WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
March 29, 2007

Robins, ducks, and geese are here. This is a sure sign that Spring has arrived for another year. I'm still awaiting those Spring frog croaks that fill the evening air, but this might be a couple of weeks out. I certainly feel the opening weekend excitement starting to build in Northern Minnesota. It sure seems that this Winter was much shorter than normal and with the number of great year classes of Walleyes that we found on Winnie over the Fall and Winter, the anticipation for the 2007 open water season nearly has me tossing in my sleep with so much time to wait yet.

If you're looking for a great Father's Day idea, talk to someone about the new Lakemaster GPS chip. This chip now has many of the area lakes with the topographical one-foot contours or maybe a guided trip. If you're interested in a guide trip this season, please contact me as I am running short on dates, but I still have a few left.

As for the fishing, anglers are finding the open water opportunities on the Rainy River. I haven't heard much of a report up there, but typically the bite heats up shortly after the boats make their way over the ice. As for the ice fishing, it seems that most anglers including myself have packed away the gear until next season. Most of the shore ice has melted making getting out on the ice nearly impossible. If you're heading out for that last ice fishing day, please use extreme caution.

Finding that tackle box and getting the tackle ready for those opening weeks is this week's topic. Jig and minnows typically rule the water for most anglers. Jig size and color can make a significant difference in whether one is catching fish or not. Finding a jig size that allows you to stay floating in the strike zone the longest will normally outproduce those presentations where one is on bottom constantly. This means a 1/16 to 1/8 oz. jigs most days.

As for color and style, here most have their favorite color and style, but a parrot or watermelon colored MAXGAP jig is my preference. Another great tip for those anglers that fish early in the season is making sure those jigs have the line eyehole poked out before hitting the water, as days when it is cold can make for some difficult times in removing the eyelet paint. I usually like to clean 15-20 jigs of my favorite colors before hitting the water. It just makes those opening weekend days much less frustrating. One other point is making sure to test the hook sharpness. Those jig hooks, after a few days of bouncing around in a tackle box, can get dull or bent. Dull or bent hooks will typically reduce your hookup percentages. Next week I will start talking about the SALMO Hornet. I can't wait to start trolling again.

So with rain in the forecast, and we needed rain, no better time than now to start preparing for opening day.

See you on the water,

Sean Colter
member of NMGL
www.seancolter.com