EARLY SEASON FISHING SETTING THE HOOK FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
By Mashkodebishikigahbaw, Benji Sam
As the spearing and netting season begins to wrap up and fish are no longer as plentiful in shallow water for gathering in mass quantities, the early ogaa (walleye) fishing at and after the state fishing opener can still be found in great numbers if you know where to look.
Ogaa are a very predictable species driven by many factors that affect their behavior such as water temperature, wind speed and direction, and available food sources to them. This combination makes them predictable and ultimately susceptible to harvest early in the year. Ogaa are driven by the biological clock built from nose to tail to be in the shallows cruising the rocky, sandy, and gravel shorelines that offer quick access to deeper water and high abundance of baitfish to feed their massive appetite after the spawn.
Ogaa are known to spawn and inhabit depths of 8 feet or less on Mille Lacs Lake in the springtime and generally begin to spawn when the water begins to warm up between 38-44 degrees. Ogaa will continue to spawn until the water reaches nearly 50 degrees or until all the females have laid their eggs to begin the lifecycle of the next generation of Ogaa. During this timeframe, their number-one priority is to reproduce, and catching these fish can sometimes be a difficult task that requires slow-moving baits like a jig and minnow, shallow-diving crankbaits that resemble perch, or reactionary baits like jerk baits or jig and plastic fished more aggressively.
When the water is cold, sub 50 degrees, these fish prefer to eat up shallow around the golden hours of sunrise and sunset but can be found near the shoreline breaks near sand, rock, or gravel awaiting an easy feast. When the water begins to rise above 50 degrees in the daytime, these fish will become more active and look to recover from the last few weeks of spawning and expending a significant amount of energy. When the water begins to warm, they will begin to bite throughout multiple hours of the day and will slide a bit off the edge of shoreline structures in 10-18 feet of water.
From the early evening until darkness falls, Mille Lacs shines — the primary tactic to boat dozens of beautiful Ogaa will always be fishing a minnow or leech under a bobber. Start the year up shallow in 8 feet of water, or less on windblown shorelines, and work deeper as the summer drags on and the fish begin to migrate out to the mud flats and deeper water. Bobber fishing is the number one most tried and true Ogaa catching method used from beginners to guides across the Big Pond. Watching a bobber sink as the sun sets will always be one of the most exciting and effective fishing tactics to target this sacred species. I prefer using a slip bobber set up to a small jig and leech 12-18” off the bottom on a spinning rod and reel with 10-pound monofilament line. This offers enough abrasion resistance while maintaining enough strength to handle an occasional northern pike cruising shallow water.
This is also the same timeframe when the smallmouth bass begin their ascent into the shallows looking for a place to make their beds. Once the water gets between 55 and 60 degrees, they will spawn near boulders, docks, weed and reed edges, and under deadfall to protect their young-of-the-year hatchlings. Smallmouth bass offer a unique thrill as one of the finest fighting fish in fresh water, and Mille Lacs Lake is one of the premier smallmouth bass fisheries in the world. Pre-spawn these fish will begin to move up into 6-10 feet of water near most rocky boulder-littered shorelines and prominent reeds that offer safety near the spawn. Fish will be most active on jerk baits, hair jigs, and finesse rigs such as Ned Rigs, tube jigs, and imitation crayfish soft plastics which makes up 80% of their annual diet.
It is important to respect the fishery in front of us and to remember that these fish are very susceptible to heavy pressure with sport fishing and tournament fishing during the spawn that pressures a significant amount of the walleye and smallmouth populations in Mille Lacs Lake. As stewards of the lake and advocates for the water, the health of the lake, and ultimately a healthy economy around Mille Lacs Lake, we owe the fish and the spirit of the lake our respect today and every day.
