Okoboji BLUEGILLS

 The Okoboji Lakes are a treat no matter what season it may be.  This past weekend I traveled north with four ice fishing friends to chase down the big bluegills that make their home in West Okoboji.  This lake is known to be a tough one to fish because the water can be very clear, giving the fish the advantage.  We did not know what to expect as there was little to no information on the ice conditions or what the bite was like.  Come Saturday morning, we were on the hunt for bluegills. 

When fishing West lake Okoboji in the winter, one thing has been a constant for the past 20 years, find green weeds and you will find bluegills.  We were in Emerson Bay, one of the first places that freezes in this large lake, matter of fact, a lot of the lake was still water.  We searched and searched and finally settled in an area that was about nine-feet deep with plenty of weeds.  The bluegills were on the prowl and they were activity feeding throughout the day.  There were lulls here and there, but for the most part the bite was fantastic.  Sight fishing is a blast, and if you want to maximize your catches on West Lake Okoboji it is the only way to fish.  Those that have fished the lake know exactly what I am speaking of, those that haven't it is really hard to explain.  Imagine looking down a hole in the ice and seeing every grain of sand, pebble, and leaf of coontail weeds that are nine-feet below you.  That is West Lake Okoboji.  You can see very fish come up to your bait and watch them suck your bait in.  I do like to use my Vexilar to give me an early warning that fish are in the area, once I see the fish on the Vexilar then it is time to watch hose crafty gills come and eat.  It is truly an experience that is hard to imagine...one really needs to experience it.  The water this year may have one of the clearest I have every seen it.  With this water clarity comes some challenges too.  The fish can obviously see everything.  Your jig, bait, and line are all easily detected by the fish, so anglers that want to catch a lot of fish must adapt or they will be left behind.  If you can figure things out, it can be pretty easy to get a bunch of panfish to enjoy for dinner, remember that there is a 25 fish limit on bluegills per day, when they are biting you can really sill your bucket quickly! 😃

Two large Pumpkin Seeds

TIPS: a few tips for those heading that direction this winter.  One-pound test line is a must when fishing for these clever bluegills.  Using a proper "sight fishing" rod is another thing that is a must for your own comfort.  I prefer a rod that is between 14 and 17 inches long.  I always use a "schooley" reel for this finesse presentation as well, it minimizes line twist. Small jigs...use the smallest of jigs you have, most days a 3mm jig is too big, smaller the better.

We all got our fill of sight fishing on Saturday and decided to try Spirit Lake for perch.  We were only able to catch a few smaller ones and I did land a nice walleye.  We ended the day back sight fishing for more gills, they were still very cooperative, it was a fun way to end the day.

The Okoboji Lakes are a great place to visit, between all of us we caught the following species: bluegills, pumpkin seeds, black crappie, walleye, perch, largemouth bass and northern pike.  It was a great weekend with wonderful weather and cooperative bluegills...I can't wait to get back there and do it all again!