*Home Sweet Home*
Fishing Report In Your Area
Forums-Hot Tips-Secrets
FREE Classifieds-WI MN
Gear So Advanced It's Easy
Business Services
The Fishin' Lounge-Live Chat
Minnesota Fishing Guides
Statewide Resort Directory
Statewide Campsite Listing
Lakes Information
Walleye News
Ice Fishing-IceLeaders

How to Connect With
Over 200,000 Anglers

Do you operate a well-run business that caters to anglers? Most of them want to know more about you. Would you like to discover how to reach them?
Click here and find out.

A satisfied FishingMinnesota member says,
"Business has been very good. We're filling the cabins, and also our RV overflow sites. Some have mentioned your site. Thanks for your help!"

Joe Martin
Bigfoot Resort

Current Metro Area Minnesota Fishing Reports - Click Here

Metro Area Minnesota Fishing Reports - Click Here to sponsor this report.
by Troy Smutka
May 5, 2008

Metro lakes are ice-free! Water is cold, though. Crappies are starting to move to the shallows, and the bite is getting started. Some sun and warm weather this week should make for a good crappie bite for opening weekend. Don't forget about the crappies if cold water has the walleyes slow on the opener. For shallow crappies (2-8 feet) use a 1/16 ounce white, pink, or chartreuse jighead suspended below a float from an anchored position away from these spooky fish. The weighted torpedo floats work well for casting and sitting low in the water with the jig. Tip the jighead with a small Gulp or Powerbait tube, grub, minnow, or fish fry in pink, white, orange, or chartreuse. To search for shallow crappies, move with the trolling motor and cast a 1/16 ounce jig and Gulp or Powerbait combo like mentioned above, with a jig spinner (often referred to as a "beetlespin") and slowly retrieve it to cover water and trigger strikes from active fish.

Walleyes should be more active in smaller, shallower lakes due to the warmer water these lakes will have. Long-line troll floating Rapalas or lighted bobber fish with a small minnow during darkness near inlets or channels, or across gravel/rubble flats. Cast small jigs tipped with minnows to these areas during daylight hours, being careful to stay away from the fish. Deeper, cooler lakes may have the fish deeper, off the first dropoff, since the shallows haven't warmed as much in these later ice-free lakes. Lindy Rigs or slip bobbers with small minnows are probably the best bet here, staying close to the bottom of the first major dropoff. Good luck!

Stay Safe,
Troy Smutka

Metro Area Minnesota Fishing Reports - Click Here to sponsor this report.

Check out the hot info exchange going on at the Metro Minnesota Message Center Click Here and enjoy!

Thorne Brothers
Custom Rod and Tackle
(763) 572-3782
Fridley, MN 55432
www.ThorneBros.com