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.
