Put simply and honestly fishing for all panfish and gamefish species is as good as it gets right now on the Upper Miss.

Water temp has dropped to 55. Walleyes have started to ‘stair step” staging at a certain depth. Yesterday 12′ was the magic number.

Both LMB & SMB are shallow and gorging on minnows.#ratltrap in Royal Shad is best way to find ’em…then pretty much a fish on every other cast until sick of catching ’em.

Pike are suicidal. Today my daughters Jess & Em had a SIXTY MINUTE tourney. Boated 8 up to 34″. Probably that many more came unbuttoned. Hottest bait #Mepps #5 double blade/chartreuse & orange. Jess took $50 for 1st fish in boat, Em took $50 for most. Neither took me up on offer to lip-hold pike for 2 minutes without tears for a Benjamin. Guess I was too easy on them when they were growing up.

Crappies active on wood, 2-4′ down over at least 10′ and back in running sloughs, on lip-hooked minnows w/Hildebrandt spinners, halfway down in the water column in 4-8 fow.

Perch and gills active in same areas, just closer to the bottom over elodea weed. #northlandtackle buckshot rattle spoon and glider jig in perch pattern hot ticket. Also, Custom Jigs “wonderbread’ pattern Wolf Finkee. Hoo-boy!
In last week, 8 perch >14”. Biggest gill, 10.25″

My only regret is just 24 hours in a day. Just comin’ home for a nap and a sammich. Life is so, so good!!