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The bass and panfish bite has been very good on Bemidji area lakes. You’ll find the bluegills and crappies off the edge of the deeper weed lines. Slip bobbers and leeches, worms, or wax worms are working really well.

In my boat we keep bluegills under 9 inches and put those bigger ones back. Putting those big ones back helps keep the genetics in the lake and future bluegills will have the chance to grow big. The under 9-inch fish are better eating, in my humble opinion.

This past week I’ve had a couple of guide trips with younger kids and we had a ball. Getting the rod to bend no matter what size the fish is what it’s all about and we had a lot of rod bending with them this past week.

You’ll find the bigger bass on the deep weed edges. Throwing plastics you’ll catch a lot of fish and you’ll find pike in those same areas. The walleye bite has been a little tougher but slip bobbers and leeches are turning a few fish early and later in the day.

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

Contributed

Bemidji area: You’ll find walleyes along the 12- to 18-foot weed edges on Lake Bemidji, Lake Plantagenet, Grace Lake, and Lake Andrusia. Ripping a jig and plastic or pitching slip bobbers with leeches or crawlers are producing the majority of fish. The deep weed edges, 14 to 18 feet, are giving up a mixed bag of panfish, pike, and bass on most lakes.

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

Blackduck area: Crappies and bluegills are hitting in the 10- to 12-foot cabbage on Gull Lake, Pimushe Lake, Blackduck Lake, and Gilstead Lake, Walleyes are being taken with leeches and crawlers under a bobber in 16 to 18 feet at Island Lake, Gull and Round Lake or the 10- to 12-foot weeds on Blackduck.

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

Cass Lake area: A slip bobber with leeches or a piece of crawler is turning a few walleyes during low-light periods in 8 to 14 feet on Pike Bay Lake, Cass Lake, and Lake Andrusia. Troll crankbaits at night on the shoreline bars and main-lake bars for walleyes in 6 to 9 feet. The shallow rock and bulrushes on Cass are producing perch and a few muskies are being raised in Allen’s Bay on Cass. Hit the 6- to 10-foot cabbage on Kitchi Lake, Rice Lake, and Wolf Lake for panfish.

Cass Lake area resource Sunset Cove Resort can be contacted at (800) 279-4831.

Lake Winnibigoshish: Not much has changed from a week ago, which means walleye action remains best late in the day on jigs or live-bait rigs tipped with crawlers on the main lake flats and bars in 14 to 17 feet or 18 to 22 feet. There is a crankbait bite going during low-light periods and after dark on the bars in 14 to 18 feet. You’ll pop a few bigger perch while fishing for walleyes, but finding numbers of them remains difficult for most.

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

Leech Lake: A significant bug hatch took place last week, but its wound down, so expect walleye fishing to again pick up. The 12- to 18-foot rocks or sand continue to produce the majority of fish, with a slip bobber and leech or piece of crawler, crankbaits, and a spinner and crawler all turning some fish. Work the 7- to 9-foot cabbage in Boy Bay, Steamboat Bay and Sucker Bay for bluegills and bass. Pike remain active throughout the lake, but muskie reports have been light over the past week.

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

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