By Mike Frisch and the Fishing the Midwest Team
At Fishing the Midwest television, we are privileged to travel to some of the Midwest’s top fishing locations. Here is a look at some of the destinations we’ve been to recently, fisheries other anglers might want to add to their fishing bucket lists.
Alexandria, Minnesota Bass Fishing Destination
Famous for its top bass fishing, the Alexandria region also has good walleye fishing, lots of panfish, and good pike and muskie opportunities as well. On this trip in late May, we were on one of the area’s good bass fisheries.
Pre-Spawn Bass Fishing with Vibrating Jigs
A partner and I had a simple plan: cover water throwing Thunder Cricket vibrating swimming jigs tipped with various plastics looking for active, pre-spawn fish that were roaming the shallows. Our plan worked very well, as in a half day of fishing we put a couple dozen bass in the boat. Several of the fish were chunky largemouth in the 4-pound category.
The fishing was indicative of the good bass action we’ve had in the Alexandria area in the past. For anglers considering a trip there, more information regarding Alexandria can be had at: https://explorealex.com.
Pierre, South Dakota Walleye Fishing Destinations
Late June found our team in Pierre for a couple days of walleye fishing. Pierre is a top fishing destination as anglers have easy access to both Lake Oahe and Lake Sharpe, a couple of top walleye fishing reservoirs.
Lake Oahe Walleye Fishing – Day One
Day One found us on Lake Oahe with local expert Ryan Thompson. Ryan and I pulled bottom bouncer rigs tipped with nightcrawlers, staying on the move searching shoreline points for active walleyes. The plan paid dividends as we put a bunch of eater size fish in the boat, plus a couple of “overs”, walleyes over 20 inches in length.
Lake Sharpe Walleye Fishing – Day Two
Day Two found us with local guide Nick Harrington fishing Lake Sharpe. Nick’s first spot was muddied up from heavy rains so we headed for a spot he felt would be less affected by recent rains. Nick’s hunch was right, as spot two yielded a bunch of walleyes, with several “eaters” in the 15–17-inch size range, the class of fish Sharpe is known for.
Anglers considering a trip to Pierre can learn more at: https://www.pierre.org
Pelican Lake, Minnesota Bass Fishing Destination
Pelican Lake, Minnesota Bass Fishing Destination
Mid-July saw our team headed to northern Minnesota to fish Pelican Lake near Orr. Pelican has long been on my wish list of fishing destinations as it is well known for its top bass fishing, both largemouth and smallmouth.
Rock-to-Weed Transitions for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass
Fishing out of Birch Forest Lodge, we were with lodge owner and guide Adam Van Tassell. Adam indicated that we would be fishing a variety of spots sharing the same feature, rocks that transitioned into weeds. These areas would hold largemouth bass, with the opportunity for bonus smallmouth too.
Adam’s plan was very productive as we landed dozens of largemouth bass, with several being in the 4-pound class range, and a big fish topping the scale at just under 5 pounds. A variety of lures put largemouth in the boat, with a Denny Brauer Structure Jig tipped with a Rage Craw and crawled along bottom to mimic a crayfish being the best. Several bonus smallmouth bass ate our lures as well.
Anglers considering a trip to Pelican Lake can learn more at: www.birchforestlodge.com.
