Wasn’t expecting walleyes on jerkbaits, but yeah.. 

21 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Wasn’t expecting walleyes on jerkbaits, but yeah.. 

Holy crap Fry!!! Save any for dinner? What a beauty...

On 5/11/2019 at 8:07 PM, bwjay said:

Holy crap Fry!!! Save any for dinner? What a beauty...

Tastes like Chicken

Slow start but found them where there were weeds instead of open shallow shoreline. 

 

A few on senkos but most came on faster moving baits. Mainly squarebill for me. 

 

Largest was 20”. She was fat. 5.65lbs.  Turned out to be a great day on the water. 

 

Plenty of pike but didn’t lose any baits which is good. 

Mother’s Day, my wife’s birthday and fishing opener all fall on the same weekend - what better gift?

Just now, FryDog62 said:

Mother’s Day, my wife’s birthday and fishing opener all fall on the same weekend - what better gift?

You gonna wear it next time we have a meet-up? (snicker)

Started out with jerk baits and got a few between 1.5-2.5. Switched to a red/white lipless and a green square bill and slammed them from about 8am-2:30pm. I was expecting a slow day and slow presentations and they were smackin the square bill extremely hard. Ended up with 20 with 4 being 4-5#. Couldn't get a bite on a senko which I figured I would need to work most of the day. Most of the catches were 1-4 fow with a few being out closer to 7-8 fow. We only had a few northern so I actually didnt lose any lures to them which is a nice change! 

Went out to Tonka on Saturday and between my Uncle, Bro-in-Law, and I we caught around 50 largies, Two biggest below. We were hoping for a few pike for a fish fry, but didn't get a single one. The pattern turned out to be 4'-6' flats with vegetation. One flat was most productive with both big girls on that one flat, but bounced around following the depth shading on the Humminbird and picked off a few here and there on similar looking flats. Got bit on squarebills and 5" swimbaits, but a 3/8oz HNNNG Tackle Co. "CEO" bladed jig in Bright Gill pattern was the ticket. Paired it with a 4" SK Rage Menace trailer in Bluegill color. Bladed jig accounted for at least 70% for the fish. Great day over all. 

 

4lbs 6oz

 

4lbs 9oz

Nice report fellas.  Pretty much the same for me on the opener, went to small west side metro lake.  Water was colder than I expected, warmest I found was 53.  Wasn't a numbers day, but most all I caught were good ones.  Best 5 went 20 lbs on the nose.  6-8 FOW, weed flats, lipless crank and chatter did the damage.

 

I did get out yesterday as well and could not get bit in that 6-8 fow zone.  I started seeing 60-63 degree water in the very back bays where some scattered lilys are starting to grow.  Once I moved shallow, I started catching them on the chatter, but mostly males.  I'd have to think those females are going to be right behind them here soon.

I ended up getting out yesterday afternoon as well and destroyed them.  Caught some real good females in very shallow water (warmest I found was 65).  Biggest female was 4.85. 

Main lake was like 55 and I happened to stop at a point leading into a large bay and caught so many 1.5-2 lb males it wasn't even funny.  Actually got tired of catching them, there must of been a giant group of them down there.  Shallow fish were caught on a 3/8 chatter (but I think they would of ate anything), point fish were caught on a red eye shad and jerk bait in 6-10 fow, scattered grass.  

So I was out today at Lake Calhoun installing Beach ropes at the beaches and as any good fisherman I spent a good amount of time looking for fish. I saw a lot of thick females on inside weed edges sitting around beds looking for males. But I didn't actually see any males on beds yet. It look like try dogs May 18th spawning prediction it's going to be correct. Looks like there may be an opportunity to catch some big females if you can Brave the rainy weather this weekend.

Nice reports guys. With the full moon this weekend Saturday and Sunday should be a jack fest if you don't mind the wind and the rain. Good luck finding those bigguns, guys. 

Well, first bass trip out on Phelps Bay and I didn't get skunked. But nothing really of note.

 

2-9", 1-10" and 1-11" along with a mess of panfish. Next scheduled trip out is the 26th...maybe try Dutch then

 

First bass of the year - 10" dink

The quantity of fish caught by you guys since opener is pretty ridiculous.  I hadn't checked this thread for a week and there's like 10 new posts of some great trips and catches.  Insane.  It highlights what a great resource of bass we have here.  And the best part is that I know all of them were released fully alive too.  Well done, keep up the good work.

Just now, gimruis said:

And the best part is that I know all of them were released fully alive too.

Well, keeper season doesn't start until the 25th. Hopefully my outing on the 26th has some keeping size.

19 hours ago, gimruis said:

T  It highlights what a great resource of bass we have here.  

I couldn't agree more. I would love to have a shot at 8+ pounders on the regular like in TX or FL, but dang it, having so many different lakes here in just the Metro area is spoiling. 

19 minutes ago, ThatOneBigKid said:

I couldn't agree more. I would love to have a shot at 8+ pounders on the regular like in TX or FL, but dang it, having so many different lakes here in just the Metro area is spoiling. 

And just think, there are literally hundreds of smaller lakes in the northern half of the state that go virtually untouched by bass anglers all season.  Tlauz can verify this, I think he's from the Bemidji area.

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

And just think, there are literally hundreds of smaller lakes in the northern half of the state that go virtually untouched by bass anglers all season.  Tlauz can verify this, I think he's from the Bemidji area.

Oh man I hear you! There was a small lake my grandma had a cabin on north of Park Rapids that we fished as a kid. I caught my first 5lb bass there when I had no clue what I was doing. Can't imagine the pigs that could have been caught out of that lake with half the fish knowledge I have now. 

I got out for 3 hours on Sunday of the opening weekend after opening up the camper. Cold and windy. Water temps were 49-51.  Caught  3 smaller largemouths shallow in reeds on a swim jig. Then went out to where I find smallmouth in the summer and fished the dropoff next to it. Caught 4 smallmouths.  Largest went 4 lbs.  I saw 2 other boats and both were walleye fishing. It is nice fishing in the Bemidji area for bass.  Most places do not receive much pressure.   My only complaint is that there are very few lakes (2 really) that have fishable smallmouth populations within 45 miles.  I enjoy fishing smaller lakes and have always enjoyed the lack of company.  I probably should fish more lakes in the area, but it is hard to do when I can tie up to  a dock at night and get up and go in the morning

.  

Busted the magdraft out on Tonka today. Water has hit 60 and I'm starting to see fish on beds. Even saw two getting it on today. Been trying to get out after school as much as I can.

I'm jealous! I was hoping to get out this weekend but the weather's looking pretty bad. 

Got numbers not size on the north side of tonka today.  Lost count after 25. 80% were 15-17 inches.  Couldn’t find the females.  

 

All were up pretty shallow anywhere from 2-4 fow.  

 

A few on a weighted brushhog but majority hit a shallow crankbait. 

 

Beautiful day today ahead of the monsoon that’s coming our way. If you are headed out be careful out there. 

 

Tight lines boys. 

12 hours ago, OperationEagle said:

Got numbers not size on the north side of tonka today.  Lost count after 25. 80% were 15-17 inches.  Couldn’t find the females.  

 

All were up pretty shallow anywhere from 2-4 fow.  

 

A few on a weighted brushhog but majority hit a shallow crankbait. 

 

Beautiful day today ahead of the monsoon that’s coming our way. If you are headed out be careful out there. 

 

Tight lines boys. 

I was out Friday as well and caught a season’s worth of buck bass that topped out at 16”.  Could find a few of the big girls a week ago in mid-depths but they are tough to find now..

Are you metro guys seeing spawning action yet up shallow? 

On 5/16/2019 at 10:30 PM, punch said:

I'm jealous! I was hoping to get out this weekend but the weather's looking pretty bad. 

Yeah I was working on Calhoun last Thursday and females were on beds with bucks all over the lake.