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The 39th Annual Bemidji Area Take a Kid Fishing Day was once again a great success, with over 100 kids and many volunteers making it all happen.

The weather was perfect and the fish were cooperating.

There’s still time to get your kids registered for the coming this Sunday, June 22. It’s going to be a lot of fun with tons of prizes for the kids.

Northland Outdoors

Bemidji United Way to host inaugural kids fishing tournament

The United Way of Bemidji Area will host its first-ever United Way Fishing Tournament - Kids Edition from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, June 22, in Beltrami County.

Jun 2

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By  Pioneer Staff Report

For some lakes, the walleye bite has been slower. However, on other lakes, it continues to be very good. Look to Lakes Bemidji, Plantaganet, Andrusia and Blackduck for some decent walleye action.

Jigs and minnows are still producing some fish, but leeches and crawlers on slip bobbers or pulling spinners are working well in 8 to 16 feet. Bass fishing remains excellent using plastics at deeper weed edges. You’ll find crappies and bluegills off those deeper weed edges as well.

Take into consideration that some of the boat access points on area lakes are very low.

Contributed

Bemidji area: Walleye are being caught on a jig and minnow, live-bait rigs and slip bobbers with leeches or crawlers.

Lake Bemidji, Lake Plantagenet, Gull Lake, and the Turtle River Chain are all kicking out fish in 8 to 18 feet. Crappie and bluegill remain strong, but more fish are being caught in the 8- to 12-foot weeds than bulrushes this week. Look to the deeper weed edges for bass on most lakes.

Bemidji area resource can be contacted at (218)Ìý556-7172.

Blackduck area: Walleye are hitting a slip bobber and leech or live-bait rig and crawler on Blackduck Lake in 10 to 12 feet and Island Lake in 14 to 20 feet. Bluegills are being found in less than 8 feet as they continue to spawn, as are crappies along the 8- to 12-foot weeds on Blackduck, Gull Lake, North Twin Lake, South Twin Lake, Pimushe Lake and Gilstead Lake.

Blackduck area resource can be contacted at (218) 835-4636.

Cass Lake area: Perch action remains strong with minnows in 9 to 12 feet on Cass Lake, Lake Andrusia and Pike Bay Lake. The night bite with crankbaits has been best for walleye in less than 12 feet on Cass and Andrusia.

During the day, you have to get away from the boat with a slip bobber and leech or crawler combination for walleye on Cass and Andrusia in 12 to 15 feet. Grace Lake and Kitchi Lake are giving up a mixed bag of panfish in 4 to 8 feet.

Cass Lake area resource, can be contacted at (800)Ìý279-4831.

Upper Red Lake: Walleye have remained active, especially along the north and east shorelines in 5 to 7 feet. Most live-bait presentations, along with crankbaits, are turning good numbers of fish throughout the day. There’s also been walleye and quite a few crappies caught closer to shore in 3 to 5 feet.

Upper Red Lake area resource can be contacted at (218) 647-8998.

Lake Winnibigoshish: Jigs tipped with leeches, minnows or a piece of crawler are producing walleye on top of the bars in 12 to 17 feet when it’s windy or cloudy. The shoreline breaks and points are also giving up walleye in 12 to 15 feet. Sugar Point started giving up more walleye on a jig and minnow in 6 to 10 feet.

Those deep walleye located in 30 to 35 feet around Muskie Bar and Big Bend continue to be caught on a vertically-presented jig and minnow as well. Tamarack Bay is the best bet for perch in 5 to 10 feet.

Lake Winnibigoshish area resource Lake Winnie Resort Association can be contacted via its website,

Leech Lake: Slip bobber rigs and jigs tipped with leeches or a piece of crawler started producing walleye in the 10- to 14-foot weeds in Sucker Bay. The 15-to 20-foot rock humps or reefs throughout the main lake are also giving up walleye on slip bobbers or spinner rigs and crawlers.

Smallmouth bass are hitting shallow-running crankbaits along the rocky shorelines, while the reeds or cabbage in Boy Bay and Portage Bay are giving up panfish.

Leech Lake area resource can be contacted at (218) 547-1505.

Contributed

Please remember to practice selective harvesting. By doing so, we will continue to have great fishing for years to come.

Dick Beardsley is the owner and operator of Dick Beardsley Fishing Guide Service in Bemidji. He can be reached at (218) 556-7172 and dick@dickbeardsley.com. For more information, visit