Ice Fishing Report 1-13-22

Ice Fishing Guide Service- Grand Rapids, MN

Winter is here with a bit of normalcy and the cold weather and mounds of snow are not unusual for Minnesota and especially the Grand Rapids area. On a positive note, it opens the door for many outside activities. Ice fishing is just one of the activities that are available and with so many lakes and species to catch, it’s no wonder that folks seem to be coming north every weekend to try their luck. The cold fronts of late have slowed things down at times, but with warmer consistent weather look for the bite to get better.

For walleyes, many of the area lakes are turning out nice fish early and late in the day. Some of the better lakes in the area to try are Trout Lake in Coleraine, Pokegama, Wabana, Big Splithand, Big Cutfoot, Jessie, and the north end of Big Bass Lake in Cohasset. Most successful anglers are drilling several holes in the same area and fish side by side holes with an active bait like a Northland Buckshot Spoon and minnow head and the other hole with a lively shiner or chub on a plain hook with a split shot. Many times the “Dead Stick” with the plain hook and minnow will outfish a moving bait. Make sure you change your bait often to offer a lively supper. Time and time again this will put fish on the ice when all else fails. Offshore structures can be your best bet for locations, but also with mapping as offered by Lakemaster can pinpoint specific points and flats that can produce walleyes in the winter. Also, don’t discount weed beds for many times on lakes that have substantial shallow water areas that can outproduce offshore structures. Many times scattered tip-ups with 3-4 inch shiners or sucker minnows can be a presentation that can put walleyes on the ice on flats that have cabbage weed beds.  This also can attract other species that occupy the same weed beds such as nice northern pike as a bonus.

Crappies, Bluegills, and Yellow Perch have been the most fished species of choice. With the recent snow, the accumulations have made travel on lakes a bit difficult unless on plowed roads or use of snowmobiles. Also, beware of slush areas off main plowed roads with the additional snow. Some of the better lakes in the Grand Rapids area to try panfish are Little Splithand, the bays on Pokegama Lake, Jay Gould Lake, Bass Lake in Cohasset, Bowstring, and Big Cutfoot Lake. Be mobile until you find pods of active fish. You may have to drill lots of holes and then use your electronics to hole hop.

Besides the noteworthy ice fishing, there are great Ski Trails, Fat Tire Bike Trails, groomed snowmobile trails, and foot travel trails to just explore. Go to Visitgrandrapids.com for all the information you will ever need.

Grand Rapids Ice Fishing Report 12-15-21

Ice Fishing- Grand Rapids, MN
Winter Crappie Tom Neustrom 3
Tom Neustrom with this nice winter crappie caught on a Grand Rapids, MN area lake.

Cover photo caption: Orin Paulson catching fish while ice fishing with his family on a Grand Rapids, MN area lake.

With changing weather conditions upon us people can expect changing ice conditions on all lakes in the Grand Rapids, MN area. It’s advisable to take a spud with you when venturing out on the ice and checking the ice every five to fifteen feet. If you hit it three times and the spud goes through back off and do not venture any further.

Right now, the panfish bite has been very good, and when we look at panfish we look at lighter presentations. You don’t want to fish for crappies and bluegills with the same setup that you would fish northern pike and walleyes with. A four-pound test fluorocarbon is an excellent choice that will hold a larger fish. The one thing about fluorocarbon that is significant is when using smaller and lighter jigs it will sink faster. Tungsten jigs are a modification that you need to invest in. Even for their size they sink faster and get to the fish faster, even with a light line. When fishing panfish, whether crappie or bluegill, two-euro larva or just one wax worm can be the ticket for finicky biters. One of the keys to finding active panfish is drilling several holes in the same area. Then we do a technical called “whole hopping” where we use our electronics to find schools of fish. You must chase them at times because you can pressure a school of fish and they will move off quickly. This is one of the reasons we drill many holes where we find a school of fish because most often, they don’t move extremely far. Always have a couple of rods set up with different colors baits of a similar size and you may even go to plastics on one of the rods versus live bait. When panfish become active, both presentations will put fish on the ice for you. Some lakes to consider: Splithand Lake, Bass Lake in Cohasset, Little Moose Lake,

Walleye fishing at this point has been good, but the conditions of the ice must improve in order to get to offshore structures. Shoreline breaks are your best bet early and late in the day. Many times, we like to use a “two-fisted Method”. One hole you fish a jigging spoon like a Northland buckshot rattle spoon, with a minnow head. And in the other hole either a plain hook or a small spoon with a chub or shiner. This is a way that many times you can attract fish to the hole by jigging the spoon and calling them in. Once they are attracted to the spoon, they won’t strike but they will bite the live minnow. Both methods are extremely good at first ice. Places to consider Big Splithand Lake, Moose Lake, Bowstring Lake, Graves Lake, and Jessie Lake.

Ice Fishing Tips from Tom

Grand Rapids Early Ice Fishing & Ice Safety

Ice Fishing Guide- Visit Grand Rapids, MN

This week’s early ice fishing in Grand Rapids and ice safety blog is presented by: Tom Neustrom, professional angler, and professional fishing industry representative.

Every year we always stress ice safety. Always remember that there is no ice that is truly safe. There is a guide 4 inches walking, 6-8 inches four-wheelers, 11-15 inches for ATV, and small pickups. These are good guides for travel on ice.

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For the ice anglers that went out in the fall for checking options for fish. Early ice can be a good time to catch fish. Panfish most often will stay in the locations where you find them in the fall (open water), and first ice. Specifically, when we talk about walleyes, they usually at first ice will be moving around primarily not in the fall locations. They are very food-oriented and will be constantly chasing baitfish. Most often they will be set up on the edges of the structure and strategically move upon those structures using those pathways for several weeks. To have a better understanding of this, walleyes have similar routes that they will take whether early or late in the day. It is a good assumption that if you want to try to catch walleyes in the day during the winter, look for lakes with snow cover and offshore structures. Again, this shows you that walleyes like low light options, your opportunities are better late in the day when it is not specifically light out.

Darkhouse spearing is another popular ice fishing sport that is especially good early in the season. Northern pike is not affected by cold weather as other species of fish are. Even though walleyes are cold-water species northern pike are truly very active in the winter. Most Darkhouse spearfishermen will use a large sucker minnow or a decoy to call the northern in. It is a great sport, and many people still enjoy sitting over the top of a large hole watching a fish come into the target area. As we get into the later part of the season, Darkhouse season is not as good as early in the beginning of the year. Northern pike is still a good species to pursue even after the first part of the season. Most anglers that pursue northern pike later in the season will use a function called a tip-up. You can put out two per angler, and pandemonium will occur when fish bite. It is a fun sport to try in the winter. Make sure you contact local bait shops in the Grand Rapids area: Thousand Lakes Sporting Goods, River Rat Bait, Fred’s Bait & Tackle, L&M Fleet Supply, and Winnie Trading Post are good sources of information for not only ice conditions but where several species of fish maybe biting.

Grand Rapids, MN Fall Fishing Report 10-20-21

This week’s Grand Rapids, MN area fall fishing report brought to you by Tom Neustrom, owner of MN Fishing Connections. Think about next year’s Fishing Trip and give Tom a call for a memorable fishing trip in 2022!

The beautiful fall weather is about to change and open water fishing days are limited. Water temperatures are cooling off and are now in the mid 50’s.Walleye fishing continues to be good on area lakes and jig and minnow combinations with a shiner, chub, or rainbow are your best choices. Times of the day have started to change for the best opportunities with late morning and late in the day being preferred. Some of the better lakes that may be good choices in the next few weeks are Big Cutfoot, Big Winnie, Splithand, Wabana, Trout, and Moose.

Crappies are starting to show up in their late fall and early cold water locations. Soft bottom bays and depths of 20 to 30 feet should be checked. With the use of your electronics find schools of crappies can be the ticket to success. Once located try to stay as vertical as possible with small minnows or plastics on 1/16th to 1/8th ounce jigs. Keep your bait slightly above the school for crappies and several other species feed upward and most often never down. If you aren’t getting a bite change colors and weights of jig. Oink and glow, black, chartreuse and glow are great colors to try. Some of the lakes in the Grand Rapids area to try for late season crappies are Big and Little Splithand, Cutfoot, Bowstring, Jessie, and Little Turtle. Northern Pike and Muskies are becoming very active as the water cools. Many trophy pike and muskie anglers will carry large Sucker minnows along and when a large fish is spotted they will free swim the bait right in their nose to get a bite. It’s a method that has been a stable presentation for decades. Quick strike rigs can be used to insure hook ups and easy release.

Talk to Andy Walls at Thousand Lakes Sports in Grand Rapids about the quick strike rigs they have available. Some of the lakes to try especially for a trophy Muskie are Deer, Moose, Big Cutfoot, North Star and Blandin Reservoir. All of the mentioned lakes have trophy Muskies available. Get out and enjoy the last weeks of open water fishing . It’s a beautiful time to be out in the outdoors.

Fishing Report 10-15

Sunrise on another day in beautiful Grand Rapids

The weather has started to change a bit and the location of several species of fish has also moved. the walleye fishing continues to be good. Look for depths from 6-12 ft on most of the area lakes. The only difference is on deep clear lakes where the walleyes tend to be on offshore structures. A jig and minnow are the prominent presentations for success. But many anglers like to go out in the evening to troll crankbaits. Look for that bite to continue to improve as we get closer to the October full moon. Croppies and Blue Gills have moved off weed lines and are migrating to areas along with the first break. They will continue to move to their late fall- early winter locations as the water cools. Water temperatures of 48-54 degrees trigger their movement to these pre-winter locations. Look for bays that have soft, muddy bottoms for their preferred food sources. They prefer bugs and larva that come off the bottom in the fall and winter. Use your electronics to comb these areas to locate schools of fish. Bass fishing still has options, but the Smallmouth Bass season is closed in Northern MN, but there are options for Largemouth Bass. Grand Rapids is blessed with many Largemouth Bass lakes. Look for those to be on the deeper weed lines instead of the shallow cover. As the water continues to cool, they too will seek their winter locations which are most often depths near the last break line.

Northern Pike is an option right now for they too are on the move looking for food but Muskie fishing has been one of the species that have attracted anglers to the Grand Rapids area. For the best information on location to find Muskies and available tackle, stop in 1000 Lakes Sporting Goods downtown and talk to Grant Prokop about your best options.

If you haven’t winterized your boat yet, make sure to call your local dealer and make an appointment. Once the weather turns really cold your options for getting it down in a timely fashion are less. Their schedules are very busy and you’re getting into a limited time frame. Make sure you charge your batteries up before you put your boat away for the season. Grand Rapids is a 4-season community and will continue to serve the people visiting but also the folks that live here. As you can see by this photo Grand Rapids lakes are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

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Fishing Report 10-6-21

This week’s Grand Rapids Fall Fishing Report is brought to you by Tom Neustrom. Tom is a professional fishing guide that owns, MN Fishing Connections guide service. Header photo caption: Tony Perlochek from Marshfield, WI caught and released this 26-inch Walleye on Big Winnie with Tom Neustrom.

With the warm weather, fishing continues to be good to excellent for several species in the grand rapids area. The Panfish, Croppies, sunfish have been cooperating quite well for anglers and some of the lakes to try are Pokegama, big bass in Cohasset, big and little split hand, and loon lake. The boat accesses are still marginal at best, so use special care when dropping your boat in the lake.

Small tungsten jigs with a wax worm or small minnow have been doing the job. Walleye fishing continues to be good on area lakes and look for that to continue until Fall turnover occurs. Water temperatures on most of the lakes are in the low to mid 60’s which is far above normal for this time of year. The jib and minnow bites continue to be the best presentation to use and on most area lakes the walleyes continue to be shallow water. There are exceptions to the rule with lakes such as Sugar, Deer, and Trout Lake in Coleraine. Where depths of 20-25 ft would be a better location. Those lakes that are very clear are much better on cloudy days or the last 1-2 hours before sunset. A jig and a shiner and a chub are getting the job done for walleye anglers. Another presentation to look at it in deeper clear lakes is a jigging rap. When there are 2 angles in the boat together using the jigging wrap and the other using jig and minnow, this is the best way to find out the bites. These 2 fisted approaches can really make a difference, especially on deep clear lakes with structure.

Northern Pike fishing has been good and many times you will catch an occasional Northern while using jig fishing for Walleyes. They seem to occupy the same water column as the Walleyes do and for some reason on bright sunny days, they are even more active. Northern Pike fillets are very tasty once you learn how to take the y bone out. The meat is firm and white and has a taste all its own. Sometimes trolling shad wraps spoons and spinnerbaits are great ways to attract Northers this time of year. We in the Grand Rapids area are enjoying one of the most colorful Falls we have seen in years. Come join us in the outdoor wonderland of the north.

Grand Rapids, MN Fall Fishing Report 9-28-21

This week’s Grand Rapids Fall Fishing Report brought to you by Tom Neustrom. Tom is a professional fishing guide that owns, MN Fishing Connections guide service. Header photo caption: Bob Mickelsen from Chicago caught these nice crappies while fishing on a Grand Rapids, MN area lake with Tom Neustrom.

Walleye fishing continues to be excellent on the area lakes in Grand Rapids, MN. Most of the transition baits have gone to the jig and minnow which continues to produce walleyes right now. As long as you are not fishing a deep clear lake such as Deer, Trout lake in Coleraine and Wabana and Pokegama. Continue to fish shallow on most other walleye lakes. Good examples are Big winnibigoshi and Cut Foot Soux. The walleyes seem to be feasting themselves on young of the year perch. If you notice sometimes, you will see the young loons and terns crash the surface of the area lakes feeding on young of the year perch and shiners. It’s a key factor in watching these birds and the location they are, to find walleyes feeding right underneath them. It’s a fall tradition that has happened for many decades. Bid Winnie continues to be the lake of choice in the area, and the resorts and bait shops are providing good information for anglers coming in from outside of the area. With the extended warm weather of late the crappies have not really moved into their lake fall and winter locations. Water temperatures are still in the low 60’s but look for that to change as the temperatures drop another 4-8 degrees.

Right not it seems the best crappie fishing is early and late in the day. More of a late summer pattern than fall. Make sure you check out areas away from the weed lines. For the crappies and sunfish are not there. Depths of 12-14 feet and in some cases 20 feet are prime locations for crappies and sunfish. Small jigs with a plastic action tail or small minnow will be the bait of choice. If it is windy, it become very difficult to stay on top of schools of crappies and sunfish. Try to find calm areas to find better opportunities to catch crappies and sunfish. Some lakes to consider are Little Cut Foot Sioux, Loon, Pokegama, and several of the smaller lakes on the Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway.

For the musky fisherman it has been an interesting month. Anglers are starting to see several fish in a day and to the diehard musky fisherman a follow-up is as big as catching one. A good place to stop for information on where to catch musky, is Thousand Lake Sporting Goods. They are the musky fishing destination for the Grand Rapids, MN area lakes that hold muskies. Lakes to consider are Deer, Moose, North Star, and the Blandin Reservoir between the damns on the Mississippi River.

The fall colors are near peak, and it is the perfect time of the year to come fish, hunt, and enjoy the beauty of the fall.

Greater Grand Rapids Fall Fishing Report For Week of 9-21-21

This week’s Grand Rapids Fall Fishing Report by Tom Neustrom. Tom is MN Fishing Hall of Fame and Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame inductee. Tom is also a professional fishing guide, MN Fishing Connections.

As the water continues to cool the fishing has taken another turn, and it is all positive. Walleye fishing continues to be very good on area lakes. And depending on which body of water you target there is location changes. On deeper lake like Trout in Coleraine, Pokegama and Deer Lake the fish are moving onto offshore structure in deeper water. Fairly common on clear lakes that has a food source that occupies those depths. Walleyes will continue to seek out these locations on this style of lakes. Other bodies of water within Itasca County that are shallower than nature have created a different style of location. Most walleyes now and have been for several week in depths of less than 10 feet. The jig and minnow is the presentation of choice to catch walleyes in the shallows. There also is nice northern pike available mixed in with the walleyes and jumbo perch. Keying in on birds crashing the surface has been important to watch for. If you notice this happening in depth 4-10 feet make sure you go and investigate and fish these areas. You may be surprised at what you will catch.

Musky fishing has been very good on Itasca County area lakes. Anglers are seeing numbers of fish per outing more so than they did earlier in the year. Some of the lakes that are excellent to try for muskies are North Star, Deer, Moose, and Big Cut Foot Sioux. The best presentation for muskies this time of year is large bulldogs, jerk baits, large crank baits, and inline bucktails. For more information concerning musky fishing opportunities give Grant Prokop at Thousand Lakes Sporting Goods.

Crappie and Sunfish are moving off the weed lines into depths of 14-20 feet. Several lakes they have already shown up in their pre-winter locations of 20-25 feet. Using your electronics to find these schools of migrating fish. Make sure when you are going to target bluegills and sunfish check the bag limit on the MN DNR fishing regulations website for the lake you intend to fish as it may have changed. Small jigs with either small plastics or a wax worm for bluegill and sunfish. For crappies also a small plastic with a jig, but also don’t forget to bring some crappie minnows with you. This presentation will work well for the rest of the season.

Header Image Photo Caption: Mark Vavra from Duluth caught this nice 22 inch walleye on a Grand Rapids area lake while fishing with Tom Neustrom.

Grand Rapids Fall Fishing Report Week of 9-13-21

Jim Lindner small mouth bass
Jim Linder caught this nice smallmouth bass on a Grand Rapids, MN area.

Grand Rapids Fishing Report

As we get into fall, the bass fishing has improved with the temperatures cooling. And will continue to get better and better. Both species of bass are moving off the weed lines and are changing depths weekly. Currently you should be seeking out areas in the 10-20 foot depth on lakes for consistent bass fishing. As the weed begin to die it causes both species to seek different food sources that are deeper. Still a bait called the ned rig and deep running crank baits will probably be your best choices. Legendary anglers Al and Jim Lindner have come to Itasca County and found both species of bass to be to their liking. We have been a major tournament location for national bass tournaments in the last 3-5 years. And they continue to seek out Itasca County as one of the best places for future tournament sites. Lakes to consier for outstanding fall bass fishing are Pokegama turtle spider and trout (Coleraine).

Walleye fishing continues to be very good on area lakes. And they are shallower that we had expected them to be. Due to the hot weather in the summer it forced the walleyes into the shallows for food and comfort. Depts of 4-8 feet have been the best locations to find walleyes. Sand, gravel and rock have been prime locations where you can locate walleyes. Big Winnie has been a good location for consistent fall walleye fishing. 1/8 ounce VMC mooneye jig and a chub or shiner have been really good baits to try. Fish of all sizes have been coming to the boat from small to big, and there are some bonus jumbo perch and northern pike have been in the mix. Keep moving to ares with not only rock and gravel but assorted weeds also, and you will find walleyes in each of these areas around the lake.

Crappie fishing will increase as the weather cools and a location that crappies will be in deeper basin on area lakes. Look for soft bottom bays in depth of 18-25 feet, and these will be their pre-winter locations. It is a famanimom that happens every year and vertically fishing a small jig and a minnow or plastic over the top of the schools of crappies is one of the best presentations. Keep moving until you find these schools of crappies and then put your electric motor in spot lock to sit on top of them. Area lakes to consider for fall crappie fishing are Bowstring, Big Jessie, Pokegama, Loon and several other lakes in the Grand Rapids area are producing crappies.

Calling local bait shops to get information about water levels on the lakes that you intend on fishing. Many lakes are down anywhere from 18 inches to 2.5 feet. Which can make getting your boat on and off the trailer difficult. Fall is the most beautiful time of the year to be in the Grand Rapids, MN area. The fall leaves are changing rapidly due to the drought conditions we had early this summer.

Grand Rapids Fishing Report 9-7-21

This week’s Grand Rapids, MN area fishing report brought to you by Tom Neustrom, owner of MN Fishing Connections.

Mick Stenson of Mnpls
Mike Stenson from Twin Cities caught a nice walleye on a Grand Rapids, MN area lake while fishing with Tom Neustrom.

Walleye fishing right now is some of the best it has been all season. With the cooler water temps as of late it continues to push the fish in shallow. Right now, one of the best destination lakes is Lake Winnie and Cut Foot Sioux. Still pulling spinners with a minnow but the jig and minnow bite has continued to get better each day. Make sure you pay attention to the wind direction because it can affect the location of the walleyes each day. Right now, walleyes are biting in 4-9 feet and several lakes including Winnie, cut foot, bowstring, and moose. As we have mentioned in the past, watching the locations of where the loons are can not only give you an opportunity to our most beautiful bird, but it also will tell you where the bait fish are. Many times the walleyes are right around where the bait fish are. Use as light as jig as possible most often 1/8 ounce jig and a minnow works the best. Area bait shops can give you current information on some of the better places to start fishing. And for walleyes early and late in the day seems to be their preferred time to bite.

Crappie fishing also has begun to improve. Look for the crappies to be off the

Wesley Oste of Twin Cities
Wesley Oste of the Twin Cities caught these nice crappies while fishing with Tom Neustrom.

weed line starting to transition to deeper water. There is not a need yet to go out into 25 feet, those will be locations later into the fall and early winter. Some of the area lakes that are producing crappies right now are Big Cut Foot Sioux, Bowstring, and Pokegama. Pay attention to the conditions and when it is very windy this is not a favorable time to crappie fish. For some reason they do not tune into windy weather and they will lay on the bottom until conditions improve. Usually mid-day seems to be the best opportunity to catch crappie.

Next week Tom will share about northern pike, perch and muskies. A reminder that small mouth bass season closes September 30, 2021. Check MN DNR Fishing Seasons HERE.

The Grand Rapids, MN area has wonderful lodging options from conveniently located in town hotels and motels, Minnesota fishing resorts, vacation rentals, and a charming B&B. There is lodging available to meet everyone’s needs. Search STAY in Grand Rapids.