5/23 Lake Zumbro Bullgills

Had the chance to get out on Lake Zumbro with a couple good friends today. I had promised them some great bluegill fishing and none of us would be disappointed! We knew it was a day to be very selective with the fish because they would probably be on their spawning beds. We were easily able to tell which fish were females and they were all returned to the water quickly. The males have their nice bright spawning colors on and some of them are really good looking right now.

We also returned most of the males to swim another day and carry out the spawn, but a few came home for a meal – they should taste great! The fish were mostly very shallow in bays and near shorelines. If wood was present also, it was almost non-stop action.

The best technique was mini-mite jigs tipped with a waxie and suspended 12-18 inches below a bobber. The fish were not bashful when it came to biting and the bobber usually disappeared from view quickly. There were several times when we had triples!

Lake Zumbro is a great place for bullgills. How often can you expect to get 8-9 inch average fish? We even had 2 bullgills today pushing the 10 inch mark! Sure was a great day on the water! Hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy the great fishing soon.

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Been fishing Rochester and the surrounding area for 40+ years. I love all the lakes, rivers, and impoundments around Rochester, as well as pool 4 of the Mississippi.

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  1. Me too. Nice day to be on the water with the rain holding off till evening. Nice fish too. Thanks for the report and pics.
    Thanks, Bill

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