Lake Winnibigoshish, Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort May 31, 2016;

"The walleye fishing continues to be very reliable. Jig and minnow combination is the bait of choice. We are starting to see some fish taken on leeches, as well. The same spots are producing fish for our guests. Don't be afraid to venture out on the shoreline drops.
Especially when it is calm. I fished with Captain Mark and we caught walleyes, northerns, and some very large jumbo perch. This was accomplished in 19' of water off of the shoreline drop. Look for the clouds of baitfish and there will be fish there.

If Walleyes Are In Schools, When Do They Graduate? - Fishing Report May 28, 2016

For many, the graduation must have been recently, because we attended a graduation just yesterday, May 27; and from our vantage point, this Leech Lake Grad Party was a good one.
It's not all that often that I get to enjoy good fishing, say thank you and make up for a blooper all at the same time, but I did yesterday.
You might recall my recent story about Murphy’s Law and some of its corollaries; it was about one of those days when we tried hard, but never quite figured out how to get into good action. As it happens, it was Craig Anderson who I treated to that humiliating experience. Luckily, yesterday was a do-over, a re-match of sorts and this time, my ego faired a little bit better.
The night before our fishing trip, scheduled as a graduation present for Chelsie Anderson, Craig asked me where we’d go. I warned him that he’d think that I was a glutton for punishment when I answered; “I think we should go back again to Leech Lake.” If was disappointed with that decision, he didn’t say so and the meeting time was cheerfully set.
When we arrived at the ramp, the conditions were 180° opposite of our last trip. The sky was overcast, there was a light chop on the water and the surface temperature had risen to 62°, ideal for spring Walleye fishing.
A short run across the bay took us back to the last spot I’d fished. A series of plotter trails on the Humminbird revealed the weedline that I’d been following the day before; and the day before that.

Cass Lake Horseshoe Resort May 26, 2016

Warmer water temperatures have triggered springtime Walleye action on Cass Lake. Clark Heitmann reported surface temperatures reaching the mid 60 degree range during the warm up. Temperatures slipped back a few degrees with the arrival of Wednesday’s cold front, but will rebound quickly as the front passes.
Cass Lake fishing guide Chad Benson says that Walleyes have been cooperative during low light periods. Cloudy, breezy days, late evenings or early mornings are productive, but both Heitmann and Benson caution anglers to expect tougher fishing on calm sunny days.
This “low light for Walleye” theme is common, especially now days as Walleye waters throughout the entire Itasca region continue to become clearer. Benson says; “I’ve never seen the water this clear on Cass Lake before, on Tuesday it was like fishing in an aquarium”.

"Following The Bait, Follow Up" and Leech Lake, Upper Red Lake Fishing Report - May 23, 2016

Yesterday, I wrote about finding baitfish on shallow spawning flats. It wasn't finished when I had to leave for my fishing trip and I left you hanging with a promise to expand on the theme today. I always keep my promises, so I've added another installment, scroll down or click >> Following the Baitfish

Upper Red Lake Walleye fishing was better on Saturday than it was on our previous trip last Wednesday.

I don't mean better in terms of "our catch", I mean that there were fish available in a wider variety of locations. It was easier to find a school of fish, they were more aggressive and there was a wider cross section of anglers hauling 'em in.
Surface temperatures have been slow to rise, but the water finally crossed the 60 degree mark before we left on Saturday afternoon. I think this, along with the calendar, have encouraged fish to move out of the rivers and begin filtering back onto main lake breaks.
You’ll recall what I’ve said before about being a lucky kid, so it was gratifying for me to see lots of families on the water, enjoying the fantastic weather. Especially gratifying, was watching most of them enjoy good fishing action, frequently adding fish to their larders for an evening fish fry at the cabin.
As a matter of fact, I,” Mr. C” and the “Hippie Chick” brought our fillets and enjoyed our own fish, fried up at the Gosh Dam Place. If you haven’t been there, you need to try it because both the service and the food are amazing. When you’re in the neighborhood, I think it will be well worth bringing in your own fillets and let them treat you; it’s always good.
The seas were calm, the sun was high and sky was clear, but the fish remained shallow. For us, holding the boat in 4.2 feet of water was the magic number. I saw fish caught in slightly deeper water too, and we caught several in shallower water by pitching 1/16 ounce Lindy Jigs tipped with Fatheads onto the shallow sand and retrieving them to the boat.

Leech Lake Walleye fishing was reliable on Sunday, but the weather was rough.

I'd like to tell you that I know everything there is to know about Leech Lake, but all I've got is one spot.
That's because when the wind started rocking on Sunday, we were sort of pinned down on one little rock spine, hoping only to bag as many fish as we could before it was time to pound our way across the lake, back to the landing.
If you know Leech Lake, then you know how this story is gonna go. The bigger the waves, (to a point) the bigger the fish and the better they bite.
With 3 footers ponding onto the shallow rocks at Two Points, getting strikes was hardly the issue; there were numerous opportunities to catch fish. As it turned out, we bagged 9 keepers, catching and releasing about the same number of slot fish. Under the circumstances, that was pretty good, but we could have done better.
Trying to stay focused on good hook sets, managing the fish and the landing net just gets trickier in big wave. If you’re wet, cold and off balance, it’s hard to do your best work. That’s why I think we did pretty well; I had a good crew, with good humor and plenty of talent.
Before the winds began to howl, the surface temperature was 59 degrees. As the lake water became turbulent, a thorough mixing brought it down to about 57 degrees. It seemed a lot colder when it splashed us, I’ll be happy when it rises just a bit more.
As usual, I’m up against the clock, so I’ll have to add the addable to the Leech Lake report tomorrow.   If you’re planning to fish today, be safe and dry and Good Luck!! See You Tomorrow!!

May 22, 2016 Follow The Bait, Find The Fish; Easy Right?

I’ve always loved a good old fashioned “good news, bad news" scenario and I have one for you today.
First, the good news; you can feel the food chains becoming active on Itasca Area Lakes. Insects hatching, Panfish moving into shallow water and baitfish, like Shiners traveling onto shallow, sandy flats for their spring spawing runs. While they're in and near these spawning flats, you can bet that they are attracting Walleye, Perch and Crappie.
With surface water temperatures pushing their way toward 60 degrees, fish are both more active and found in a wider variety of locations.
And the bad news; when predators, like Walleye are chasing minnows, they can become nomadic, following the baitfish like a hunting dog follows a Pheasant on the run. Sometimes we locate fish, then have a relatively small window of great action, only to have it fizzle out when the schools of baitfish are dispersed. Minnows are forced to move constantly as they’re being pursued by predators. Sometimes they return the area, sometimes they just keep moving, that means that we need to be mobile too.
Over the past few days, we’ve been in a variety of spots, all of them on different lakes and all having one thing in common; Shiner Spawning Runs. We’ve had moments of glory when we find the right spots, but we’ve struggled through some quiet times too as we search for the next best bite.
The tools we have, like my Helix 10, make finding fish easy when they’re in deeper water, but when they move into the super shallow sand, your own instinct is still the best tool you can use.
If you’re thinking, “But I don’t have instinct, I need more than that”, then here's something that you need to hear; "YES, YOU DO!"
Start by simply paying attention to what you see with your own eyes. Many times that alone will lead you to what the baitfish are doing. In turn, that will lead you to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Want a really easy tip first? Okay, try this; on large, shallow water lakes like Leech, Winnibigoshish, Red and others, there are miles of shallow sandy flats.
I can easily figure out where the baitfish will be heading by watching the shoreline for minnow traps. Bait dealers who pursue Shiners have spent a lot of time figuring out where the best spots for trapping minnows are located. When I see minnow traps spread out along a shoreline, it tells me that sooner or later, there will be baitfish on the flats. Searching the adjacent breaklines for pockets, weed patches or gravel will help me dial in the location of Walleyes.
Another way to locate shiners is to be on the lookout for holes that lay adjacent to shallow sand flats. Spawning shiners, and other minnows like to fall back into these holes at night, or when the weather gets cold.
Next time you launch your boat, look close at the washout hole near the dock. The image; a deeper hole, surrounded by a shallow flat helps visualize what you'll be looking for on the lake. It’s common to see minnows hovering in the deeper water, moving onto the shallow flats when the timing is right.
Check out the map, it's perfect example of a hole that provides sanctuary for minnows, but also allows easy access to shallow water too.
You can see by the plotter lines on my graph that we spent a fair amout of time working the shallow edges, near the hole. There were Walleye, Perch and Pike along the edge and all we had to do was move slowly as we casted jig and minnow combos onto the shallow flat, hopping them back toward the boat.
We know that there were tons of shiners on the shallow sand because the fish we caught we spitting them up as we reeled them in. In fact, sometimes we snagged them with our jigs as we retrieved them to the boat.
Now you can expand on this theme, check the map of your favorite lake and you’ll start spotting similar areas like this one. All holes are not created equal, if you find one that doesn't produce the desired result, don't give up. Sooner or later, you will land on the right one.
Watchintg for minnows hovering above weedy patches is another great trick. It's not only an effective way to locate schools of baitfish, but it's a good tool for locating the best weedbeds too. Early risers have seen the pattern, when calm surface water is alive with small fish, you can almost be sure that there's a weed bed underneath them.
During most of the day, minnows hold tight to the weeds, but during early morning and late evening, they will rise to the surface. Knowing these areas is good because they are typically good fishing spots durning any season, not just during spawning time.

Cass Lake Horseshoe Resort May 20, 2016

"Clark Heitmann; We’re looking forward to the warm weekend ahead, anticipating that the rising water temperatures will help kick the daytime Walleye bite into high gear.
On Cass Lake, surface water temperatures were around 48 degrees on the fishing opener and the lake was super clear, I think it’s the clearest I can remember seeing.
During the week, surface water has risen into the 55-57 degree range on Cass Lake; Lake Andrusia and Kitchi are somewhat warmer.
For now, the best times to fish for Walleye are during low light, early morning and late evening. As water temperatures warm, the daytime action will improve and anglers can be more flexible with their schedules.
Despite the conditions, there are always some fishermen who catch fish and the ones who have are pursuing Walleyes at the river mouths in 12 to 20 feet of water. Jig and minnow presentations have stood the test of time and continue to produce the best results during springtime.
The biggest Walleye caught (and released) this week was this dandy 25-1/2 inch fish. When you’re on a roll, you’re on a roll and it wasn’t long afterward that “Mr. Lucky” caught another whopper, a 40 inch plus Northern Pike.
Stay in touch and watch for improving action as the water temperature continues to rise. Clark Heitmann - Horseshoe Resort on Cass Lake.

May 19, 2016 Best Presentation For Red Lake Walleye? When You're Right, You're Right!

I think that if you fish, then YOU KNOW that what I'm about to say is true.
If there's an undiscovered gene that makes one person more independent than another, then I believe that most anglers are born with it.
We're the sort of folks who like to think that we have things figured out; we like to think that "our way" works the best and more often than not, we can back it up with proof. This attribute by the way, is a fabulous one to have; when you're right.
Unfortunately, those of us who are born with the "Independence Gene" need an occasional reminder that there are multiple levels of being right. Sometimes one way is more right than another way. So whenever we're presented with an opportunity to take good advice, we may be tempted to disregard it. It's especially true when it comes from somebody that we don't even know and even if they are more right than we are, we may never give ourselves the chance to find out.
That brings me to the moment when we were backtrolling along the shallow breakline on Upper Red Lake on Wednesday. The Walleyes were hitting, but the action was far from breathtaking, we would have loved to see it get better.
That's when we trolled by a group of men in a bright red, Lund Pro V. The helmsman asked me if I was a guide, my affirmitive reply triggered his response; "I am too, I'm out of Hibbing." Some small talk ensued and eventually led to a tidbit of un-solicited advice, he said; "Ya gotta use a 1/16 ounce jig, anchor the boat and cast toward the breakline; ya’ can't get 'em trolling."
That said, if we'd just kept on trolling, we would still have caught enough fish to call it a good day. In fact, by the time I'd been given the chance to accept this un-solicited advice; we were already nearly filled out with our bag limit.
This is where my "Independence Gene" almost tripped me up. It would have been really easy to ingnore the words of wisdom, accept the slow-but-steady action, and go home believing that I was right.
I knew that his advice was mostly good though, particularly in light of the fact that we watched him catch 3 or 4 Walleyes during our exchange. The problem was that my way was working well enough too, at least I thought so.
Luckily, I paid just enough attention to my inner voice when it whispered; "YOU KNOW he's right, we've caught lots of fish before by doing it his way, ya' better at least try it."
Long story short, I slowed way down and used the MinnKota to hold position along the breakline. I asked Mark and Adam to try tossing their 1/16 ounce Lindy Jigs, tipped with Fatheads onto the shallow flat and then hop them back toward the breakline. They cast them out, gave ‘em a couple of hops and ... WHAM!
From then on we caught the daylights out of Walleyes. The action was 10 times better than before and it lasted at least an hour, maybe longer. I ’m not sure how many Walleyes we released, but it was more than enough to cause an outbreak of grinning and giggling.

May 17, 2016 Walleye Fishing Leech Lake, Lessons In Humility; Again

Murphy’s Law, most everybody knows it; “What Can Go Wrong, Will Go Wrong”. Most folks even know a few of the corollaries to Murphy’s Law like; “The Hurrieder I Go, The Behinder I Get” or “Nothing Is Ever So Bad That It Can’t Be Made Worse”.
As the Chancellor at the University of Sunny Side Up, I AM duty bound to reject the dark side of Murphy’s Law, I do my best, I really do. But I have to admit, there’s one particular corollary that irks me, it’s this one; “The More I Want To Do Good, The More Challenges Mother Nature Tosses At Me”.  
If you think about it, we all have those occasions when somebody special is coming to town and we really want to show them a super good time. It seems like there are times when the harder we try, the less likely we are to succeed. Times when we’d be better off kicking back on the porch and cracking open a frosty Schmidt 3.2.
I think You KNOW, where I’m going with this … I was 2 days into the fishing season; I had a good bite going on Sunday and tried to squeeze out one more good day on Leech Lake, I got caught flat-footed without a backup plan. Any good safety planner KNOWS, that you've gotta have a backup, but this time, I didn't.
Sometimes it happens; the wind stops blowing, the sun shines bright and the fish go take a nap. Sometimes no matter how hard I try, I just can’t figure out how to fix it. I just wish that it wouldn’t happen when I’m fishing with my favorite people.

Minnesota's Best Kept Walleye Fishing Secret? (May 13, 2016)

Relaxed, maybe too relaxed for a Minnesota resort owner with only two days left before the Walleye fishing opener. That’s what an observer could say about Clark Heitmann, 17 year owner of the Horseshoe Resort on Cass Lake.
When I hooked up with him on Thursday, his docks were in, the boats were parked and Heitmann was relaxed, awaiting the arrival of his first Walleye fishing guest of the 2016 season. When I apologized for barging in during the countdown to the opener, he said; “Hey, if we’re not ready by now, we’re never gonna be ready.”
One reason for Heitmann’ s calm, confident demeanor stems from knowing that he’s sitting on the North shore of what he calls; “Minnesota’s best kept Walleye fishing secret.”
I looked it up and he’s got a point, Cass Lake has a Walleye population that is strong. At 14.6 Walleye per test net, Minnesota’s “Smallest Large Lake” boasts a Walleye population that’s higher than its own historic average and well above that of many other popular Walleye waters.
Cass Lake can be challenging says Heitmann, but he adds; “if you fish it for a few days, you’ll get the feel of it and you’re gonna find fish.”
For folks who want to speed up the process, the Horseshoe Resort website features a list of qualified, professional guides, listed in order of the time they spend on Cass Lake, start at the top of the list and you can’t go wrong.
We're excited that Horseshoe Resort is signing on to help report fishing conditions and patterns on Cass Lake this summer. Watch for weekly updates and whenever you're in the neighborhood, stop in, check out the resort and get you own, first hand report.

Adjusting To The Adjustable; Opening Weekend (May 12, 2016)

It could be worse, so I'm not complaining; in fact I'm really optimistic about fishing this weekend. But I think the weather is gonna force a change of my original game plan for the Walleye opener.
Upper Red Lake was to be our destination, until I read that there will be a Northwest Wind at 10 to 15 MPH. I think my crew might be up for that challenge, but I'm not as tough as they are and I've already battled enough rollers on the shallow water giant to satisfy me.
Instead, I think we'll sleep in a little bit, allow the sunshine time to warm the morning; then we'll head for the lake. I'll be thinking about lakes where we can enjoy calmer water and even if we don't catch a ton of fish, I'm guessing that we'll gather a fish fry for sure and that will be good enough for us.
In fact, now that I think of it, we may not even try to catch Walleyes at all, the Northern Pike are probably gonna be snapping and my crew loves Blackened Pike just as much as they do Walleye. Hmm ... Let’s see, more action, harder fighting, good eating ... Yes, I could see this plan coming together!
If you're like me and enjoy catching, and eating Pike, then think about a couple of simple tricks that will help get you closer to a couple of good ones this weekend.

Mother's Wacky Sense of Humor (May 9, 2016)

After a warm, sunny and generally wonderful Mother's Day Weekend, how could anybody not be optimistic about Minnesota's Walleye Fishing Opener?
Water temperatures in the Itasca area are now in the high 50 to low 60 degree range. The water is even warmer in central Minnesota and Crappies have begun spawning in many southern Minnesota waters.
In typical fashion, now that we are in the final stage of the final countdown, Mother Nature has decided to throw us one of her opening day curve balls.
Wind, rain, maybe even a dose of snow, may serve to slow the progression of Walleyes migrating from spawning areas into main lake feeding flats. But at this point, the fish are off to a great head start and even if we do get some chilly weather, the range of good opening day water is likely to be above average.
Except for fish that move toward the shallow breaklines at evening time, Crappies had been elusive in the Northern 1/3 of Minnesota.  We saw that begin to change this weekend as water temperatures warmed up. On Mother’s Day, we stumbled into schools of fish that were chasing minnows along a shallow, rocky shoreline. Not far from us, there were 3 men fishing in shallow water, near Bulrush patches and were saw several fish hoisted over the side and into the livewell of their boat.
Ironically, our only mission was to take my mother for a boat ride and when we found those Crappies, we were caught flat footed, not a single minnow, wax worm or cricket in the boat. All we could do was watch them swim along the surface as they move away from my boat.
Today might be different, it’s gonna be a work day and when I show up at the lake, I’ll have plenty of bait, a box full of Wobble Bobbers and enough jigs to get stuck in every tree branch in Northern Minnesota. So now all we need is for the fish to come back for one more feeding run before the crummy weather moves in.
You can expect a full report tomorrow, oh and a progress report about water temperatures, Walleye migrations and bait supplies too.

Weekend Weather Ideal For Mother's Day Fishing Trip (May 6, 2016)

I can't recall any better times fishing with my mamma than on Mother's Day. Historically though, the weather has been less than ideal for fishing on Mother's Day itself.
That's why several years ago, we asked for and received a special Sundin Family Only, proclamation from the Chancellor at SSU. For our family, Mother's Day now occurs during July, the warmest mid-summer month.
Looking at this weekend's forecast though, we just might have to make an exception this year.
Oh I KNOW, this weekend is not the Walleye opener, but we can still fish for Panfish and I love taking advantage of the DNR, who tosses in a free fishing day for Minnesota Mom's this weekend. That's right; mom doesn't even need to sweet talk me into buying her a license this weekend. It's the DNR's way of giving mom's a nice little gift.
I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but you know that you’re dying to get out on the lake anyway, and what better excuse will you ever have. Just think, all you have to say is; “Honey, we have to take mom fishing this weekend, so we can redeem her special Mother’s Day gift”. She will love you for it!
By the way, Crappie anglers are reporting better action every day. So far, the best fishing continues to occur during the last hour of daylight. Thanks to these beautiful, warm sunny days, the water temperatures are warming rapidly. These improving conditions should play right into our hands for fishing this weekend.
In case you missed it last year, I think it would be worth a few minutes of your time to have a look at this video. It was almost one year ago to the day. Pre-spawn Crappies were moving over feeding flats during the daytime and we figured out where they were and how to catch them. So if you want to know what I'm going to be doing this weekend, then here's your "Sneak Peek"; View Video >> Pre-Spawn, Springtime Crappie Fishing.

Fishing Report May 1, 2016 - "MAY" this be the "1st" Of New Weather Pattern?

I AM not the type of guy who dwells on the sighting of a black cloud when there are plenty of perfectly good silver linings to look at. So I've been doing my best to shrug off the nagging, cold Northeast winds that have been blowing for most of the past week. Even for me though, this pattern is getting old and I'm looking forward to a warm up.
It's beginning to look like Mother Nature "MAY" have a reward in mind and this time, I think she really means it. Today's forecast of calm seas, sunny skies and warm temperatures could be setting the stage for a more enthusiastic feeding run.
That's fantastic news because after what appreared to be Crappies on the verge of a solid feeding run this past Friday, the pattern fell apart during Saturday's strong Northeast winds.
I will know a lot more tomorrow than I do today, but what I can tell you is that surface water temperatures were above 50 degrees in most areas that I fished over the past two days.
If there are Panfish located in deep water, then they are either holding close to the bottom, or they are rooting around in the mud; they do not appear on the screen of my Humminbird, anywhere.
For me, the only absolute proof of anything is the handful of Crappies that I caught on Friday. Those fish were located in about 7 feet of water, over sparse weeds located near a steep break close to deep water. In fact, if you read the Spring Panfish Article that I posted on Friday, you'll see a map of 3 spots. These fish were located at the larger shaded area on the map to the far right.
If the fish weren't suspended over deep water, and there were only a handul in shallow water, then where area they?
The most likely scenario is that they are scattered horizontally accross mid depth flats, poised to make feeding runs into shallow water when conditions warrant. I tried to prove that by backtrolling in water depths of 12 to 20 feet, but the only fish I caught doing that were Walleyes.
I'm hopeful that today's mission will provide more solid information, but even if it doesn't, the promise of a nice warm boat ride sounds awful good, don't you think?

Remembering The Story About Wiggle Worms

For Mark, who asked me about the original "Wiggle Worm Story" at the Northwest Sportshow.
I perused the archives looking for the original article that I wrote about using the 1/16 ounce jig tipped with night crawlers for Walleye fishing. So far, I haven’t located the original, but I did find this one from last summer and I think it will put you on the right track. Click Here For >> "Wiggle Worms July 23, 2015". I found another reference too, it's an article by Sam Cook, Duluth News Tribune, who wrote about the technique after fishing with me several years ago. Follow this link to >> Sam Cook Article, Sundin "Wiggle Worms".
Soon, I’ll figure out where the rest of that information went, so keep an eye open for more.

Countdown To Minnesota Fishing Opener - Sundin Optimistic About The Fishing Opener; Of Course!

You know what? A lot of states don't have an "Opening Day" of fishing, but in Minnesota we do and I'm really glad.
The opening day of fishing is a tradition, an event that gives communities a reason to celebrate. The fishing opener gives families a date to mark on their calendars, special time, set aside to be together, enjoying the outdoors.
I think you'll enjoy this short video about the "Fishing Opener" in Minnesota and if you do, I hope you'll share it with your family and friends.