SPRING FISHING IN HAMLIN LAKE
(APRIL THRU MEMORIAL DAY)
 
DUE TO COLD WATER , SHALLOW WATER FISHING IS BEST!
FISH THE BAYOU'S OF LOWER HAMLIN AND UPPER HAMLIN LAKE.
(COME SEE ME AT THE TACKLE SHOP FOR HOT SPOTS)
THE FISH ARE STILL PRETTY SLUGGISH AT THIS TIME OF YEAR SO SLOW PRESENTATION OF BAITS WORKS BEST.  REMEMBER, THE BAIT FISH ARE SMALL THIS TIME OF YEAR SO TYPICALLY THE FISH WILL STRIKE SMALLER BAITS.  A GENERAL TIP IS USE SMALLER EVERYTHING THAN YOU WOULD IN LATE SUMMER OR FALL.

NORTHERN PIKE   PIKE CAN BE TAKEN TROLLING SMALL SPOONS AND SMALL CRANK OR SPINNER BAITS ALONG OR IN THE EDGE OF THE SHALLOW WATER WEED LINE.   FISHING PIKE MINNOWS (SHINERS, SUCKERS) EITHER WITH A HOOK & BOBBER OR ON A SMALL JIG ALSO WORKS.

RECOMMENDED ARTIFICIAL BAITS:  DAREDEVILS, CLEOS, MEPPS AND JUNE BUG SPINNERS, RAPALAS, LEAD HEAD JIGS, SWEDISH PIMPLES, HOPKINS SPOONS.

RECOMMENDED LIVE BAIT: SHINERS, SUCKERS.

WALLEYE:  JIGS WORKED ON SHALLOW DROP OFFS DURING THE DAY AND SMALL CRANK BAITS WORKED ON THE WEEDY FLATS AT NIGHT SEEM TO WORK THE BEST.  YOU CAN USE A DRESSED OR UNDRESSED JIG, BUT I RECOMMEND TIPPING EITHER WITH A SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZE MINNOW.

RECOMMENDED ARTIFICIAL BAITS: SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZE SHALLOW RUNNING SHAD RAPS, RAPALAS, BOMBERS AT NIGHT AND HOPKINS SPOONS OR JIG-A-LOW, MITE-E-BRITE, FEATHER FLASHER , FUZZ-E-GRUB TYPE JIGS DURING THE DAY.

RECOMMENDED LIVE BAIT: SHINERS, CREEK MINNOWS, DAZE MINNOWS .

LARGE & SMALL MOUTH BASS:  BASS SEASON DOES NOT OPEN UNTIL THE SATURDAY OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.   IF YOU INSIST ON PRACTICING YOUR CATCH AND RELEASE TECHNIQUES PRIOR TO THE SEASON OPENING, THEN I SUGGEST YOU REMOVE THE BARBS FROM YOUR HOOKS AND DO NOT USE LIVE BAIT.  AVOID FISHING LIVE BAIT SO THAT THE FISH DO NOT GET HOOKED DEEP IN THE THROAT.  BASS CAN BE CAUGHT BY WORKING THE SHALLOW WARMER WATERS IN THE SPRING.  LOOK FOR COVER IN SHALLOW WATER AND NORMALLY YOU WILL FIND SOME BASS.  CRANK BAITS,  JERK BAITS,  SPINNER BAITS AND POPPERS ALL WILL PRODUCE BASS IN THE SPRING.

RECOMMENDED ARTIFICIAL BAITS:  RATTLE TRAPS, RATLIN RAPS, SLUGOS, RAPALAS, BOMBERS, POP-R'S,  ROGUES,  DEVIL'S HORSE, TORPEDOES AND ALL TYPES OF SPINNERS..

CRAPPIE:  GIVE THEM A BREAK! WE HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH A DOWN CYCLE FOR CRAPPIE AND BLUEGILL, THEREFORE IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED THAT YOU FISH FOR THESE FISH UNTIL THEIR SPAWNING SEASON IS OVER. (THIS VARIES FROM YEAR TO YEAR) CRAPPIE ARE NORMALLY DONE SPAWNING BY MAY 15TH.

CRAPPIE CAN BE TAKEN USING SEVERAL TECHNIQUES INCLUDING :  SLOW(VERY SLOW) TROLLING OR DRIFTING ALONG WEED BEDS WITH EITHER A SMALL JIG OR PLAIN HOOK TIPPED WITH MINNOWS OR WAX WORMS;  DRIFTING OR TROLLING A HOOK AND MINNOW OR JIG AND MINNOW BENEATH A BOBBER ALONG WEED BEDS, OR  ANCHORED WHILE CASTING SMALL JIGS TIPPED WITH MINNOWS OR PLAIN HOOKS TIPPED WITH MINNOWS OR WAX WORMS BENEATH BOBBERS INTO WEED BEDS. REMEMBER CRAPPIE ARE NORMALLY SUSPENDED IN THE WEEDS NOT ON THE BOTTOM AND THEIR EYES ARE ON TOP OF THEIR HEADS SO THEY SEE UP BETTER THAN DOWN.

RECOMMENDED ARTIFICIAL BAITS:  SMALL JIGS, SMALL JIGS WITH SPINNERS

RECOMMENDED LIVE BAIT:  WAX WORMS(BEE MOTH),  MINNOWS (SHINERS OR FATHEADS)

BLUEGILL:  GIVE THEM A BREAK! I KNOW IT IS FUN FISHING FOR GILLS WHILE THEY ARE ON THE BEDS BUT WE MUST KEEP THE FUTURE IN MIND.  WE HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH A DOWN CYCLE FOR CRAPPIE AND BLUEGILL, THEREFORE IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED THAT YOU FISH FOR THESE FISH UNTIL THEIR SPAWNING SEASON IS OVER. (THIS VARIES FROM YEAR TO YEAR). BLUE GILL ARE NORMALLY DONE SPAWNING BY MEMORIAL DAY.

THE MOST COMMON METHODS USED TO CATCH BLUEGILL IN THE SPRING ARE TO ANCHOR AND CAST OR DRIFT A SMALL HOOK TIPPED WITH A WAX WORM / LEECH / RED WORM OR SMALL PIECE OF CRAWLER BENEATH A BOBBER IN SHALLOW WATER.   ARTIFICIAL BAITS LIKE FLIES, POPPERS, SMALL IN-LINE SPINNERS, AND VERY SMALL CRANK BAITS WILL ALSO ENTICE THEM TO STRIKE.  IN THE SPRING THE GILLS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM BUT WILL COME TO THE SURFACE TO ATTACK AN INSECT OR SMALL BAIT FISH.
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RECOMMENDED ARTIFICIAL BAITS:  ROOSTER TAILS, MINI FAT RAPS, MINI BIG O'S,  SMALL COUNT DOWN RAPALAS AND FLY'S OR POPPERS.

RECOMMENDED LIVE BAIT:  WAX WORMS(BEE MOTH), RED WORMS, LEECHES, LEAF WORMS, CHUNKS OF CRAWLERS
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PERCH:  DURING THE SPRING, PERCH CAN USUALLY BE FOUND WHERE THE CRAPPIES AND BLUEGILL ARE.  SOME PEOPLE ALSO LIKE TO FISH DEEP HOLES IN THE MOUTH  OF THE RIVER IN UPPER HAMLIN LAKE. YOU CAN USE THE SAME TECHNIQUES USED FOR BOTH CRAPPIE AND BLUEGILL TO CATCH THEM.  THEY WILL ALSO HIT THE SAME LIVE BAITS  i.e. BOTH MINNOWS AND GRUBS, LEECHES OR WORMS. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY WILL ALSO STRIKE AT SMALL ARTIFICIAL BAITS LIKE BLUEGILL AND CRAPPIE.