10/01/2025
Can you believe we are into the month of October already! Before I get into my fishing report I just wanted to share a couple of things about being a fishing guide. Do I love what I do? Absolutely! I can’t imagine doing anything else. Am I going to be a millionaire? Of course not, but money is not that big of a deal to me. As long as I can pay my bills, have a bit of a reserve if something would happen, and be able to eat at a local establishment once in awhile I’m a happy camper! I’ve been guiding for 53+ years and now getting close to 70 years old in just a few months do I have any plans to retire? No way! As long as I’m physically and mentally able to do what I love, why would I retire? What would I do if I retired? I’d be out fishing and I get such joy and happiness when someone in my boat catches a fish! This past week I had a group I’ve never had before from Missouri. A dad, son, and two grandkids. I cannot begin to tell you how much fun we had! By the end of our 4 hour trip I felt like best friends with them and I can’t wait for them to come back! A couple of days later the same thing. I had a gal from Portland Oregon visiting our beloved Bemidji area and we went out for a morning of fishing on Lake Bemidji. She caught her first ever walleye and in fact even caught her limit! Being a guide is much more than catching fish. It’s about seeing the bountiful beauty on the water and in the sky’s. Seeing eagles, loons, osprey, otters, etc. catching fish is my priority but there is so much more! And the relationships and the friendships you develop is priceless! Ok, on with our fishing report.
As this nice weather and above normal temperatures continue this week water temperatures are still into the mid to upper 60’s. Saying that, the fall bite has begun. Jigs and minnows, live bait rigs and minnows, and jigging raps have all produced walleyes in 12-30’. Look to Lake Bemidji, Gull, Andrusia, and Cass for some decent walleye fishing. The jumbo perch bite is picking up on on jigs and minnows in 8-12’ on those same lakes. Crappies are starting to roam a bit. You’ll still find some off the very deep remaining green vegetation but some are slowly moving out to the deeper basins. Bass fishing has remained good off the deep w**d edges using plastics. Enjoy this nice weather while you can, Mother Nature has a way of evening things out! Please remember to practice selective harvesting, by doing so we will continue to have great fishing for years to come! I still have some opening for some outstanding fall fishing! If you’d like to book a trip or want more information, please give me a call or text 218-556-7172. Thanks!
