Grand Rapids Ice Fishing Report Week of 1-31-22

Tullibee- Ice Fishing- Grand Rapids, MN

Ice Fishing Report 1-31-22 for the greater Grand Rapids, Minnesota area brought to you by: Tom Neustrom. Tom is a professional fishing guide, and owner of MN Fishing Connections guide service.

Brrrrr. Turn up the heat!! The weather has been hard to predict lately and the many cold fronts that have been moving through have created other options for ice anglers. With all the species that are available in the Grand Rapids area, we never run out of places to fish for them. Tullibee fishing has been an option for decades and it is no wonder. They fight well on light tackle, are most often in schools, and are excellently smoked or pickled. Not every lake supports a good population of tullibees and targeting the best opportunities for success should be looked for at the DNR Fisheries web site. Some of the lakes in the Grand Rapids area that have good populations of tullibees are Trout Lake, Pokegama, Little Bass, Wabana, Big Splithand, Big Winnibigohish, and Bowstring.

Tullibee Ice Fishing Jeffrey Johnson
A nice tullibee caught by Jeffrey Johnson on a Grand Rapids area lake.

When fishing Tullibees there are three things to always keep in mind. Good electronics, Lite tackle, and a good lake map for starters. Most often Tullibees are found suspended over depths of 20-40 feet and are constantly on the move. Drilling lots of holes can help to stay on them as they move through the water column. They feed primarily on larvae so finding these deeper areas with mud or marl bottom can be key locations for finding tullibees. Good electronics will allow you to see the precise depth these schools are and hole hoping with them will help find active schools. Sometimes if you are lucky you can set up a school that moves back and forth through the area you have drilled several holes and you can ambush them when they keep returning to a small area. One nice thing is most often a day bite and low light conditions are not a pre-requisite for getting bit.

Tackle to tangle with tullibees is simple and remains lite. Similar rods and reels that you fish panfish work excellent and fluorocarbon test mono in the four-pound test range is ideal. Baits can be your choice but a few options work better than others. Small spoons baited with a cluster of euro larvae are hard for them to resist. The Buck Shot Rattle spoons from Northland Tackle can also be key. Colors such as Super Glow Goldfish, Gold Shiner, and Silver Shiner will call the most finicky tullibees to the hole. One little trick is to take the treble hook off and attach a dropper line with a small Northland Tungsten Punch Fly can be a presentation that will produce when other baits tullibees will shy away from. For an added incentive attach a wax worm or euro larvae to the tip and it can make a difference at times. Tullibee fishing is just another good angling option for the Grand Rapids area with lots of fun and action.

Grand Rapids Ice Fishing Report 1-26-22

Ice Fishing- Guide- Visit Grand Rapids, MN

Today’s Grand Rapids Ice Fishing Report brought to you by Tom Neustrom, professional fishing guide and professional fishing industry represetative. Owner of MN Fishing Connections. Book your 2022 Fishing Guide Trip early!

Ice Fisherman with Lyle Unger
Grand Rapids guide Service Scott Popp group (from Upper Peninsula Michigan) ice fishing on a Grand Rapids area lake.

The winter chill has reinforced its grip and continues to provide good opportunities for ice fishing and other winter activities. Lots of snow continues to have Grand Rapids a destination for visitors to the area for numerous things to do. Ice fishing on area lakes has been good depending on the species you are chasing. Panfish seem to be the most pursued and there are so many lakes to try.

Trout season has opened and there are numerous trout lakes that have nice opportunities for Rainbow, Brook, Brown and even Lake Trout. Most of these trout lakes are accessible through foot travel only and they can be a bit of an adventure to get to. Except for the Lake Trout lakes, there is no live minnows allowed on designated trout lakes. Contact the Grand Rapids area DNR Fisheries office and get a list of the trout lakes and species available . They are all stocked lakes and finding out what is in the lake you intend on fishing can be a big advantage.

A few of the lakes in the Grand Rapids area that provide excellent opportunities to catch trout are Caribou( Rainbows and Lakers), Bluewater and Sherry’s Arm on Pokegama(Lakers), Tioga Mine Pit (Browns and Rainbows), Erskine, Lucky and Kremer (Rainbows and Brookies). All of these lakes require a trout stamp that would be applied to your current fishing license.

Except for waters that provide lake trout, most of your panfish tackle will work for trout on most all of the lakes. Light monofilament line such as 4# because of the clear water that is found in nearly all of the mentioned lakes. Small baits like a Northland Forage Spoon with several Euro larvae or a couple wax worms can coax the most finicky of trout to bite. Many times the softer tip rod is part of the equipment that is crucial to feeling a delicate bite. Other times when fishing lakers, you may need a stouter rod because of the crushing strike that can take place and they are much bigger than other species. Trout can be found throughout the water column so good electronics can be key to finding and catching active fish. The Humminbird Helix 7 Ice is a great unit in winter and can dial you in to roaming trout.

Trout fishing can be a lot of fun and many of the lakes you will fish are secluded and you may never see another angler the entire day. Just another example of what Grand Rapids offers in the winter for a different angling experience.

Grand Rapids, MN Ice Fishing Report 1-4-22

Ice Fishing Guide Service- Grand Rapids, MN

Happy New Year to all Minnesotans and come visit us in Grand Rapids all year long. The start of the 2022 year has brought us lots of snow and very cold temperatures. It is winter that Grand Rapids and all the things one can do when visiting.

Ice fishing is in full swing and with the colder weather, conditions continue to improve. Ice thickness varies from lake to lake and safety should always be implemented when out on the ice. It never hurts to call ahead and find out conditions. Any of the bait shops in the Grand Rapids area can provide you with up-to-the-minute conditions. So give them a call before venturing out on the ice.

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Walleye fishing has been good on area lakes and the best times seem to be early and late in the day. Big Winnie has been providing additional options for good size perch and nice northern pike. Now with the additional snow, travel by snowmobile or on a plowed road is the best option currently. Most of the offshore structures are giving up walleyes and nice perch mixed, but moving can be the key to finding pods of fish that want to bite. A Northland Buckshot Spoon or Coffin Spoon tipped with a minnow head is a sure-fire way to attract either species to the hole. If you drill 2 holes close together put a Dead Stick presentation in the hole you’re not jigging in with a single hook spoon or plain hook and a split shot. The “Silent Partner” approach can be the ticket at times.

Other lakes in the Grand Rapids area that are also producing walleyes are Pokegama, Big Splithand, Big Jessie, Moose, and Trout in Coleraine. The panfish bite has been decent on area lakes and especially during the midday. Small creatures that excite bluegills and crappies get active as the day goes on. Drill several holes in an area and use your electronics to locate schools of active fish. The bite may only last a few minutes and by drilling several holes you can literally “Hole Hop” and find the school again. Small tungsten jigs, tipped with a wax worm or soft plastic, in the 1/16th to 1/32nd size are great choices to use on 4# test fluorocarbon. A St. Croix Rod to SCT 30LXF is perfect for detecting those lite biters. Many lakes in the Grand Rapids area offer outstanding panfish opportunities. Little and Big Splithand, Pokegama, Big Bass in Cohasset, Bowstring, and Big Balsam just to mention a few.

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Ice fishing is not the only activity available in the winter with prime snowmobiling, cross country skiing trails, snowshoeing and even Fat Tire biking trails becoming more of an opportunity. Couple that with great restaurants, and motel and hotel accommodations, and Grand Rapids continues to be a destination for all seasons.

Grand Rapids Guide Service

Lyle Unger

To contact and check availability for a guided ice fishing trip.

Ice Fishing Report 12-21-21

Ice Fishing Guide Service- Grand Rapids, MN

Winter is always a slow process and an exciting one. In the Grand Rapids area, there is so much to do. Winter brings enjoyment with ice fishing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and fat-tire biking. Come ice fish and explore the hundreds of miles of groomed and off-road trails. The beauty of the Grand Rapids area is that all seasons make this destination one to add to your list of places to visit.

There are so many lakes to try out your ice fishing skills. If walleyes are your passion, there are countless lakes to try to catch trophy-size fish. When the ice conditions improve, there are several lakes that can produce walleyes in the 8-9 pound class as well as eating size walleye. Big Cutfoot, Big Splithand, Deer, Pokegama, and Trout lake produce big walleye every season. Most often early in the day and the last 2 hours are some of the best times to do battle with big walleye. A lesser thought of approach is daytime weed beds that can hold the biggest of walleyes during the day, especially during low light conditions.  Tip-up fishing with a lively shiner or small sucker minnow can be just the meal they are looking for. Drill several holes along the edge of the weeds and change your tip-up position every 20-30 minutes. There may be a few pesky northern pikes that may come calling, but this can be a great presentation for catching big walleyes.

A most sought-after species that gets little attention until March and early April are the Yellow Perch that are located on nearly all our area lakes. Many anglers across the ice belt come to several of our lakes in search of the fast action of Yellow Perch. Not a very finicky fish but, they can be caught in great numbers and are an awesome species for the table. Big Winnie has had a reputation for jumbo Perch for decades and anglers from Wisconsin and Michigan have made yearly trips to the big lake for consistent fishing. Winnie provides great habitat for producing good numbers of larger Perch and that is what draws the anglers. Other lakes in the area to try for big Perch are Bowstring, Jay Gould, Big Splithand, and Pokegama. Drill several holes in depths of 8-20 feet around rocks and weeds and hole hop until you find them. A small spoon tipped with a minor hear or a couple of wax worms will do the trick.

Merry Christmas to all and put Grand Rapids on your list of places to visit during the holiday season.

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Grand Rapids Ice Fishing Report 12-15-21

Ice Fishing- Grand Rapids, MN
Winter Crappie Tom Neustrom 3
Tom Neustrom with this nice winter crappie caught on a Grand Rapids, MN area lake.

Cover photo caption: Orin Paulson catching fish while ice fishing with his family on a Grand Rapids, MN area lake.

With changing weather conditions upon us people can expect changing ice conditions on all lakes in the Grand Rapids, MN area. It’s advisable to take a spud with you when venturing out on the ice and checking the ice every five to fifteen feet. If you hit it three times and the spud goes through back off and do not venture any further.

Right now, the panfish bite has been very good, and when we look at panfish we look at lighter presentations. You don’t want to fish for crappies and bluegills with the same setup that you would fish northern pike and walleyes with. A four-pound test fluorocarbon is an excellent choice that will hold a larger fish. The one thing about fluorocarbon that is significant is when using smaller and lighter jigs it will sink faster. Tungsten jigs are a modification that you need to invest in. Even for their size they sink faster and get to the fish faster, even with a light line. When fishing panfish, whether crappie or bluegill, two-euro larva or just one wax worm can be the ticket for finicky biters. One of the keys to finding active panfish is drilling several holes in the same area. Then we do a technical called “whole hopping” where we use our electronics to find schools of fish. You must chase them at times because you can pressure a school of fish and they will move off quickly. This is one of the reasons we drill many holes where we find a school of fish because most often, they don’t move extremely far. Always have a couple of rods set up with different colors baits of a similar size and you may even go to plastics on one of the rods versus live bait. When panfish become active, both presentations will put fish on the ice for you. Some lakes to consider: Splithand Lake, Bass Lake in Cohasset, Little Moose Lake,

Walleye fishing at this point has been good, but the conditions of the ice must improve in order to get to offshore structures. Shoreline breaks are your best bet early and late in the day. Many times, we like to use a “two-fisted Method”. One hole you fish a jigging spoon like a Northland buckshot rattle spoon, with a minnow head. And in the other hole either a plain hook or a small spoon with a chub or shiner. This is a way that many times you can attract fish to the hole by jigging the spoon and calling them in. Once they are attracted to the spoon, they won’t strike but they will bite the live minnow. Both methods are extremely good at first ice. Places to consider Big Splithand Lake, Moose Lake, Bowstring Lake, Graves Lake, and Jessie Lake.

Ice Fishing Tips from Tom

Grand Rapids Early Ice Fishing & Ice Safety

Ice Fishing Guide- Visit Grand Rapids, MN

This week’s early ice fishing in Grand Rapids and ice safety blog is presented by: Tom Neustrom, professional angler, and professional fishing industry representative.

Every year we always stress ice safety. Always remember that there is no ice that is truly safe. There is a guide 4 inches walking, 6-8 inches four-wheelers, 11-15 inches for ATV, and small pickups. These are good guides for travel on ice.

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For the ice anglers that went out in the fall for checking options for fish. Early ice can be a good time to catch fish. Panfish most often will stay in the locations where you find them in the fall (open water), and first ice. Specifically, when we talk about walleyes, they usually at first ice will be moving around primarily not in the fall locations. They are very food-oriented and will be constantly chasing baitfish. Most often they will be set up on the edges of the structure and strategically move upon those structures using those pathways for several weeks. To have a better understanding of this, walleyes have similar routes that they will take whether early or late in the day. It is a good assumption that if you want to try to catch walleyes in the day during the winter, look for lakes with snow cover and offshore structures. Again, this shows you that walleyes like low light options, your opportunities are better late in the day when it is not specifically light out.

Darkhouse spearing is another popular ice fishing sport that is especially good early in the season. Northern pike is not affected by cold weather as other species of fish are. Even though walleyes are cold-water species northern pike are truly very active in the winter. Most Darkhouse spearfishermen will use a large sucker minnow or a decoy to call the northern in. It is a great sport, and many people still enjoy sitting over the top of a large hole watching a fish come into the target area. As we get into the later part of the season, Darkhouse season is not as good as early in the beginning of the year. Northern pike is still a good species to pursue even after the first part of the season. Most anglers that pursue northern pike later in the season will use a function called a tip-up. You can put out two per angler, and pandemonium will occur when fish bite. It is a fun sport to try in the winter. Make sure you contact local bait shops in the Grand Rapids area: Thousand Lakes Sporting Goods, River Rat Bait, Fred’s Bait & Tackle, L&M Fleet Supply, and Winnie Trading Post are good sources of information for not only ice conditions but where several species of fish maybe biting.

Grand Rapids, MN Fall Fishing Report 10-20-21

This week’s Grand Rapids, MN area fall fishing report brought to you by Tom Neustrom, owner of MN Fishing Connections. Think about next year’s Fishing Trip and give Tom a call for a memorable fishing trip in 2022!

The beautiful fall weather is about to change and open water fishing days are limited. Water temperatures are cooling off and are now in the mid 50’s.Walleye fishing continues to be good on area lakes and jig and minnow combinations with a shiner, chub, or rainbow are your best choices. Times of the day have started to change for the best opportunities with late morning and late in the day being preferred. Some of the better lakes that may be good choices in the next few weeks are Big Cutfoot, Big Winnie, Splithand, Wabana, Trout, and Moose.

Crappies are starting to show up in their late fall and early cold water locations. Soft bottom bays and depths of 20 to 30 feet should be checked. With the use of your electronics find schools of crappies can be the ticket to success. Once located try to stay as vertical as possible with small minnows or plastics on 1/16th to 1/8th ounce jigs. Keep your bait slightly above the school for crappies and several other species feed upward and most often never down. If you aren’t getting a bite change colors and weights of jig. Oink and glow, black, chartreuse and glow are great colors to try. Some of the lakes in the Grand Rapids area to try for late season crappies are Big and Little Splithand, Cutfoot, Bowstring, Jessie, and Little Turtle. Northern Pike and Muskies are becoming very active as the water cools. Many trophy pike and muskie anglers will carry large Sucker minnows along and when a large fish is spotted they will free swim the bait right in their nose to get a bite. It’s a method that has been a stable presentation for decades. Quick strike rigs can be used to insure hook ups and easy release.

Talk to Andy Walls at Thousand Lakes Sports in Grand Rapids about the quick strike rigs they have available. Some of the lakes to try especially for a trophy Muskie are Deer, Moose, Big Cutfoot, North Star and Blandin Reservoir. All of the mentioned lakes have trophy Muskies available. Get out and enjoy the last weeks of open water fishing . It’s a beautiful time to be out in the outdoors.

Fishing Report 10-15

Sunrise on another day in beautiful Grand Rapids

The weather has started to change a bit and the location of several species of fish has also moved. the walleye fishing continues to be good. Look for depths from 6-12 ft on most of the area lakes. The only difference is on deep clear lakes where the walleyes tend to be on offshore structures. A jig and minnow are the prominent presentations for success. But many anglers like to go out in the evening to troll crankbaits. Look for that bite to continue to improve as we get closer to the October full moon. Croppies and Blue Gills have moved off weed lines and are migrating to areas along with the first break. They will continue to move to their late fall- early winter locations as the water cools. Water temperatures of 48-54 degrees trigger their movement to these pre-winter locations. Look for bays that have soft, muddy bottoms for their preferred food sources. They prefer bugs and larva that come off the bottom in the fall and winter. Use your electronics to comb these areas to locate schools of fish. Bass fishing still has options, but the Smallmouth Bass season is closed in Northern MN, but there are options for Largemouth Bass. Grand Rapids is blessed with many Largemouth Bass lakes. Look for those to be on the deeper weed lines instead of the shallow cover. As the water continues to cool, they too will seek their winter locations which are most often depths near the last break line.

Northern Pike is an option right now for they too are on the move looking for food but Muskie fishing has been one of the species that have attracted anglers to the Grand Rapids area. For the best information on location to find Muskies and available tackle, stop in 1000 Lakes Sporting Goods downtown and talk to Grant Prokop about your best options.

If you haven’t winterized your boat yet, make sure to call your local dealer and make an appointment. Once the weather turns really cold your options for getting it down in a timely fashion are less. Their schedules are very busy and you’re getting into a limited time frame. Make sure you charge your batteries up before you put your boat away for the season. Grand Rapids is a 4-season community and will continue to serve the people visiting but also the folks that live here. As you can see by this photo Grand Rapids lakes are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

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Fishing Report 10-6-21

This week’s Grand Rapids Fall Fishing Report is brought to you by Tom Neustrom. Tom is a professional fishing guide that owns, MN Fishing Connections guide service. Header photo caption: Tony Perlochek from Marshfield, WI caught and released this 26-inch Walleye on Big Winnie with Tom Neustrom.

With the warm weather, fishing continues to be good to excellent for several species in the grand rapids area. The Panfish, Croppies, sunfish have been cooperating quite well for anglers and some of the lakes to try are Pokegama, big bass in Cohasset, big and little split hand, and loon lake. The boat accesses are still marginal at best, so use special care when dropping your boat in the lake.

Small tungsten jigs with a wax worm or small minnow have been doing the job. Walleye fishing continues to be good on area lakes and look for that to continue until Fall turnover occurs. Water temperatures on most of the lakes are in the low to mid 60’s which is far above normal for this time of year. The jib and minnow bites continue to be the best presentation to use and on most area lakes the walleyes continue to be shallow water. There are exceptions to the rule with lakes such as Sugar, Deer, and Trout Lake in Coleraine. Where depths of 20-25 ft would be a better location. Those lakes that are very clear are much better on cloudy days or the last 1-2 hours before sunset. A jig and a shiner and a chub are getting the job done for walleye anglers. Another presentation to look at it in deeper clear lakes is a jigging rap. When there are 2 angles in the boat together using the jigging wrap and the other using jig and minnow, this is the best way to find out the bites. These 2 fisted approaches can really make a difference, especially on deep clear lakes with structure.

Northern Pike fishing has been good and many times you will catch an occasional Northern while using jig fishing for Walleyes. They seem to occupy the same water column as the Walleyes do and for some reason on bright sunny days, they are even more active. Northern Pike fillets are very tasty once you learn how to take the y bone out. The meat is firm and white and has a taste all its own. Sometimes trolling shad wraps spoons and spinnerbaits are great ways to attract Northers this time of year. We in the Grand Rapids area are enjoying one of the most colorful Falls we have seen in years. Come join us in the outdoor wonderland of the north.

Grand Rapids, MN Fall Fishing Report 9-28-21

This week’s Grand Rapids Fall Fishing Report brought to you by Tom Neustrom. Tom is a professional fishing guide that owns, MN Fishing Connections guide service. Header photo caption: Bob Mickelsen from Chicago caught these nice crappies while fishing on a Grand Rapids, MN area lake with Tom Neustrom.

Walleye fishing continues to be excellent on the area lakes in Grand Rapids, MN. Most of the transition baits have gone to the jig and minnow which continues to produce walleyes right now. As long as you are not fishing a deep clear lake such as Deer, Trout lake in Coleraine and Wabana and Pokegama. Continue to fish shallow on most other walleye lakes. Good examples are Big winnibigoshi and Cut Foot Soux. The walleyes seem to be feasting themselves on young of the year perch. If you notice sometimes, you will see the young loons and terns crash the surface of the area lakes feeding on young of the year perch and shiners. It’s a key factor in watching these birds and the location they are, to find walleyes feeding right underneath them. It’s a fall tradition that has happened for many decades. Bid Winnie continues to be the lake of choice in the area, and the resorts and bait shops are providing good information for anglers coming in from outside of the area. With the extended warm weather of late the crappies have not really moved into their lake fall and winter locations. Water temperatures are still in the low 60’s but look for that to change as the temperatures drop another 4-8 degrees.

Right not it seems the best crappie fishing is early and late in the day. More of a late summer pattern than fall. Make sure you check out areas away from the weed lines. For the crappies and sunfish are not there. Depths of 12-14 feet and in some cases 20 feet are prime locations for crappies and sunfish. Small jigs with a plastic action tail or small minnow will be the bait of choice. If it is windy, it become very difficult to stay on top of schools of crappies and sunfish. Try to find calm areas to find better opportunities to catch crappies and sunfish. Some lakes to consider are Little Cut Foot Sioux, Loon, Pokegama, and several of the smaller lakes on the Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway.

For the musky fisherman it has been an interesting month. Anglers are starting to see several fish in a day and to the diehard musky fisherman a follow-up is as big as catching one. A good place to stop for information on where to catch musky, is Thousand Lake Sporting Goods. They are the musky fishing destination for the Grand Rapids, MN area lakes that hold muskies. Lakes to consider are Deer, Moose, North Star, and the Blandin Reservoir between the damns on the Mississippi River.

The fall colors are near peak, and it is the perfect time of the year to come fish, hunt, and enjoy the beauty of the fall.