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With school resuming in a few weeks, we are definitely on the backside of summer and by all reports, the fishing is good.

The panfish bite is actually quite good right now. Crappies can be found in 25 - 30 feet of water, but look for those fish to be suspended and occupying the top 10 feet of the water column. On still days with no wind, some anglers have had success slowly motoring around in this target water until they see crappies at the surface. Once fish are located, it's not a bad idea to throw a marker if you intend to hold your position with an electric motor. Otherwise, anchoring up is always an option. Be prepared to pull the anchor fairly frequently to stay with these roving schools of crappies.

A slip-bobber and light flu-flu jig tipped with a panfish leech is tough to beat once a target depth is established. It'll keep your bait at a consistent depth and on the fish's nose. But, until those fish are actually located, I'd recommend staying on the move and using a tipped jig with a bit faster sink rate. You can cover a lot of water in a short time to find active fish.

Sunfish are hanging out in high numbers at the edges of weeds. This time of year there is a ton of insect life in lake weeds. Find the bugs and you'll find the sunnies. It's as simple as that. If you're a fly angler, throwing #12 and #14 nymphs and scud patterns will yield a crazy number of fish. Since these fly patterns closely resemble the natural forage base, sunfish won't hesitate to jump on a buggy-looking fly. If you fish with conventional equipment, panfish leeches under bobbers would be the tactic of choice.

The guys at Frankie's have told me the bass fishing is steadily improving. Throwing top-water buzz-baits and spinner-baits during early morning hours in and around the weeds and docks are producing some dandy fish. Also, Texas-rigged worms and jig-worms worked along the inside and outside weed edges during day hours are yeilding good fish too.

The walleye bite is a bit slow, but the die-hard walleye chasers out there are still finding good fish in 17 - 24 feet of water. On days with a respectable wind, drifting a three-way swivel rig and a spinner-crawler combo can be deadly this time of year. Run a float behind the spinner and keep your snells on the longer side - four to six feet is a good length range. One tip to keep in mind if you pull three-way rigs: weights are expendable, so use light #4 mono for your dropper. Tie the weight directly to the mono using a simple overhand knot. The idea is that if you get snagged, a steady pull will break the short length of light mono long before the main knot (palomar or improved clinch) of your running line fails at the top of the three-way. That way, you'll save a lot of terminal tackle, not to mention the hassle and time it takes to tie up new rigs.

With September and October right around the corner, the fishing will only get better and better. Look for fish to begin their fall transition in a couple of weeks when shorelines and shoreline structure will be the go-to spots.

Good luck and tight lines out there.

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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