Our team of Leech Lake Fishing Guides have been busy guiding on Leech and the surrounding lakes the past couple of weeks and here is the report.
Leech Lake
Walleye fishing has been sporadic at times, you just have to be willing to stick and move and fish a lot of spots if you don't land on a pod of active fish. Oftentimes you find yourself catching 1-3 fish out of a school and then you gotta move. Now if you find a school that hasn't been pressured you may be able to really get on a good bite. In terms of the presentation piece, trolling crankbaits such as #5 or #7 shad raps or flicker shads has been working in 9-15 feet of water along sand breaks. Look for the bait and often the fish are somewhere. You just gotta cover ground when doing it. Also trolling the edges of the reefs on the Main Lake during low light hours can be productive. There have also been some reports of decent leadcore bites along steep breaklines on the main lake in 20-30 feet of water.
Otherwise pulling lindy rigs with crawlers, leeches, or chubs in 16-22 feet of water has been producing some fish, slip bobber fishing the weeds or edges of the wind blown rocks, jigging raps, as well as a jig and minnow or leech at times are all producing, it just really depends on the day
Muskies are starting to get more active on the rocks and within the weedbads. Bucktails and topwaters are the name of the game so get out and start casting.
Hackensack Area
We have also been fishing alot of the lakes in the Hackensack area and finding good mixed bags of bass, walleyes, panfish, and pike. Working weedlines with lindy rigs and leeches or pike minnows is a good way to put fish in the boat. 18-25 feet of water. Rock humps are kicking out smallies using drop shots or a tube jig, and panfish are hitting good in the early AM and evenings along weed edges casting a jig/tube or jig/minnow.
Brainerd Report
The walleye bite in the Brainerd Lakes Area has been moderate as we enter August with a few good days and a few real tough days thrown in. Fish are spread out and it often requires hitting numerous spots to put together a good day. As always days with some overcast or wind are noticeably better. Covering water looking for fish with your electronics is important and once you find them not wasting a lot of time on them if they aren’t eating. Focus on weed lines in 18-25 FOW, cabbages beds, and humps with a slip bobber and a leech or rigging a red tail as the go to method.
Until next week
Leisure Outdoor Adventures Guide Team
1-855-LOA-HOOK
