Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!

Brained, MN— We’re catching a lot of fish in the Brainerd Lakes Area of Minnesota! Lakes in the area have 4-13 inches of ice, make sure you know your ice safety before going out! Here is some information from the Minnesota DNR on ice safety.

 

Bluegills/sunfish

  • Locations: Large weed flats, weedy bays with a moderate depth/deeper holes, weeds near deep water entering a bay, muddy basin under 25ft
  • Depth: 6-15ft target depths
  • Tactics: Small ice jig/wax worm or 5mm Tungsten jig/red spike jigging near or in weeds 2ft from bottom. Drill multiple holes in and around weeds to find fish, jig for 10-15 minutes in each hole before moving to the next location.

Crappies

  • Locations: deep bays, green cabbage/weed beds adjacent to holes or deep water near a bay, suspended in the basin
  • Depth: 6-15ft or 12-25ft (suspended depth), similar locations as many bluegills this time of year.
  • Tactics: 1/16oz or 1/8oz Lindy Quiver spoons or Frostee Spoon tipped with wax worms; 7mm Tungsten jig/Mister Twister Sassy Stingum. Jig above schools or mid-range in the water column in clear bodies of water to draw fish in.

Walleyes and Perch

  • Locations: sandy bottom areas, bays with sporadic weeds/hard bottom, weedlines adjacent to deeper basins
  • Depth: 18-30ft (shallower during sunrise or sunset periods)
  • Tactics: Jigging a Lindy Quiver Spoon (1/8oz tipped with a fathead minnow head), or deadstick/set line with a single hook and fathead or shiner minnow.

Northern Pike

  • Locations: Large weed flats, weedy bays with a moderate depth/deeper holes, weeds near deep water entering a bay, muddy basin under 25ft
  • Depth: 6-15ft target depths
  • Tactics: Northern Pike are aggressive this time of year and we often use ¼oz jigging spoons (Lindy Quiver or 1/2oz War Eagle), lipless crankbaits, or set line with a sucker minnow.

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.