Here it is, June already. I think the mosquitoes finally figured out it’s almost summer.

Next weekend, on June 7, the Fountain Lake Sportsmen’s Club holds its 12th Annual Take a Kid Fishing weekend at Fountain Lake near Katherine Island. The event starts at 9 a.m. and runs until noon. There are prizes, fishing tips, orange drink and cookies (donated by McDonald’s) and the most important of all there is fishing.

If last year was a preview of things to come the fishing should be pretty good again. There were a lot of fish caught last year and everyone seemed to have a good time. This is the one day a year when the adults don’t have to have a license to take a kid fishing and do some fishing themselves.

This annual event is sponsored by the Fountain lake Sportsmen’s Club along with the Conservation Department of the Minnesota DNR.

There are many local clubs, businesses and individuals that donate not only merchandise but also their time to make this event happen.

Take advantage of the opportunity to spend a morning with your youngster and see how much fun it can be.

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We were up north last weekend and the bugs really weren’t that bad.

I did have a few firsts last weekend. I went fishing from a canoe, helped my son Brian build a dock out of logs, and we cooked every meal over a campfire. Somehow food cooked outdoors tastes a little bit better.

After the dock was finished the grandsons couldn’t wait to fish from it. Grandpa offered up some cold hard cash to the first one to caught a fish.

It wasn’t long before my oldest Grandson, Trevor, had a perch on the end of his line. He won the prize but his brothers, Taylor and Grant, started catching them too. This reinforces my feeling that kids don’t really care what they are catching as long as they are catching.

My daughter-in-law, Kim has some blackmail pictures of me trying to maneuver through the water and over rocks, fallen trees and muck in my waders that seem to have shrunk and are a little tight.

I didn’t think that waders would shrink from being in the water, but that’s the only reason I can think of for them being so tight.

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Here are some fishing reports from some bait shops and guides from around the state.

Grand Rapids Area &045; Fishing has really picked up in the area and the weather has been beautiful. Winnie has been the lake of choice lately the Walleyes have been going well there. Lots of small fish this year you have to weed through them to get some keepers but the action is good. There are also lots of over the slot fish too, they have all been biting well. Tamarack point, Stony point, Mallard Point have all been producing fish. Most fish have been coming out of that 7-9 ft of water but there are reports of fish coming from deep water already.

Alexandria Area &045; Memorial Day weekend made for some memorable fishing in the Alexandria area. Even though the summer solstice is almost four weeks away, the weekend kicked off summer with a bang. Bass season opened on Saturday with fantastic weather, and anglers found success on many area lakes. The Alexandria &uot;Awake the Lakes&uot; festival included fireworks, a carnival, concerts, and a kid fishing challenge that was a big hit. The summer season if fully underway, and fishing action keeps getting better.

Ottertail/Perham Area &045; West Battle Lake is alive and the fishing is good.

Kabetogama Area &045; Summer walleye fishing patterns are beginning to develop. Walleyes are hanging in fairly shallow water near the 4-6 foot submerged food shelves. Most consistent walleye fishing is shallow 6-8′ depth when feeding, or adjacent waters 16-24 feet. Minnows still best bait choice with leeches gaining in popularity. Evening hours still the most productive fishing time.

Cass Lake Area &045; This past week the walleye bite has really picked up and gained some consistency. The majority of the fish are coming out of 11-16 feet of water on a variety of techniques. Long-lining live bait rigs, jigs and minnows and trolling spinner rigs have all been producing fish. With the water temps now into the mid 50’s the fish are really starting to spread out to the main lake bars while there is still plenty of action on the shoreline structure to be had as well.

Mankato &045; Lakes Washington and Madison have been the number one stops for crappies and small walleyes. While northern fishermen have been doing good across the area. The river has also been producing nice cats in the deeper pools.

Waterville &045; Lake Tetonka is producing some pretty good numbers in the walleye category but the bad news is that they are running small. Not new news to anyone that has fished this lake consistently but there is always hope of landing that nice one or a few pan-sized ones.

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Until next time, &uot;Good Luck and Good Fishin.’&uot;

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Remember the troops that are still serving our country.