FISHING REPORT 6/17/2018
Rain finally subsides and after leaving a weather filled week we are looking ahead to great one!
Walleye fishing continues to be good, but we are seeing some changes as we have moved into a more summer like pattern with fish more frequently being found on reefs. That being said, jigs and minnows are still turning fish, but split shot rigs tipped with a leech or half crawler is starting to be more productive off the edges of the mid lake reefs. Soft bottom areas are still your go to when looking for active fish as the first mayfly hatch of the season seems to be upon us. It isn’t your sweep the steps off kind of hatch, but many fish are coming in with mayfly larvae in their bellies. If you can find these areas that are windblown, you are almost certain to find actively feeding fish. As water temps start to creep up into the 70’s, the reefs should continue to improve.
As usual northern pike are being caught with regularity casting shorelines with just about anything.
Smallmouth bass are extremely active right now. Casting shorelines with Mepps spinners or using a split shot rig tipped with a leech or shiner along weed lines has been very productive.
Finally, the bonus jumbo perch are beginning to show up while fishing for walleyes. It had been slow, but they have been more active recently possibly due to the recent bug hatch.
All species of wildlife are with young right now so keep your eye out along shorelines and in the trees as you are certain to see little ones keeping close to their mothers. Unfortunately for blackbirds, this is not a good time of year. If you notice a large flock of crows (loud and obnoxious) being harassed by a large flock of blackbirds it is usually the crow looking for a meal. Blackbird babies have recently hatched, and they are a favorite of a crow’s diet. Crows will systematically draw the blackbirds away from their nest while other crows attack the nest and carry off the unsuspecting little ones. It can be a somewhat cruel reminder of how the food chain is established.
Guide Reports
Trent Snyder
This week the bite was relatively decent. I am a jig and minnow guy, but leeches and crawlers are working as well. Early mornings and later afternoon to evening bites seem to be the best. Midafternoon you’ll find them in 32 to 28 feet. Early mornings late afternoon to evening’s you’ll find them in 25 to 6 feet of water. Bright color jigs on brightdays dark colors on dark days and remember to fish the wind.
Wade Watson
Good week of fishing…windy days help blow walleyes and the food source shallow this week for me. Our toughest day was Tuesday with high, hot sun, and although we managed to find a few walleyes that day, my groups of fishermen really did well all other days. We found most of our fish off windblown points in 6-12 feet of water. We had success with leeches mainly, but many of our biggest fish came of minnows. Plain hook live bait rigs were the ticket for us if you wanted good numbers of walleyes! Wind was KEY, and fishing shorelines and windblown points held fish on corners or in bays all week!
We did use a jig and minnow presentation on the main body of Kabetogama’s reef structures several times as fish seem to be moving and starting to get into better schools out on these reefs in 17-30 feet of water. I honestly think in the next week or two we will be fishing reef structures a lot more…
Smallmouth bass- we found bass on our leech presentation and for more action try casting a 1/4 oz jig tipped with plastic. We had a blast fighting several big bass on shallow sand bars with adjacent rocks. Key is to look for “basketball” rocks or shorelines with these rocks mixed in sand…you will find success this week. Many have eggs still so release them if they are not going in the fry pan.
Pike- small to medium pike (under our new 30-40″ protected slot) seem to be abundant! Mepps spinners, Husky Jerks lures, and that spinner baits worked like magic for us…no big pike for us this week
Walleye- fun to spot fish some of the bigger walleyes this week on sand…pitching plastics, casting perch colored “flicker Shad” lures or even pitching live bait was our key to pulling in a good number of large walleyes this week if live bait isn’t your thing. You may not catch quantity of walleyes with this presentation, but we had lot of good healthy fat walleyes. Key for me- pause your lure or bait during the retrieve several times, many of my strikes came 1/2 way back to the boat just after a 10-15 second pause…
Good luck, hope to see you on the water
