30 -36" of ice on most of the lakes up here so our ice season is nowhere near over! This is the year for winter sports up here, as skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling - along with fishing - are all still going strong. We're looking at great conditions for the late season panfishing and we hope to see an up-tick in action in general with these temps. No big complaints of slush yet, either!

Perch action has been pretty good area wide. These fish will be very active over the next few weeks leading up to the spawn. Anglers are reporting decent catches of nice sized perch using small minnows and waxies. You will find these fish in many different spots in the weeds and on deep mud flats, so you may have to do a little searching to find them.

Crappie action has been decent. These fish are hanging in schools in deep water on most lakes. Small minnows rigged on tip-downs usually work best for deep water crappies. You’ll find these fish anywhere from right on the bottom to suspended at different depths in the water column. Late afternoons and evenings have been the best time to catch crappies. Start fishing right off the bottom and move up in the column if you’re not having luck.

Bluegill action has been fairly slow. On some of the deep, clear water lakes you can find them suspended in the deep holes. Small jigs tipped with waxies or plastics work best in these situations. On shallower lakes, anglers have had some limited success catching bluegills in the weeds. Overall, bluegill action will increase with warming temperatures. Hopefully we will see that happen this week.

Now’s the time of the year to prep all of your open-water equipment and dream of warm days in the boat. Get those spools filled, fix those rods and reels and organize those tackle boxes while you think about water lapping and sun on your face.

Good luck and good fishin'!