Minnesota Fishing Tips

Walleye
Minnesota Walleye Fishing Tips

Distinguishing Markings:

The walleye is named after its large opaque and almost blind-looking eye. The large reflective surface of its eyes gives the walleye a sight advantage over other fish and enables the predator to find prey in the dark. Walleyes have a dark green or olive-green back, light brownish yellow sides, white belly, and five to 12 narrow dark bands across its back. Typical of perches, the walleye has two separate dorsal fins, with a dark spot at the posterior base of the first. Walleyes are obvious carnivores with teeth in the jaws and on the roof of the mouth.

Size:

The walleye is the largest member of the perch family, growing to more than 30 inches and more than 10 pounds. Walleyes typically live to seven or eight years old and weigh 12-15 pounds. However, individuals in their mid "teens" have been collected, and the world all-tackle record is 25 pounds.

Habitat:

Walleye prefer large, clear, cool water with gravel and sandy substrate.

Food:

Feeding occurs during mainly during the dawn and dusk, with spottail shiners, emerald shiners, and yellow perch as favored foods along with bluegills, crappie, bullheads, and crayfish. Young walleye feed primarily on zooplankton, aquatic invertebrates, and small juvenile fish.

Spawning:

Spawning occurs in the early spring, usually just after ice-out when water temperatures are between 38 and 50 degrees F. Typically, spawning takes place on riffles after fish have moved upstream, but in lakes it may also take place on rip-rap dams or reefs There is no nest building, and no parental care for eggs or fry. The female broadcasts as many as 495,000 eggs, usually over stony shoals, and then two or more males release their milt to fertilize the eggs. The eggs are very adhesive, sticking to the rocks and gravel. Incubation takes five days to two weeks. Newly hatched young leave the spawning areas and grow to be about five to six inches by fall. Males reach sexual maturity in two to four years, while females reach sexual maturity in three to five years.

Fishing Tips:

Fishing for walleye is most productive in the evening using minnow type lures or jigs fished near the bottom over rock piles or along the edges of weed beds. Night crawlers and live minnows worked very slowly are also good producers. Walleye are considered to be one of the best tasting freshwater fish.

Northern Pike
Minnesota Northern Pike Fishing Tips

Distinguishing Markings:

The northern pike is an elongated fish. Its dorsal region is bluish-green to gray in color, shading to white or yellow on the belly. This coloration distinguishes it from chain pickerel, redfin pickerel, muskellunge, and other members of the pike family. The northern pike’s scales have irregular rows of yellow or gold bean-shaped spots. They also have fully scaled cheeks and large sensory pores on each side of the ventral surface of the lower jaw. This characteristic makes northern pike a close relative to muskellunge, but with light markings on their dark body backgrounds and less than 6 sensory pores on the underside of their jaw. The mouth is duck-bill shaped and lined with many sharp canine teeth.

Size:

Northern pike can grow more than three feet long and weigh as much as 50 pounds, although larger sizes have been reported, particularly in the Great Lakes area.

Habitat:

Northern pike prefer clear, shallow, vegetated areas of lakes and larger rivers with plenty of stumps, aquatic vegetation, or other cover.

Food:

Northern pike primarily eat fish, preying on golden shiners, yellow perch, bluegills, and suckers. Young pike feed on zooplankton and aquatic invertebrates, before switching to a fish diet. Large pike have been known to eat on ducklings, small waterfowl, and small muskrats.

Spawning:

Spawning takes place soon after ice-out when temperatures reach 35 F in shallow waters. The female broadcasts the eggs over aquatic vegetation while two or more males fertilize them. A large female northern pike can produce 250,000 to 500,000 adhesive eggs that stick to the vegetation and hatch within six to 29 days, depending on water temperature. Young pike typically reach six inches by their first fall and attain sexual maturity in three years. Pike can live to 24 years.

Northern pike can breed with muskellunge to produce a subspecies known as tiger muskellunge (Esox masquinongy immaculatus). There is also a silvery-blue or silver mutation known as the silver pike or silver muskellunge, occurring in scattered populations.

Fishing Tips:

A highly prized gamefish, the northern pike is fantastic to catch because of its sheer size, strength, and fighting ability. Usually found in cold, clear, rocky waters, lakes and streams, northern pike are ambush hunters, laying hidden, waiting for prey, which are caught sideways with their sharp teeth. Northern pike are some of the biggest freshwater fish; anglers enjoy the challenge involved in facing the aerial acrobatics and explosive hits. Use large spoons or minnow-type lures fished along the edges of weedbeds to catch northerns. Another popular method is to fish a large live golden shiner or sucker beneath a large bobber early in the season in shallow coves.

The meat is white, flavorful, and has a flaky texture, but is quite boney. Northern pike is usually filleted and particularly popular in many German dishes. References from the ancient Romans depict pikes served at festivities.

Muskie

Distinguishing Markings:

In general, identifying the hybrid tiger muskie from the muskellunge is fairly easy, though it can be more difficult with some individuals. The tiger muskie is named for the prominent light-colored, branching bars on a dark blue-green background, with some of the light-colored pattern continuing across the back. Muskellunge have much less prominent, non-branching, dark bars on an olive to tan background with no pattern across the back. Tiger muskie generally have five or six chin pores located on the right and left bottom surface of the lower jaw, while muskellunge will usually have as many as 10 per side.

Size:

The muskellunge, or muskie as it is commonly called, is one of the largest freshwater game fish in North America. A full-grown muskie can exceed 30 pounds.

Habitat:

Muskellunge and tiger muskie use a variety of habitats seasonally from deep open water to shallow cover such as weeds and fallen trees. In rivers, they usually occupy the deeper pools with reduced current.

Food:

Muskellunge are opportunistic ambush predators, feeding primarily on other fish. Unlike sharks, muskies’ teeth do not mesh to take bites, but are used to hold their prey, which they must swallow whole. Muskellunge prefer to prey on large, soft-finned species such as suckers, fallfish, minnows, and small carp. Due to their size and their ability to prey on fish up to forty-five percent of their own length, muskies occupy a unique environmental niche.

Spawning:

Muskellunge begin spawning in April or May when water temperatures exceed 50°F for several consecutive days. Tiger muskie are sterile hybrids and do not reproduce. Spawning takes place near aquatic vegetation, debris, and leaf litter over a period of a few days. The eggs are broadcast over a fairly large area and settle to the bottom, without any parental care. Surviving eggs hatch in about two weeks.

Muskies grow very rapidly reaching approximately twelve inches by the end of their first growing season, 24 inches by the end of the second, 30 inches by the end of their third, and 36 inches during their fifth or sixth season. Females grow faster and live longer than males; the maximum lifespan can be as much as 25 to 30 years.

Fishing Tips:

Tackle for muskie needs to be stouter than tackle used for bass and walleye; typically, a medium-heavy action casting rod with twenty pound test monofilament or braided line. Use a hard monofilament or wire leader to prevent the line being cut by their teeth. Large crank baits imitating suckers and fallfish and bucktail spinners are popular lures for muskie, but anglers not familiar with handling these fish may want to stick with single-hook lures such as spinnerbaits to start with. You will also need several tools to make releasing muskies safer for both the fish and the fishermen. Foremost is a large needle-nose pliers or a hook-out (pistol grip pliers) for removing hooks while keeping fingers a safe distance away from their teeth.

Largemouth Bass

Distinguishing Markings:

Largemouth bass can be recognized by the lower jaw that extends past the back edge of the eye. It is dark green above with silvery sides and belly and a dark stripe across its body. . The underside ranges in color from light green to almost white. They have a nearly divided dorsal fin with the anterior portion containing nine spines and the posterior portion containing 12 to 13 soft rays.

Size:

Largemouth bass have been known to reach weights of over 20 pounds.

Habitat:

Largemouth bass are found in all waters from freshwater to brackish (a mix of fresh and saltwater) waters. They like large, slow moving rivers or streams with soft bottoms. They especially like clear water. Immature largemouth bass may tend to congregate in schools, but adults are usually solitary. Sometimes several bass will gather in a very small area, but they do not interact. Largemouth bass seek protective cover such as logs, rock ledges, vegetation, and man-made structures. They prefer clear quiet water, but will survive quite well in a variety of habitats.

Food:

Greedy carnivores, largemouth bass feast on minnows, sunfish, gizzard shad, insects, frogs and occasionally snakes. Adult largemouth bass are the top predators in the aquatic ecosystem. Fry feed primarily on zooplankton and insect larvae. At about two inches in length they become active predators. Adults feed almost exclusively on other fish and large invertebrates such as crayfish. Larger fish prey upon smaller bass. Adult fish feed near water plants in shallow waters.

Spawning:

Largemouth bass spawn as early as March or as late as June. The males build saucer shaped nests 20 to 30 inches in diameter and guard the nest and eggs from all intruders. Largemouth bass grow 4 to 6 inches during their first year, 8 to 12 inches in two years, and up to 16 inches in three years. Largemouth bass may live for 13 years.

Fishing Tips:

These fish are an extremely popular sport fish. They are excellent fighters when caught on light spinning tackle. Popular methods of fishing are fly-fishing, bait casting, or bottom fishing, and good baits include live minnows, night crawlers, and worms.

Smallmouth Bass

Distinguishing Markings:

The smallmouth bass is generally green, brown, bronze, or tan in general color with dark vertical bands rather than a horizontal band along the side. There are 13 to 15 soft rays in the dorsal fin. The best characteristic to distinguish a smallmouth from a largemouth bass is the position of the maxillary, or large flap at the posterior end of the upper jaw. With the fish’s mouth closed, the maxillary will reach, but not obviously extend beyond the eye, and the upper jaw never extends beyond the eye. In largemouth bass the maxillary always extends past the back edge of the eye.

Size:

The usual smallmouth is 8 to 15 inches long, and weighs less than three pounds.

Habitat:

Smallmouth bass prefer large clear-water lakes (greater than 100 acres, more than 30 feet deep) and cool, clear streams with moderate current. Their preferred habit has a gravel or rubble substrate, boulders, some shade and cover, along with deep pools.

Food:

In general, adult smallmouth bass feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects, crayfish, and fish. Because they feed on the water surface, in the water mass, and off the bottom, and consume such a wide variety of foods, they are considered “angler friendly”.

Spawning:

Spawning occurs in the spring when water temperatures approach 60°F. Males move into spawning areas with the nests usually located near shore in lakes; downstream from boulders or some other obstruction that offers protection against strong current in streams. Mature females may contain 2,000 to 15,000 golden yellow eggs. Males may spawn with several females on a single nest. On average each nest contains about 2,500 eggs, but nests may contain as many as 10,000 eggs. Eggs hatch in about 10 days if water temperatures are in the mid-50s, but can hatch in 2 to 3 days if temperatures are in the mid-70s. Males guard the nest from the time eggs are laid until fry begin to disperse, a period of up to a month. Fry begin feeding on zooplankton, switching to insect larvae and finally fish and crayfish as they grow.

Fishing Tips:

Smallmouth bass can be caught on a wide variety of live and artificial baits. Many anglers prefer the less expensive soft, plastic artificials, grubs and tubes, because lure loss is a certainty when fishing prime smallmouth bass habitat. Light spinning tackle is the most popular and least tiresome after casting and catching fish all day. Fly fishing is next in popularity, followed by bait casting.

Crappie

Distinguishing Markings:

Crappies’ gill covers have spines. The black crappie can be easily confused with the white crappie. However, it is deeper bodied than the white crappie, a silvery-green in color. There are no distinct vertical bars; rather there are irregular black blotches. The dorsal fin has seven or eight spines. Males do not develop specialized breeding coloration during spawning season.

Size:

Crappie range in size up to about two pounds or less.

Habitat:

Crappie tend to swim around sheltered areas in freshwater lakes, seeking protection from enemies and access to prevalent food source.

Food:

Crappie eat smaller fish such as shad. Black crappie adults feed on fewer fish, and more insects and crustaceans, than do white crappie.

Spawning:

Crappie spawn in areas with brush and stumps in the water, in the springtime when the water temperatures get warmer. Like other members of the sunfish family, black crappie are nest builders. They nest in the spring, generally when water temperatures reach 60 degrees F. The biology of black crappie is very similar to that of white crappie. Growth in terms of weight is very similar between the two species. White crappie tend to have higher growth rates in terms of length, but black crappie are more robust in body construction.

Fishing Tips:

Although crappie are warm water fish, they are unique in that they can be caught quite often in the cooler months, most frequently in November and March. Fish for crappie by using a float since crappie do not always stay near the bottom. Crappie are attracted to a wealth of bait and artificial lures including small jigs, hair jigs, minnows, shiners and worms. Fish for crappie collecting around thick vegetation and other structure such as stumps, brush and logs.