Brainerd Fishing Report: October 11, 2022

Brainerd, MN—Brainerd Lakes Area fall fishing has been great for walleyes, northern pike and crappies! Walleyes have made a split to two main locations; scattered weeds and flats (under 12ft) or deep around mid-lake humps (25-30ft). Catch them using a jig/minnow combo, rigging 4-7″ minnows, such as “redtails” or creek chubs (sucker minnows can work too), or using a reaction style bait such as snap-jigging a jig/soft plastic or glide bait (jigging rap, shiver minnow, crystal reaper). After dark, longline troll shallow-running crankbaits (such as a Smithwick Rattlin’ Floating Rogue) in 5-12ft, slow down the troll 1.2-1.8mph; if targeting fish in 10-13ft, slow-troll a Smithwick Perfect 10 Rogue. Find panfish on remaining green weed flats/weed lines in 6-15ft or over basin areas near bays in large schools, often over basins 25-45ft, suspended 10-15ft under the surface. Catch multiple species trolling (.8-1.2mph) weed lines and big weed flats with spinner rigs tipped with a nightcrawler, minnow or soft-plastic imitation. Casting and jigging a 1/16oz or 1/32oz jig tipped with a Mister Twister Sassy Stingum or minnow will catch Crappies and Rainbow Trout in inland lakes. Catch Northern Pike trolling crankbaits along weed lines and over basin areas with a large forage base of tullibees if you want to specifically target big fish!