November 5, 2025 "Wrapping the Wrap-Able" Thanks, I Needed That! Fishing Season Ending Wrap Up

I don’t expect many will recall the 1970s TV commercials for Mennen Skin Bracer. The ones where John Goodman, after slapping the popular after shave on his face smiles and says, “Thanks, I Needed That”.

Mother Nature just gave me my own “thanks I needed that” moment. I walked outside, discovered ice on the top of my minnow tank, and a frozen hose nozzle. So, I went back to my computer, logged into the weather forecast and read the sad news. Overnight lows in the 20s and daytime highs barely touching 30 are on the tap for the next several days.

That means the suspense is over and the end of my open water season has arrived. The signal to get the boat dried out, covered up and put away for winter has been received. Today. We’ll get the outside chores done and make ready for the long winter ahead.

Did you know that 2025 marked the end of my 40th season as a full-time, professional fishing guide? Yes, that’s right, and if you count a few years of part time guiding in the Twin Cities before that, we could stretch it to say 43 years. No matter how we count those part time years, next spring will officially mark the start of my 5th decade earning my living holding a tiller handle in one hand, and a fishing rod in the other.

This morning, I want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who not only helped make this a great fishing season, but also for what has been a fabulous fishing career. Customers, readers, friends and fans alike, I couldn’t be here without you, and I can’t begin to thank each of you enough for your support.

The open water season may be over, but as always, I’ll be around. I’ll continue filling you in about the countdown to ice fishing, answering reader questions and bringing you updates about whatever timely fishing news that comes our way. That said, I’ll be moving at a slower pace for a little while and maybe issuing reports a little bit later in the mornings. So, if you want to be sure not to miss any fresh reports, please be sure that you’re signed up for the free insider newsletter. That way, you’ll be notified whenever there’s a timely update.

— Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Office Cell Call or Text 218-245-9858 or Email on Facebook on X

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Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism, November 5, 2025

"Good numbers of walleyes have moved into the Rainy River and fishing has been strong. Anglers are catching a nice mix of “eaters” along with slot fish (19.5 to 28.0 inches). A jig and minnow remains the go-to bait choice, and anglers are focusing on current breaks, deeper holes, and river bends.

As tradition goes, the deer hunting season timeframe often produces some of the biggest walleyes of the year — while some folks are in a tree, others are on the river catching trophies!

A strong late-fall walleye and sauger bite continues across the south shore of Lake of the Woods. Fish are staged and hungry, setting up beautifully for the start of the upcoming ice fishing season. The water temperature has dropped to 45°F, and fish are actively feeding as they transition into winter patterns. The fall fishing is consistent and action-packed, expect a nice mixed bag of walleyes, saugers, perch, and occasional pike.

The best action remains in 15 to 25 feet of water along traditional fall locations. Check out shoreline flats from Pine Island to Morris Point Gap, Zippel Bay, Long Point, and over to Twin Islands.

Vertical jigging with a frozen or live minnow continues to be the top presentation. Gold, orange, and glow colors remain productive, with combinations of gold/orange and pink doing especially well. Some anglers are still covering water by trolling crankbaits, but most agree the jig bite is unbeatable right now.

The stage is set for what looks to be another excellent early ice season! On average, ice fishing kicks off around December 10, though Mother Nature will ultimately decide when it’s time. Resort guides and outfitters who work the ice daily will monitor conditions closely and let everyone know when the ice they’re on is ready to fish.

Up at the Northwest Angle, once again, fishing is excellent. Walleyes are stacked up on points, reefs, and mud-to-rock transitions, and when you find them, it’s game on. A simple jig and minnow is all you need for steady action on both walleyes and saugers, along with perch, crappies, and pike.

Anglers are reporting strong numbers of fish across both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the islands. Resorts and guides continue to offer lodging, late-fall open-water trips, and upcoming ice fishing packages as the season shifts." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

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Reader Comments November 4, 2025 "Angler Ethics; Are They Ethical?"

Reader and frequent commentator Rand Olson wrote; "Jeff, appreciated your article (October 27, 2025 "Catch and Release, or Catch and Kill? Pros and Cons of Forward-Facing Sonar"), and your interest in it. The subjects of catch and release, Forward Facing Sonar, (FFS) and barotrauma are all interesting to read and discuss. But (these topics) almost impossible to make any final conclusions or regulation changes because there are so many variables at play.

Here is my personal input.

Catch and Release: I, like you have seen the images of floating dead walleyes which brings a moment of sadness when viewing. However, I can’t say I see this every time I go out on the water, and I will say I am seeing it less and less. So, my question, is this problem as big as we think it is? You are a guide who is on the water most every day and may come to a better conclusion than my brief experience and I would certainly yield to your position.

FFS: My comment here is simply, not every owner of FFS is as proficient with this technology as the young run and gunners (who are) out sharpshooting. I too have Live scope but I am far from a young sharpshooter. Because of my age 71 and fully aware of my limitations (balance in the boat, rough water, etc.) I use it to simply confirm whether there are or there are not fish in the area I want to target.  Is it helping me catch more fish? I think so, but I’ll never be even close to the proficiency pf the sharpshooters who are really good with it. And I’ll bet good money fisherman like me make up around 60% of FFS ownership.

Barotrauma: Thankfully, most of the lakes I fish don’t get this deep, but I am fully aware of both the depth, water temperature and the time out of water when releasing fish. 

Education: Because the subjects above are almost impossible to legislate. Education must be the key to future stewardship. Here is how education has changed my views of the sport of walleye fishing.

Limits of fish: I like everyone else loves catching a limit of fish as all men feel more manly, when we accomplish this goal. However, I have vowed that I will only catch what I can eat fresh. So, when my take home limit is gone, so too are my (supply of) fillets, no fillets ever go to the freezer.

Fishing mortality: Nothing disgusts me more than seeing a walleye that is gut hooked from using a live bait rig. Especially disgusting is when, on occasion, it is I who did it.  Therefore, I have vowed to change my fishing practice when using live bait rigs. Now, I present them only with a closed bail, as if I am jig fishing. If I lose them because of not feeding out line, then I lose them but I can retain the satisfaction of not inadvertently killing a walleye.

Hopefully, the info above is somewhat helpful, maybe its simply more bloviating but I write it because you care so much about the proper and best way forward to this most satisfying pastime. Enjoy your thinking time in the deer stand. Sincerely, Rand"

Out of Sight, Out of Mind.

REPLY: "Rand, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Your commentary covers a lot of territory, and all the topics are worthy of lengthy responses. I’ll do my best to break them down, offer my best reply, but also leave open the opportunity for additional commentary going forward.

First, your question about catch and releasing mortality is an important one in many ways. You mention not seeing a lot of dead fish floating on the surface near your favorite fishing spots. You go on to ask, is this problem as big as we think it is?  The only honest answer is “we don’t know”, at least not for sure.

Dead fish, of any species, rarely wind up floating on the surface. Most often, fish that are hooked and released by anglers do not die immenditately. When they do die, they're much more likely to wind up on the bottom, rather than floating on the surface. Fish that do eventually wind up floating on top of the water often drift to shore where they are seldom observed by the masses. So, counting on visually observing dead fish floating on a lake isn't likely to be an accurate way of judging hooking mortality.

We do know that anglers, even those with the best of intentions, kill a certain number of fish as they release them. Some of the release mortality is caused by improper handling, some of it by barotrauma, and still more of it is caused simply by the stress of fish being caught and handled. Angler harvest, a more easily identified form of fish mortality must also be considered, and natural mortality is a big part of the equation too.

Provided there are fish available to catch, most anglers don’t seem concerned by fish mortality. So, one could ask the question in a different way. When you add up fish mortality in all its forms, are there still enough fish remaining in each lake to produce a new crop that will mature in time to provide angler opportunity going forward? If so, then maybe the discussion is finished.

Already revealed in your comments, fish mortality has been with us for a long time. Deeply hooked with live bait rigs, warm water stress, and inadequate training in effective handling techniques are not new problems. Despite those challenges, there have generally been enough fish to go around and satisfy most of the angler demand. So, we can only assume that until now, fish mortality has not been a large enough problem to over-burden fish populations.

So, What’s The New Problem?

Brought about by the availability of forward-facing sonar, is an angler’s ability to effectively target fish at any time of the year and in open water habitat. Not only does FFS allow us target fish in open water, often deep-water habitat, but now, skilled anglers can even target specific, individual fish. So, instead of anglers “fishing for whatever bites”, some anglers can now seek out and catch only the exact fish they choose. This concerns folks who see “sharpshooters” targeting fish in deep water or singling out only the largest fish in a system.

Studies on the subject are in short supply, and the ones that have been completed are informal, providing only rudimentary information. Still, there is some information emerging. In a recent meeting of the MN DNR Technology Workgroup, Mike Knapp, Brainerd Area Fisheries Supervisor revealed results of a study.

The study, a joint project between MN DNR Fisheries, Central Lakes College and the Walleye Alliance investigated the number of anglers using FFS. Three Brainerd area lakes, Gull, Edward and Lower South Long were targeted and creel survey clerks asked anglers specific questions about their use of FFS. For me, there were 3 takeaways from the results of the surveys.

• Angler use of FFS is on the rise, more anglers are adopting the technology
• Angler effectiveness using FFS is on the rise as anglers move higher on the learning curve
• Release of fish mortality is an increasingly important consideration, targeting large fish

As the accompanying summary reveals, 70% of the anglers targeting walleye on Gull Lake were using FFS. Those 70% of walleye anglers accounted for catching 83% of the walleyes reported in the survey.
Walleyes in Gull Lake are primarily stocked fish, so releasing large females doesn’t necessarily help the cause of future year classes. That said, released fish, provided they survive, can provide opportunity for anglers to go forward. I guess that means mortality isn’t the most pressing issue on Gull, but what about other lakes?

After the tech meeting, I returned home and began searching YouTube videos produced by anglers who were targeting walleyes in open water. I thought some of them offered sound advice and demonstrated responsible use of technology. There were others, though, that really disturbed me. Images of high level, prominent anglers who were giddy with happiness as they yanked monster walleyes out of deep, 30 to 35 feet of water. Yes, they released those fish, and yes, the fish did appear to swim away and yes, if they all survive, then maybe all is well.

But wait, we already know for a fact that some of those fish will die. And we know too that there are protected slot limits aimed at keeping those fish alive, albeit temporarily. So, my question is why is it okay to intentionally pursue, catch, and kill, even unintentionally, any fish, including a walleye that would otherwise be protected?

If the DNR Fisheries Scientists tell me that targeting and catching big walleyes, or any other fish in deep water is okay, then fine, I’m going to start doing it too. But how can anybody answer that question without first learning more about walleye survival and its impact on fish populations under these circumstances?

While there are some general studies about hooking mortality on walleyes, none that we know of have been directly related to the use of FFS technology, or barotrauma injury to fish caught in deep water.

Finally, this is where your point about education comes into play Rand. You’re absolutely correct that we cannot legislate how technologies are used, or the impacts they will have on fish in specific circumstances. But even without knowing the precise scientific ramifications of catching fish in every situation, like targeting fish in deep water, we can still make good judgements about the generally accepted “best practices” for targeting and releasing fish.

Low Expectations = Low Results!

I see nothing wrong with educating our fellow anglers about doing their best to provide future generations with quality fishing opportunities. I see nothing wrong with using peer pressure to influence their behavior either. We should strive, I think, to raise our standards about being more protective of fish and game populations in Minnesota.

Some folks tell me that it won’t work. They say that the only way to protect resources is to change rules and pass laws. In their view, restricting access to opportunity is better than encouraging folks to access opportunities, but manage them to provide the most positive outcomes possible.

What’s the difference? Most game and fish laws are rarely enforced, and their influence on anglers depends on public acceptance anyway.  So, in my view, everything boils down to the honor system anyway. And when it comes to honor, you either have it, or you don’t. — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Office Cell Call or Text 218-245-9858 or Email on Facebook on X

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