Rapala Original Floater F03
Rapala
The wounded-minnow that started arguments in more Minnesota tackle boxes than we can count. Twitch it, drown it, or just believe in it.
View on AmazonWater · Minnesota / South Dakota border
Big Stone Lake
The border lake at Ortonville. Walleye and panfish water that broke Minnesota’s bluegill record twice in open water 2026.
Boat kit
Usual tray for this water
Picks from the species that actually live here, already on the gear guides. Click a card if you want it in the boat. We still will not invent a bite.
Clam Drop Jig, Size 12, 1/16 oz, Wonderbread
Clam
Minnesota ice-house tungsten with a flat tie-eye that puts the hook where soft-mouthed crappies keep their secrets. Small, dense, and weirdly charming in Wonderbread paint.
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Johnson Standard Minnow Spoon, Gold, 2-3/4 inch, 3/4 oz
Johnson
The original weedless wonder still earns a seat in Minnesota pike boats. Cast it through pads and cabbage, keep a steady wobble, and tip it with a trailer if the fish want a little more meal. Gold 3/4 is the listing we can actually buy today.
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Storm WildEye Swim Shad 03, Fire Tiger
Storm
Pre-rigged soft shad with holographic flash and that WildEye stare that looks slightly judgmental. Cast it along weed edges and riprap when Minnesota bass want a baitfish without the drama of live bait.
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Rapala Shad Rap 07
Rapala
Balsa with a job. The Shad Rap is the crankbait people name the way they name a truck.
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Lindy Tungsten Fat Boy Jig
Lindy
Fast-sinking tungsten that keeps the line honest under a tip-up of nervous panfish. Horizontal hang, glow options, and the kind of density that makes lead feel like a rumor.
View on AmazonFish notes WalleyePanfishNorthern pikeBass
Gear guides MN weekend rod & reel — wallet setupsMinnesota walleye classicsSpinners and cast daysWalleye spinning & jigging setups
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Usual suspects: Walleye, Bluegill, Yellow perch, Northern pike, Largemouth bass, Lake sturgeon, White bass
Big Stone is the lake that shares a state line with South Dakota and a parking lot with Ortonville. About 11,984 acres, and only 16 feet at the deepest — a big room that never learned how to be deep, which is its whole personality. Big Stone County on the Minnesota side. (Minnesota DNR LakeFinder)
The guest list is walleye, bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, lake sturgeon, and white bass. People still treat it as a walleye and panfish destination. We are linking the lake pages. We are not writing you a Tuesday bite. (MN Fishing Lakes; AA-Fishing)
Open water 2026 is why the dock talk got loud. Outdoor News reported the Minnesota state-record bluegill getting broken twice on Big Stone — 2.21 pounds and 11.6 inches on July 7 — and a third two-pound fish the next day. The panfish are not a rumor. The walleyes did not resign. Live notes, when we have them, go in Reports. (Outdoor News)
What’s happening
We are watching the calendar. Nothing on the books for this water that we can stand behind. When a real lake day shows up, it will land here — not a daydream with a date slapped on it. See all of Events.