Jarrid Houston column: Fishing moves from ice to open water

Welcome to the spring season, fishermen and women. There are lots of things in motion as we are in the interim period of fishing seasons (ice to open water).

As of this report, I am writing from beautiful Cancun, Mexico. My wife and I were long due for a much-deserved vacation. So you’ll have to bear with me on this weekly fishing report. Lucky for us, we always stay in tight cahoots with fellow Northlanders who are getting out on the angling scene. Our finger is always on the beating pulse of the local angling world.

OK, let's rock: 

Lake Superior continues to show promise with open-water opportunities. In the next several weeks, we will see more and more anglers turn their attention to trolling the mainland areas for cruising coho salmon. The best bet is to work shallow, running stick baits in depths anywhere from 40-100 feet of water. If you swing a couple fish, you will want to whip U-turns and try for another bite.

Areas of the North Shore — from Duluth through Two Harbors — will be busy. So you will want to prepare and expect some traffic.

For you stream anglers, buckle up: It’s coming. Make sure to polish up on regulations. More on that in the coming weeks. St. Louis River angling is now on standby until we can navigate some clear paths to pan fishing spots. This week, we saw our first big boats return from Lake Superior, so things are certainly in motion.

If you are a river rat and need to scratch a walleye itch, I always recommend a quick road trip to the mighty Mississippi or the Green Bay area. Things are heating up in those areas. We have not heard a lot from the Rainy River, but that will change any day now. 

Inland waters are still trying to break free of ice and are rapidly becoming dangerous for any ice travel. If you must, please, please practice extra caution. However, it might be best to start getting things lined up for first-crack pan-fishing locations. Shallow north bays and most shorelines will become more ice-free each day.

I'm looking forward to getting after those first bobber-fishing spots. Be safe, and we will see you there.