I half-walked, half-skipped to my truck. I had just polished off my second week of teaching summer school. Much like the fish I’ve been chasing, I’m transitioning to my summer pattern.

In the last two weeks, I’ve fished the St. Louis River, Island, Chub, Big, Pike, Sturgeon, Pelican, Gunflint, and Saganaga. What I’ve gathered, besides filets, is that fish are transitioning from their spring locations and patterns to their summer haunts.

The crappies are almost all past spawn. I’m no longer concentrating on shallow, visible fish. My efforts have moved offshore. How far depends on t...