The Fishin' Magician: This year at Banks Lake

I know that walleye and bass anglers are curious about what will be happening at Banks Lake this year, so I checked in with the folks at Coulee Playland to get their take on it. Lou here had some good advice. One primary thing to consider is that all the weedbeds were killed off when the lake dropped 30 feet last year.

Until that comes back anglers should be looking areas that are deeper than 30 feet, where weeds that hide bait fish still exist. Many popular spots, like Barker Flats were high and dry for six months, and will be barren for a time. Look for steep drop offs at points and steep shorelines for fish. They will be hungry, too.

Crank baits will be effective this year for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. For walleye he suggests drop shot rigs with leeches, and if you want to pull spinners use very small blades. Fishing should be very good this spring for bass and walleye and some exceptionally large fish should be taken, too.

It is important, as the reservoir recovers that all the really large fish are returned to the water. Keep them in the gene pool for the future.