The walleye bite in the Alexandria area since opener has been one of the best I can remember. I’m not talking about just one or two lakes either, there are at least 8 lakes I know of that are kicking out nice sized walleye. Sure we’ve had days where the bite has been slower, but (knock on wood) there’s always been plenty of fish coming to the boat. Even with the frequent storm activity we’ve had the fish are still very catchable.
One thing my guides and I have found is that in a cold front condition, such as after a thunderstorm, the fish will bite much lighter. Wednesday evening we missed 30+ walleye due to short bites. We still had a great day and boated 30 walleye 13”-20”, with one 27.5” (7.5lbs +) walleye. We had to give them 10-15 seconds to eat the bait before setting the hook. Where on pre-storm or consistent weather the fish will be much more aggressive and we might not have to give them any time at all.
We’ve been having our best luck in 12-20 feet of water. There are plenty of green weeds popping up so they have been a main focus for me. If I can find weeds and bait with my locator it’s almost guaranteed the fish won’t be far away. For lures we’ve been using Lindy rigs, spinners rigs and bobber rigs. For bait, leeches and night crawlers have been the best producers.
I get asked frequently, “With so many lakes to choose from in the Alexandria area, how do you know where to start?”. Well for the most part I rely on fishing as many lakes as possible, but if I didn’t have that option I’d use the DNR lake finder. The DNR posts stocking and test net numbers right on their site. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index.html Look for lakes that have good numbers of the fish you’re interested in catching. Once you have it narrowed down to a few options, simply pick one or look for other things that are important to you, like resorts, swimming beaches, and proximity to lodging in town. No matter what lake you choose, you’ll always catch plenty of memories!
We’ve been extremely fortunate to report that 30-50 fish days have been average
More Pics!
We caught well over 30 walleye, including a 27.5″ PB. They also caught a dozen or so bass and kept a few walleye for the pan
I can’t imagine why anyone living anywhere near your area would even consider going to Canada to fish.
A couple of real big fish and plenty of smaller ones for the table. That’s some pretty awesome walleye fishing!
Your doing a heck of a job putting people on fish and the pictures tell a story of many, many happy clients!
Awesome job of catching quality fish Joe
Way to go, Joe!
Did you get a different boat?
No Pete, I actually have been working with a good friend of mine Steve Haugen. In the past I’ve had my Brother run some double booked trips for me, but with business getting better and better I needed more help. He’s always been one of the nicest and best fisherman I know, so this was a natural fit. He’s ran few trips for me this spring and people just love him, so I feel fortunate to have him guiding for me. That fact that we can cover twice the water now is also a big help!
Great job Joe!
The smiles on your client’s faces are priceless! 
Great Report Joe,
Lots of happy fisherman, and some very nice fish with a mix of eaters.
Nice going,
Jack
I like that area! Great pictures looks like fun. My cousin and I have been going to that area, mostly Star lake for a few years now. I like that lake, a lot of options and structure. Do you guys or do you know of anyone that hits that lake. We still have a lot of learning to do so I am looking for some helpful tricks or advice. Thanks