"The crappies are nice-sized in Belle Taine," Johnson continued. "It's one of my favorite late-season lakes, especially right after the season for pike and walleyes closes. There are so many great holes near shallow food shelves on this lake that it's hard to know where to start. If you're like me, you go to the one that's farthest from the landing and work your way back."

For more information, call Northern Bait at (218) 732-5113.

LAKE WACONIA
When Johnson and I went ice-fishing on Waconia last season we had to flip a coin. I wanted to go crappie fishing because I had been hearing about the big crappies that were being caught there, and Johnson wanted to target walleyes because he had a feeling there would be a good walleye bite. He called heads, and won.

"It was the second week of January," said Johnson, "and the walleyes were going to still be relating to structure."

I figured we might try some of those reefs to the west of Waconia's Coney Island, but Johnson headed in the opposite direction to a point on the southeast corner of the lake. We drilled in 16 to 25 feet of water, and searched with the sonar and underwater camera, and found some walleyes scattered on the bottom. Using a shiny jigging spoon with fathead minnows, we managed to entice eight fish. No one else was even close to us.

For more information, call Minnetonka Outdoors at (952) 470-8800.

LINWOOD LAKE
This very well could be the last year anglers can catch those big crappies on Linwood Lake in Anoka County. Crappies tend to cycle in both size and numbers, and for the past couple of years Linwood Lake has been producing some big ones.

"Last year the lake got a lot of fishing pressure for crappies," said Johnson. "This can knock down a population, but there are still plenty of big crappies in Linwood."

Johnson said you'll know where to set up because there will be stationary shacks set up over the hole on the west side. He cautioned that it may be a good idea to get out away from the crowds if you want to find the bigger fish.

"Even 50 yards can make a difference when it comes to size structure," he said. "Even during the middle of the week when the noise levels in those communities of shacks is low, I tend to look for the bigger fish on the edges of that hole instead of right over it."

When fishing Linwood, Johnson likes to drill a bunch of holes right away and then move as needed when the bite slows in one hole.

"You catch a couple out of this hole and then you have to move to the next one," he said. "It can be a sporadic bite, so I get the holes drilled right away so I won't have to worry about spooking fish when I drill."

For more information, call Vados Bait at (763) 784-6728.

We always wish for what we can't have. Now that it's cold outside, those hot summer days of past look pretty darn good. But then the fish weren't biting, and now they are -- for awhile anyway. When the bite slows down toward the tail end of this hardwater season, I'll read up on techniques that are supposed to work during the tough bite. Hopefully I won't get skunked using them!