December 18, 2008 at 10:11 a.m.

Fantastic walleye and crappie bite on area lakes

Fantastic walleye and crappie bite on area lakes
Fantastic walleye and crappie bite on area lakes

I talked a bit with Brad Dusenka at Frankie's Live Bait and Marine, and he reported that the walleye and crappie bite has been outstanding. Evidently, the bitter cold weather hasn't negatively affected the fishing. Also, Brad reported that we're right in the middle of a funny crappie bite that begins at 2 p.m. and runs right until dark. I was told you simply cannot manage two lines from about 4 p.m. on. The bite is that good right now in spots.

The south end of Chisago Lake has been a consistent crappie destination this past week, particularly out in front of the A-frame and Eagle's Nest. Also, a fair number of walleyes and crappies are being taken in the channel between South Lindstrom Lake and Chisago Lake. Some walleyes have also come from the water in front of the Dinnerbel. Pancake Island and the saddle between Sunset Point and Park Point aren't the best spots, but they should be producing nicely very soon.

If you're looking for pike on tip-ups, folks have been doing fairly well in the big bay off the west end of Green Lake.

Brad also wanted all area ice anglers to be aware of an unsafe ice condition located on the inside turn of Holt's Point on South Center Lake near the 100 foot hole. The geese had been resting there and using that area of the lake, keeping it ice-free later into the month of December. If you don't know where the 100 foot hole or Holt's Point are located, please ask somebody before traveling the lake through that area.

One last thing: Frankie's has shiners and will have them through the week and weekend. If you've had a hard time finding shiners, Frankie's is the place to get them.

Tip of the week:

There's hardly anything worse than missing one fish after another, is there? You set the hook, briefly feel the weight of the fish, and then are left with nothing but a stripped jig. After giving away your limited supply of minnows to the crappies for a while, it becomes downright discouraging and you begin to seriously doubt there's a hook on your jig at all.

Sounds familiar, eh? Well, if you're having trouble telegraphing and hooking light biters, you should consider replacing the monofilament line on your reels with one of the many braided superlines out there on the market.

Unlike mono, superlines are incredibly thin in diameter for their pound. test rating, don't stretch and will not develop reel memory. Your line will hang as straight as an arrow down to your bait and telegraph the lightest of bites, without the coils associated with mono that can rob you of sensitivity. Although superlines are thin, they are quite visible to the fish, so it's imperative that you use a 3-4-foot length of mono leader. Most anglers use a small barrel swivel to connect superline to mono, but I prefer to use a double uni-knot to join these different lines; which eliminates the use of any hardware whatsoever that might act to dampen sensitivity. Tying the uni-knot is very simple (it's the same knot used for making bobber stops), but explaining it without a diagram is, well, nearly impossible. When you purchase a superline, you'll find a handy pamphlet inside the box that includes diagrams of many knots, including the uni-knot. Otherwise, run an Internet search for "knots, fishing," you'll find plenty of sites with diagrams to help you out.

Superlines run about $11 - $12 for a 150-yard spool, so filling your reels with it isn't too cost-effective, and it just isn't necessary. Topping off your spools with 50 feet or so is sufficient for chasing panfish.

Give it a try. I'm confident that using a superline will put more fish on the ice for you this winter.

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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