The bite picked up just a bit this past week for walleyes and perch.
The window for walleyes has been very small — you’ve got a short period in the early morning and then again about 30 to 45 minutes in the late afternoon right before dark.
Northland Glow Belly spoons are working on the walleyes and perch tipped with a minnow head or wax worm. Dead sticking with a whole minnow at times seems to be catching more walleyes than with a spoon.
Patience lately has been the name of the game. I’ve moved my rental houses around more this year already trying to get on a decent perch bite than I did all of last year.
Like last year, we’ve been catching good numbers of small walleyes in that 8- to 10-inch range on Lake Bemidji, which bodes well for the future of walleye fishing on Bemidji.
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Look to the 12- to 18-inch break lines or those deeper humps for the walleyes and perch. On those deeper humps, you might even catch some tullibies. Staying away from the crowds will give you your best chance for some bigger fish.
Look to Lake Bemidji, Plantagenet and Blackduck Lake for some walleyes and perch. If you're looking to have some fun, get off the edge of the weed line on area lakes and you’ll catch plenty of pike.
There are more and more plowed roads now out on area lakes so that makes it easier for folks to get around, but please, use some etiquette out there. Don’t park your fish house right next to someone else or even a portable for that matter.
Punching a bunch of holes close to fish houses can cause some flooding on top of the ice, and that makes it a headache for everyone.
Have a safe fun time on the ice, and please remember to practice selective harvesting, by doing so we will continue to have great fishing for years to come.
Dick Beardsley is the owner and operator of Dick Beardsley Fishing Guide Service in Bemidji. He can be reached at (218) 556-7172 and dick@dickbeardsley.com . For more information, visit www.dickbeardsleyfishingguide.com .
