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So far, the 2006 fishing season has been outstanding all over the state, and I just received the official word that fishing continues to be nothing short of fantastic on our area lakes. It’s not a case that one species or another is slowing while others are hot either. That’s good news for multi-species anglers like me, so pick your favorite fish and get out there and catch them.

You want to target bass?

Well, you’re in luck because bass fishing is excellent. Chisago, as well as Big and Little Green are the lakes to hit for big bass. Look at the deeper weedlines for active fish.

How about tangling with some over-sized northern pike?

I’m told that pike fishing is stellar. There have been many big fish caught during the past week and there’s no reason to believe that it won’t be great this weekend. I got the inside dope on one specific lake that is giving up tons of big pike, but it was suggested that I not name it in this column. Go to Frankie’s Live Bait and Marine and Brad will point you in the right direction.

Oh, you’d like to catch some walleyes, eh? Big ones, you say?

Chisago and South Lindstrom Lakes are rewarding walleye anglers with big fish and plenty of them. Work the 10 – 12 foot weedlines with a leech or fathead under a slip-bobber. Heck, try jigging, rigging and pulling cranks at dusk too. You’ll probably get them using those techniques as well. Do these lakes and future anglers a favor by releasing the larger fish. Keeping some 15 – 18 inch fish for the frying pan is great, but put the larger fish back in the lake.

The panfish bite remains very good following the spawn, so look for bluegills and crappies in a bit deeper water along the weedlines (8 -12 feet) for consistent action. Slip-bobbers and small leeches or waxies on light jigs have been turning numbers of fish.

So there you go. Oh, one last thing. My seven-year-old boy, Anders, out-fished my brother-in-law up at the cottage in northern Wisconsin last weekend. You heard me. A scrawny, punk first grader with one really big front tooth took him to the cleaners. Ha. I mention this only because my brother-in-law keeps telling me that he reads my columns. I’ve had my doubts. As a matter of fact, I don’t think he reads any of them. Well, we’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?

Dan Brown’s weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankie’s Bait and Marine, in Chisago City, and St. Croix Outdoors, in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

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