MN opener results

[NaturesRespect]

What was everyones opener results? I heard bass were in post spawn during opener so that should have made it tough. I was too busy so I hadnt gone bass fishing this memorial day weekend. When will the bass be out of post spawn by the way? when will they be hitting up the topwaters?

[ANYFISH2]

Fished bass on Sunday afternoon, it was great. Between my buddy Chad and I we caught approx. 60 bass from 4:30pm-dark (9:45?). Most fish were small(11-14") but we both broke our personal bests on back to back casts, mine a 21 1/4" 6# 6oz, and Chads a 21 3/4" 7# 2oz pig! Both had spawned and only left us to wonder what they wieghted last fall. Overall our five biggest were 7.2, 6.6, 5.3, 5.0, 4.12, nice open weekend bag, best afternoon on the water ever, for us.

Fished in 1-8ft water all afternoon with the best fishing in woody cover in 4-5 feet, fish were also on the outside edges of lilly pads that were close to deep water. Worms out fished spinners in numbers but were even on big fish.

[Craigums]

Fishing was o.k. on saturday for me, fished with my dad for a couple hours, caught most fish on a Sweet Beaver. Then on sunday it was really tough, caught a little on a chatterbait. Today was better, Senkos ruled but Drop shot was close behind. fish were definately transitioning from shallow to deeper areas just looked for those mid depth ranges were 2 types of weeds met.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I've posted this in other posts.. I found a metroish lake on saturday where they were still pre-spawn.. did not pull one fish off a bed, but my boat managed 142 fish for the morning.. today fished a different lake, and only managed 25ish before the traffic pushed me off the lake.. this lake was post spawn.. no fish on beds, sunfish EVERYWHERE!! And also managed my limit and then some of walleye.,

[Ralph Wiggum]

Opener was mediocre. All came on swim jigs. Sunday did really well on swim jigs and t-rigged tubes. Monday was not bad, but I didn't fish too long.

[bassfshin24]

Was out on Mille Lacs yesterday. Caught about 15-20 fish with none of them being under 18inchs. Fish ranged from 18-20. Caught 7 smallies over 4lbs. biggest being 4.72. Biggest fish was caught on a spinnerbait. A lot of fish on their beds. Brother-in-law was out Saturday morning and caught 12 fish all over 4lbs and 2 which were 5.25. Pics will be uploaded later this week. What a great opener!!!

[Cecil]

I think for a lot of you not seeing fish on beds, its because they have been done for awhile. I was on Leech and beds were 99% vacant.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I think for a lot of you not seeing fish on beds, its because they have been done for awhile. I was on Leech and beds were 99% vacant.

I think so, too. Water temps were 70 on our lake. 73 in shallow bays. Saw plenty of emtpy beds, though.

[Juan Grande]

I also saw empty beds, but there were still a few guarding nests.

Decent weekend for me, lots of small fish but we did manage a few in the 16-18 inch range.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I think for a lot of you not seeing fish on beds, its because they have been done for awhile. I was on Leech and beds were 99% vacant.

Which is very possible.. but how do you account for the one I put the knife to and it was FULL of eggs, sunfish were not up on beds yet.. yet water temps were 75... On the lake I fished on monday, only 15 miles from the first one, they were for sure post spawn.. even though water temp was only 71. I even caught a few fish on off shore rock, for sure post spawn and even early summer locations. As they probably should be at this time.. But the lake I fished on saturday was really messed up.

[Larson15]

Fished Chisago on Saturday and caught all my fish off beds. I did this for about 5 hours and decided to try another lake about 20min south and beds were vacant and couldn't buy a bite. Fished a few other areas over the weekend as well and all I can say is its really messed up right now and hard to put together a universal pattern to use on all the lakes.

[Cecil]

Yeah, can't explain it. I guess we will know for sure in the next couple weeks. If no spawn on those lakes then odds are they won't all lay eggs. Which would be a bad deal, but possible.

[bassfshin24]

Mille lacs had water temps anywhere from 63-71. A lot of the fish i caught off the beds werent fat at all...guessing already laid their eggs. But the biggest fish i caught was on a spinnerbait and that thing was full of eggs---belly was huge so im guessing this fish hadnt even moved up to spawn yet. im heading up there this weekend again so it will be interesting to see what the fish are doing.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Fished Chisago on Saturday and caught all my fish off beds. I did this for about 5 hours and decided to try another lake about 20min south and beds were vacant and couldn't buy a bite. Fished a few other areas over the weekend as well and all I can say is its really messed up right now and hard to put together a universal pattern to use on all the lakes.

I was on Chisago on Monday, I saw one on a bed.. .. they must have done it quickly!!!

[swampbuck]

Fished Brainerd area Hubert, Gull, Whitefish.

Hubert and WF were on fire with lots of smallies and Largemouth from both Caught over 60 smallies on WF Monday!

Gull was tough but I was there Sunday when it went from 90 degrees to 60 for a high caught a few but it was tough.

LM are done spawning and the smallies are gaurding nests and pretty stupid!

Fun weekend glad it is bass time again.

[ole matty]

Decide to fish bass for the first time in 2-3 years. The bass was in 1-2'. Some was guarding nest some was just swimming around the cover. Lost/missed first 10 bass before landed 5. One was decent 3 lbs and rest of it 12-15". Caught them on 3" berkley beast? I think it's the name for it but I had tons of fun pitching/flipping into bullrushes and reeds.

I think I have to admit bass fishing are fun and def big break from casting 4-10 oz lures last 2 years

The wate temp was 72-75.

Speak of chisago I took my mother out on Sunday couldn't believe how really low water is. The water temp was 75-77 We caught over 60s bluegills and crappies. They was in 12-15'.

[jdkeehl]

Deitz fished a tournament on a nothern minn. lake a few years back that we had problems with the holding tanks and all my fish ended up dying. so insted of throwing them away i took them home and cleaned them it was end of june and when i cleaned them they ALL still had eggs in them. I asked a buddy of mine who if a fish bioligest for the state of mich. and he told me sometimes if the males come up early and the females dont show up the will make the beds and if nothing shows up they will leave after awhile. Then the females will be ready and there will be little if any male waiting for them. They end up absorbing the eggs which can take up to a month. I have seen this a couple times since. He said it hapens a lot with lakes that have deep water structure because the shallow fish are ready because the water warms fast and the deepo fish didnt get triggerd to come up and spawn. maybe that is what happend.

[BobbyK]

Caught 8 in a few hours from my canoe on a small SW Metro lake. All on senkos - did not get a tap on anything else. The fish were all in weed transistions or tight to the shore cruising gill beds. The bass beds were all empty and gills had taken over. Water temp was 72 to 74. Biggest fish was 19" and 4#. The bites from those fish tight to the shore were just savage! They were mad at something and vented on the worms. Great day!

Bob K

[ikeslayer]

look what i caught on opener

stupid little fish freeking out on a jerkbait

[goblueM]

ouch!!

[jeff127]

I hope I NEVER have to deal with that!

[Craigums]

Whats with the string tied to it? was that a failed attempt to remove the treble?

[Nick Kuhn]

Good thing you didn't go with the sure-set model.

[MuntzAngling]

I got out yesterday and went stealthy in the canoe at dusk.

19, 15, 14, and the 18 hit at pitch black! All but the latter looked like eggs were still inside so I let the smaller ones swim too. All on topwaters.

[Getanet]

That photo gives me a queasy stomach. Man is that disturbing!