Walleye Dan Engen

We have been getting out on area lakes the last couple weeks. Even though it’s January and we have had some really cold weather ice depths still vary between 9-18 inches depending on the lake. Make sure you check ice before assuming it’s safe and stay away from the moving water areas. (Channel, harbors, bridges,…

Good morning! It’s cold and it’s windy. In order to make ice on the big lakes, we will need that wind to pipe down! The lakes that are frozen are going to grow ice really fast, and that’s going to make for an interesting winter I do believe. Main Gull is wide open, but some…

Walleyes are in their fall patterns and relating to the deeper parts of the lake. Look for areas with deep water close by and fish the steep breaklines focusing on the 25-45 foot depths during the daytime but don’t be afraid to look shallower or deeper as well. They will use the entire water column…

We are finally starting to see some walleyes push out to a little deeper water using our Humminbird units. The deep weed lines in 15-22 feet seem to be the best right now with some fish coming from as deep as 30 feet on some days. Mid lake humps and structure are holding fish along…

Walleye fishing has been good in the BLA! North Long, Gull, and Whitefish are all producing well. Fish are in their full time summer patterns with the bulk of them being shallow in the weeds. Working the inside and outside of the weed lines with Lindy rigs and redtails, leeches, or crawlers has been working.…

Opening weekend 2017 is in the books! We hit several different area lakes over the weekend and found some fish on them all. Target the shallow water areas where sand meets cabbage weeds on the shoreline breaks. Check the inside and outside edges in 7-13 feet of water with 1/8 ounce long shank jigs and…

The crappie bite is hot and happening now, and it will only get better in the next few weeks! They are staging close to spawning areas with deep water near by and I am finding them in 5-12 feet of water depending on the lake and the day. Using the wind is a big key…

As open water finally reaches the Brainerd Lakes Area it’s time to start looking for spring crappies! I ventured out yesterday and found water temps between 44 and 48 degrees for the most part with some shallows being as warm as 50 degrees. I didn’t find any crappies in the shallows but did find them…

Crappies, bluegills, perch, Rainy River, shed hunting, Lake Winnipeg, the thought of gobbles are some of the things firing through the brain as we get closer to spring. I’ll start with the crappies and say that this is a great time to be out fishing these black and white beauty’s! They are not only fun…

By the looks of the forecast, we are going to be having a heat wave this week! After some wicked cold, I would have to say that the warm-up will be welcomed! I just finished my second cup of coffee, and thought I better do something productive before my afternoon SnoBear trip. So, here is…

The walleye bite has been very good for this time of the year. Look in the12-14 foot depths on days with some wind or in the 18-22 foot depths on the calmer days. Leeches or jigs and fatheads have been both working. The shallower fish seem to prefer the leeches. Wind blown points or structure…

June 28, 2016 The walleye bite throughout June has been good! We have been fishing Gull, Round, and the Whitefish Chain the most and all are producing fish. We are starting to see fish transition into those mid summer areas around mid lake structure, edges of flats extending out into the deep water basins, and…

The walleye bite has been pretty good in the Brainerd/Nisswa area over the last week. We are targeting water in the 12-20 foot range during the daytime hours depending on the lake. A jig and shiner minnow is still working some days but we have seen the crawler and leech bite really pick up this…

Well the first week of the 2016 MN walleye season is in the books! Here in the BLA we are targeting shallower water in the 8-15 foot range. If you can find last years cabbage weeds that are still standing and now greening up again with sand close by that is a good place to…

The walleye bite is heating up! They are giving us a bit of a “preview” of the fall bite as the water temps quickly dropped from the cold weather we received last week. It should only keep getting better from here out. We are getting walleyes on humps and step breaklines off of weeds or…

Good morning and Merry Christmas to you and your families.The weather has been on a little bit of a roller coaster ride this fall (winter actually begins tomorrow). As far as the ice conditions, they are pretty darn good! I was on Gull Lake the night before last (12/18) and we had about 12 inches…

This starts the best time of year for fishing in the Brainerd Lakes Area, that is not just my opinion. Of course catching fish is still not automatic, but it gets pretty close as we move on through September. I was last out on Gull last Friday with Dave Copham and his buddies Rick and…

Hello from the epicenter of fresh water fishing!! The excitement is starting to rise to the surface as we get closer to the 2014 Minnesota Fishing Opener. Those toothy critters (walleyes and northerns) are going to be fair game once again starting at midnight on the 10th of May (Saturday). Our guides are in semi-scramble…

Good morning! It doesn’t look like spring is too excited to arrive, the Robin’s are going to hurt their beaks if they come back now. I just returned from Manitoba, where we were filming an episode of “We Love It! Outdoors” on Lake Winnipeg. Giant walleye’s were our target and we accomplished our goal. It…

Good, cold morning to you! No school here in the Brainerd, MN district today, it’s 40 something below zero. I am guessing it is warmer where you are (or maybe not). The Extravaganza was here and is now gone and we will have to wait for the silver anniversary to get on that leader board!…