Minnesota Musky Hunt with On the Road with LOA

We are super excited about our online video series called On the Road with LOA.  We are going to be featuring several typed of videos that include Adventure Series, Guide Chronicles, Destinations and LOA Guide Tips.

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In the first installment of the Adventure Series LOA guide Jeff "Jiggy"Andersen takes us on a November Musky Hunt.  Our goal is to bring you RAW fishing trips that feature ups and downs in figuring out the bite.  Not always a perfect production but real in nature to show you how we get it done.

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Book a Guided Fishing Trip with Leisure Outdoor Adventures Fishing Team at www.LeisureOutdoorAdventures.com  We are providing guided fishing trips on many lakes including the Brainerd Lakes Area, Gull Lake, Whitefish Chain, North Long, Pelican along with the Leech Lake Area.

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Fall Pursuits

The LOA team has been both in the woods and on the water enjoying some time to ourselves.  When fishing walleyes we have been focusing on rigging minnows along steep breaks.  Water temps were 44-46 degrees over the weekend and will continue to fall with lows at night dipping into the 20's in northern Minnesota.  Muskie guys are still out and about as well.  With temps falling a lot of guys are slowing down the presentations, think Rapala Glidin Rap or other baits that allow a slow retrieve.

Paul Manecke with a healthy eye from one of the smaller lakes in the Brainerd Lakes Area

Deer have been on the move as well and some of our guides have been in the bow stand with good success.  Not many bucks have showed themselves yet but does have been abundant and some nice ones have been taken.

                                                              

Wherever your passion leads you, be it the woods or water, get out there and 'make a memory!'.

Last remnants of fall fishing...

The fish are on the move on Leech lake for sure; be sure to be active in trying to find them.  Play the wind to start with depending on the wind and cloud cover you can find them as shallow as 4-5 FOW or as deep as 10-12 FOW on the main lake.  When fishing the main lake, shallower water, stick with a jig and minnow (either shiner or rainbow).  If you are rigging in the bays fish have been found anywhere from 20-35 FOW.  Don't be afraid to throw on a jigging spoon or a jiggin rap at these deep water fish as well.  There is still time to get out there and 'Make a memory!' Here on some fish from this week:

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Oct.15th Leech Lake report

The fall bite on Leech Lake continues to be very good.  Nothing fancy needed to put fish in the boat, find a point where the wind is blowing in and fish it!  Pine point, Duck and Ottertail have all been consistent.  1/8th ounce jig, rainbow minnows are all that are needed.  The flats that extend around Goose Island have produced a good mix of keepers and some bigger ones as well.  As the sun peeks out you can hit the deeper structure in Walker Bay with a lindy rig and a rainbow or a redtail to catch some bigger fish.  Key depths, depending on wind and sun, have been 22-35 feet.  While the weather can be frightful at times, you need to get out there to have a chance to make a memory! Here are just a couple of the fish that have seen the inside of an LOA boat this past week:

For more information or tips feel free to email us at jime@leisureoutdooradventures.com or
call 1-855-LOA-HOOK to book the trip of a lifetime.

Minnesota Musky Guide Report and Photos

Musky bite in Minnesota has been in full swing!  I have had so many great musky guide trips in September and the early part of October it's hard to keep them all straight.  With being apart of a huge tournament win (Read Here), catching one of the largest muskies while filming with In-Fisherman TV, to putting guide clients on their first or biggest muskies it's been a fun ride!  To add to it we have been catching almost every fish on a new lure I designed called the Bigtooth Tackle "KLACK" Bait.  We will be releasing it this spring.  Here are a few highlights...

Enjoy the photos!  Jiggy

In-Fisherman Filming (First fish was caught on the Bigtooth Clack Bait)

Clark Wallace with a Minnesota Giant Fall Musky on the Bigtooth Clack Bait.  Clark and I fished two days together and boated three muskies.  He caught his first figure 8 fish and this giant!

Randy Blake had fished muskies for many years and still was searching for his first 50 incher.  We got the deal done in two days with a 52 incher along with three others including two 49 inchers and one of the prettiest 45 inchers I have seen.

Brett Andrich with his first 50 incher which measured 53.  We caught two others this day along with loosing a monster at the boat.

A three fish guide trip.  Back to Back 47 inchers.  One was a super stoker of a fish.  Fun times!

Father Daughter Duo, Steve and Alyssa, with her first musky.  She said she is ready for a 50 incher now!!!

Book a Guided Fishing Trip with Leisure Outdoor Adventures Fishing Team at www.LeisureOutdoorAdventures.com  We are providing guided fishing trips on many lakes including the Brainerd Lakes Area, Gull Lake, Whitefish Chain, North Long, Pelican along with the Leech Lake Area.

Be our friend on Facebook at Leisure Outdoor Facebook Page

Call 855-LOA-HOOK to book your guided fishing trip today!

Minnesota Walleye Alliance Tourney

It all started with an email, Do you want to fish in the Walleye Alliance tourney with me? I was lucky enough to partner up with fellow LOA teammate/Owner Toby Kvalevog. Toby has fished the Walleye Alliance Classic for about the past 10 years, he has been fortunate enough to to place in the top 10 several times, and take home the title a couple times too. I would be crazy to pass up this opportunity. He kept things simple for me and said “meet me at my house at 545am and I will take care of the rest”. The questions in my head started to mount, what to bring, what to wear, what to eat, etc? It was like I was a kid going on a field trip for the day, but this was serious stuff, I’m fishing in a tournament with a seasoned professional. Now I was getting nervous, what if I knock off a nice fish, what if I lose the big one, etc? The morning arrived, with zero sleep, I was at Toby’s house 5:45am. Toby’s first comment too me was, “ Are you fired up”? That set the tone for the day, I was fired up. We arrived at the landing, I backed in the boat and parked the truck, Toby picked me up at the Elks Camp. The morning was beautiful, light breeze, blue skies and a brisk 44 degrees on the water. The plan for the morning start was for me to use lindy rig with a 6 inch chub with power pro line. Toby had an arsenal of sticks ready, one with a jigging rap, another with a lindy rig, and a jig with a long shank. We baited my hook with the minnow and set it in the live well, I was armed and ready. The first spot we arrived at Toby gave me two rules to remember for the day. Rule number one, we will only fish “marked fish” on the Lowrance. Rule number two, we will not fish memories, please remind me of that all day. That seemed pretty simple. We set ­up on a spot, Toby said there are fish here, let’s get it on. Within minutes, Toby yells fish on, he tells me to drop the rod and grab the net. It was bizarre to me how he was literally standing up and the rod above his head. He said using a jigging rap these walleyes will swim up towards the boat, straight up, so tight lines are key, plus i needed to net this 18.75 inch walleye without knocking it off. Toby said, net it from behind, the small hooks lose fish easy. We are on the board. Within five minutes Toby had another 16 incher in the boat on the same jigging rap, same spot. Talk about excitement, and then it was that moment when I got my first bite. I gave it line, lots of line, heck this was a 6 inch creek chub. Toby reminded me that I need to keep tip up, then start reeling, DO NOT SET HOOK until you feel the fish. I started reeling and fish on, then off. Dang it, I just lost one!! Toby reminded me to slow down and breathe; I was crushed. I asked myself did I cost the team a nice fish? Toby pointed out everything was fine, just slow down on the reel. At that time, Toby yells, fish on, drop your rod and get the net. “This is a monster” he says. Now when a seasoned professional says monster fish,. It sent me into cardiac arrest or caused me a thought to commit a Harry Carey. As he is getting the fish closer to the boat, I see a flash and say, holy sh**! The fish makes a run, at that time Toby feeds it line and reminds me to do the same when I get a big boy today. As the fish surfaces, I get the net under it and we set it in the boat. I was amazed at the size of this walleye, it was huge! It measured just under 29 inches. Toby and I high fived, I was shaking so much I couldn't hold my rod.

When I finally grabbed my rod, which at the time had some dead weight, I gave it line, closed the bail and yelled, fish on. It was now my turn, it wasn't big, but at 14 inches and just like that I was on the board. Meanwhile, Toby was doing surgery on the 28 incher to take the air out of its belly. That way it would live, I didn't have time to watch, I needed to catch fish. It was then I felt the the famous slow pull of a walleye, I went through the steps Toby had taught me and proceeded to lay into another walleye. It was a dandy, it kept fighting, I was doing great as Toby coached me through it, until I decided to pull the fish towards the net man, and clink, fish lost. This was a perfect time for my partner to constructively criticize my poor technique. Toby offered another tip, let the net man come to you. That was the last time I would lose a fish all day, and I made myself a promise to not let the team down again. Still, we had three fish in the tank, with one over 20 inches( AKA “The Hawg”). After we got back on the spot, Toby decided he would catch another dandy, it was 21.5 inches and it was fat. At this point it was about 845 am, and we needed 2 more fish under 20 inches to be in a comfortable spot. I felt a decent a pull on the line and set the hook, “it’s a dandy” I said, Toby reminded me to be disciplined in the fundamentals( the guy sounds like Vince Lombardi). I kept steady, meanwhile I saw it was decent, oh boy, I feed it line as it ran again, here it comes and it was pure adrenaline when we landed it in the net. It was 22.5 inches. Yes, we upgraded, but still need 2 more fishunder 20 inches. We spent the next 45 minutes searching areas, then we spotted more fish, we set down our lines, Toby decided he will use a live rig with a redtails, and BOOM, he says fish on. He is a cool cat under pressure, very disciplined in every facet of tournament fishing. I netted the 19.75 incher and it was bleeding. Toby says, reel up we need to get her into the weigh station. Off we go, Doug Erickson of Walleye Alliance is there and I ran up to the weigh station and it weighed in 2.36lbs. We were officially on the board! Doug yells out to Toby, “hows the day going?” Toby says, “we got a dandy”. Doug smiles like a proud friend would. So we set back out on Pelican lake knowing we have to catch more fish under 20 inches to fill our bag limit for the tourney, yet the pressure of knowing we could win it all started to mount. I jumped back in the boat, we were now on a mission that would cause stress for the next 5 hours. The time was 11am and we had until 4pm to get one under for our 6 fish limit. At this point Toby figured we had close to 16 lbs in our bag, his gut feeling was we needed to get that next fish to seal the deal. We checked about 12 spots and didn't mark a fish on the north end. Then we buzzed to Goat Island, marked a few, missed one on a jig ( even the top dawg misses fish), than we decided to turn on the Vikings game, then look for more fish spots.
We returned to the morning hot spot, found our school, had returned in full force and it was game on! The clock read 3:00 PM and we sensed we still needed that 6th fish, which needed to be under 20 inches. Tap, Tap, thud, my line started to run sideways, I closed the bail, then reeled and set the hook, it was a chunky 4lb largemouth. Then for the next ten minutes we proceeded to catch largemouth after largemouth, which is fun, but they don't sign a check at the end of the day in a walleye tournament. We moved out deeper and Toby said, “lets tail hook those redtails, Hop”. I dropped my line down again and thud, I had a bite , reeled it in, 14 inches, which is too small. Toby proceeded to catch another 14 incher, these were not the fish we needed. The clock read 3:48PM. All of a sudden I got a solid bite, I gave it a good 10 seconds and remembered everything Toby had taught me, when the line tightens up, rod tip in the air, start reeling, feel the fish, set the hook, boom! I said this is decent; best case scenario is it is a 23 or 24, then we upgrade, next best is it is a 17­, 18 maybe 19 incher. The fish surfaces, Toby says, that fish will seal this victory, I know it! And it was just that, 17.75 inches! Toby gives me an atta boy fist pump. I look down at the clock and see 3:54pm, it was time to weigh these walleyes and see if we pulled off the 2013 WAC on Pelican with a shot at the title. The day ended with a 1st place victory. We ended with 17.44lbs, we had the biggest fish of the tourney and we won the calcutta cause we bet on ourselves to win it all. It was a great day, some may say it was luck, others may say it was skill. Whatever you call it is was fun! What I learned about fishing is to find fish, than fish them, with everything in your toolbox. Remember, don't fish memories, because that is the only thing you will catch.

Frank Schneider Memorial Muskie Tournament

2013 Frank Schneider Memorial Muskie Tournament

On September 6,7, and 8^th over 500 anglers competed for the top prize in the Frank Schneider Memorial Muskie Tournaments on 20 different lakes in Northern Minnesota. 

LOA Guide Jeff  “Jiggy” Andersen, his brother Joe Andersen and friend/fellow musky guide John Hoyer competed. The tournament is an individual tournament, which allows you to fish with as many anglers in one boat as you choose.   The team ran a  fully prepped Lund 2010 Pro Guide powered by 200 hp Mercury Verado.

The trio started the morning off with John catching a 41 incher 20 minutes into the tournament.  Joe later in the morning then caught two muskies back to back, which were 42.5 and 44 inches.  After the morning bite slowed guide Jiggy Andersen made the call to transition to a different location, which proved to be the right call as Joe set the hook on a beautiful 47 incher.  After day one Joe was sitting in second place.  “I’m blessed to be able to fish these waters on a consistent basis and understand with changing conditions, you as an angler, have to also make adjustments” Guide Jiggy Andersen.

Day #2 the bite had slowed with calm winds as there was only 9 total registered muskies caught out of the over 500 musky anglers.  Joe was one of them with a 40.5 incher.  The trio also boated 2 short fish measuring 36 and 38.5 inches.  Joe moved to first place in the tournament.

Day #3 clouds came and the wind blew.  “We knew the bite was going to be game on and felt Joe needed another fish to take home the gold.”  Said fishing partner John Hoyer.  The anglers failed to convert three good opportunities and did not land a musky for the shortened day.

Despite their failed efforts at catching a musky the final day, Joe took home first place in one of the largest musky tournaments in musky fishing. 

“It’s a huge honor to win such a big event!  I just sat in the front of Jiggy’s boat and casted where he told me to.”  Said champion Joe Andersen.

“We made on the water decisions as a team, mistakes as a team, and ultimately Joe came home with the win!  In reality with the bites and lost fish, all three of us should have been in the top 10 but, that’s musky fishing!”  Explained previous champ and renowned fishing guide Jeff “Jiggy” Andersen 

The anglers used a new prototype bucktail made by Bigtooth Tackle called the JUICE Series of Musky Bucktails.  "It was amazing to see how these muskies chowed this bait even in tough conditions!" Said Champion Joe Andersen.  Click Here to See more about this winning Musky Bucktail! 

Top Three

1^st Joe Andersen 42.5, 44, 47, 40.5

2^nd Tony Sommerfeld 50, 49, 44

3^rd Stephan Nielson 52.5, 47

Boat Control

All Around Boat control

With the brisk North winds cool water temps are just around the corner.  Yes!  The fall bite will soon be upon us and that means hungry walleyes.  A key factor to catching deep midlake or strong wind swept shoreline walleyes is “spot on” boat control.

“Getting There”
Where beastly winds blow, hawg belly walleyes will follow.  However, getting there can be tricky.  Sure, you can go Ricky Bobby like and just go straight on into the teeth of the wind and take the pounding that comes with it.  But, a better alternative is to quarter into the waves.  The idea here is to go at angle so you can still stay stay dry but reduce the pounding you and your fellow anglers take.  Boats do make a difference and a Lund is tough to beat in big waves; I’ve actually seen waves turn and run when they see a Pro-V hull headed their way.  So much of driving in rough water is a little ebb and flow and the power of a Mercury Verado combined with it’s instant throttle response will  allow you to conquer the waves.  LOA Guide, Jeff “Jiggy” Andersen, says, “It doesn’t matter what species you are fishing if your bait isn’t where they live, you can’t catch them.”  He relies on the Lund 2010 Pro Guide powered by 200hp Mercury Verado Tiller.  “A combination that allows me to fish effectively in all conditions!”  says Jiggy.  

“On the Spot.”   
No better way to tame waves and put fish in the boat than to backtroll.  Rigging, jigging, rippin Jiggin raps, all presentations work when backtrolling.  When sitting over a school of fish or sliding over a few feet to find where they moved, backtrolling keeps you safe.  To enhance our backtrolling, we pair our Lund/Mercury boats with Whitecap Splashguards to create the ultimate backtrolling machine.  No matter if it is using the big tiller Verado, the stout 101 MinnKota Vantage, or a 9.9HP Mercury Kicker motor, Whitecap Splashguards are custom fit for unparalleled performance!  LOA Guide Toby Kvalevog states  “I love rigging big minnows on midlake structure.  Targeting inside turns, transitions, etc and there are days if my bait is off by a foot we aren't catching em’.  Backtrolling offers me the precision I need while allowing me to be mobile as well.

Beastly winds will be there in your pursuit of the fish of a lifetime or just going after some eaters.  Utilizing boat control to get there and stay on the spot will help separate you from the crowd!

Leech Lake Fishing Guide Report

Leech Lake Fishing Report 

The traditional fall jig and minnow bite is in full swing on Leech Lake. Look to wind driven points such as Pine, Hardwoods and Ottertail to put keeper fish in the boat. For bigger fish, try checking the humps and shoreline breaks in Waker Bay in 21-27 feet with bigger minnows. Perch are starting to show themselves as well. The Walker Narrows, Sand Point and Grand View Flats are all kicking out perch as well as a few walleyes throughout the day.

Musky action still remains very strong. Fish are starting to show up suspended over deeper water with a few fish still remaining in the main lake reefs. Suicks, Bucktails and bulldogs are all producing action. Topwater baits have been showing and catching fish as well. 

Many like to spend the fall in a treestand or in a duckblind, however, right now is one of the greatest times of the year to get in on some walleye action. Not to mention, the possibility of a trophy fish of a lifetime!

Leech Lake Fishing Report

Despite the fluctuating temperatures fishing has remained pretty steady. Water temps have been up and down, but look for the fish to start showing signs of their early fall patterns over the next week or two.  Bigger minnows have been taking walleyes in Walker Bay rigged over shoreline breaks and shallow humps; 19-23 ft of water has been best during the mid morning and early afternoon hours.  

There are some fish still being caught in the shallow sand and remaining weeds in the morning and evening hours with leeches and crawlers.   The jig and minnow bite will start to take off as the water cools back down closer to that 65 degree mark. Bigger perch are starting to show themselves in shallow water and will become more consistent in the weeks to come.   

Muskie action has remained very steady in the area with fish showing themselves quite regularly. Bucktails burned over the weeds and topwater baits over the rocks have been the best bet during mornings and evenings.

August Fishing Report

With the water temps cooling some over the past ten days we have seen an increase in walleye action on Leech Lake.  Fish are starting to show up a little more in concentration again like they were back in June.  Rigs and leeches and crawlers are taking fish on the main lake. Working these at fast speeds of .8 to 1 mph in some cases have been enough to trigger a active bite.  There have been no real special spots as of late other than your traditional wind blown points and flats.  Keep an active watch on your Lowrance unit, mark fish, then work the area over until you find some active fish willing to cooperate. 

Bigger minnows, Leeches and artificial baits are still the best bet in Walker Bay.  Edges of rock piles and saddle areas have been the best bets, while the green weeds in shallower water should still produce for a couple more weeks.  With the late spring, we may be lucky enough to get an extended weed bite into the middle or end of August. 

The panfish action over the last couple weeks has also been HOT!  Crappies, Bluegills and a few renegade perch have been caught all over the area.  Now is a great time to get out and chase any of your favorite species and enjoy the last bit we have of a quick summer!

We have been putting clients on some pretty nice fish lately, no post would be complete without a few pictures of course!

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the Leisure Outdoor Adventures Fishing team and all we have to offer for your next guided fishing outing at www.leisureoutdooradventures.com  We provide premier guided fishing trips on Leech Lake and the Brainerd Lakes Area.

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Call 855-LOA-HOOK to book your next fishing trip of a lifetime!

Mid July Fishing Report

With the mid July temps soaring, and water temps rising, fish have begun to transition to their typical mid summer patterns.  It seemed like we would never get to this point only a couple months ago, but like it or not its here.  This blog is going to concentrate on one specific tactic we have been using to put keeper fish in the boat during these dog days of summer, the Slip Bobber approach.

Basically, we like to keep it simple. The key is to find fresh, green cabbage in shallow water where bait fish are holding and water temps are cooler.  Many times this is a spot you would figure these areas look like something that would be a good location to throw a bucktail for a Muskie, or even see a Muskie hanging out. Areas within the area to key on would be any transition, depth change, or school of bait fish.  Many times the fish will not be IN the cabbage, but holding just outside on a transition area, waiting to ambush. Most places that have held fish are larger and longer stretches of cabbage. These seem to hold more bait fish, and in return hold more walleyes.

Tackle consists of a simple Wing-It slip bobber, plain hook with a split shot, or small jig head.  Either of these tipped with a leech of medium size works well.  The nice thing about weed fish, is you don't need the super duper ultra jumbo leeches in order to coax a walleye into biting.  A simple medium leech will do the trick, and also allow for the fish to take the bait much quicker.  On calm days I prefer a plain hook, which allows the leech to swim around and give the bait some action that normally a wave would provide for you.

Often times seeking out these places is a lot of trial and error, but finding your new honey hole in the middle of nowhere can be pretty rewarding. If you don't find fish in the first five to ten minutes, move 50 yds and try a new area within the spot. Spot lock on our Minn Kota I pilot's have been a huge bonus for this tactic, allowing us to stay mobile while staying put. Using the anchor feature pointed in towards the wind, it will hold the boat in one spot, then allowing with a push of the button to move small distances at a time. This eliminates the need to drop an anchor, or two and save time while actively fishing.

Slip Bobber fishing has stood the test of time.  There is nothing quite like watching a bobber sink below the surface on a early summer morning.  This is a great approach for introducing young kids to walleye fishing.  Who knows, it may just be your next best approach to tricking those sometimes finicky "summertime" walleyes into your livewell!

Leech Lake Fishing Guide Report

David Badger with a Giant!

I am happy to report that the bite is OUTSTANDING this year with no signs of slowing any time soon. Leech Lake continues to amaze my every day with its diversity of sized walleye. Ever year class from 12-30 inches have been caught with plenty in the 13-18 range that are keepers with the 18-26 inch slot. If we had to go with a single technique right now, it would be Spinners at .8-1mph. The fish are really keying on crayfish in the rocks and sand right now. 12-18ft of water on most wind blown points are holding fish of ALL SIZES. Crayfish and perch color blades work well, if you haven't check out Jolly Roger Tackle's line of spinners, they are tough, durable, and simply catch fish. When pulling these blades, having longer rods can really pay off when you have calm conditions and want to get your bait out away from the boat.  We typically like to use theJason Mitchell Pro Walleye Series 8'6" telescopic rod or the 10'6" Pro Walleye Series rods to do this.  If not pulling blades, pulling a lindy rig with a slow death hook and crawler would be our second choice to catch these fish.   The speed at which you present these presentation is key, so pay close attention to how fast you were going when you are catching fish

Guides Freed and Ernster were out doing some scouting and found back to back 29" and 28" walleyes in 5 minutes.

Although not known for Smallmouth, Leech has yielded 6 smallmouth this past week on various rock piles. Being we don't target bass alot on Leech, our team of guides is confident that with some time, a angler could dial in on them pretty well. 12-18 fish were caught while trolling for walleye on the 10-12 ft rock ledges.

Northern Pike are loaded in the cabbage beds in Sucker and Portage bays. Lots of 30-34 inch fish caught with spinner baits and trolling spoons over the tops of the weeds.

There have been good reports of largemouth bass and panfish being caught in Boy, Steamboat, and Headquarters Bays as well.

If you are wanting to hit the water with us give us a call at 1-855-LOA-HOOK and be sure to check us out on Facebook.  We are ready to roll this July.  We hope to see you on the water!

Check out some more pics from the last week of fishing

Shame Imsland with a 25" Leech Lake Walleye

Toby with another Leech Lake Monster!

Linelle and Elex McAndrews with their morning catch

Mark Kirschner with a Brute!

Jack Davis with his 1st Walleye Ever

Tutts Bait and Tackle Lake Mille Lacs Fishing

Our production team has been busy shooting photos and videos!  Check out a recent commercial our team put together for Tutts Bait and Tackle on Lake Mille Lacs.

http://youtu.be/kYEieub-sDA

Leech Lake Walleye Guide and Report

Fishing on Leech this year has been as good as it's been and continues to be strong.  The great thing about this time of year is as a walleye angler you can catch them with many different techniques.

The jig and minnow bite is still strong and really shines on flat calm sunny days.  Our target areas during these conditions are the fresh cabbage beds that are starting to grow.

The ol' stand by rig and leech, crawler or redtail minnow has been great on the flats.  The key here is using a snell at least 6 feet in length.

The spinner bite is just starting to get going.  As the water temps climb the main lake rocks are turning on.  We like to pull spinners because the amount of water we can cover.  Simply contacting more fish.

Here are some big fish pics from recent guide trips on Leech.

Early June Fishing Report

The fishing on Leech Lake so far this year has been phenomenal.  Limits of keeper size fish with quite a few "slot" fish have been the norm almost every outing thus far.  We are now finding a few of those trophy size fish starting to show face after being pretty inactive while they recuperate from the spawning period. 



The last week or so fish have been slowly moving away from shoreline structures and out to adjacent breaklines and mid-lake flats.  Mid-Lake reefs have started to produce as well, and as the water warms up a bit more that will only get better.  Tactics for these fish mainly consisted of some of the basics for walleye fishing.  Rigging with crawlers or leeches have been producing best, trolled slowly back into the wind at .4-.8 mph depending on the day.  We would be remised if we didn't mention what has been helping us save valuable time on the water this spring and mention Wing-It sinkers and fishing products. The concept here is simple, spend less time rigging and more time fishing. 

Playing the wind is key, but now that fish are moving off shore the direction is not as big of a deal. The reality is, you can go catch a fish on just about any kind of combination of tactics you put in the water right now.  Tinker around with speeds and see which one the fish prefer.




Areas we have been fishing include Traders Bay, Grand View Flats, Walker Narrows and are just now seeing some fish in Walker Bay on a more consistent basis.  A few trophy size fish have been taken in the past week, now is one of the best times to get out on the lake and have some fun.  If you haven't yet, check out some of the fishing specials at Chase on the Lake.  There are some great deals for this summer.  There is still plenty of time to plan your vacation and get out on the water with one of our guides.

 Check out the Leisure Outdoor Adventures Fishing team and all we have to offer for your next guided fishing outing at www.leisureoutdooradventures.com  We provide premier guided fishing trips on Leech Lake and the Brainerd Lakes Area.

"Like" us on Facebook to make sure you are up to date with all our happenings at the Leisure Outdoor Facebook Page.

Call 855-LOA-HOOK to book your next fishing trip of a lifetime!