Garmin's LiveScope forward facing sonar in action. Welcome to this week’s Black Friday edition of the Detroit Lakes Fishing Report!  As I write this, snow is covering the ground.  It’s like a shock to the system for anglers–signaling it’s time to get ice fishing gear in working order!  That means taking stock of what you have and what you need, and want you really want ! Many of you want or have forward facing sonar (FFS) transducers—a game-changer that lets you see fish mo

If you’re still out fishing, look for walleyes (and other species) where you found them in the spring - often shallow, near first breaklines by shore.  Just remember to stay safe out there!  Now is the time of year to assess the ice fishing gear you packed away last spring, to prepare for the upcoming hardwater season.  Worn out auger blades, old line, and jigs with chipped paint are common items I replace each year.  It’s also a great time of year to update the software on y

Does this week’s picture get you excited?  It should!  Unless your boat doubles as an ice breaker, the season is over!  We’ll have open water for a little longer, but the writing is on the wall.  That’s it for open water reports for the year, but next week we will dive into ice fishing preparation.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait!!  Good luck to those still braving the cold–and be careful.  To all you ice fisherman, tune in to next week’s report! Baxstar's Ice Fishi

It’s time to go big or go home.  The Detroit Lakes area offers some of the best musky fishing in the region.  Pelican and Detroit Lake are both excellent choices and I’d give the edge to Detroit, this time of year.  I tapped former MN musky record holder and guide Andrew Slette this week to get the scoop.  He told me the sucker bite has been strong in 12’ on the sand, and 18’ off the weeds.  If you have more than one angler in the boat, don’t hesitate to have one person casti