Minnesota guide Dustin Monson of Hawg Hunterz Guide Service gives his latest Brainerd fishing report on February 5th, 2024.
Brainerd Fishing Report: 2-5-2024
We’ve got some great weather and great fishing happening right now in Brainerd Lakes Area of Minnesota!
Our ice conditions have stayed consistent and we are finding ice between nine and twelve inches on most lakes.
Continue ice safety checks due to varying conditions on several lakes; though most lakes are safe for ATV or Snowmobile travel at this time!
Walleye
The brainerd fishing report for walleyes has been good.
Walleyes have been aggressive and cruising the shallows during the day, as well as overnight in clear lakes.
Walleyes are hitting minnows on livebait presentations or spoons tipped with a minnow head, jigged near bottom in fifteen to twenty-six feet of water.
Shiners and fatheads have been the preferred minnow, but small to medium sized sucker minnows are also catching fish.
Perch
Find perch in schools inside pockets of expansive weed flats in eight to sixteen feet of water.
Jigging aggressively with a spoon tipped with a minnow head has worked great.
A tungsten jig paired with a fathead minnow is also producing bites.
Make frequent bottom contact to stir up stand and debris to entice finicky biters, add a slow lift to seal the deal.
Crappies
The Brainerd fishing report for crappies has been great.
Lots of crappies can be caught along weedlines during low light periods in twelve to eighteen feet of water.
During the day look for fish suspended over deeper basins.
Target basins basins between twenty and thirty-five feet of water. Most of those fish are going to be about five to ten feet off the bottom.
A 1/16-ounce or 1/32-ounce jig tipped with a plastic has worked great during the day.
Smaller spoons like a 1/16-ounce Lindy Frostee spoon tipped with some wax worms is also producing a ton of fish. It seems like the spoons are producing some of our bigger fish as well.
A dead stick paired with a live crappie minnow has also produce a number of fish, especially during the nighttime bite.
These schools of crappies are constantly roaming around and aggressive jigging will bring schools in.
Bluegills
Bluegills have been hitting tungsten jigs tipped with euro larvae or wax worms. If they are really biting well small plastics will also work.
Look for schools of bluegills in the shallow weed beds between five and twelve feet of water on most lakes.
A few schools can also be found on main lake flats in fourteen to seventeen feet of water.
Northern Pike: Brainerd Fishing Report
Northern pike are hitting sucker minnows or shiners, and spoons tipped with a minnow head. We are jigging high in the water column and set lines are above the weeds in twelve to eighteen feet of water.
Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass can be caught jigging the the shallow weed beds. Small tungsten jigs paired with a wax worm or plastic are working well.
They can also be caught on small rattlebaits.
Set lines paired with shiners is another great way to target largemouth bass through the ice.
