Warm weather and summer fishing for the entire family! 

Brained, MN— We’re catching multiple species of fish and big walleyes!

Walleyes

  • Locations: Sand flats, wind blown tall/green weeds (and the transitions between weeds and hard bottom)
  • Depth: 12-16 on humps or 22-28ft on edges
  • Tactics: Target walleyes by casting a 1/8oz (1/4oz if windy or deeper) Lindy Live Bait jig and fathead minnow or leech and making bottom contact, short hops and slow lifts. Also use a Thill slip float setup paired with a leech or night crawler with a 1/16oz Lindy Live Bait jig or octopus hook and split shot. Pitching/jerking or longline trolling the Smithwick Perfect 10 or Booyah Flashpoint Deep has been catching quality fish.

Northern Pike

  • Locations: Weedy bays, weed lines, weed flats
  • Depth: 8-16ft
  • Tactics: Trolling or casting Mepps Aglias, Smithwick Perfect 10s or Willow blades spinnerbaits produces quality northern pike with good numbers of fish in shallow weeds. Use a 60+lb fluorocarbon leader or metal leader to avoid bite-offs

Blugills & Sunfish

  • Locations: Edges of weedy bays, weedlines, holes in bays
  • Depth: Weed lines, bays or weed flats (5-12ft)
  • Tactics: 1/32oz Frostee Spoon or 5mm Tungsten jig/red spike jigging near weeds 1ft from bottom or just above weeds. Try a 1/16oz Lindy Frostee Spoon for a 1-2 sunfish/crappie punch under a slip float. Sunnies are also hitting a Lindy Lil Nipper tipped with a wax worm. Jig to bring them in, hold still to elicit the bite.

Crappies

  • Locations: Bays on inside or outside edges of weed lines or in holes, green cabbage/weed beds adjacent to holes or deep water near a bay, or suspended in the basin nearby, channels, docks, trees in water.
  • Depth: 8-18ft
  • Tactics: 1/16oz Lindy B-MAX Hair Jig, 1/16oz Max Gap jig/Mister Twister Sassy Stingum under a Thill slip float. The schools tend to roam, so fan casting is a good idea, or casting into weeds.

Trout

  • Locations: Roaming under surface over basin or among standing underwater timber.
  • Depth: Within 15-20ft of surface or among standing underwater timber
  • Tactics: Rainbow Trout-Lil Nipper 1/16oz hair jig or tungsten jig and tail of Mister Twister Sassy Stingum casting and reeling with sporadic jigging and free falls, Lake Trout-⅜-½oz Lindy B-Max Max Gap Jig with Mister Twister Sassy Swimmer.

If you’re wondering where and how to fish, tune in to Visit Brainerd for weekly fishing reports by Hawg Hunterz Guide Service LLC! As always, have fun, stay safe and Happy Hawg Hunting!! Learn more about Hawg Hunterz Guide Service HERE.

Plan your fishing trip to Brainerd today. Find excellent in-town hotels and visit one or more of the 400+ lakes in Crow Wing County and the Brainerd Lakes Area for an incredible multi-species fishing experience.