Spring Fishing

In the Spring, the ice melts and it is time to open water fish. When the water is still a bit cold, the fish aren’t super active. Then when it gets warmer and the water temperature rises the activity goes up. For Minnesota, there is a regulation where you can only fish for panfish until May 10th. Another thing the spring is known for is bass spawn. In early May to June, bass spawn. This is when they come up close to the shore and lay and hatch their eggs. Bass are easy to catch at this time as they are very active and are close to the shore.

Summer Fishing

The summer is probably the best time for open water fishing. It gets really warm out, and fish activity ramps up. There aren’t any fish spawns during summer, so no species are especially easy to catch during this time. But overall, this is one of the best times for fishing, and also just going up north for trips.

Fall Fishing

Fall is the last open water fishing season of the year. The weather will start to get cooler, and as a result, fish activity lessens. During the fall, the weeds die and there is less cover for fish to hide in. Fishing during this time is pretty good because fish tend to eat plenty before the winter, so your odds at getting something are better.

Winter Fishing

Winter fishing is called Ice fishing because we fish from the top of the water, standing on a layer of ice. In order to ice fish, we need an auger to drill a hole. This hole allows the line to actually get below the ice. To ice fish, it is recommended that the ice should be at least 4 inches thick. The ice fishing poles are much shorter than the open water poles. They aren’t as big so we can have more control over the rod, and so we can be closer to the hole. The commonly used baits are Worms, Minnows, and Waxi Worms. The rods usually have a jig so you can twitch the rod up and down, or a bobber, which can just sit there. You just let your lure or bait down, almost to the bottom, and it just sits there. You get a fish and you can just reel it up to the hole.