Dustin Monson of Hawg Hunterz Guide Service gives his latest Buzz Bite Report for the Brainerd Lakes Area on February 28th, 2023.
Brainerd Lakes Area: 2-28-2023
Fun fishing and big walleyes to end the season! Ice fishing has been consistent in mid-winter patterns! We’ve noticed about 18-25 inches of ice in the area, and much of the settled/refrozen snow is being covered by our new snowstorm!
Slush pockets and soft snow can make travel difficult, have backup plans for traveling on and off the lakes. Foot travel, plowed roads, atvs with tracks or chains and snowmobiles recommended. There are several lakes with plowed roads from accesses or resorts; please don’t drill holes or fish on or right next to roads. Please ensure you’re checking ice conditions frequently.
Catch crappies and bluegills in basins/holes of 20-30ft (finding fish suspended in the water column). If fish are near bottom beyond 28-30ft, they will not survive the catch due to barotrauma, so plan to keep all sizes of fish within your legal possession limit if fishing those depths.
Jig crappies with 5mm or 7mm Tungsten jigs tipped with a Mister Twister Sassy Stingum or wax worms, 1/16oz Frostee Spoon or glide-bait style lure, such as a Crystal Reaper or Jigging Rap (I’ve had a lot of success with a small tungsten jig with a soft plastic or wax worm too).
The same tactics are working for tullibees/ciscoes. Schools are roaming slowly now, and moving to varying spots is a good idea until you mark fish; unless you plan to sit out the wait for a school to circle through your location. At times, try still fishing without jigging to see if fish are being deterred by the vibrations from jigging. Jig higher in the water column, a good rule of thumb is splitting the depth in half and jigging at that location in the water column as well as jigging within 2-3ft from the bottom.
Pluck fish from the top of schools to avoiding scattering the school. Bluegills continue hitting tungsten jigs tipped with the tail end of a Mister Twister Sassy Stingum or wax worm on weed flats or soft bottom areas in those similar locations. Northern pike are hitting sucker minnows and spoons tipped with a minnow head.
On Mille Lacs Lake perch are hitting tungsten jigs with wax worms or small spoons/small minnow head in 25-30fow. (Make sure you read the Mille Lacs Special Regulations.
Good luck out there and enjoying the great weather we have this week in the Brainerd Lakes Area! Have fun, stay safe and Happy Hawg Hunting!
Dustin Monson
Contact Information:
Hawg Hunterz Guide Service: Brainerd Lakes Area and Mille Lacs Lake
Email Dustin at mrhawghunter@hotmail.com or call/text at 320-293-2442 if you have any questions or to schedule a guided fishing trip.
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