Leech Lake Fishing Guide Walleye Report

The 2012 Minnesota Fishing Opener was a memorable one for me.  This was the first year my Father didn't get to join me in the boat.  All though I know he was there in spirit with each hook set and high five we shared in the boat.

My brother, Joe, and I decided to fish Leech Lake.  With great excitement we set the alarm for early morning.  We were greeted with a chilly morning and a beautiful sunrise as we idled out on the water.  Our plan was to stay away from the large groups of boats and find fish where we could fish in stealth mode for these shallow water walleyes.  As every opener its starts with searching, fishing fast in attempt to locate a pattern and we did just that.  We fished three or four spots only picking up a couple of walleyes which was not up to our standards.  We decided to search out some shallow water cabbage areas and from previous years I knew right where to find some.  We pulled up using our MinnKota Trolling Motors and made an attempt not to spook the fish that were sitting in 4 to 6 feet of water.  Pitching a 1/8th once jig and shiner was the presentation of choice and it worked.  With hook set after hook set Leech Lake showed us its true colors and we had found a pattern.  With limits of walleyes and a mix of photo fish it was time to head in and have a fish fry with the rest of the Leisure Outdoor Fishing Guide Team at the Walker City Park.

After talking with many anglers it sounded like the bite on the traditional opener spots wasn't going strong.  For example the Pine Point, Duck Point, Goose Flats ect but you many ask why.  I don't think it's because the fish weren't there but with a combination of hundreds of boats, shallow water, and not much wind makes it tough to get on a school of feeding fish as the fish tend to get  scattered with all of the commotion.  Wind is a key element to spots like those.  Cabbage walleyes seem to be less effected by no wind so keep that in mind while out fishing.  We also found some super jumbo perch mixed in with the walleyes so that is always a bonus! 

Other areas on Leech like 5 mile, Sugar, and Battle points seem to also produce more fish.  I think that's because of the west wind we had.  Still a jig and shiner seemed to be the common producer.  I also heard of guys catching fish trolling cranks at night.

I hope that everyone enjoyed the 2012 MN Fishing Opener with family and friends!

Thanks to my brother Joe for spending a special day with me!

"Get Hooked and Make a Memory"
Jeff "Breezer" Andersen







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.

Call 855-LOA-HOOK to book your guided fishing trip.