Whitefish

Fishing activity varies throughout the Whitefish Area. While walleye numbers are down, fish can be found using lindy rigs in 20-plus feet of water at the points, bars and humps. At dusk, troll rapalas. During the day, search with spinners tipped leeches or crawlers behind a button bouncer. The largest northern pike are deep, with fish coming from 25-plus feet of water on jigs and rigs tipped with a minnow. The smaller northerns remain shallow. For sunfish, hit the weeds in 12-15 feet of water using crappie minnows or small leeches. Bass, like the northerns, tend to be larger the deeper you go. Foley’s Bar has given up some large bass to anglers using lindy rigs tipped with leeches or crawlers in 20-25 foot depths.

Mille Lacs
The Lake Mille Lacs walleye bite has slowed a bit, however, large fish continue to bite consistently during the day. The best approach is to hit the deep edges of the mud flats using spinners and crawlers. Lead-core lines with small shads and hornets have also been producing a good number of fish. At night, bobber fish at the rock/flat transitions. The northern pike bite has been pretty good, and the muskie bite is picking up. Smallmouth bass action has been excellent, especially when using three- to four-inch tube jigs, plastics, and even bobbers in 15-18 feet of water. 888-350-2692

Photo Cutline: Minnesota Wild left winger Jason Zucker caught this northern pike Tuesday night, June 26, 2012, on Gull Lake during a fishing event hosted by Leisure Outdoor Adventures. Zucker’s pike helped him earn top honors against fellow Wild defenseman Nate Prosser. Zucker, Prosser, and Wild radio analyst Tom Reid fished in Brainerd as part of the Minnesota Wild Road Tour. Photo by Toby Kvalevog, Leisure Outdoor Adventures.

A photo album of the fishing tournament can be found on Facebook in the Explore Brainerd Lakes Minnesota Wild Brainerd Fishing Contest album.