The Midwest is blessed with some of the best fishing in the world. An angler can find a variety of species in the waters of the Midwest. Fish of trophy proportions aren’t unusual. And, best of all, you can catch fish in the Midwest any time of year using whatever technique you enjoy the most.

Ok, we’re in agreement that the Midwest has some pretty darn good fishing opportunities. But the Midwest is a big place: We need to narrow things down some. Let’s narrow it down to Minnesota. The Gopher State has a well-deserved reputation for world class fishing. There are big, small, and medium sized lakes throughout Minnesota. There are some bodies of water that are well-known, others that aren’t so well known. How do you decide where to go? Well, one lake that just keeps getting better and better is Lake Winnibigoshish in north central Minnesota.

Winnie, as it’s known by many, provides some of the best walleye fishing you’ll find anywhere. If you’re looking for walleyes to eat, Winnie has ‘em. Lots of ‘em. Because of a slot limit that protects the spawners, there are amazing numbers of walleyes in the twenty to twenty five inch range.

The perch in Winnie are plentiful and big, and, when you get on them, willing biters.

Northern pike abound in a variety of areas. Throw Reed-Runner spinnerbaits in the Magnum size over weedbeds in the summer and fall and hang on: You will get bit.

The state record musky came from Winnie.

Panfish and largemouth bass can be found in good numbers in some parts of the lake.

In the open water season, walleyes are the big draw on Winnie, with perch coming in a close second. Early in the year anglers simply drift or troll areas in five to ten feet of water not far off shore with Fire-Ball jigs in the eighth ounce size tipped with shiners. If you hit it right, you’ll experience some of the best walleye action you can imagine. This is hands-on fun fishing.

Later in the year the walleyes will move off shore to deeper structures. This is when Roach Rigs tipped with leeches and crawlers become productive. When you’re fishing for walleyes, you’re also going to get perch. Put in a day, or much of the time just a couple of hours, and you’ll have enough fish for supper.

Ice fishing is also a big deal on Winnie. From first ice in early December until ice-out in late March or early April, you can find fish willing to eat your bait. Most anglers target perch, but walleyes, pike, whitefish, even the always fun eelpout are likely to stretch your string. If perch are the quarry, a Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon or Forage Minnow tipped with a Gulp! Alive Minnow Head or Gulp! Maggot will be as good as it gets.

Lake Winnibigoshish is a world-class fishery. It provides lots of fish, big fish, and a variety of species. It’s the perfect place to take a family that’s looking for some uninterrupted “together time” or a group of hard-core anglers. The resorts around the lake can take care of whatever kind of fishing vacation you’re looking for.