Brainerd Area Report 1/9/15

I’ve been spending most of my time on the ice chasing walleyes. The bite hasn’t been “on fire” by any means but it’s been fair. I’ve been focusing on Gull Lake, Round Lake, and North Long Lake. Round has been putting out better numbers but lots of small fish. Working shoreline weed edges or mid lake sunken humps. Depending on the lake 16 – 19 FOW or 30-34 FOW has been best. I would say set lines with a shiner and jigging a VMC Rattle spoon have been producing most of my fish. All of the action has been happening fast in a short window in the morning and again in the evening. Evenings have been best for me out of the two. Ice conditions are good with 18 plus inches everywhere I have been. Still use caution around certain areas with current or springs.

Good Luck
Nick Miltimore
Walleyedan’s Guide Service

Went up this weekend and did pretty good. First night we fished gull on the north east side right outside of bay colony. We only caught one eye that night. I was with a big group and we had a huge spread. We varied from 15-40fow the eye was caught in 30fow. The next day we fished Roy. We went to the second point and fished the by the grass. We set our tip UPS in 12-16fow with suckers, two feet off the bottom. There were mix of predator rigs, zero rigs, circle hooks and sure set trebles. The flags were popping all day! Lots of bass and pike. Biggest pike was close 28″. Biggest bass 5lber. We had the houses set up in 18fow. Right around 4:00pm the crappie turned on. We caught a couple of nice gills, but once the crappie turn on it was fast and furious. Most the crappie were suspended. Some up to 13fow. Then a couple of schools came through right on the bottom. Getting them on both dead sticks and jigging. Jigging with a vmc flash champ spoon, and a buddy was using a Swedish pimple, tipping with a minnow head or tails.

Glad to hear you did well! Those crappies sound like fun! Thanks for sharing.