December 06, 2022: Brainerd Fishing Report
We have ice! Ice fishing opportunities have arrived in the Brainerd Lakes Area! I’ve continued the lookout for small, shallow lakes (under 500 acres) with 4+” of ‘safer ice’ to walk on and fish (ice is never 100% safe). I’m excited to report the amount of lakes with ‘safer ice’ are plentiful in the area, but there are a few lakes that have NOT reached that mark, so make sure you’re checking ice conditions frequently (stay off ice under 4 inches). Safety First: The MN DNR has many great resources online to help determine ice safety, immersion survival, etc. (https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html )
On smaller, shallower bodies of water, and in weedy bays or shallow basins, panfish and northern pike are active! Catch crappies in bays under 12ft of water, and basins/holes of 22-38ft. Jig crappies with 1/16oz or 1/32oz jig tipped with a Mister Twister Sassy Stingum, 1/16oz spoon or glide-bait style lure, such as a Crystal Reaper or Jigging Rap. Aggressive jigging will bring schools in, although it’s a good idea to drill several holes and jig 10-15 minutes in each hole before moving to the next hole or spot. Jig higher in the water column, a good rule of thumb is splitting the depth in half and jigging at that location in the water column as well as jigging within 2-3ft from the bottom. Bluegills have been hitting tungsten jigs tipped with the tail end of a Mister Twister Sassy Stingum or wax worm. Northern pike are hitting sucker minnows and spoons tipped with a minnow head. Walleyes are active at low light periods and hitting minnows/livebait presentations or spoons tipped with a minnow head jigged near bottom in 12-18ft of water. (Early Ice Fishing Video from this past weekend: https://youtu.be/45xsbh7y32U )
Most lakes in the area have iced over though many large main lakes and channels are still dangerous, so practice safety first on all early ice bodies of water! I’m excited about new opportunities opening every week as safer ice conditions progress!
Have fun, stay safe and Happy Hawg Hunting!
Brainerd Fishing Report provided by Dustin Monson – Hawg Hunterz Guide Service
