This week’s Grand Rapids Fishing Report brought to you by: Tom Neustrom, owner of professional fishing guide service: MN Fishing Connections. If you are looking for a wonderful fishing trip experience, give Tom a call to book a fishing guide service.
The weather has been up and down this past week, but the fishing has been very good on several area lakes. The jig and minnow bite continues to produce walleyes along the weed edges and break lines early and late in the day. Many lakes the preferred presentations have been slip sinker rigs and leeches or night crawlers fished slowly on deeper flats and sunken islands. With the new emergence of weed beds slightly earlier then normal with the hot weather, trolling spinners over the top of the weeds can be a very critical presentation in the upcoming summer months. Many of the lakes in the Itasca County and Grand Rapids area are producing walleyes. Some lakes to give a try are Trout Lake in Coleraine, Pokegama, Big Winnibisohish (Big Winnie), Jessie, Big Splithand, Sugar and Bowstring. Many options are in place to catch walleyes and getting out and catching them is fun and exciting.
Bass fishing has been very good on all area lakes and with weed beds developing ahead of schedule have increased the locations that bass of both species are being found. On calm mornings and evenings, op water baits are great to call up strikes and an awesome delivery when fishing bass. They are on the prowl looking for a quick meal and ringing the dinner bell with a noisy bait can be just the ticket. Smooth slick water are the preferred locations since wavy waters take away the best locations and presentations for top water noise making baits. Work them slow and watch closely for the strike can come at any time. With good weed beds and rock locations on area lakes, a sure fire bait for bass and occasional walleyes and pike is a jig and plastic worm. As is slithers through the weeds and rocks, hungry bass are attracted to something that is easy to catch and look appealing. When pitching a jig and plastic consider 20 pound VMC 832 braid with a 10 pound mono leader to muscle those bass out of heavy cover. It is a good lineup for throwing any baits for bass at times and works well with spinning or bait casting reels.
Some of the better bass lakes in the area that are set up good for the mentioned presentations are Pokegama, Trout, Big Rice, King , Long lake, Wabana, Deer, Big Ole, and Turtle. All of these lakes offer multiple options, most have both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass available.